Pride: A regeneration factor.

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..."

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..."

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...

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..."

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..."

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..."

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..."

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...."

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.

"Kenya get me out of here..."

Scary happenings in Kenya today with reports streaming in about the terrible flooding that have occurred, and the effect this is having for tourists/tourism in the area...

BBC news report that "Dozens of people, including several British tourists, have been airlifted to safety after flash floods hit one of Kenya's wildlife parks...

The Ewaso Nyiro River in Samburu and Isiolo districts burst its banks on Wednesday night following heavy rain...

The Royal Air Force and British Army helped in the rescue effort...

RAF Flight Lieutenant Nick Cowen told the BBC the floods were like nothing he had ever seen before..."

For more on this, plus video footage, please go to http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8551459.stm

Barticus.