Monday, January 26, 2009

Travelography #141: More Birds, Fog, Obama, and Mexico

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Stories discussed in this podcast are from the Travelography Twitter Blog for the week of 19 January 2009. This podcast is also available at Blubrry.com and Travelgeography.info.
  • Turkish plane lands safely after bird strike

    The aircraft with 143 passengers aboard had just taken off Monday from Istanbul bound for Denmark when it struck the birds and the pilot was able to return to the city's airport. Nobody was hurt. Turkish Airlines said passengers will be flown to Copenhagen...
  • JetBlue flight aborts takeoff on bird strike fears

    None of the 136 passengers was injured, and the plane didn't leave the runway but returned to the gate. The passengers were put on another plane to continue their journey, and the plane was undergoing inspection to see if either of its engines had been hit.
  • Paramedics bring Big Macs to stranded AeroMexico passengers

    The flight was diverted from Sea-Tac Airport on Tuesday night, and passengers weren't allowed off the plane in Portland, officials said, because no customs agents were available to process the passengers. Eventually, the plane went back to Mexico, and then it returned to the United States to complete the flight to Seattle.
  • Will Obama image translate into tourism?

    This year, the number of foreign visitors is expected to dip for the first time since 2003 as the economic crisis spreads and consumers worldwide curb spending. The U.S. Travel Association, the industry's main trade group, this year expects about 60 million foreigners, or 1.6% less than last year.,
  • Mexico City is the world's top religious tourist destination

    A study carried out by the Spanish Office of Tourism found that Mexico's capital is the preferred destination of tourists seeking religious sites, largely because of its Basilica de Guadalupe, which receives millions of pilgrims each year.
  • South African Airways crew held over drug haul

    Customs agents found the drugs in three suitcases when the crew members passed through a customs clearance point. All fifteen cabin and flight crew staff including the pilot have been arrested after authorities found 110 pounds of cannabis, worth about $210,000, and 9 pounds of cocaine, worth about $240,000.
  • Tumbling peso makes Mexico a hot destination

    Mexico is counting on its weakened currency against the dollar and its proximity to the U.S. to attract recession-shocked Americans and fuel its tourism industry — a major source of foreign income. Tourism officials say Mexico saw 3% more visitors who spent an estimated 4% more in 2008, with tourists flocking to its beaches and cobble-stoned streets even during the global economic crisis. And, unlike most tourist destinations around the world, there is no sign that this year will be any different.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Travelography #140: Inaugural Tourism

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Stories discussed in this podcast are from the Travelography Twitter Blog for the first two weeks of January 2009. This podcast is also available at Blubrry.com and Travelgeography.info.

  • Disney hopes to build 1st park on Chinese mainland

    The Walt Disney Company and the Shanghai municipal government have signed a project proposal to build the first Disney park on the Chinese mainland. Under the proposal, the entertainment giant will take a 43 percent stake in Shanghai Disneyland.
  • Security Net Wraps Capital for Inaugural

    Though intelligence agencies have detected no credible threat to any inaugural event or to Mr. Obama, law enforcement agencies, operating from a network of centers, will command ground, air and waterborne forces numbering in excess of 20,000 police officers, National Guard troops and plainclothes agents from more than 50 agencies, according to security planners.
  • Bathroom Break: Will Inauguration Have Enough?

    "This is the largest temporary restroom event in the history of the United States," ... Don's Johns is providing many of the 5,000 port-a-potties for the inauguration, but other suppliers are at work as well,
  • Industry submits travel and tourism stimulus plan to Obama

    ASTA's stimulus proposals include the restoration of a 2001 program of direct low-interest-rate loans to small businesses through the Small Business Administration and the creation of an investment tax credit program for small business investments in information-related technologies, which will be crucial for travel agencies to compete effectively in the years ahead.
  • Net usage spikes after U.S. Airways plane crash

    The crash now ranks as the seventh biggest Internet news event since Akamai started tracking spikes in traffic in 2005. The plane crash, which miraculously resulted in no fatalities or serious injuries, ranks just ahead of the post-Election Day 2008 coverage.
  • Legoland swears in mini-Barack Obama in mock inauguration

    A 4-inch-tall Barack Obama rendered in Lego bricks will be sworn in as plastic president before more than 1,000 miniature-molded dignitaries at Legoland California’s inaugural pre-enactment
  • Cruise industry: 2009 shaping up as another record year

    Helping to prop up the industry is the rapid growth of cruising among Europeans, Latin Americans and Asians. ... The industry's biggest players also have been rolling out significant discounts to keep ships full this winter and for the coming spring and summer.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Travelography #139: Travel Trends for 2009

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Stories discussed in this podcast are from the Travelography Twitter Blog for the week of 12 January 2009. This podcast is also available at Blubrry.com and Travelgeography.info.