Travelography #149: Dark Tourism, East Africa, Vegas and the TSA

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Travel and Tourism News Stories discussed in this podcast are from the Travelography Twitter Blog for the week of 23 to 30 March 2009. This podcast is also available at PodcasterNews.com, Blubrry.com and Travelgeography.info

Tourists look for luck at Pol Pot’s grave

Cambodia - He was one of the greatest mass killers of the 20th century, but that doesn't stop the hopeful from praying at Pol Pot's hillside grave for lucky lottery numbers, job promotions and beautiful brides. Nor does it stop tourists from picking clean the bones and ashes from the Khmer Rouge leader's burial ground in this remote town in northwestern Cambodia.

McCook abuzz over tourism idea: ‘Old Sparky’ the electric chair

Residents of a small southwest Nebraska town have a question for state officials: You’re not doing anything with that old electric chair, are you? The Nebraska Supreme Court ruled last year that the state’s use of the electric chair was unconstitutional because it amounts to cruel and unusual punishment. Some people in McCook—population just under 8,000—think “Old Sparky’’ could be a tourist attraction and have offered to take it off the state’s hands.

East Africa: Region to Start Issuing Single Tourist Visas

The East African Community (EAC) has agreed to start a single tourist visa for the region, ... the EAC members were discussing a protocol to create and market the region as a single tourist destination. Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi, Kenya and Uganda make up the EAC.

FAA to seal bird-strike records

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says that the information could mislead the public and its release could prompt some airports and others not to report incidents, but the proposal is drawing sharp criticism from bird safety experts and public records advocates.

80,000 on TSA's 'cleared' fliers list

critics want stricter standards for deciding who goes on the watch list. The list is based on "nominations" from intelligence and security agencies, such as the CIA and FBI, which use a "reasonable suspicion" standard to decide whether a person's suspected links to terrorism are strong enough to put him in the database. "No one wants to be the person who was too cautious about nominating names … so every name ends up on the list when only a handful should be,"

MGM Mirage says Dubai lawsuit ‘without merit’

On Monday Dubai World's Infinity World subsidiary filed a lawsuit against MGM Mirage because of its concern about the viability of their $8.6 billion joint venture project under construction on the Las Vegas Strip. The 67 acre project is under a cloud after SEC returns filed by MGM indicated it may breach its debt repayment obligations. MGM Mirage is currently saddled with $13 billion of debt.

Travel Geography #148: Tourism and Political Bedfellows

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Stories discussed in this podcast are from the Travelography Twitter Blog for the week of 15 to 22 March 2009. This podcast is also available at Blubrry.com and Travelgeography.info.

Tourism Concern Calls For Halt On Construction Of Mega-Resorts

The global trend in developing luxury, large-scale resorts is leading to widespread alienation and displacement of people from their land, and is wreaking havoc with fragile ecosystems. Poor communities in developing countries, which depend heavily upon their natural resources for their livelihoods, are the hardest hit.

Anti-illegal immigrant groups launch Mexico tourism boycott

Americans United to Halt Tourism in Mexico – formed by Minutemen groups across the country ... – is urging Americans bound for sun and fun south of the border to instead visit the U.S. Southwest. "Do not give your tourist dollars to Mexico!" the fliers say.

Forget the lederhosen: Nude hiking alarms a Swiss farm town

Last summer, the number of nude hikers increased to such an extent that the hills often seemed alive with the sound of everything but the swish of trousers.

Croatia courts old enemy and its tourism spending

... for the first time since Serbian and Montenegrin forces besieged this historic port city in 1991, businesspeople [in Dubrovnik, Croatia] are publicly appealing to Serbian tourists to help rescue the economy.

Air travel showing signs of stability

...the drops in new booking revenue that US Airways saw in January and the first half of February had stopped, and in March even rose a little. ... the overall number of leisure passengers has held up — it's just that they're paying less to fly than they used to.

The art of passport fakery is alive and well

One investigator used the Social Security number of a man who died in 1965, a fake New York birth certificate and a fake Florida driver's license. He received a passport four days later. A second attempt had the investigator using a 5-year-old boy's information but identifying himself as 53 years old on the passport application. He received that passport seven days later.

Travelography #147: Finally - Some Good Travel and Tourism News!

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Stories discussed in this podcast are from the Travelography Twitter Blog for the week of 8 to 15 March 2009. This podcast is also available at Blubrry.com and Travelgeography.info.

Tripology Report Finds Positive Trends for Agents

"With a 42% increase in trip requests received via Tripology.com in 2009 over the end of 2008, the increase demonstrates that many consumers are looking to travel in the next 140 days -- just in time for the summer travel season. Further, the increase in trip requests reveals a continued trend of consumers seeking the assistance of expert travel agents to help them plan and book their trips based on their specific specs -- a definitive plus for specialists."

Economic downturn to create new winners and losers in travel

Internet bookings will surge. Demand for online virtual meetings will gather pace. Domestic travel will stay stable or grow, as will demand for low-cost flights. Destinations adjacent to big travel markets will do not so bad. Long-haul travel will fall sharply. And the most pain will be felt in the business travel and MICE sectors.

Corporate Travel Cuts May Threaten Economic Recovery

In fact, 72 percent believe that increasing travel budgets will allow companies to gain a competitive edge by building market share and forging new customer relationships.

White House says it encourages business travel

"These comments are extremely positive for the 1 million employees in this industry whose livelihood depends on business meetings and events," said Geoff Freeman, senior vice president of the U.S. Travel Association.

South America tourism is up despite global economic slump

"In a year when flat is the new up, South America is actually up," said Melissa Snape, vice president of product at Collette Vacations, whose 2009 bookings for the continent are trending 30% ahead of last year.

Sen. Kerry, Rep. Matsui Introduce Cruise Safety Bill

“We have now held two House hearings and one Senate hearing on crimes aboard cruise ships, and this legislation will ensure that those who have bravely stepped forward to tell their story will not have done so in vain,”

Princess Cruises crew member accused of sexual assault

"Cruise lines are seemingly becoming more sensitive to the needs of crime victims, and are creating the appearance of being responsible.” It remains to be seen whether these moves are being made out of genuine concern for passengers, or out of a desire to avoid bad publicity.

No membership needed: Utah bars to open to public

"I think it's great that it essentially says to tourists, to travelers, that you are welcome here and that we're excited to host you and Utah's a normal place," ...

Travelography #146: Direct Flights are Best & Filling Cruises at Any Price

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Stories discussed in this podcast are from the Travelography Twitter Blog for the week of 1 to 8 March 2009. This podcast is also available at Blubrry.com and Travelgeography.info.

Seoul warns North Korea to withdraw airline threat

"Threatening civilian airliners' normal operations under international aviation regulations is not only against international rules but is an act against humanity," ... North should "immediately withdraw the military threat."

Downturn in cruise business worse than we thought

Several cruise lines including Carnival have reported strong bookings in recent months. ... Still, "while these bookings are clearly being taken at steep discounts, it is a positive that consumers are responding to the operators’ promotions and making up for some lost load factor,"

Cruise Analyst Sees "Challenging" Cruise Trends

Alaska “appears especially weak” with pricing down from 20 to 40 percent as fares “hit new lows in February….We believe both companies [Carnival Corp. and RCCL] are now aggressively moving to fill remaining Q2 and Q3 capacity after attempting to hold price as long as possible,”

Discount airlines grow amid downturn

Nimble discount airlines here and around the world are growing and opening new routes even as the recession forces traditional carriers to cut flights and jobs. Low-cost carriers, such as New York-based JetBlue (JBLU), Ireland-based Ryanair and Canada-based WestJet, are making inroads where higher-cost carriers are shrinking amid falling travel demand, especially among cost-conscious fliers.

The Economics of Airline Layovers

... the marginal cost of a connecting flight was $12 more expensive than that of a direct flight. The change is probably driven by the increasing fuel cost in the sample period. Since the fraction of fuel consumed at the takeoffs and landings could be as high as 40 percent, rising fuel costs offset the benefit of denser traffic created by connecting flights.

Carnival: Discounts sparking record cruise ship bookings

The world's largest cruise line says it recorded the highest number of net weekly bookings in its history during the one-week period that ended Sunday. On a cumulative basis, net bookings are up 10% as compared to last year since mid-January.

Tourism heats up at the North Pole

"With the centennial this year of the Robert F. Peary discovery of the North Pole, combined with the fear that global warming may soon change the arctic regions forever, it's a very busy year for us,"...

Travelography 145: Slumdog, Foreclosure and Oil Rig Tourisms

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Stories discussed in this podcast are from the Travelography Twitter Blog for the week of 16 to 23 February 2009. This podcast is also available at Blubrry.com and Travelgeography.info.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, embarrassed by surge in Carnival crime against tourists

Nearly 100 tourists have been robbed, many by armed gangs, raising questions over whether Rio is safe enough to win a bid to host the 2016 Olympics.

No danger in Martinique, travel journalists say

Recreational activities – kayaking, sailboarding, windsurfing, jet skiing, scuba diving operations, etc. – seem to be in full swing. The very good network of hiking trails remains open. The outstanding beaches are as inviting as ever, and the little cafes that line some of them remain open and serving excellent grilled chicken, ribs, fish, etc. As things now stand, people outside of Fort-de-France, where most visitors to Martinique stay, should experience little or no problem

Chinese crew filming documentary makes a stop in Macon, Georgia

“It’s a whole new market,” she said. “Tourism comes on the heels of trade. A lot of (Americans) have started to travel to China, and now we are seeing the reverse, because they’ve loosened all travel restrictions. Within five years, we think they will be as big as the U.K. or Germany in number of tourists here {to Georgia}.”

Ryanair to do away with check-in desks

Passengers would still be able to leave their luggage at a baggage drop but everything else could be done over the Web ... "Ultimately, we want just one in five people to check in luggage,"...

Chinese "Foreclosure Tourists" Shopping In U.S. (NPR)

A new kind of tourist package is being offered in China. Call it the "U.S. Real Estate Bottom-Fishing Tour." The first of 40 Chinese real estate shoppers are looking in the U.S. this week to buy for foreclosure properties and other housing bargains.

'Slumdog Millionaire' is Attracting Tourists to Mumbai Slums

Travelers often complain that the world is becoming homogenized, but India is an exception, its crumbling infrastructure, constant chaos and in-your-face poverty co-existing with trendy nightclubs and Bollywood glitz. Tourism here has fallen off precipitously, and airfares and hotel rates have plummeted. But among the trickle of international tourists are a striking number eager to see Mumbai's now-famous slums, home to an estimated 10 million of the city's 18 million residents.

Tourists leave Guadeloupe after being stranded due to riots - Thousands Of Tourists Cancel Their Vacations

Unemployment on Guadeloupe hit 22.7 percent in 2007, according to the most recent data available from France's national statistics bureau. That compares with 8.3 percent in mainland France in 2007. Some 12.5 percent of Guadeloupe's residents live in poverty, compared with 6.5 percent in mainland France,

Waterworld Dreams Realized: Oil Rigs Become Luxury Hotels

"There are approximately 4,000 oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico varying in size, depth and mobility that will be decommissioned within the next century. If a deck on one of these rigs is about 20,000 square feet, then there is potentially 80 million square feet of programmable space just off the coast of the United States. The current method for rig removal is explosion, which costs millions of dollars and destroys massive amounts of aquatic life. What if these rigs were recommissioned as exclusive…

Tourists cancel trips to French resort islands amid unrest

"Tourism is fragile," she said. "People are not only canceling this week, but also for all the months of February, March and April. We have a huge deficit of tourists ahead of us." At least 10,000 tourists have canceled vacations in Martinique and Guadeloupe, according to the National Travel Agencies organization.

'Incredible India' loses luster as tourists stay away

India has seen its tourist arrivals drop in recent months for the first time since 2002 when it launched its hugely successful "Incredible India" campaign that enticed millions of well-heeled tourists from around the world to explore the wonders of India. Winter is peak season, but this year business has been slow and hotels are struggling to fill empty rooms due to mass cancellations by foreign tourists. All sectors have been hit, from pricey tours of Rajasthan, to budget beach holidays in Goa.

Travelography #144: Business or Pleasure in Vegas, and Fleeing Tibet

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Stories discussed in this podcast are from the Travelography Twitter Blog for the week of 9 to 16 February 2009. This podcast is also available at Blubrry.com and Travelgeography.info.

• Sin City worries its image hurts business travel : NPR

  Born of carefully crafted slogans — "What happens here stays here" — and smiling, sequined showgirls, the image of a 24-hour adult Disneyland with free-flowing booze and casino chips is making the tourist destination seem radioactive to companies keen on not appearing frivolous as they seek government bailouts.
• Tower Rising in Las Vegas but Now, Not So High

  But because of what it is billing as structural defects, MGM Mirage announced recently it has decided to shorten a hotel-condominium project it is building on the Strip to 28 stories instead of the planned 49. Architectural experts say they cannot recall such a drastic midconstruction downscaling,

• Canadian passenger bill of rights will make airfares soar

  "The last thing, in this economic context, that airlines want to do is pass on that cost to passengers but they will have no choice. There is no way airlines could absorb that," said George Petsikas, president of the National Airlines Council of Canada.

• US airlines face sharp drop in international demand

  he now expects U.S. airline revenue to fall 11% for the year, compared to his prior outlook of an 8% decline. Hardest hit would be the lucrative international routes, particularly those of American parent AMR Corp. and Continental. Mainline international revenue could fall 12% for 2009, versus a prior forecast of a 6% decline,

• Tibetan Areas Closed to Foreigners

  Large swathes of Gansu, Sichuan and Qinghai provinces — home to large ethnic Tibetan communities — are now off limits to foreign travelers, local officials confirmed Thursday. Last year, protests to mark the anniversary spun out of control, with deadly riots breaking out in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa.

• Chinese migrants may flee Tibet as tourism stalls

  Many workers and traders from other ethnic groups who moved to the remote region in search of a better living said they were considering leaving for good, driven away by the tourism slump and icy anger of local Tibetans.

• Nepal seeks way to promote tourism between Nepal and China

  "China would tide over this phase of financial turmoil and come up as a much bigger player in the world economy, we, very close neighbor of China, hope that Nepal will also benefit from the strength of the Chinese economy,"

• Travel Industry: This Is No Time to Check Out

  "We've got to get away from the symbolism of corporate fat cats smoking a big cigar on a golf course and instead think about the symbolism of people meeting and thinking together and creating ideas and building their cultures,"

• Mayor to Obama: Your comments are harmful to Las Vegas

  Obama said during a town hall meeting this week in Indiana that companies shouldn't take trips to Las Vegas or go to the Super Bowl at taxpayers' expense.

• Downturn hits international travel; flights from USA cut

  With demand for international trips in free fall, most U.S. and foreign airlines are cutting international service to and from the USA. They're reducing the number of scheduled flights or parking big jets and putting passengers on smaller ones to avoid flying money-losing, half-empty flights.

• TwisitorCenter - your one-stop shop for finding visitor information on twitter.com

  Going somewhere? Get the insider information from those who know, the local tourism authority. Connect here with your final destination for all your traveling needs.

Travelography #143: Fire Tourists and Tweet My Spring Break

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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

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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.

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.

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.

• 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 #138: Travel Now - Save the Economy!

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Stories discussed in this podcast are from the Travelography Twitter Blog for the week of 1 December 2008. This podcast is also available at Blubrry.com and Travelgeography.info.

• TSA says new uniforms calm travelers and make spotting terrorists easier

  the new [blue] shirts project a more professional look and instill a greater sense of calm among passengers. In turn, the agency says fewer nervous travelers now make behavior profiling of potential terrorists more effective.

• De-icer shortage threatens US flights

  The federal government is warning airlines that flights could face disruptions this winter because of a severe shortage of a chemical used to keep runways free from snow and ice.

• Australians told to take a break for the economy

  The country's 11 million workers have hoarded about 121 million days of paid-leave entitlements which the government wants to unlock to help stimulate a tourism sector hard hit by the global downturn.

• 6 reasons we love to travel now

  Turn back the clock just a year and you'll find a dramatically different picture. Travelers were unappreciated -- even exploited -- by unscrupulous travel companies that were flush with profits. No longer. With just one notable exception, it's difficult to find any part of the travel industry that isn't being extra-nice to its customers.

• Lebanon tourism hits four-year high

  Arab tourists accounted for 54 percent of visitors in October, the ministry said, hailing the "stable political situation since May 2008" when Lebanon's political rivals struck an accord after deadly clashes in Beirut. Lebanon has witnessed a string of political assassinations since the Beirut bomb blast which killed Hariri in February 2005.

Travelography #137: Bummer Week of Travel News

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Stories discussed in this podcast are from the Travelography Twitter Blog for the week of 24 November 2008. This podcast is also available at Blubrry.com and Travelgeography.info.

• Budgets Shrink, and Holiday Airfares Follow Suit

  The travel industry is bracing for a painful holiday season as people scale back their discretionary spending. But that is good news for anyone who has yet to book a winter getaway, with hotels, airlines and cruise operators introducing last-minute deals to entice vacationers.

• Tourism Situation in Thailand - as of November 27, 20:30 hrs. (Bangkok Time)

  TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand) is cooperating with the Thai Hotels Association (THA), Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), AoT, and Thai Airways (TG) to set up a Crisis Networking Center on the fourth floor of the Departure Terminal in Suvarnabhumi International Airport in order to facilitate the stranded passengers and tourists until the airport resumes normal operations.

• Terrorists Strike in Mumbai (ABC New Photos)

• Commandos battle room by room to save tourists - Mumbai

  Helicopters buzzed overhead as the commandos, faces blackened, moved into one of the hotels, the Oberoi, where 20 to 30 people were thought to have been taken hostage and more than 100 others were trapped in their rooms. A 15-strong Air France team was among those unable to get out.

• Thai PM declares emergency at two airports

  Thailand's tourism minister says authorities plan to begin flying thousands of stranded travellers out of one or two military bases in the next 48 hours. Meanwhile, it's the hour of reckoning for thousands of anti-government protesters in Thailand who are trying to force Prime Minister Somchai to resign.

• In Pictures - Bangkok airport disruption

  Passengers queue in front of check-in desk inside Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok, Thailand. Thousands of passengers are stranded after Suvarnabhumi Airport had been ordered closed because of a blockade by anti-government protesters.

• Nearly 80 killed in multiple Mumbai, India shootings, blasts against tourists

  A group calling itself the "Deccan Mujahedeen" claimed responsibility for the assaults on the landmark Taj Mahal and Trident hotels in the south of the city and a number of shooting and bombing incidents elsewhere, the Press Trust of India said. One report spoke of militants taking hostages and demanding US and British passports.

• Airport Travelers Caught In Thailand Protests

  The takeover "damaged Thailand's reputation and its economy beyond repair." The airport, the 18th-busiest in the world, handled over 40 million passengers in 2007.

• Crisis in paradise: Economic meltdown creates ghost resorts in the Caribbean

  ...the sprawling Atlantis resort in the Bahamas laid off about 800 workers, citing low occupancy rates. Baha Mar Resorts Ltd. laid off about 40 employees at its Sheraton Resort in the Bahamas and 40 more at the Wyndham Nassau Resort. The Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union has called a demonstration Thursday to demand government aid.

Travelography #136: Holiday Travel Ups and Downs

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Stories discussed in this podcast are from the Travelography Twitter Blog for the week of 17 November 2008. This podcast is also available at Blubrry.com and Travelgeography.info.

• Gloomy economy expected to curtail Thanksgiving travel

  Los Angeles International Airport holiday travel will be down 14.3% from the 1.85 million passengers that passed through the airport last year, airport officials said Thursday.

• Japanese traveler refuses to leave Mexico City airport

  At first, he frightened passengers, and airport authorities asked the Japanese Embassy to investigate why the foul-smelling man refused to leave. Now, he's somewhat of a celebrity, capturing Mexico's collective imagination with nearly daily television news reports on his life at the food court.

• UK travelers avoiding USA - Skyscanner Report

  while flight search traffic remains high on the Skyscanner site, over the last month there has been a 15 percent fall in searches for UK-USA flights, suggesting that the credit crunch and the weakening pound have finally taken their toll on British travelers, and that they are forgoing their American trips.

• American Automobile Association Predicts Drop in Holiday Travel

  AAA and the Air Transport Association predict fewer Americans will be on the move during the upcoming holiday travel period, the first drop in Thanksgiving travel since 2002. It's the fourth holiday this year that will have seen decreased travel compared with the year before.

• End of the [US] Tourism Boom?

  As an example, hotels in Miami alone expect a 3 to 6 percent decline in budget revenues, compared to the same period in 2007. With pressures to attract more customers, the hospitality industry is bound to offer more deals and reduce its rates. "The U.S. hotel industry is virtually frozen by the uncertain state of the global economy,"

• U.S. Economy Expected to Receive a Shot in the Arm from Visa Waiver Program Expansion

  Starting today [Nov-17], travelers from seven new countries--the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Slovakia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta and the Republic of Korea (South Korea)--can travel to the United States without first obtaining a tourist visa.

• Despite Economic Challenges, People Traveling Over Holidays Feel Time and Money Spent is Small Price to Pay to be With Loved Ones

  Older Americans, in particular, appreciate the value of travel during the holidays.

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Travelography #135: Responsible Travel and Tourism around the Globe

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Stories discussed in this podcast are from the Travelography Twitter Blog for the week of 10 November 2008. This podcast is also available at Blubrry.com and Travelgeography.info.

• Air New Zealand Schedules First Commercial Biofuel Flight

  On December 3rd, Air New Zealand will be the first commercial airline to power one of its jets with a second generation non-food biofuel made from the Jatropha plant. Jatropha is viewed as having a huge potential as a major source of oil for sustainable biofuel production.

• The Responsible Tourism Awards organised by responsibletravel.com

  The judges declared New Zealand the overall winner for proving that it is possible to develop a national strategy which uses tourism to help make better places to live and to visit.

• China’s First Carbon Neutral Hotel wins Accolade

  “By renovating an existing downtown factory, focusing on using recycled and locally sourced materials such as reclaimed hardwoods and old Shanghai bricks, and introducing eco-friendly solutions like passive solar shades, and water based AC systems, URBN hopes to set an example for other businesses and industries in China and around the world,” Mr Krauss said. “We track the total amount of energy (gas, water and electricity) the hotel consumes, including staff commutes, in order to calculate the carbon footprint.

• Ivory trade thriving in China but signs of decline

  Ivory continues to be smuggled into China despite a ban on imports that dates back to 1991, with the tusks mainly being sourced from Africa, according to the report released by TRAFFIC, a wildlife monitoring organisation. Nevertheless, it said increased enforcement of regulations in China had led to some improvements, with surveys of markets showing that fewer illegal products were on sale.

• United environmental flight reduces carbon emissions by nearly 33,000 pounds

  ASPIRE United’ reduced fuel burn and emissions by using up-to-the-minute fuel data, priority takeoff clearance, normally restricted airspace around Sydney’s airport, and new arrival procedures – all of which are possible with new technology.
• Maldives seek to buy a new homeland

  The Maldives will begin to divert a portion of the country's billion-dollar annual tourist revenue into buying a new homeland - as an insurance policy against climate change that threatens to turn the 300,000 islanders into environmental refugees,...