Travelography #108: Cruise Trends for 2008

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I recorded this week's Travelography at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport using a simple microphone on a Macbook Pro It does not have the best sound quality (sorry about that), but at least I got it out.

Only two stories for this week's Travelography, though the first one s quite long.

- Cruise trends for 2008 include grwing popularity for European cruises, while Americans look more to Central America.

- Cruises to Cuba have declined 90% since 2005 - find out why!

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:

Rapes and sexual assault rife on high seas

EPA sued for not regulating cruise ship smokestacks

The resumption of whaling hurts Iceland tourism

Nessie no longer a tourism draw other links:

Geography for Travelers (this website)

Travelography News on Twitter

Listen to Travelography on you phone +1 (360) 227-5594

Travelography #70: Asia Cruises, Mega Cruise Ports, and a Mini Potala Palace

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The cruise industry is hoping to expand cruising in Asia. Ports in the Caribbean, including Miami, are needing major upgrades to handle the new crop of mega cruise ships. And China is building a scaled version of the Potala Palace to divert some of the large numbers of visitors traveling to Tibet from the real palace.

Travelography: World Travel News

Asian nations begin push for more exposure in cruise market

Supersize me: Caribbean ports struggle to cope with mega-cruiseships

Lhasa to build mini Potala Palace amid tourist boom

Geography for Travelers

Travelography on Ning

Travelography #53: Cell Phones on Planes & Boats; and Niche Travel Competes

PCN Travelography Podcast related post"> (click on the title above to go to the PCN TRAVELOGRAPHY web page)

Emirates Airlines may become the first to offer inflight cell phones use in January 2007. Cell phones may also be part of your next cruise experience. Niche travel products are gaining market share against the big online travel agencies. And, EMiles.com offer free miles for watching advertisements online.

Emirates hopes to be first with mobile phones

For better or worse, cell phones go to sea

Internet continues to revolutionize travel

Starting soon, companies will 'pay' you airline miles to look at their ads

e-Miles.com

Travelography #52: Austria, Iraq, Fiji, Europe, iPods & China Love Cruise

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

Austrian Airlines is first European to return to Iraq. Fiji's political problems are impacting tourism. First class and business passengers to get iPod video support. The US is losing out to Europe in attracting Asian business and leisure travelers. And a cruise from Shanghai for millionaires and attractive single women only. (I guess I wouldn't qualify!)

Austrian Airlines First European Carrier to Fly to Iraq

Tension grips tourism industry in Fiji

Fiji military to tourists: There will be no coup

Fliers with iPods may soon be able to plug in

U.S. business tourism suffers on travel restrictions

China love boat for millionaires

Travelography #48: Hawaii Quake Impacts and Cruises Return to New Orleans

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

While scary, the immediate tourism impacts of last week's earthquake in Hawaii were minor compared to the potential longer term impacts that it my have. Regularly scheduled cruises from New Orleans will start up again this Sunday, marking the return of one of the fastest growing segments of the travel and tourism industry.

Here are links to these stories:

Quake could scare tourists away from Hawaii
Earthquake in Hawaii causes only limited tourist disruption
Earthquake leaves Hawaii unscathed
First post-Hurricane Katrina cruise scheduled for New Orleans

G4T #10: Tourist Travel Motivations

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My Thanks to the group Turban Jones for the use of their song in my podcast. I hope you enjoy their song, Crazy Ways.

Tourist Motivation is the maint topic of this week's discussion, although I only spend the last 10 minutes on it. These news items were presented to show the importance of people's desire to travel (or perceived inability to not to). The travel public is a major source of income for destinations, and spawns entire sub-industries that employ large numbers of people. Understanding why people travel is important to a tourism destination's success...

* Firm Expects outbound Chinese tourists to top 115m [Travel News Wire]
* New era in Indian leisure crusing begins [Travel News Wire]
* TIA’s Overall Traveler Sentiment Index Remains Weak: Consumers Lack Time not Money for Travel [Travel Industry Association, 27 Sept 05]

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