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.

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.

Travelography #122: Las Vegas Spending More Green on Green

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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 #118: Travel Woes and the Jamaican Bobsled Returns

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Stories discussed in this podcast are from the Travelography Twitter Blog for the week of 1 July 2008:

1. Car rental companies issue profit warning

   "...As with the entire industry, we are confronting rising fuel costs, weaker-than-expected enplanements, lower commercial travel volumes and lower time and mileage rates per day," said [the Avis Budget Group Inc] Chairman

2. Yellowstone reports record June visitation

   Visitation to Yellowstone National Park hit a new record in June, and is on a near-record pace for the first six months of the year. Park officials say Yellowstone recorded more than 612,000 recreational visits last month.

3. Rental Upgrade to Gas Guzzler? No T'anks

   When I went to the counter, they had upgraded me from a compact to a big SUV at the same price [as my compact reservation]. After arguing with the counter person, the manager came out...He then explained that all they had left were the big SUV.

4. China doubles the price of its tourist visas ahead of Olympics

   Many hotels in Beijing are struggling to find guests, some large travel agencies have temporarily closed branches, and people scheduled to travel here for seminars and conferences are cancelling...

5. Business Travel Coalition warns congress about airline industry failure

   "Unless something is done to move toward some kind of fix, we're going to see every one of our major airlines in bankruptcy....Virtually all airlines will be out of cash by early in 2009 if oil stays in its current range."

6. Canada's tourism industry on verge of crisis

   Many things have been blamed for recent downturn of the Canadian tourism industry including gas prices, the high Canadian dollar, the downturn in the U.S. economy, 9-11 and the SARS crisis.

7. New [US] Airline Passengers Rights Bill A Victory

   ...These plans must detail how the air carrier will provide food, water, restroom facilities, ventilation, and necessary medical treatment for passengers on board an aircraft that is on the ground for an extended time period without terminal access.

8. Bhutan increases tourism tariff for foreign tourists

   The country will increase daily tariff for tourists entering the country by US$50...from $200 to $250 [to offset the deline in the US$ and increase in tour operating costs]. However, the revised tariff will be applicable only during the peak seasons.

9. Australia | Desperately seeking a tourist trap

   Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has pilloried the previous government's "so where the bloody hell are you" tourism campaign, calling it a "rolled-gold disaster". Tourism Australia is expected to announce the name of the advertising agency this week that will...

10. TripAdvisor acquires VirtualTourist and OneTime

    TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel community and an operating company of Expedia, announced it has acquired VirtualTourist.com, Inc., a leader in user-generated travel content since 1999, and OneTime.com, Inc., a leader in travel booking comparison.

11. New Zealand tourism revenue hits record

    International tourism contributed $6.7 billion to total New Zealand exports, and domestic tourism expenditure was $8.6 billion, the agency said. International visitors increased 2.8 percent to 2.5 million in the year to March 2007...

12. Unique bobsled tourist attraction opens in Jamaica

    The expansive multi-million-dollar tourism attraction features an exciting and unique Jamaican Bobsled ride through the lush tropical forest, a chairlift journey over the verdant countryside, a zip-line canopy adventure through the treetops, an island...

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 #54: Passport Day is Jan. 23; and the Hassle of Visiting the US

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

January 23rd is Passport Day for all travelers flying into the US. US is perceived as the most difficult destination for international tourists to enter. To counter this, Bush pushes to expand the sometimes controversial US Visa Waiver program to more countries.

U.S. to require passports for nearly all air travelers

Survey: Visiting the USA is a hassle

Bush wants more countries in visa-waiver program

Travelography #44: Thai Coup Impacts, China - US Travel, & Travel with Skype

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

The coup in Thailand is impacting tourist arrivals, but hopes are high that a new government will have more success in dealing with Muslim rebel attacks in southern Thailand that killed a Canadian tourist last week. More Chinese want to come to the US and four US airlines vie for a coveted new route between the US and China. And Skype goes shopping for a travel industry partner.

Click on the title above to go to the PCN website for links to these stories.

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