"The problem with Youtube..."

Most people within the tourism industry are aware of the problems of Youtube...

You spend lots of time, lots of money and lots of effort into promoting your company or destination to be the place that tourists feel that they MUST part with their money, and then along comes someone who you may have accidentally upset once, may have wronged in some way, or someone who simply has too much time on their hands, and all of your plans are suddenly washed away...

I bring this up because while looking at Youtube today, I noticed that this is the number 1 tourism download http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysmLA5TqbIY

Watch it and wonder how easily your plans could be shattered...

Barticus.

"But, is it really cultural??.."

Thanks to Virtual Tourist for bringing out a list (ye gods, another list, ha ha) that this time focuses on one of the most notorious cultural reflections of modern city life, Ugly Buildings...

From Morris A. Mechanic Theater; Baltimore, Maryland, that they describe as "Looking at the grim, impersonal façade of this once-thriving theater, it’s hard to believe its stage once hosted the likes of Katherine Hepburn and George C. Scott. Although it would be ugly without them, the windows boarded up with wood certainly don’t help matters. Its doors now closed, the structure still incites debate among locals, many of whom feel the final curtain should have come down on this building long ago," to Ryugyong Hotel; Pyongyang, North Korea said to be "Riddled with issues that range from lack of money to poor construction to rumored collapse, this still unfinished nightmare has been under some form of construction for over 20 years. Started in 1987, construction was halted a few years later and left untouched until fairly recently."

But are these monstrosities really so bad? Or are they set to be the "must see" cultural icons of the future?

Follow http://members.virtualtourist.com/vt/t/354 and you decide.

Barticus.

'Its time for a change'...

Heathrow Airport is going under construction...

Terminal two at London's Heathrow Airport has closed its doors after 54 years for a £1 billion replacement.
The new developement will become home to the world's largest airline alliance, Star Alliance, which includes Lufthansa, Air Canada, United Airlines, LOT - just a few of the many members under the umbrella. The development should be completed and successfully opened to the world in 2014.

To follow this story just click on the link below...
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/business/article6928787.ece

G.T.I.

"Ryanair comes bottom of the class..."

With the latest poll out concerning "family brands," it is more bad news for Ryanair with the publication that they are the "least liked" when it comes to this area of customer satisfaction...

The no-frills airline is seen as doing little to promote family values and not enough to be seen to care or listen to customers, according to the FamilyBrands poll...

In fact the 10 least favourite companies included: Ryanair, British Midland, BMI Baby and Easyjet showing that the budget airlines generally did not do well in this poll. But then maybe this shows the point of these airlines. They are not about family values, great service, the ability to make you feel great, or even food in most cases, they are in fact about getting you from one place to another as cheaply as possible which surely means this poll is not a good pointer as to how appropriately the "family values" are seen within the context of the provider...

Follow http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/6641220/Ryanair-named-worst-family-brand.html and make up your own mind.

Barticus.

"They think it's all over..."

With the 2012 Olympics racing towards us, we have shown the general fear of the proverbial "damp squib" anticipated by those within the tourism industry, the Olympic committees and even the general public, so it makes a nice change to bring some positivity on the subject for a change...

VisitBritain, Visit London, the European Tour Operators Association (ETOA) and UKinbound have agreed to set up a joint working party to develop a strategy that will encourage visits to Britain and London throughout 2012 and beyond as London hosts the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games....

Visit London’s director of communications, Ken Kelling, said: “London has so much to offer sports fans and non-sports fans alike and visitors are well used to travelling to and from the city for business or pleasure. We are expecting the atmosphere to be amazing during 2012 and no-one will want to miss out. Now’s the right time to be getting the message out as the travel trade starts to think about “brochuring” for the next few years..."

So, after a period of "They think it's all over" it would hopefully seem that the answer is "Not yet...."

Good luck to all involved, and follow this at http://www.traveldailynews.com/pages/show_page/34199--Industry-comes-together-to-maximise-tourism-opportunity-form-the-2012-Games

Barticus.

''Having a drink with Antonio...'

It has been known that when public figures visit destinations for vacations or for work related purposes,
tourism within that area gets a boost.

Actor Antonio Banderas has just invested in a vineyard in the North of Spain, Ribera del Duero, to not only produce Spain’s finest wines but to educate and promote wine tourism. The actor also has plans to build a hotel of a small size but with a warm and intimate atmosphere so tourists may enjoy their experience in true Spanish style.

To follow this story click below...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-1230172/Antonio-Banderas-plans-new-hotel-Spanish-vineyard.html

G.T.I.

"No job? Time for funemployment....."

Funemployed glampers could boost recession-hit travel firms is the latest view of the Irish Times...

Bad economic times could offer a boost to a travel industry willing to embrace the “funemployed”, tourism providers have been told...

The concept of the funemployed was outlined by Thalia Pellegrini, presenter of the BBC’s Fast:track travel programme, at Fáilte Ireland’s national tourism conference in Dublin. She said the term was coined to describe recently unemployed people who are using their free time to travel...

“This group is tempted by unprecedented travel deals and have a now-or-never attitude towards travelling,” she said. “Most have severance packages to cushion the blow, and more than half of those unemployed in North America are under the age of 35, mainly single, without children or a mortgage.”

So, no job? Things getting to you? Then you too could be funemployed...

For more information please follow http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/travel/2009/1121/1224259216736.html

Barticus.

"Easy Jet to run the world!!..."

The UK prime minister in waiting, David Cameron has turned to easyJet’s low-frills model as a way to run the public sector in recessionary times. Cameron believes that no-frills politics is the way forward, having looked at the Sir Stelios’s success in starting up a tightly-run business that is used by everyone from the royalty to stag and hen parties..

Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the easyJet founder, told The Times: “Political parties are now proposing different ways of running local councils – one is easyCouncil and the other is John Lewis. I am not going to say I know which one is right but I think the public know exactly what easyCouncil means – a standard level of service at a low price with additional services that cost more. Nothing’s hidden...”

He adds: “It’s about choice as much as price. It’s all about giving power to people to pay for what they value. Take ‘speedy boarding’. I have flown for 14 years a couple of times a week on easyJet. If you buy ‘speedy boarding’ you get on the plane among the first people. Others like to use it to sit at the front because that’s where first class usually is, but I prefer the back of the plane as it feels more spacious...”

But does this mean the Tory party are going to swap their traditional blue for the orange and white hoarding of the easy group?..

Follow this story at http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/news/article/tories-turn-to-stelios-for-easypolitics/

Barticus.

"Worried about the plane? Then take the train..."

With many people starting to show their environmental concerns, this follows how it is possible to travel to your favourite skiing destination without resorting to taking the plane...

A website that aims to encourage and enable more skiers to travel to resorts by trains went online last week, and with trains to France, Austria and Switzerland we can see the possibilities...


Snowcarbon.co.uk gives a useful overview of the options, as well as strategies for finding the lowest fares available, and should be a must for any self conscious ski traveller this season...

For more on this please follow http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/journeysbyrail/6550296/Skiing-Getting-to-the-Alps-by-train.html

Barticus.

'Bon Appetit!'

Now, this is a great idea! I've just read this article about 'closed door restaurants' that I would like to share with you all...

In Buenos Aires a culinary trend has taken over by the name of 'puertas cerradas' meaning 'closed door restaurants'. Local chefs or in general people who have a passion for food are offering real home-made dishes within their homes. The menu varies from a traditional cuisine to personal, worldwide dishes served by the chefs. The atmosphere? 'The sofa is pushed aside, family photos overlook the diners and there's a conviviality and multilingual chatter never found in conventional restaurants'...

Whilst travelling abroad, wanting to taste the real experience and meet the locals (as most desire) what a pleasant combination of the two.

To follow this story just click on the link below...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2009/nov/21/buenos-aires-secret-restaurants

G.T.I.