Travelography #117: US-UK Border, Quake-Lakes, and Best Travelers

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Stories discussed in this podcast are from the Travelography Twitter Blog for the week of 23 June 2008:

1. US and UK border agencies agree to expedite travel

   the Global Entry pilot program builds upon other trusted traveler programs, such as NEXUS (with Canada) and SENTRI (with Mexico), designed to facilitate and expedite the entry process for pre-registered low-risk international travelers into the US.

2. China to turn dangerous 'quake lakes' into tourist spots

   "The scientific development of the quake lakes will be an important part of the rebuilding plan of new Beichuan," Chen Xingchuan, head of the Communist Party's Beichuan Rebuilding Committee was quoted as saying.

3. Beijing tourists to France drop 70 percent, ambassador says

   According to a recent survey cited by the China Daily, many Chinese have developed negative feelings toward France after the Paris leg of the international Beijing Olympic torch relay was thrown into chaos by pro-Tibet protesters in April.

4. Hoteliers vote Japanese world's best tourists

   They rated the travellers on manners, willingness to learn the local language and sample the cuisine, tidiness, generosity and stylishness. The Japanese won top prize for being overall best tourists...American tourists came in at number 11 overall.

5. Lyndhurst [NJ] is suing travel websites for its local hotel tax

   ...the internet travel sites negotiate room prices with hotels at a wholesale rate, then charge travelers who book through their websites a higher retail rate. However, the companies remit taxes only on the lower wholesale rate, the lawsuit charged.

6. State panel kills cruise safety bill that would have put peace officers aboard ships sailing from California ports

   It would have been the most stringent regulation in an industry that victim-rights advocates contend is governed by a vague web of federal and international rules that allows crime and crime reporting to fall through the cracks.

7. Bush-Wacked! President Causes 40K Delays

   Nearly 40,000 travelers will remember U.S. President George W. Bush's stopover in London. Their flights were canceled or delayed at Heathrow Airport to accommodate him, according to British Airways.
   
   

Travelography #116: Carry-On Baggage Police + Other Innovations

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Stories discussed in this podcast are from the Travelography Twitter Blog for the week of 16 June 2008:

1. Olympic Fever in Xinjiang

   With the Beijing Olympic torch expected in Xinjiang on its nationwide tour, authorities have also confiscated the passports of some Muslims, Uighurs told AFP. "They are afraid people might travel abroad and join some sort of plot against the Olympics,"

2. Murders prompt warning to Jamaica tourists

   After three people were murdered in Jamaica last weekend, travellers to the island were warned not to hire self-drive cars but instead to take organised tours and taxis.

3. Orbitz to automatically refund travelers when their airfares drop

   If that happens, Orbitz will issue a refund for the difference, between $5 and $250 per traveler. Orbitz will continue tracking until the day of the customer's flight. Each time the price drops and another customer books, the refund amount will increase.

4. Turkish private airline restarts regular flights to Nothern Iraq

   Although Arbil is a high-risk area in terms of security, charter companies have always been interested in flying to the region because of the high profitability.

5. The carry-on-baggage police will soon be out in force at US airports

   American and United will station airline employees or hired contract workers at entrances to security screening lanes to intercept customers exceeding the carry-on limit of one bag small enough to fit in an overhead bin and one personal item like a purse>

6. 60 percent of couples fight on holiday

   The reasons for holiday tiffs differ enormously throughout Europe. With their latin temperaments, the Spanish are especially prone to react aggressively to their partners’ flirting: 60 percent of them named jealousy as the reason for arguments.

7. Top 10 travel innovations of the past 10 years

   So many ideas came in that they put the 20 finalists to a vote at BudgetTravel.com - results: Online maps, Digital cameras, Online checkin, GPS, Worldwide ATMs, Cell phones, Global Internet access, TripAdvisor, Online booking, and Roller bags

Travelography #115: WW3 on the Beach and Wilding the Great Plains

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Stories discussed in this podcast from the Travelography Twitter Blog for the week of 9 June 2008:

Camera Karma: Find Your Lost Pics Here! http://tinyurl.com/6p4agn

India tourists stranded after group calls strike
http://tinyurl.com/6ds9q2

U.S. Tightens Rules for Foreign Travelers
http://tinyurl.com/4ntpzy

Mexico reimburses foreign tourists for sales tax expenditures
http://tinyurl.com/5gq7ty

Germans, Brits at War Again...Over Towels http://tinyurl.com/5ekobq

The Great Plains Restored and Ready for Eco-Tourists http://tinyurl.com/5ctqo4

Travelography #114: Families NOT First, $FO & Hello Kitty

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Links to this week's stories

(also available at http://twitter.com/travelography)

American and United airlines takes on family pre-boarding: Families with small children may request.. http://tinyurl.com/6ja7py

Americans take 41 million fewer flights, survey shows: More than half of respondents said either.. http://tinyurl.com/6f7x26

French tour operators say Chinese boycottof France ‘catastrophic’: French authorities are trying to.. http://tinyurl.com/6xvh3b

San Francisco rakes in billions in traveler dollars: retweet @latimestravel - On my last trip there.. http://tinyurl.com/5qnjj8

Hello Kitty to be appointed Japan's tourism ambassador: It will mark the first time a cartoon .. http://tinyurl.com/5jddjv

Eco-communities around the world open up to tourists: Environmentally conscious travelers can find .. http://tinyurl.com/6xz8me