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!

Travelography: Kenya, ASEAN, and Cell Phone Users Arrested

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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.

Trip Advisor's Top 10 Destinations in 2008

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Travelography #106: Hyrdofoils Collide, Tourists Molested & Selling the USA

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Three stories from Singapore's Straits Times newspaper from last week:

Two hydrofoils full of tourists collided in fog between Hong Kong and Macau, sending many to the hospital.

India starts a campaign to protect foreign female tourists from sexual molesters -- mostly groping, which seems to be a major problem in that country.

The US is still trying to gain back the international tourist arrivals that it received prior to 9/11. To do this, an increasing number of states and cities are running advertisements for the first time in Europe.

These stories came from the local newspaper in Singapore. I found the links above by searching online for similar stories.

Travelograph #105: Airplane Hotel, Philippines Downgrade, + Webcam Traveling

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Stories in today's Travelography podcast include;

- An old, abandoned airplane in Stockholm is to become a budget hotel -- the first of more to come.

- Philippine Airlines is downgraded by the US FAA due to lax flight safety standards. And the US Embassy in the Philippines recommends that other airlines be used instead.

- The proliferation of webcams is providing a glimps of a future of virtual travel.

Travelography #104: Travel and Tourism in 2008

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What will 2008 hold for Travel and Tourism?

New technologies and new planes will be tested in 2008, but wont really affect travelers until 2009. Open air agreements will expand air travel across the Atlantic, which will help to continue the year-on-year record growth in international travel. The high cost of travel to Europe will encourage many people to go elsewhere, benefiting many new destinations and special interest niche tours around the globe. Climate change will also affect where people go and how the travel and tourism industry develops.

Links to stories in Travelography #104:

• Travel Trends for 2008: Travelers May Stay Closer to Home

• Changes for better on horizon for fliers in 2008

• Travel Trends: What's Hot for 2008

Travelography #103: Prostitutes and Pilgrims

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Links to today's stories:

Well, at least I put a tech story between the Amsterdam's brothels and the Vatican...

1. Amsterdam to clean up famed red light district

2. Denver Airport offers 802.11n Wi-Fi for free

3. Higher fares don't deter holiday fliers

p.s. - I had some problems with the new PodcasterNews.com interface and was not able to upload this until December 31st when my problem was fixed. -- Alan

G4T/TGPod #61: Utterz from Northern Finland and Sweden

This is a Geography for Travelers Podcast related post (click on the title above to download the .mp3 file)

Travel Geography Podcast #61

The December Travel Geography Podcast is a compilation of mini Utterz.com podcasts that I posted during my trip to Finland and Sweden. The trip was from November 28 to December 10. Utterz.com is a free podcasting service on which you can post unlimited mini-podcasts -- sort of like an audio Twitter. The Utterz episodes that I have have compiled here include:

1. My first impressions of being in a place with only 4 hours of sunlite
2. A noon time walk on the University of Oulu campus to find the sun
3. Report on our post-conference field trip to Santa Claus Land at the Arctic Circle and to the World Cup Ski competition at the Ruka Ski Resort near the Russian border
4. A report on my job as a Ph.D. "Opponent" and the party that followed
5. Some thoughts while in transit back to the US, and my jetlag after returning to Arizona, and
6. A weather report update and news story about a new tourist attraction in Sweden

The sun never get very high above the horizon. Above is about 1 pm.


Me, standing on the Arctic Circle line in the Santa Claus Land shopping mall in Finland.


World Cup Ski Jump competition at the Ruka Ski Resort in Finland.


Wild (?) reindeer on a snow-packed road in Finland.

All Photos: Creative Commons Copyright: non-commercial, attribution, share-alike

Travelography #102: 2007 Travel News In Review

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In today's podcast I give a summary of the major themes that were covered in the Travelography World Travel News podcast in 2007.

Links to new stories in today's podcast:

• Tourism of doom' on rise
• Poll: Travelers dislike TSA as much as IRS

Travelography #101: Ski Resorts in the Alps Prepare for Global Warming

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Spas and shopping malls are replacing replacing skiing as glaciers and snow melt in the Alps.

Resorts prepare for a future without skis

Travelography News on Twitter

Travelography News on Ning

Travelography 2.0 podcast

Geography for Travelers

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

With this Travelography #101 podcast I am changing to a more informal format -- mostly because it is easier for me, but also because I enjoy it more. I hope you like it, as well.

Travelography #100 - Theme Parks Boom, Gorillas Grow, and Air Hostess Games

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Today's Stories:
- Amusement parks are doing well world wide
- Mountain gorillas bring high end tourist money to Uganda
- Women compete for airline hostess positions on a new game show in China

Links:
Amusement park and attractions business to grow in Asia and Europe but will go steady in US
Rare mountain gorillas prepared for tourists
China's airline clones

Travel Geography Podcast (this website)
Travelography News on Ning
Travelography News on Twitter
Listen to Travelography on you phone +1 (360) 227-5594

Santa + Ski Jump @ Arctic C Pt 2

PART 2 - Recorded last night at the University of Oulu Research Center at Finland's Oulanka National Park. One Correction: The three events were Ski Jumping, Cross Country Skiing, and Nordic Combined (both jumping and x-country skiing). Sorry about the sound quality - I will try to avoid using that recorder in the future (or learn how to use it appropriately).

PHOTO: Ski Jump at the Ruka Ski Area in Finland, near the Russian border.

Mobile post sent by alew using Utterz.  Replies.  mp3

Santa + Ski Jump @ Arctic Circle

PART 1 - Recorded last night at the University of Oulu Research Center at Finland's Oulanka National Park. One Corrections: The three events were: Ski Jumping, Cross Country Skiing, and Nordic Combined (both jumping and x-country skiing). Sorry about the sound quality - I will try to avoid using that recorder in the future (or learn how to use it appropriately).

PHOTO: Sun at about noon time in Oulu, Finland

Mobile post sent by alew using Utterz.  Replies.  mp3

NaPodPoMo - Travelography 2.0 - Daily Podcast Challenge - Week 4

For 29 November 2007- First Impressions of Oulu, Finland

Pretty slow internet connection here at the university, but with patience it works and I did get today's podcasts posted on Utterz. Sunrise was a 9:30 am this morning, well after the conference had started; sunset was at 2:30 pm. It is now 4pm and pitch dark outside. Seems like I should be getting ready for bed now -- probably the jetlag. At our downtown hotel, stores are be open until 9 pm and the snow-packed streets are busy with shoppers.

Additional postings about my trip and conference are at http://twitter.com/alew

For 27 November 2007 - Flying by Car to Phoenix - My morning flight was canceled, so I had to drive to Phoenix to make my connecting flight!

Travelography #99: T-Day Travel, HI Superferry, and Japan Whales and Fingers

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Today's Stories:

- Weather, among other factors, help make for smooth traveling during the Thanksgiving weekend in the US.
- Hawaii's Superferry to re-start on December 1st between Honolulu and Maui.
- Travel boycott called against Japan as it dramatically increases its whale catch.
- Japan starts fingerprinting all foreign visitors to prevent terrorist attacks.

Story Links:

Fearing worst, U.S. air travelers find smooth going

Hawaii Superferry Employees Heading Back to Work

Boycott Japan - Save the Whales

Tourists given the finger

Geography for Travelers

Travelography News on Ning

Travelography News on Twitter

Travelography 2.0 on Utterz.com

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