Travelography #143: Fire Tourists and Tweet My Spring Break

Use the players on this page, or click the title above to listen to this podcast.

Stories discussed in this podcast are from the Travelography Twitter Blog for the week of 2 to 9 February 2009. This podcast is also available at Blubrry.com and Travelgeography.info.

• Police warn 'fire tourists' to stay away - Australia

  People have died in their cars trying to escape the Gippsland fires and there are reports of a busload of Japanese tourists heading towards the Yarra Valley. Police say they will be blocking people who are driving towards dangerous areas and people could be charged with hindering police if they are caught sightseeing in "stupid" areas.

• Australia's forest fire toll climbs - 166 dead - Summary : Environment

  The body count reached 166 on Tuesday, more than doubling the death toll from Australia's previous worst forest fires in 1983. Authorities in the south-coast city of Melbourne warned the death toll would continue to climb as army bulldozers cleared a path for forensic teams to enter hamlets cut off by Saturday's inferno.

• Future Tech May Reduce Bird-Plane Collisions

  Most of today's anti-bird-strike efforts are ground-based, focusing on making airports less inviting to birds by removing ponds, exterminating the bugs birds eat, firing noise cannons, installing artificial owls, and so on. But the next frontier in bird-strike prevention is the sky. Bird-disturbing radar, pulsing lights, and reflective coatings may someday make aircraft more visible to birds, so they have time to dodge oncoming planes

• Travel firms respond to events, share news via Twitter

  Hotels, airlines, airports and other travel companies are joining the Twitter community, too, to pitch services, update travel conditions and respond directly to the individual needs of customers. They're finding the mobile nature of the technology is ideal for talking to travelers. "We consider our Twitter account akin to an information booth,"

• Economy won't stop the spring break party

  Bookings to popular beach destinations are strong, according to travel companies, and volunteering vacations continue to gain momentum. "Typically the student business is more resilient to the economy because it's like a once in a lifetime trip,"

• $50,000 to stay in a house shaped like a toilet?

  Traveling to Suwon, South Korea anytime soon? Feeling flush with cash and feel like staying in a house shaped like a toilet?

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

Use the players on this page, or click the title above to listen to this podcast.

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.

Travelography #139: Travel Trends for 2009

Use the players on this page, or click the title above to listen to this podcast.

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.

• Trend Watch Euromonitor Internationals Top City Destinations Ranking ...

• AAA releases tips and trends for 2009 travel - AAA

• Travelers will be getting lots of deals in 2009 (in the US)

  Other findings in the Travel Leaders 2009 trends survey: •90.5% say customers are cutting back on travel compared with the same period last year. •57.4% say clients are cutting back on the length of their trips. •31.5% say airfares on 2009 corporate bookings are equal to or lower than those in 2008. •81.6% say clients are trading down when it comes to hotels. •84.3% recommend Mexico as the best value outside the USA, followed by cruises (61.1%) and the Caribbean (43.9%). Agents were asked to pick up to three places.

• The Optimal Way to Board Plane Passengers

  ...loading the back rows first and then gradually rows nearer the front -- should be among the best ways to board, but simulations indicate that this is the second-slowest way. Even random boarding is faster.

• Mexican Hospitals Aim To Attract More Americans (NPR)

  As many Americans struggle to pay for health care or health insurance, hospitals in Mexico are expanding in hopes of attracting more patients from north of the border — in addition, a rapidly growing industry is marketing "medical tourism" to Americans.

Travelography #122: Las Vegas Spending More Green on Green

Use the players on this page, or click the title above to listen to this podcast.

Stories discussed in this podcast are from the Travelography Twitter Blog for the week of 4 August 2008. This podcast is also available at Blubrry.com and Travelgeography.info.

• Congress: No Cell Phones Mid-Flight

  The committee's action comes as the European Union is moving to allow airline passengers to talk on their cell phones during flight...And some lawmakers worry that domestic airlines might try to get the cell phone ban lifted so they can charge passengers.

• Delta to offer Wi-Fi on mainline domestic fleet [by mid-2009]

  Several other airlines either offer similar service or plan to, though on a much more limited number of flights.... A flat fee of $9.95 will be charged on flights of three hours or less, and $12.95 on flights of more than three hours.

• U.S. Starts Online Screening for Foreigners

  Europeans and others who travel visa-free to the United States can start registering in August for a new online security screening check that will become mandatory in January to enter the U.S.

• Las Vegas bets on environmentalism

  The projects gunning for LEED certifications include the $2.9 billion Fontainebleau Resort, the $1.9 billion tower addition to Caesars Palace, the $4.8 billion Echelon resort and the $9.2 billion, six-high-rise CityCenter complex.

• Green China Travel Tips

  If you're in a big city, the idea of a "green hotel" might seem counterintuitive, but even in the heart of Shanghai or sprawling outskirts of Shenzhen, you'll find accommodations that have gone green to one degree or another. International chains like...

• The 50 Most Inspiring Travel Quotes Of All Time

  “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” - St. Augustine

Travelography: Kenya, ASEAN, and Cell Phone Users Arrested

Use the players on this page, or click the title above to listen to this podcast.

Three travel and tourism news stories today (30 Jan 2008):

1. Kenya's recent political problems and resulting ethnic violence have had a devistating impact on the country's once thriving tourism industry.
   
2. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) recently announced plans for a border-free travel region among its 10 countries by the year 2010. That is not very far off. Will they be able to deliver?
   
3. Three people on an Alitalia flight were arrested for refusing to turn off their cell phones which were interfering with the plane's navigation system and caused an aborted take off from Milan, Italy. they face up to 3 months in jail.

Travelography #68: Nepal is Up, Aussies are Flat, and Cell Phone are Out

(click on the title above to go to the PCN TRAVELOGRAPHY web page)

To the relief of many, Nepal's tourists arrivals show a healthy growth in early 2007, while Australia is wondering why their tourist arrivals for 2006 only grew 1% -- despite the much discussed "Bloody Hell" advertising campaign. Also, a Bird Flu pandemic would hurt tourism-based economies the most, and the US FCC will probably not permit cell phone use on planes -- much to the relief of many passengers.

Nepal tourism records significant growth

Where the hell were the extra tourists? WHAT the bloody hell happened?

Bird flu would hit tourism states hardest

Jet passengers may not get to chat on cellphones after all

Travelography News website

Travelography #55: Amtrak Boost, Plane Dreams, and Macau Grows Up

(click on the title above to go to the PCN TRAVELOGRAPHY web page)

Amtrak saw its ridership grow this past fiscal year as it became more competitive with short flights in the eastern US. Boeing and Airbus are building more passenger comfort into their next generation of planes. And Macau, the only place in China where gaming is legal, is getting more tourists every month as new resort casinos are built.

Amtrak ridership increases

Aircraft Builders Try to Take Some of the Ordeal Out of Flying

Macau's visitor arrivals hit 2 million in October

Travelography #50: Airlines Warm Planet, New Airport Security, + Vomit Comets

(click on the title above to go to the PCN TRAVELOGRAPHY web page)

Find out why airline growth could be disasterous for the planet! Innovations in airport security include 3-D baggage x-ray machines and RFID passenger tracking. And, you can now experience true weightlessness for under $4000 -- far less than a flight to the International Space Station or on Virgin Galactic. The "vomit comet", however, might not be for everyone!

New 'green' attack on airlines

Environmental Change Institute - Oxford University

TSA plan: X-ray for liquid bombs

New RFID tech would track airport passengers

More tourists weigh zero gravity flights