Hanging out with Claudia....

There is no doubt that the world of celebrities has always had a positive effect on the destinations chosen by their various followers. Whether Paris, Rome, The Maldives or more, dedicated fans often flock to the hotels, clubs, bars etc associated with their particular celebrity.

For the most dedicated of stalker this meant time spent reading the tabloid and celluloid press trying to decipher the desires of your chosen celebrity. But this has changed as many resorts attempt to capitalise on the positive effects (normally financially) that this may bring. Add to this that the Telegraph has issued it's very own "100 celebrity holiday favourites" (see http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/celebritytravel/2524102/100-celebrity-holiday-favourites.html ) and you are now equipped for your own spot of "Celebrity Stalking!"

Barticus

"I'm flying without wings...."

Great news breaking for all those that worry their airline company might go bust before they fly..

After 93 European Airlines were declared bankrupt over the last 9 years, the European Commission has decided that "Enough is enough"...

President Akis Kelepeshis is quoted as saying “We need a contingency plan for our customers in order to provide adequate protection”. He then added that “there is a big consumer protection gap; while IATA agents are required to provide bonding and tour operators need to provide financial guarantees under European legislation on package travel to protect customers against their financial failure, there is no such protection against airline failures for customers with seat only tickets..."

So, no actual guarantee of help yet, but at least we are looking into it..

Follow this story at http://www.traveldailynews.com/pages/show_page/33698-The-EU-steps-to-improve-the-situation-of-passengers-in-case-of-airline-bankruptcy

Barticus.

"er, wasn't that my stop?" - Quick Update!

Goodmorning!

On Friday 23rd October, Barticus posted an interesting article about the American airliner, Northwest Airlines that missed the runway by 150 miles. Below is a link with the latest article to do with this matter. It states that the two pilots involved '...have 10 days to appeal revocation of their licenses'. Click below to have a read.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8328996.stm

"Everybody out......"

As British Airways staff ready to vote, again, on the possibility of strike action (as shown in the Guardian today) to affect another major holiday period (this one is set to be Christmas folks) we have to ask if they have really been paying attention. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/oct/26/ba-cabin-crew-strike-vote

BA has obvious problems, having faced a huge fine for fare fixing in 2007 as shown by the BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6925397.stm it has been left in a position where it has asked staff to take extra holidays or unpaid time off to avoid redundancy. But no, the unions think that this is the wrong answer and instead want to force people to question why they should risk booking tickets during the peek season for planes that might not fly.

I will be the first to admit that I am not an economist, but, and please correct me if I am wrong, surely if you want your boss to give you more money then you must make him more money, and if you threaten to do your best to cripple him financially, then this is blackmail...

Barticus

"Bite Me....."

In East Lothian, Scotland, tourism takes a different twist with the idea of creating a "Lobster Farm" as a new tourist destination.....

Gone are the days when we used to breed these fellows just for their culinary purposes with this £1.8 million project expecting to boost tourism by an amazing 30,000 people a year...

Hats off to those guys from Jura Consultants for a most novel and interesting idea. To find out more follow http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/8310715.stm

Barticus

Tourism Concern. Let Us Spread The Word!

On the 12th October 2009 I attended a lecture and tutorial whereby as a group we had to present, individually, three contemporary issues that have come to our attention. Before attending my sessions I was debating, as you do, which issues I should raise to my group and realised how important it is to talk about charities such as Tourism Concern which have been active for over 20 years and now require our help in order to survive and continue their mission that clearly has made a difference. The major problem is, is that Tourism Concern needs £40,000 to continue their much needed work which has proved a huge success, as well as, stated by the Observer "...Tourism Concern needs a more public voice, so the general public recognises what it does". So, let us begin by spreading the word!! It is such a shame that after so many years of dedication to the tourism industry we might lose such a gem that has transformed the lives of so many. So below are two links that I believe deserve to be looked at and then thought about. Remember, it is possible for Tourism Concern to pull through so lets lend a hand.

http://www.tourismconcern.org.uk/index.php?page=home

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2009/oct/25/tourism-concern-cash-crisis

"Help! get me out of here..."

In response to a lecture that I attended on the 6th October about Social Tourism where we looked at the idea of "holidays for all."

Whilst countries such as Belgium and, in particular, France pour large amounts of money into the provision of breaks for the needy, this country continues to rely on charities. This is not a NEW issue. Personal research found a report from 1976 that was released to co-inside with a Guardian article about the issue.

With most articles like this it is easy to dismiss them as "one sided" or "sensationalist," but this concentrates on the humanity within this problem. And I quote.....

Margaret was one to be accepted. Her attempted suicide was blamed by her doctor on pressures at home. She is divorced from her first husband and separated from her second. She has been forced to live with her elderly mother for 17 years and they fight most of the time. She has two teenage children and a three-year-old.

In addition, Margaret has diabetes which has given her a severe weight problem, and not surprisingly she suffers from nerves and depression.

Her nerves prevent her from getting a job so she relies on £20 a week from social security.

Social workers referred her case to the Family Holiday Association who arranged for her and the three children to spend a week together at a holiday camp by the sea in Kent. Just getting away from the house and all the tension, she said, made her feel like a new woman.

An excellent charity working hard to try to give much needed holidays to the needy, an estimated 1600 families this year alone. Follow the link to find out more.. http://www.fhaonline.org.uk/index.php?mpid=3

Barticus

"Damn Swine..." (H.S.T.)

The fear associated within the tourism industry of the potential affect of the latest Swine Flu pandemic has, at last, started to rear its ugly head as a state of emergency is declared in the USA. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8324070.stm

With over 1000 recorded deaths from the H1N1 virus, President Obama has been quoted as saying "The rates of illness continue to rise rapidly within many communities across the nation, and the potential exists for the pandemic to overburden health care resources in some localities."

For a nation that is still recovering from terrorist strikes and (possibly) sleeping pilots, (see previous blog) this is another huge blow for their internal tourism market as well as for inbound tourists......

Barticus..

'A Warm Welcome'

Hello All!

What a wonderful day this has become (still 15 minutes left) so I better start typing quickly with those little fingers. Well, here it goes!

This blog has been especially created to provide all of us with, the most recent, interesting and important contemporary issues within this dynamic and exciting industry. So, I hope that we, here at G.T.I. will be able to fufill Our aim and bring you issues that will blow you away and stay in your mind for a long period of time.

Enjoy!

"er, wasn't that my stop?"

Amazing news just in (hense the rappid and somewhat late blog) about the Northwest Airlines airliner that missed the runway by a mere 150 miles.... At this point we dont know which story to believe with emerging tales of sleeping pilots or argueing crew, all we know here at GTI is that the reprocusions for the industry will probably be swift.. follow this story now at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8323246.stm

"It's alive...."

This day (the 23rd October 2009) sees the birth of one of the newest and most vibrant looks at the issues that surround the subject of tourism today..

This blog, together with our Twitter micro blog, will aim to keep the reader informed and as up to date as is electronically possible..

Sired by the masterly (cough, plus marks, plus marks) teachings of James Kennell within his Contemporary Issues in Tourism course, this blog will aim to explore many of the issues within tourism that rise on a daily basis....

So much more to come, so watch this space and hold on to your hats as we prepare to take you for a ride into the world of modern tourism issues...

Barticus.