Global Tourism Issues

At last, some good news for Brits...

2011-02-22T08:58:00.000Z

Back in September 2010, HostelBookers, the budget accommodation specialist, launched its biggest ever travel survey. It was a great opportunity for customers not only to share their travel experiences but also to be questioned about their preferred mode of transport and their attitude to love and sex while abroad...

The results are in and reveal the travel trends from over 15,000 respondents: 'Sightseeing and culture' (80.7%) is the main reason customers choose to travel followed by 'city break' (47.0%) and 'visiting friends and family' (44.6%). Travellers have upped their accommodation budget: In 2009, 28% of them spent over $/pounds/euros 30 compared to 40% spending the same in 2010, but it also appeared people are feeling the pinch as the number of them taking 'no trips' increased from 2.4% in 2009 to 5.4% in 2010...

It also emerged that the Internet remains the number one resource for our customers, whether booking hostels online or keeping in touch with friends and family. Over 86% of those surveyed check the Internet at least twice a week on holiday. To respond to this demand for Web access, many of our hostels now supply guests with Wi-Fi and Internet kiosks...

The survey results show that the English (8.3%) followed by Australian (8.2%) and Italians (7.8%) make the best lovers. Bottom of the list for the second year in a row are the Irish...

More travellers are enjoying nookie in dorms, 16% in 2010 up from 14% in 2009. The results also show an increase in the number of people taking precautions and having protected sex on their travels: 92% practiced safe sex on holiday in 2009 but last year this figure rose to 94%...

David Smith, COO at HostelBookers, said: "Last year we carried out the biggest ever travel survey to find out more about our customers and their needs in order to maintain the great service we deliver. It is interesting to see that people consider hostels the best choice for atmosphere, unbeatable prices and that they offer better city centre locations than many hotels..."

For further information please go to http://www.hostelbookers.com/survey-results-2011/

Barticus.

Don't Steal My Water!!!

2011-02-22T08:48:00.000Z

The stealing or monopolising of natural resources by hotel complex's, especially in the developing world, has always been an area of worry and concern. Especially if it means that host communities are forced to go without such major commodities as water...

"Water Equity in Tourism" is a new initiative from Tourism Concern that aims to stop these problems. They say "The right to water constitutes one of the most fundamental human rights. Yet for local communities in many countries, this right is being undermined in the name of tourism. While tourists can enjoy several showers a day, swimming pools, golf courses and lush landscaped gardens, neighbouring communities often face severe water shortages. This can exacerbate already extreme conditions of hardship and poverty...

Water Equity in Tourism (WET) is Tourism Concern's new programme of research and campaigning. It aims to promote and protect the right to water of local communities in the face of increasing competition from the tourism industry. The programme involves:

1.Ground-breaking research into tourism’s impact on water access of local communities. This is being analysed by a special steering committee made up of water experts from campaigning groups, development agencies, think-tanks and academia...

2.Awareness-raising with tourists and the tourism industry
Lobbying and advocacy, including promoting dialogues with industry, governments and community stakeholders in a bid to ensure local peoples' right to water is protected..."

Please go to http://www.tourismconcern.org.uk/index.php?page=water-equity and think how you can also make a difference...

Barticus.

Chinese Relations...

2011-02-22T08:35:00.000Z

Now important is the inbound Chinese travel market? Well, last year it was worth an estimated $43.7 billion U.S., with the U.S. benefiting the most...

And this looks set to continue to grow with an estimated 2 million Chinese tourists expected to visit the United States, and 3 million U.S. tourists will visit China, by 2015 if the current momentum of rapid outbound tourism growth continues...

eTurboNews report that "The optimistic forecast by Shao Qiwei, head of the National Tourism Administration (NTA), came at a dialogue on tourism cooperation between government departments, tourism travel services, hotels and airlines from both countries...

The dialogue opened Saturday in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, and will continue until Wednesday...

According to the NTA statistics, arrivals of Chinese tourists in the United States jumped 33 percent from one year ago to 730,000 during the first eight months this year, while 1.33 million U.S. tourists traveled to China during the January-August period, up 17 percent year on year...

"China and the United States share broad prospects of tourism development as both countries have become major sources of tourists for one another," Shao told the meeting...

Shao said China's tourism industry has boomed as the country's per capita gross domestic product (GDP) reaches 4,000 U.S. dollars this year...

"The Chinese government will attach greater importance to the development of tourism and take effective measures to facilitate a sound and rapid growth of the industry," he said...

China's tourists spent 43.7 billion U.S. dollars overseas in 2009, and about 54 million Chinese tourists will travel overseas and spend 48 billion U.S. dollars this year, according to a report by the China Tourism Academy...

The report said China's outbound travelers will top 100 million and their spending overseas will total 100 billion U.S. dollars by 2015...

China has signed agreements with about 140 countries allowing Chinese residents to visit those tourist destinations..."

Ongoing news of how China's new status as "the worlds second biggest economy" can benefit more than just China...

For more on this, follow eTurboNews at http://www.eturbonews.com/18993/tourism-news-over-2-million-chinese-tourists-visit-us-2015

Barticus.

$800 million cost of freedom...

2011-02-21T10:30:00.000Z

As the various museums and tourist sites within Egypt begin to re-open following the recent troubles, Egyptians are now left to count the cost to the national tourism industry...

BBC News report that "Tourists visiting Cairo's Egyptian Museum, which houses Tutankhamun's golden death mask, were welcomed by staff with roses...

The museum stands on Tahrir Square, the focus of the unrest, and some artefacts were stolen or damaged...

The upheaval is said to have cost the tourism industry $800m (£500m)...

The usually busy galleries of the Egyptian Museum were virtually deserted when doors opened on Sunday, Reuters news agency reports...

"It was very important for us to open the museum to stop the rumours like 'the mask of King Tutankhamun was stolen' or there had been an orgy of looting," said museum director Tarek El Awady...

"This is a chance for visitors to see for themselves..."

One tourist, Dutch supermarket worker Sandra de Rooij, said she and others had ventured out after assurances from tour operators...

"We gambled, we didn't know the museum would be open," she added...

Canadian tourist Barbara Bonkowsky said she had been "determined to come and see the museum in a new Egypt", after the downfall of President Hosni Mubarak..."

But you cant help but feel that the long term costs are going to be much higher, as it is going to take a lot for the international mass tourists to feel safe and secure about going to Egypt...

For more, please go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12521034

Barticus.

MICE desired...

2011-02-20T19:30:00.000Z

This follows the news that Phuket, Thailand is aiming to build on its 4.7 million visitors a year, by concentrating on the MICE areas of tourist travel, (Meetings, incentives, conferences and education)...

Tourism review states that "Phuket visits 4.7 million tourists per year; most of them are attracted by the beaches and the many islands of the Thai province. Phuket city has been described in many quarters as a global city and its representatives hope to use the favorable characteristics to increase foreign visits. As business tourists not only enhance the reputation of the city but also tend to spend a lot more cash than regular visitors, this is a particular area of focus...

Improved transport links between Bangkok and Phuket are a starting point for the improvements to begin. It takes no more than 150 minutes on the right connection to get from the capital to Phuket. By air it takes less than an hour and the Phuket airport is strategically situated near most important destinations. The new 5.7 million Baht (EUR 140,000) convention center to the north of Phuket city is seen as a focal point of the new business tourism project...

The Thai tourist board plans to educate workers and professionals about MICE events to make the project realistic. The education program will be focused on the importance of maintaining decent conditions for visitors in hotels and out on the street. This will further help Thailand’s reputation as a business tourism destination and lead to greater success in future. Workers and professionals must realize that they themselves are to benefit in the long run and not just the tourists..."

This pute Phuket in competition with the traditional business hubs of Kuala Lumpa, Singapore, Hong Kong and more, and will be interesting to see how this works out for them...

Follow more of this at http://www.tourism-review.com/phuket-to-focus-on-mice-industry-news2603

Barticus.

Soccer. The "Crazy" game...

2011-02-20T13:54:00.000Z

Wembley Stadium on May 28th is the venue for the highlight of the European soccer season, with the final of the UEFA European Champions League. Yet another fantastic chance for the UK to showcase itself to its European neighbours...

And what a way to "Show off!!!" Ticket prices a minimum of £176 each! Is this just another case of "Rip-Off Britain?" And if it is, why does this have to be proved with so many major tourist events (Royal Wedding/Olympics etc) on the horizon? Is this some form of destructive tourism marketing ploy to make potential tourists think that, despite the weak pound, they still cant afford to go to Britain, and that it is poor value for money?...

Even Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has labelled Uefa’s Champions League final prices as ‘a killer’ for fans...

The cheapest ticket is priced at £150 plus an £26 administrative fee, obtainable only through application and decided by a general ticket lottery. However, a limited amount of tickets will be available for purchase through official clubs for £80.

"It's unbelievable and disappointing," Ferguson said. "It's a killer and a corporate deal, that,” he told reporters...

"Managers and players can't do anything about it...

"I don't know what you can do. You have a booking fee also of £26 or whatever it is, so dearie me..."

The final will take place at Wembley on May 28, and Uefa have admitted that it is the most expensive so far, while insisting that prices remain competitive if not attractive compared with those for other major sporting events...

Follow more of this pricing madness at http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2011/02/20/2360549/sir-alex-ferguson-condemns-uefa-for-killer-champions-league

Barticus.

Searching for good...

2011-02-20T13:02:00.000Z

News of the annual 2011 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards have been unveiled by the World Travel and Tourism Council, which showcases innovators in sustainability...

These are important awards as they help recognize what is good and forward thinking within the tourism industry, and rewards such areas as: Conservation. Global Tourism Business. Community Benefit. And Destination Stewardship...

The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) report that " A small beach lodge helping to lift a community out of poverty, a project to regenerate an island's fragile eco-system, an international hotel company supporting the protection of orang-utans, turtles and coral reefs, and a national park collaborating with local villagers for wildlife conservation and preservation of 2000 year-old rock art sites, are among the twelve finalists in the 2011 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards unveiled today by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). The awards recognise achievements among businesses and destinations across the full spectrum of the travel and tourism industry...

"Travel & Tourism continues to make significant strides in balancing its success with its footprint on the world. After all, our destinations and products rely on the sustainability of our environment, and its diverse cultural and natural heritage to provide for our customers and employees, as well as the communities we live and work among," says David Scowsill, President & CEO of the World Travel & Tourism Council.
"For many years, the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards have helped showcase the projects, initiatives and operations that the industry is already undertaking. Our 12 finalists, drawn from 186 entries from over 60 countries, are carrying the flag for sustainable practices in our own and other industries."
Finalists were selected by an international panel of independent judges led by Costas Christ, Chairman of Judges and an internationally recognised expert on sustainable tourism. In the first stage of a comprehensive three-step process, they selected Award entries that best demonstrate the protection of natural and cultural heritage, delivering social and economic benefits to local people, and engaging in environmentally friendly operations, as well as other factors...

Unique among such Awards, judges will now visit each of the finalists to make in-depth assessments and gain a well-rounded picture of the organisations and businesses in practice. As part of the process, they meet with various stakeholders involved, including project representatives and employees, people from local communities, the private sector, and government officials. Highly competitive and a standard bearer in the industry, the Awards are given out in four different categories.."

Please support these ideals at http://www.wttc.org/eng/Tourism_News/Press_Releases/

Barticus.

Time. A Tourism Strategy...

2011-02-20T12:38:00.000Z

With such wonderful "Tourism Offerings" coming up, such as the Olympics and the latest Royal Wedding, its good to see that the Department of Culture, Media and Sport is not sitting on its laurels with its latest "Brain Busting" strategy...

Change the time...

No, really, that is it. The answer to all of the UK's economic problems. The answer of how to make more people visit Britain...

BBC news report today that "Longer evenings could move a step closer with a government plan to move UK clocks forward an extra hour...

A "tourism strategy" will include a plan to move the clocks in line with most of Europe, bringing lighter evenings but darker mornings...

Tourism chiefs and safety campaigners support the move, but there are fears in Scotland about road accidents...

Ministers want to be satisfied the country backs the plan, before giving the go-ahead, the government said...

Last year, Prime Minister David Cameron indicated he was willing to consider a switch...

"The argument will be won when people across the country feel comfortable with the change," he said in August...

"It's up to those who want to make the change to make the argument to try to convince people right across the country that it's a good thing...

"People who like taking part in sporting activity and would like longer days are already quite easy to sway. That's the key to winning this argument..."

The proposals will be published by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport in the coming week, the BBC has been told...

Tourism bosses say the number of overseas visitors would increase if summer evenings were lighter and they estimate the benefits to the economy could total billions of pounds...

But there have been fears expressed in Scotland that putting the clocks forward would increase road accidents in the darker mornings..."

Well thats all ok then, unless you live in Scotland of course...

For more on this please follow BBC News at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12517762

Barticus.

Official, the French are crazy...

2011-02-19T19:02:00.002Z

Hey, the Guardian said it, so don't blame me...

News of some of the new "Boutique" hotel offerings from those that gave the world the idea of "Chic..."

The Guardian reports that "Pretty gîtes are a bit old hat now, but France has plenty of wacky alternatives, from tents hanging in trees to a house that turns with the sun. Click through our gallery to see the best billets with la différence...

Spend the night on a bed of straw in a hayloft, or in a treehouse, yurt or tipi on this farm in the Vosges. For something even more original, try the glass pyramid or a real Caravelle aeroplane transformed into a “loft”, with a living room and bedrooms set amid a large lawn...

For those who dream of sleeping under the stars, but in the warm, the glass pyramid offers a unique experience...

There are no curtains, but it is far enough away from other buildings to ensure privacy..."

For more on these magnificently strange offerings, please go to http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/gallery/2011/feb/19/hotels-france#/?picture=371788700&index=0

Barticus.

It's not all bad...

2011-02-19T15:33:00.002Z

Good to see that the Virgin brand is going from strength to strength during the uncertain economic times, with the news of their continued growth and expansion...

Andrew Compart reports that "Virgin America, which has aspired to begin service to Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport since 2008, finally will do so with two daily flights from Los Angeles and three from San Francisco, starting May 25...

The San Francisco-based, low-cost carrier also says travelers from O’Hare to the West Coast airports also will be able to connect to San Diego, Seattle and Las Vegas...

Virgin America, which launched in August 2007, notes that it first announced its intent to serve O’Hare in 2008. But the airline’s ambitions were thwarted by its inability to secure gate access at a cost it considered reasonable...

The breakthrough came in an agreement the city of Chicago reached with Delta Air Lines to acquire the leasehold interest in 11 gates that Delta vacated in Concourse L, freeing up at least some of them for use by new-entrant carriers and new routes (Aviation Daily, Feb. 14). Chicago Mayor Richard Daley presented the proposed agreement Feb. 9 to the Chicago City Council, which next meets on March 9...

Six of the gates will be leased to American Airlines, which is currently subleasing five of them from Delta. The mayor’s office says the remaining five gates will be available for various airlines on a common use basis, and Virgin America will be using one of those gates...

“We’ve talked about [Chicago] for several years,” Virgin America CEO David Cush said at a news conference Feb. 17 in Chicago. “We’re just happy that it’s finally happened...”

Good news for aviation, and Sir Richard...

See more on this at http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_generic.jsp?channel=aviationdaily&id=news/avd/2011/02/18/06.xml&headline=Virgin%20America%20Finally%20Gets%20Gate%20To%20Begin%20Service%20To%20Chicago

Barticus.

The power of e.people....

2011-02-19T11:02:00.002Z

With the quick gathering of huge amounts of people to join in protests around the world tourism hotspots, we are in a unique position to consider the effects of social mediums (such as this)...

Love 'em or hate 'em, the effects are huge, and when looking at the effects of social media on the uprising in Egypt, Nick Varner said "though social media had an integral role, it was not an all-new use of Facebook...

“Egypt wasn’t the first to use social media in this way,” he said. “Tunisia, a few weeks before, had used Facebook and Twitter to depose their old regime.”
Jim Melton, assistant professor of business information systems, related the movie “The Social Network” to parts of the world with more government control and how the image of Mark Zuckerberg is received in comparison with his image in the U.S.
“Zuckerberg has somewhat of a negative image in the U.S., especially after the movie was released,” Melton said...

”People are concerned about privacy. But when the government has control, people want things like Facebook. In Tunisia, there were people holding up posters of Zuckerberg saying he was great...”

Melton informed students of the relevance of the topic to the events in Egypt in his new class, BIS 280: Social Media and Emerging Technology in Business...

Though the protests in Egypt were not business-related, they have the same idea of viral information, Melton said. One main protestor got the word out through Facebook and created a group, just like a business, he said...

“Social media really empowered the protests,” Melton said. “It’s harder to control news through these social networks...”

East Grand Rapids sophomore Alyson Cole said Facebook made people more willing to get involved...

“If I were an Egyptian youth, I would be more inclined to get involved if I were to find out about a protest via Facebook, seeing as how it is a huge part of young adult communication these days,” Cole said."

So surely the next step is to create some form of "response unit" that can read into what is going on through the use of social media, and to try to predict areas of uncertainty before they become a problem so that tourists and tourism are not affected.

For more on this, please look at http://www.cm-life.com/2011/02/16/social-medias-influence-on-protests-in-egypt/

Barticus.

Sailing in unsafe waters...

2011-02-19T10:43:00.002Z

Terrifying news once again of the reports of Somalian pirates hijacking a yacht off the coast of Oman.

This time it is the American owned "Quest" with 4 Americans on board whose relaxing voyage has been disrupted in the most tragic of ways.

The Telegraph reports "Pirates have hijacked a yacht with four Americans on board off the coast of Oman, the US embassy in Nairobi has said...

"Preliminary reports indicate that a US-flagged vessel tentatively named as the Quest has been hijacked in the Arabian Sea. There were four US citizens on board," the spokesman for the embassy said...

East African maritime expert Andrew Mwangura said the yacht was sailing from India to Salalah in Oman when the sea-bandits struck on Friday afternoon.
Salalah is 750 miles from the coast of Somalia...

Advocacy group Ecoterra, monitoring piracy in the Indian Ocean, said that the Americans were being held hostage...

"The S/V Quest was attacked by pirates in the Indian Ocean and the four Americans on board are being held hostage," they said in a statement...

Ecoterra said the 58-foot yacht was owned by Jean and Scott Adam. It was not immediately clear if the couple were sailing the yacht at the time of the attack...

Pirate gangs in the Indian Ocean are making tens of millions of dollars in ransoms, and despite successful efforts to quell attacks in the Gulf of Aden, international navies have struggled to contain the piracy owing to the vast distances involved..."

For more on this worrying news, please go to http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/piracy/8335296/Pirates-hijack-yacht-with-four-Americans-on-board.html

Barticus.

The battle of Trafalgar...

2011-02-19T00:34:00.002Z

Once again one of the UK's top tourist attractions is the focus of negativity, with the news of running knife battles in front of terrified tourists leaving 3 people in hospital.

Sarah Morrison reports for the Independent that "Police are holding 19 teenagers after three young men were stabbed in Trafalgar Square in the middle of the afternoon.

Violence broke out when rival groups of Albanian-Kosovans, armed with knives and hockey sticks, began to fight in one of London's most popular tourist destinations.

Officers arrived at the scene on Thursday to discover running brawls between what is thought to have been Albanian-Kosovan gangs, gathered to "celebrate" the third anniversary of Kosovo's independence. The youngest of those arrested is a 13-year-old boy.

Emergency services took a 19-year-old man suffering four stab wounds to his head, arm and back, and an 18-year-old with two stab wounds to his chest, to different hospitals. A third victim, aged 19, took himself to hospital after being stabbed in his neck, back and leg. The first victim has been discharged but the other two men are in a stable but serious condition.

Groups of Albanian-Kosovan teenagers have met on Kosovo National Day as a "show of force" for the last couple of years. "It usually results only in fist fights rather than stabbings but it is hard to concede that this event was spontaneous because it seems that people came armed with necessary tools to commit a serious assault," said a source.

Scotland Yard insisted there had been no reason to expect such serious trouble. Superintendent Simon Ovens said: "We hadn't been notified of any planned events in Trafalgar Square so there was no expectation from the public. Our officers were on the scene extremely quickly. However, it is going to take some time for us to speak to them all and establish a clear picture of exactly what happened.

"Trafalgar Square is an incredibly busy place and I would urge anyone who was in the vicinity and may have seen something to come forward and talk to us. Their information could be vitally important in helping us to piece this incident together."

Luljetta Nuzi, project director for Shpresa, a group for Albanian speakers in the UK, said that the violence was a reminder of the work that needs to be done in addressing divisions within the expatriate community...."

For more on this, please go to http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/19-held-after-youths-knifed-in-trafalgar-square-2219292.html

Barticus.

No one knows. No one cares....

2011-02-18T09:41:00.002Z

Really worrying news for the producers of the 2012 cultural Olympiad is that no one seems to know anything about it...

In Beijing three years ago we were greeted by an immense sense of "pride" and "togetherness" from the Chinese people. Something that, as yet, seems to not be happening with the Brits...

BBC News report that "Public awareness of Britain's Cultural Olympiad, planned to mark the London Games of 2012, is low and could be better, its organisers have conceded.

Ruth Mackenzie, its cultural director, said recent research showed awareness of the four-year "cultural celebration" is at 9%, its highest level to date.

But she told the London Assembly she expected interest to rise in October when tickets for events go on sale.

"We have not yet adequately told the story," a committee heard on Tuesday.

It was also told that some people may have taken part in an event without realising it was part of the Olympiad.

These include the Big Dance event of July 2010, which featured nine days of dance events in unusual places throughout London.

Organisers will now focus on the Olympiad's key event, a 12-week nationwide arts festival running from 21 June to 9 September 2012.

Actress Cate Blanchett, Blur's Damon Albarn and artist David Hockney are among the big names who are already lined up to participate...."

So lets hope that some form of cultural "pride" can be developed in time for the opening ceremony next year...

More on this at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12471128

Barticus

Where to go......

2011-02-18T09:01:00.002Z

At this time of year many travelers seek respite from the winter weather by venturing on a sun chasing vacation.

But where to go?

So many of the traditional winter hot-spots are in turmoil. Egypt. Tunisia. And now even within the Arab states with Barhain joining the list of scary places to be.

So your "Global Tourism Issues" team has looked at the safest, best bargains for your winter get away and has come up with "The Gambia....."

With current "rave" reviews on "Tripadvisor," The "Gambia Experience" say that "Although when lying on the beach or relaxing by the pool you could be in any tropical destination, it is also easy to experience the local culture and feel as though you’ve truly arrived in Africa.

Travel to rural villages to watch palm-wine tappers, drive through the African bush to hear the monkeys chattering and watch flocks of colourful birds fly overhead; even from the comfort of your hotel you can listen to the drums of local entertainers and watch incredible energetic dancing. For first time visitors to Africa The Gambia is a good introduction as it is English-speaking, flights are less than six hours and the hotels are all fairly close to the airport so transfers are also short."

Have a peek at http://www.gambia.co.uk/

Barticus.

A call to tighten management plans.....

2011-02-18T08:34:00.002Z

Famed for its use by the craziness that is "Top Gear," the Unesco World Heritage Site in Quang Ninh province, Halong bay has the reputation of being one of the most beautiful of all of Unesco's World Heritage Sites.

But maybe the strict management plans enforced by Unesco need to be re evaluated after this latest tragedy.

Travelmole report that "At least 12 people have drowned after a tour boat sank in Halong Bay, a top Vietnam tourist attraction.

The victims were holidaymakers from Britain, the US, Australia, Japan, Russia, France, Sweden and Switzerland, along with a Vietnamese tour guide.

They were on a tour of the Unesco World Heritage Site in the Quang Ninh province.

According to the latest Reuters report, 15 people, including nine foreigners, were rescued from the boat, which is believed to have broken without warning just before dawn.

Many tourists stay overnight on boats at the tourist hotspot, so were likely to have been asleep when the accident happened."

Follow more on these sad events at http://www.travelmole.com/stories/1146451.php

Barticus.

Pride: A regeneration factor.

2011-02-17T22:48:00.002Z

Ok, so normally I dont use this blog for personal points of view, but for once I'm going to show where my research is leading me.

In this age where even David Cameron is going on (and on) about a "failed society," I am left to consider the failings of the British Domestic Tourism market. Surely, at a time where economics prevent many from their normal far-flung, sun drenched holiday, it would be a prime time for the traditional British seaside holiday to strive for regeneration as the vacation of choice for the mass domestic tourism market. But no, really, people would rather go without a holiday than be forced to go to the likes of Margate or Skegness for a week with the kids. So where is the real problem?

Like so many areas of this small island, the traditional seaside resorts of a bygone age are left without a sense of purpose, tradition or pride, and if they don't have it for themselves how can it be conceived that they might have the ability to promote these ideas for any potential customers. And, of equal importance, peoples from urban areas with similar issues cannot find any of these things in their own society to believe that they might find it somewhere else.

Britain is broken.

No community. No tradition. No pride.

The only way to fix this is to re-introduce pride at a community level. Regenerate, yes. But dont ignore the views of the man on the street. Brighton has pride and community (gay, but community), and on a sunny day you cant get on the beach it is so busy. Geordies (people from Newcastle) look at the "Angel of the North" with pride. So there is proof it can be done.

This economic situation is going to last a long time, so now is the time to re-invent community pride, to lift people, to regenerate, rebuild and renew.

Britain is broken. Lets fix it. Together.

Barticus

"Dream the Dream..."

2010-07-19T17:05:00.003+01:00

With most of the local travel news focusing on the fall out from the cessation of Goldtrail Travel, the Farnborough air show is running the risk of passing almost unnoticed...

But this show has some positive news for travellers and the travel industry alike, not for the unveiling of the Airbus 400 transporter (although it is an amazing plane), but instead for the long awaited introduction to the "all new" Boeing 787 Dreamliner...

But why is this so important? Not only is this "new breed" of aircraft lighter and more efficient (allowing it to travel longer and further) but the first one to be bought is by TUI, showing that Europe's main package holiday supplier has faith that people will ignore the current economic situation to continue booking their services...

Travelmole reports that "Dubbed “the limousine of the skies”, the plane offers passengers more space, wider aisles and seats and a smoother and quieter flight. It is also highly fuel-efficient. Windows are much bigger than on regular passenger jets and there is a LED lighting system which mimics sunrise and sunset to help passengers acclimatise to new time zones...

TUI is to take delivery of the 787 this year and will be the first UK airline to fly the plane. The lighter plane can cover longer distances in one go and TUI has predicted boosts in interest to destinations such as Borneo, Bali, Hawaii and Mauritius...

British Airways, meanwhile, has ordered 24 of the new aircraft which will join its long haul fleet from 2012. It said its design team is already working on developing the 787’s interior which will have a premium feel throughout the cabin..."

Positivity in a week of "Doom and Gloom" I'm sure you will agree...

Read more at

Barticus..

"Too much Turkey, and not even Christmas..."

2010-07-17T17:51:00.003+01:00

Yet more bad news for British travellers with the news that Turkey and Greece holiday specialist Goldtrail Travel has ceased trading as of today leaving many potential holiday makers without their summer breaks, as well as many more (estimated at 15,000) stranded in Turkey and Greece..

There also appears to be bigger problems yet to come, with the news that Goldtrail Travel booked hotel rooms via a third party, therefore meaning that those with holidays booked, in effect, still have accommodation booked, but without flights to get them there..

BBC News report that "Greece and Turkey specialist Goldtrail, based in New Malden, south-west London, went into administration on Friday with an estimated 16,000 customers overseas. The CAA said it was arranging to fly customers home after their holidays and there were no more outbound flights. Goldtrail customers can call the CAA on 0203 4410846 for information..

Though the company went into administration on Friday afternoon, some of Goldtrail's customers were not told until they were due to board their flights on Friday evening..

Mark McLay arrived at Glasgow airport for a 2045 BST flight but was not told of the company's demise until the early hours of Saturday, long after he and his girlfriend had already checked in for his plane to Bodrum in Turkey.

"At 0100 BST we were called together and told over the tannoy that Goldtrail had gone into administation, that we would not be flying and that we would be escorted out of the building," he said.

"One woman was crying and it was bad for the families although everyone took it as well as could be expected."

The CAA said flights home from Turkey would operate as normal but holidaymakers in Greece were warned to expect changes. Those in Greece are advised to check with representatives at local airports. The company used charter airlines such as Onurair, Turquois and Viking.

It is thought that as many as 50,000 holidaymakers who have booked flights over the summer will be affected by the company's collapse."

With stranded holiday makers being assured that all extra costs incurred will be covered by the CAA, help MUST be given to those that still have accommodations booked, and are being offered flights for upwards of £2000 each..

Yet more worry for travellers this summer as we are left considering the potential cost of booking any holiday..

Follow this news at

Barticus.

Bad day for monster lovers...

2010-07-16T18:31:00.005+01:00

This is not some kind of wierd love story, but instead the reported demise of "Monster Travel.."

TravelMole's Bev Fearis reports that "ABTA has issued a warning to agents who are advertising for customers to rebook following the cessation of Monster Travel.

It reminded agents that because Monster Travel was a managed branch of The Freedom Travel Group, Freedom will be honouring all bookings.

"If members encourage customers to rebook they will have been double-booked and may look to the member for recompense," it warned.

On Facebook and other social media websites, some agents criticised rival companies for acting like vultures by being so quick to place Google ads.

They also expressed their sadness for the staff of Monster Travel, particularly for those who had joined the company after losing their jobs at Freedom Direct.

Online and call centre travel agency Monster Travel ceased trading yesterday after just over two years in business. The company, part of the Freedom Travel Group, employed 94 people. Only last April the company had a major recruitment drive for an extra 40 staff. Some of those who got the jobs were ex-employees of Freedom Direct Holidays, which had ceased a week earlier.

Ironically, at the time the Monster managing director David Hawke, said it was a "sad indictment of the times" that the firm had received 500 applications in just three days for the new jobs.

Hawke, formerly head of call centre business for TUI, founded Monster Travel with his partner Julie Gilmore.

Jane Atkins, managing director of The Freedom Travel Group, said: "The business was a Freedom Travel Group member that sold package holidays and also from time to time repackaged holidays under our ATOL bond.

"Under our managed agent agreement with ABTA we will take on all forward bookings, ensuring that customers travel as planned and that trade suppliers are paid.

"We are very disappointed and saddened that Monster Travel is no longer in a position to trade.""

Yet more signs of the times from what many within the travel industry percieved to be a confident and forward planing company, and continues to show the ongoing effects of both the global ressesion as well as the British Governments push for the family "Staycation" that, although of great benefit to the local British towns and seaside resorts, is having a detrimental effect on other British businesses..

For more of this story, and a good chance to express an opinion, please go to

Barticus.

"It's ok, we have all been saved..."

2010-04-10T19:52:00.004+01:00

I refer of course to the utter "brilliance" of "Virgin 1's" new idea for how to save the British seaside...

They reveal that "Duncan Bannatyne swaps spreadsheets for spades as he sets about revamping Britain's Seaside Resorts," in their new prime time show "Duncan Bannatyne's seaside rescue," that this week saw our hero "Dunc" go off to save Ramsgate, well, when I say Ramsgate I actually mean Westgate, well when I say Westgate I really mean the boating lake at Westgate, but the idea is still there eh...

In an age where we use so many tourism "buzzwords" such as "regeneration,""sustainability,""staycations" and more, I found myself really looking forward to the idea that these topics would be covered on prime time television. But alas, all was not as it seemed with the contents failing to be what it said on the proverbial tin...

It should be noted to the producers that saving a boating lake in Westgate does not mean that Duncan or Virgin have in fact regenerated Ramsgate, but have instead just saved a failing business, like any failing business. Therefore what they have created is a parody of "Ramseys kitchen nightmares" with another moaning Scotsman telling people how to run their businesses. How creative, well done...

For those of you that have not seen the show, take a peek at http://www.virgin1.co.uk/shows/duncan-bannatynes-seaside-rescue/ to discover what all the fuss is about. And for those of you interested in discovering more about proper seaside regeneration, go to blogs such as http://jameskennell.com/ and find out what people who really know this subject think...

Barticus.

"You stink, get out..."

2010-03-10T13:23:00.003Z

This follows the news that tourists have been banned from the Indian islands of Andaman and Nicobar in the fear that they are bringing diseases that threaten the indigenous Jarawa tribe...

The Telegraph report that "Tourists are to be banned from large areas of resorts on the Indian islands because of fears they will bring disease which could wipe out the 350 remaining members of a local tribe...

The Indian government has introduced a buffer zone around a reservation for the threatened Jarawa tribe on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and ordered the closure of an expensive beach resort in an attempt to save the tribe from being driven into extinction...

Its Attorney General has told the Supreme Court there are now only 350 surviving members of the tribe, who are believed to be descendants of migrants from Africa, and that they are highly vulnerable to Western diseases and infections...

The government is determined to save the Jarawas after another of the islands' tribes was wiped out last month when its last surviving member died. Boa Sr, aged 85, was the last Bo-speaking member of the Great Andaman tribe which is believed to have migrated to the islands from Africa 65,000 years ago...

Until now, the Jarawas have fared better than the Bo because they have been protected by an official reservation in around 400 square miles of tropical rainforest. They survive by hunting wild boar and lizards, spear fishing on the blue waters off the island's palm-fringed beaches, and gathering seeds and berries from the forest...

They live a nomadic life in groups of around 50 tribesmen and women but since 1998, their unique lifestyle has come under increasing threat from the commercial world of tourism as increasing numbers have ventured out of the reservation...

In 1999 and 2006 measles, to which they have limited resistance, took a heavy toll on their population...

The new buffer zone will mean tourist resorts will not be allowed to operate within the three mile zone around their settlements on Middle and South Andaman Islands...

The decision by the Supreme Court was challenged by a local tourism company which established a small tent resort on Sunset Beach. Samit Sawhney, the firm's managing director, said that the government was targeting his company while continuing to operate tour buses into the Jarawa reservation and allowing other companies to trade in the buffer zone. "We're a responsible company. If this is for the Jarawas we will bite the bullet, but the government itself must stop all tourism inside the zone, but they are illegally encouraging tourism inside the tribal area," he said...

Sophie Grigg, senior campaigner for Survival International, said she welcomed the move to protect the Jarawa but remained concerned that it may not be enough...

She said large numbers of Bo tribes were wiped out not by direct contact with British officials during the colonial period, but by contact with others who had met them...

"The Jarawa are pretty isolated, the majority stay in the forest, hunting and gathering. Each time they make contact with tourists they risk contracting diseases they have no resistance to, especially so from tourists from long-haul flights," she said..."

Is this the beginning of the end of indigenous tourism? It will be interesting to see if this idea catches on...

Read this full report at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/india/7406182/Tourists-banned-from-Indian-islands-over-risk-of-killing-off-local-tribes.html

Barticus...

"It's Raining in Paradise..."

2010-03-10T12:09:00.004Z

More bad news (sorry, ed), this time from Thailand with news of growing instability in the countries capital of Bangkok...

TravelMole have reported that "Bangkok is bracing for trouble, starting on Friday, as the red-shirt movement, in its bid effort to topple Abhisit Vejjajiva's government, mobilise a huge protest march to paralyse the capital...

The Nation newspaper reported that the red shirts - supporters of ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra - are prepared to face the declaration of a state of emergency by the government and persevere through sheer weight of numbers...

They hope to draw several hundred thousand rural people to Bangkok for their protest...

Asked by The Nation about the potential for violence, a spokesman for the protest said 5,000 red-shirt guards were trained to ensure things proceed smoothly...

However, the red shirts did not rule out the possibility of copying the yellow-shirt group's tactics, including seizing government offices as well as Suvarnabhumi Airport, the source said...

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has deferred his visit to Australia so he can monitor the weekend rally..."

Although there is formal promises of peace, there is always a fear that this has the potential to quickly become more, how easily we forget recent examples such as Sri Lanka...

Follow this story at http://www.travelmole.com/stories/1141275.php?mpnlog=1&m_id=s~bvs~bm

Barticus.

"Less Euros equals less travelling..."

2010-03-09T09:01:00.002Z

More bad news for British "would be" travellers today, with the release of figures from hotel price comparison site www.trivago.co.uk. that show how the falling British Pound has a direct impact on the equivalent prices of hotel rooms around Europe...

Phil Davies reported for Travel Mole that "Prices in many tourist capitals have increased over the past month. A hotel room in Rome (£103) costs 13% more than in February; in Vienna (£105), the price has gone up by 19%...

Increases have also occurred in Amsterdam (£106), Athens (£84) and Barcelona (£93), with all three cities seeing increases of nine per cent from February to March...

The opposite is true in Denmark and Sweden, though prices in both countries are still far higher than the European average, according to the study...

Hotel rooms in Copenhagen (£118) and Stockholm (£122) have dropped by six per cent since February..."

With the Nordic states still very expensive, and the rest of Europe on the way up and up, it looks like the Brits will be forced into another year of staycations...

Barticus.

Sorry, is that yours...."

2010-03-07T17:33:00.003Z

One of the main problems with the development of tourism as a method of promoting and developing a country in the developing world, is that both tourists and the multi national companies that facilitate this tourism often find themselves in a position that unknowingly takes advantage of the hosts...

Poor wages and working conditions, acculturation, loss of homes and lands, raises in taxes and costs of basics such as food, water and power are just some of the problems, and for many peoples this cost is too high for the amount of benefit that tourism can bring...

But what can we do? Most of us visit these places and people with the belief that we are making a positive difference, and are often unaware of any problems that we could potentially be creating...

One way is to back companies such as (one of our charities of choice) Tourism Concern who work to help ease these tourism related problems...

"Putting Tourism to Rights" is one of their campaigns, and they say that "Thousands of people all over the world endure abuses of their basic human rights due to tourism. Our campaign is calling on governments and industry to to more to respect and protect the human rights of destination communities and industry employees..."

Please take time to look at this site, and see if you too can help to make a difference, at http://www.tourismconcern.org.uk/index.php?page=campaigns

Thanks.

Barticus.