Sunday, December 30, 2007

Travelography #103: Prostitutes and Pilgrims

This is a PCN Travelography Podcast related post Use the players on this page, or click the title above to listen to this podcast.

Links to today's stories:

Well, at least I put a tech story between the Amsterdam's brothels and the Vatican...

  1. Amsterdam to clean up famed red light district

  2. Denver Airport offers 802.11n Wi-Fi for free

  3. Higher fares don't deter holiday fliers
p.s. - I had some problems with the new PodcasterNews.com interface and was not able to upload this until December 31st when my problem was fixed. -- Alan

Friday, December 28, 2007

G4T/TGPod #61: Utterz from Northern Finland and Sweden

This is a Geography for Travelers Podcast related post This is a Geography for Travelers Podcast related post (click on the title above to download the .mp3 file)

Travel Geography Podcast #61

The December Travel Geography Podcast is a compilation of mini Utterz.com podcasts that I posted during my trip to Finland and Sweden. The trip was from November 28 to December 10. Utterz.com is a free podcasting service on which you can post unlimited mini-podcasts -- sort of like an audio Twitter. The Utterz episodes that I have have compiled here include:
  1. My first impressions of being in a place with only 4 hours of sunlite
  2. A noon time walk on the University of Oulu campus to find the sun
  3. Report on our post-conference field trip to Santa Claus Land at the Arctic Circle and to the World Cup Ski competition at the Ruka Ski Resort near the Russian border
  4. A report on my job as a Ph.D. "Opponent" and the party that followed
  5. Some thoughts while in transit back to the US, and my jetlag after returning to Arizona, and
  6. A weather report update and news story about a new tourist attraction in Sweden
The sun never get very high above the horizon. Above is about 1 pm.


Me, standing on the Arctic Circle line in the Santa Claus Land shopping mall in Finland.


World Cup Ski Jump competition at the Ruka Ski Resort in Finland.


Wild (?) reindeer on a snow-packed road in Finland.

All Photos: Creative Commons Copyright: non-commercial, attribution, share-alike

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Travelography #102: 2007 Travel News In Review

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In today's podcast I give a summary of the major themes that were covered in the Travelography World Travel News podcast in 2007.

Links to new stories in today's podcast:

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Travelography #101: Ski Resorts in the Alps Prepare for Global Warming

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Spas and shopping malls are replacing replacing skiing as glaciers and snow melt in the Alps.


With this Travelography #101 podcast I am changing to a more informal format -- mostly because it is easier for me, but also because I enjoy it more. I hope you like it, as well.

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Travelography #100 - Theme Parks Boom, Gorillas Grow, and Air Hostess Games

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Today's Stories:
- Amusement parks are doing well world wide
- Mountain gorillas bring high end tourist money to Uganda
- Women compete for airline hostess positions on a new game show in China

Links:
Amusement park and attractions business to grow in Asia and Europe but will go steady in US
Rare mountain gorillas prepared for tourists
China's airline clones

Travel Geography Podcast (this website)
Travelography News on Ning
Travelography News on Twitter
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Sunday, December 02, 2007

Santa + Ski Jump @ Arctic C Pt 2



PART 2 - Recorded last night at the University of Oulu Research Center at Finland's Oulanka National Park. One Correction: The three events were Ski Jumping, Cross Country Skiing, and Nordic Combined (both jumping and x-country skiing). Sorry about the sound quality - I will try to avoid using that recorder in the future (or learn how to use it appropriately).

PHOTO: Ski Jump at the Ruka Ski Area in Finland, near the Russian border.

Mobile post sent by alew using Utterz Replies.  mp3

Santa + Ski Jump @ Arctic Circle



PART 1 - Recorded last night at the University of Oulu Research Center at Finland's Oulanka National Park. One Corrections: The three events were: Ski Jumping, Cross Country Skiing, and Nordic Combined (both jumping and x-country skiing). Sorry about the sound quality - I will try to avoid using that recorder in the future (or learn how to use it appropriately).

PHOTO: Sun at about noon time in Oulu, Finland

Mobile post sent by alew using Utterz Replies.  mp3

Thursday, November 29, 2007

NaPodPoMo - Travelography 2.0 - Daily Podcast Challenge - Week 4

For 29 November 2007- First Impressions of Oulu, Finland

Pretty slow internet connection here at the university, but with patience it works and I did get today's podcasts posted on Utterz. Sunrise was a 9:30 am this morning, well after the conference had started; sunset was at 2:30 pm. It is now 4pm and pitch dark outside. Seems like I should be getting ready for bed now -- probably the jetlag. At our downtown hotel, stores are be open until 9 pm and the snow-packed streets are busy with shoppers.

Additional postings about my trip and conference are at http://twitter.com/alew

For 27 November 2007 - Flying by Car to Phoenix - My morning flight was canceled, so I had to drive to Phoenix to make my connecting flight!

Monday, November 26, 2007

Travelography #99: T-Day Travel, HI Superferry, and Japan Whales and Fingers

This is a PCN Travelography Podcast related post Use the players on this page, or click the title above to listen to this podcast.

Today's Stories:

- Weather, among other factors, help make for smooth traveling during the Thanksgiving weekend in the US.
- Hawaii's Superferry to re-start on December 1st between Honolulu and Maui.
- Travel boycott called against Japan as it dramatically increases its whale catch.
- Japan starts fingerprinting all foreign visitors to prevent terrorist attacks.

Story Links:

Sunday, November 25, 2007

NaPodPoMo - Travelography 2.0 - Daily Podcast Challenge - Week 3

Week 3 of National Podcast Post Month (NaPodPoMo)

I joined NaPodPoMo a few days late, but you can find my posts week 1 (Nov 7-9) here and for Week 2 (Nov 11-19) here. Nov 10 + Nov 19 were my regular weekly Travelography podcast.

For 25 November 2007

For 24 November 2007

  • Turkey Congee - I am amazed by all of the traffic heading north from Phoenix this weekend! And I talk about our traditional post-Turkey Day meal of turkey congee (rice porridge). Here is one of many turkey congee recipes available online: http://esyurl.com/2pj - also check out: http://napodpomo.ning.com/ For 21 November 2007

For 23 November 2007

For 22 November 2007

For 21 November 2007

  • Angkor Wat and Ha Long Bay - I talk about a couple of places that many people (especially Americans, I think) do not know about, but really should be on their must visit someday list of places: Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Ha Long Bay in Vietnam.

For 20 November 2007:

Monday, November 19, 2007

Travelography #98: Turkey Day Air Travel, Fuel Surcharges, and Forever Travel

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Stories covered in today's podcast include:
- The US government institutes policies to reduce Thanksgiving air travel -- we'll see if it works!
- Airlines and cruise companies adopt new fuel surcharge fees to cover increasing costs.
- Are you a potential Forever Tourist?

Links:

Sunday, November 18, 2007

NaPodPoMo - Travelography 2.0 - Daily Podcast Challenge - Week 2

Week 2 of National Podcast Post Month (NaPodPoMo)

I joined a few days late, but you can find my posts from last week (Nov 7-9) here. Nov 10 was my regular weekly Travelography podcast.

For 18 November 2007:
For 17 November 2007:
  • Travelography 2.0: China's Golden Weeks Explained - I just finished an essay on Domestic Tourism for the Encyclopedia of Modern China (due out sometime next year) -- so in today's podcast I talk about China's Golden Weeks -- what they are and how they are changing.
For 16 November 2007:
  • My Travel Podcast Susbscriptions - Only a fraction of the 100 podcasts that I subscribe to are related to travel and tourism. I talk about those in today's podcast. And OOPS - I forgot to mention the Home Based Travel Agent podcast -- sorry Barry ...
For 15 November 2007:
  • Traveler Resilience - Record numbers of Americans will hit the roads next week despite gas prices being $1 more than last year.
For 14 November 2007:
For 13 November 2007:
For 12 November 2007:
For 11 November 2007:

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Travelography #97 - Great Wall of Sand, 750 mi. Golf Course, and Cold War Tours

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Stories in today's podcast include: (1) Growing sand storms are eroding away the Great Wall of China; (2) Australia building 750 mile / 1200 km long golf course; (3) US National Park Service offering nuclear reactor tours in Washington State; and (4) New tour of life in a Communist town in Poland.

Main Story Links:

Friday, November 09, 2007

NaPodPoMo - Travelography 2.0 - Daily Podcast Challenge - Nov 7 to 9

So I was wondering what NaVloPoMo was that CherlyColan on Twitter was talking about, and I stumbled on the NaPodPoMo website on Ning.com. NaPodPoMo = National Podcast Post Month, and those who sign up in the month of November as supposed to post a podcast every day for 30 days.

Even though I came down with a head cold a couple of days ago, this sounded kind of fun, and I had just signed up for Utterz.com, so I though I would give it a try. I am calling these NaPodPoMo podcast posts "Travelography 2.0" as they will be very short, un-edited versions of my Travelography: World Travel and Tourism News podcast. I will add them to this blog entry as they are recorded.

Here is the first one for 7 November 2007:
For 8 November 2008:
For 9 November 2008

Monday, November 05, 2007

Travelograpy #96:Cruise Rapes and Pollution, and What Loch Ness Monster?

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Today's Stories:
- Sexual assaults on North American cruise ships are much higher than in US overall.
- The US EPA is sued for not regulating air pollution from ocean ships, including cruise lines.
- Tourists are cancel their trips as Iceland resume whaling.
- Shy Loch Ness Monster has Scotland's tourism industry worried.

Links to original stories:

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Travelography #95: Global Warming Challenges for Travel and Tourism

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Stories in Today's Podcast:
- Global warming to alter when and where we travel.
- Honolulu's Waikiki will be under water within 100 years.
- UN and travel industry executives look for ways to reduce tourism's carbon footprint.
- Environmentalists protest the enlargement of London's Heathrow Airport.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Travelography #94: Nepal Maoists, Resorts Protest in India, and Monkey Attacks

This is a PCN Travelography Podcast related post Use the players on this page, or click the title above to listen to this podcast.

Stories covered in this weeks podcast are:
  1. Nepal's Maoists politicians try to calm the nerves of the tourism industry as they demand the overthrow of the monarchy.
  2. Kerala's fisherwomen protest against new beach resorts that limit their access to the India's southwest coast.
  3. Cambodia puts a bounty on monkeys who are attacking tourists in Phnom Penh.

Friday, October 19, 2007

G4T #59: Teaching Tourism with Social Software

This is a Geography for Travelers Podcast related post This is a Geography for Travelers Podcast related post (click on the title above to open the .mp3 file)

CLICK THE EMBEDDED LINK BELOW TO HEAR AND SEE THIS PRESENTATION

Today's podcast is a presentation that I gave at the NAU eLearning Institute in May, 2007. I gave a 1 hour presentation on how I used social media, especially blogs, podcasts and wikis, to teach an online class in Spring 2007. The class was titled "Planning for Sustainable Tourism."

Total Length: 54m 48sec

Here are some links related to this presentation


SlideShare | View | Upload your own

----
Note that this version of the Powerpoint presentation is slightly different from the audio file. There are a couple of slides at the start and at the end that were not in the presentation when the audio was recorded, and there is one slide at the end that I mention (very briefly) that is not in the slidecast. --- Long story....

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Travelography #93: China's Golden Week and Hong Kong Disneyland Struggles

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Lot of tourism news from China and Asia...
- China, Hong Kong, Macau and Malaysia are leading Asia to a record tourism year in 2007
- Huge numbers of tourists during China's National Day holiday causes some to question the value of Golden Weeks
- Over 1500 foreign tourists get lost in the mob of domestic tourists at China's Tiananmen Square
- Hong Kong Disneyland is under-performing as visitors say it it too small and culturally insensitive

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Travelography #92: The Summer of Flight Delays, and Two New Attractions

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- 30% of US Airline Departures were late this summer, up from 25% last year, and passenger complaints against airlines have nearly doubled.
- AvoidDelays.com lists the airports, airlines and flights to avoid month by month
- Delta's is offering business class seats and meals, in downtown Manhattan
- Larry Craig's restroom at the Minneapolis airport has become the country's newest tourist attraction.

Monday, September 24, 2007

Travelography #91: China Web Bookings, Flight Attendants, + Europe's Disabled

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Online bookings in China lag far behind much of the rest of the world due to thin travel agent profit margins. Flight attendants have one of the toughest jobs in travel. The Europe Union passes new laws to protect disabled air travelers.
--
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Links:

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

G4T #58: Discussing Tourism and Ethics - part 2

This is a Geography for Travelers Podcast related post This is a Geography for Travelers Podcast related post (click on the title above to download the .mp3 file)

This is the discussion that followed Professor David Fennell's presentation on Tourism and Ethics at the Association of American Geographers (AAG) Annual Meeting in April 2007. The session was sponsored by the Tourism Geographies journal and the AAG's Recreation, Tourism and Sport Specialty Group.

To hear the presentation, go to show #57 at http://TravelGeography.info - where you can find the full show notes for Geography for Travelers.

AND to both Hear and See this presentation as a Slidecast, go to http://Slideshare.net/alew

You can also download the MP3 file here.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Travelography #90: Tourism Challenges in Greece, Tibet and South Africa

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Stories in this week's Travelography Podcast:
  1. British tourists causing trouble on Greek islands.
  2. Tibet struggling to manage large influx of train tourists.
  3. South Africa seeks to stem crimes against tourists.
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Listen to Travelography on your Phone +1 (360) 227-5594
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LINKS:

Monday, September 10, 2007

Travelography #89: Seat Upgrades, EU Air Carbon Trading, and New TSA Airport Delays Coming

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Airlines in the US are offering more opportunities for upgrading to business and first class. Europe wants all airlines flying to and in the EU to participate in a carbon trading program. Now the US wants to fingerprint people leaving the country, which could seriously slow down the airport check-in process.

LINKS:

Saturday, September 01, 2007

Travelography #88: Tourism Challenges for Hawaii, the Caribbean and Europe

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Hawaii's June tourist arrivals are slightly down from last year, while the Caribbean has seen a 5 to 10% drop for a variety of reasons. US travel to Europe remains strong, through the high costs for Americans is forcing them to live more on the cheap.

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NEW: Listen to the latest Travelography on your phone at: +1 (360) 227-5594
--

LINKS:

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Ethics and Sustainable Tourism - with David Fennell (Slidecast)

This is a Geography for Travelers Podcast related post This is a Geography for Travelers Podcast post - Click on the title above to download the .mp3 file - OR - Play the Slidecast Version Here: (length: 48 min 32 sec)





Today's Geography for Travelers Podcast is a recording of a presentation by Prof. David Fennell of Brock University at the annual meeting of the Association of American Geographers, 17-22 April 2007. The title of his presentation is:

Ethics: We're Stuck With It [in Tourism]...Whether We Like It Or Not!
This was a 45 minute plenary presentation sponsored by my journal, Tourism Geographies, and funded by the journal's publisher, Routledge/Taylor and Francis, Ltd.

Part 1 of this podcast is the actual presentation. Part 2 of this podcast will is the questions and answers that followed the presentation. I will post that in about 1 to 2 weeks as a separate podcast.

ALSO - A Slidecast version of this podcast, which is linked to David's Powerpoint slides, is available above, as well as at http://www.slideshare.net/alew.

Here is the Abstract of David Fennell's presentation from the conference program:

Trivers' (1971) theory of reciprocal altruism, emerging from animal behaviour studies, is premised on the belief that human social behaviour is said to have evolved in relatively small, stable communities where groups of people had opportunities to forge cooperative relationships over time through repeated interaction. The more time we have to engage in altruistic acts—acts that are returned in kind— the better chance for individuals and groups to set up longer term cooperative relationships. Cooperation of this sort can be challenged in tourism because of limited interactions based on restricted periods of time, with implications at the micro scale (tourist-host interactions) and at the macro scale (collective interactions within the region as a whole). Despite these challenges, ethics and trust have emerged from reciprocal altruism as mechanisms that induce both short-term and long-term cooperative relationships for mutual benefit. Implications of these relationships are discussed in the context of generating ways to improve cooperation for the tourism industry as a whole.
Keywords: ethics, reciprocal altruism, cooperation

Original Show Notes for this podcast are at: http://TravelGeography.info

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Travelography #87: Top 10 Travel Destinations: US, Food and Honeymoons

This is a PCN Travelography Podcast related post This is a PCN Travelography Podcast related post. Use the players on this page, or click the title above to listen to this podcast.

Three recent Top 10 Lists
  • Top 10 US Destinations
  • Top 10 World Foodie Cities
  • Top 10 Honeymoon Destinations ... and more

-- LINKS:

Monday, August 20, 2007

Travelography #86: Space Tourism Accident + UNESCO World Heritiage Issues

This is a PCN Travelography Podcast related post This is a PCN Travelography Podcast related post. Use the players on this page, or click the title above to listen to this podcast.

Rocket accident shows dangers of space tourism. UNESCO considers tourism threats to World Heritage Sites, and hears calls for separate criteria for Asian World Heritage designations. And the Galapagos Islands tries to deal with threats from tourism and immigration.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Travelography #85: Overbooked, Delayed and Canceled Flight Tips

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Not really news this week, but some tips for how to avoid and deal with being bumped on oversold flights, delayed flights and canceled flights.


Originally posted by Alan A. Lew at http://travelgeography.info

Saturday, July 28, 2007

Travelography #83: Passport Cards + Errors - and - Cruise Deaths + Taxes

This is a PCN Travelography Podcast related post This is a PCN Travelography Podcast related post. Use the players on this page, or click the title above to listen to this podcast.

A passport card will soon to be tested for US citizens traveling in North America. With the flood of new applications, about 1% of new US passports are found to contain errors. Along with a rise in passengers, cruise ship deaths are also increasing. And Alaska struggles to tax gaming revenues on cruise ships.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

G4T #56: A Soundseeing Trip to China's Danxiashan World Geopark

This is a Geography for Travelers Podcast related post This is a Geography for Travelers Podcast related post (click on the title above to open the .mp3 file)

Danxiashan is a sandstone mountain region adjacent to the city of Shaoguan in northern Guangdong Province in China (north of Hong Kong). The landform is similar to the sandstone regions of northern Arizona (Sedona) and southern Utah, but in a subtropical vegetation zone.

I was at the Danxiashan World Geopark last week and recorded this week's Geography for Travelers Podcast while hiking around on the top of one of the more visited peaks.

My photos of Danxiashan and the surrounding area can be found here:
- http://flickr.com/photos/alew/tags/danxiashan/



Notes:
  1. Due to time constraints we did not go to Danxiashan's two most famous rock formations -- the male rock and female rock. A search on those terms will find photos of these two less-than-family-suitable stone formations.
  2. This soundseeing tour was recorded on my Zoom H4 stereo recorder. Wear earphones for the best experience.
The Geography for Travelers Podcast is found at http://travelgeography.info

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Travelography #82: Return of the Travel Agent, Family Travel, and Gladiators

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Frustrated with the Internet, a growing number of travelers are returning to travel agencies. A poll of American Express travel agents found Family Travel to be one of the hottest growth areas this year. And a Roman Gladiator attacks a American Tourist in Rome.

Monday, July 16, 2007

Travelography #81: Private vs Commercial Jets - and - Airlines Banned in EU

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Commercial airlines accuse private jets of not paying their fair share of the cost of upgrading air traffic controls in the US. The European Union bans all Indonesian airlines from Europe. And US airlines get and "F" for corporate responsibility.



---------
ADDENDUM: Correction to my comments on US Airlines and Crisis Management: American Airlines gave $500 vouchers (with limitations) to customers who they left stranded at the DFW airport last December to compensate for the trouble they caused.

Saturday, July 07, 2007

Travelography #80: Africa Tourism Growth; China & Singapore Open Their Doors

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Despite major challenges, Kenya's tourism revenues increase and Mozambique sees a rise in tourism numbers. China will fully open its domestic market to foreign travel agencies for the first time this year. And young tourists from selected developed countries can seek employment in Singapore during their holiday visits.

Saturday, June 30, 2007

G4T #55: Mike Pesses on Authentic Spaces of Bicycle Tourism

This is a Geography for Travelers Podcast related post This is a Geography for Travelers Podcast related post (click on the title above to download the .mp3 file)

This is another presentation from the Association of American Geographers annual meeting in San Francisco, California, April 12-21, 2007. Here is the abstract from the AAG.org website:

Author: Michael W. Pesses - California State University, Northridge

Abstract:
In the past thirty years, bicycle touring has become a legitimate form of tourism. This paper serves as an attempt to examine bicycle touring as an "authentic" form of tourism as well as to examine how the trip affects the bicycle tourist's sense of identity. Through a qualitative analysis of the journals of bicycle tourists, this paper will look into how authentic space and authentic experiences affect the individual's concept of identity and self. The authenticity of the toured space is in constant tension with existential authenticity; one cannot exist without the other in bicycle touring. To find meaning in one's travels, and consequently in one's life, both forms of authenticity are constantly being challenged by the experience and the landscape.
Keywords: Tourism-bicycle, authenticity, landscape, produced spaces

Also mentioned in the podcast intro:


Friday, June 29, 2007

Travelography #79: Can Islam be Re-Branded? How about Fiji + Cuba?

This is a PCN Travelography Podcast related post Use the players on this page, or click the title above to listen to this podcast.

Turkmenistan welcome tourists -- and cell phones. Pakistan's tourism minister resigns after death sentence is is issued for hugging her elderly male teacher. Can Islam be re-branded for the better? Fiji hoteliers call on their military government to lighten-up. And Cuban tourism declines due to new US restrictions and higher air prices from Europe.