April issue of CS is out and I can finally share the article on being green for meeting professionals! I worked my little fingers to the bone on this one! TONS of research and such... so please enjoy 20 Meet Green ideas even if you aren't a meeting planner! It's got good advice for searching out a hotel for your next trip that is also eco-friendly and socially conscious.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
What happened to the end of March?
So I've been working hard to get our latest issue of Condo Owner out the door before the end spring (considering its the spring issue and all that'd be kind of a novel idea eh?). Lots of fun things in store for that once we ship it out! Will definitely post some great tourism stories and ideas once we have that officially out.
April issue of CS is out and I can finally share the article on being green for meeting professionals! I worked my little fingers to the bone on this one! TONS of research and such... so please enjoy 20 Meet Green ideas even if you aren't a meeting planner! It's got good advice for searching out a hotel for your next trip that is also eco-friendly and socially conscious.
April issue of CS is out and I can finally share the article on being green for meeting professionals! I worked my little fingers to the bone on this one! TONS of research and such... so please enjoy 20 Meet Green ideas even if you aren't a meeting planner! It's got good advice for searching out a hotel for your next trip that is also eco-friendly and socially conscious.
Monday, March 16, 2009
I Know its a tough time ya'll...
...But some of the things we've resorted to reporting on during a slow travel/tourism time is somewhat sad, but amusing. While browsing through Hotel Online for headlines for our March E-news I encountered the following:
Cleanup of meth labs in hotel rooms costly (Charleston Daily Mail, W.Va.)
Tourism director wants new brochures (The News Virginian, Waynesboro, Va.)
Disneyland to woo Saudi tourists (Arab News, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia)
Invisible tourism: Economic driver isn't always obvious, but it's always there (Yakima Herald-Republic, Wash.) (it's a story about jam... well from the few paragraphs I could get through...)
Hotel horror stories: Checking in was their first mistake (San Jose Mercury News, Calif.)
It's also sad the people CVBs and Tourism Commissions hire sometimes. Obviously, they have no media experience and can't even spell their headlines correctly (see below). I swear you'd get more coverage if you a: knew AP style and used it correctly b: spelled everything correctly and c: didn't write me an entire novel. Thankyouverymuch my advice session is over.
Cleanup of meth labs in hotel rooms costly (Charleston Daily Mail, W.Va.)
Tourism director wants new brochures (The News Virginian, Waynesboro, Va.)
Disneyland to woo Saudi tourists (Arab News, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia)
Invisible tourism: Economic driver isn't always obvious, but it's always there (Yakima Herald-Republic, Wash.) (it's a story about jam... well from the few paragraphs I could get through...)
Hotel horror stories: Checking in was their first mistake (San Jose Mercury News, Calif.)
It's also sad the people CVBs and Tourism Commissions hire sometimes. Obviously, they have no media experience and can't even spell their headlines correctly (see below). I swear you'd get more coverage if you a: knew AP style and used it correctly b: spelled everything correctly and c: didn't write me an entire novel. Thankyouverymuch my advice session is over.
KNOXVILLE UNVEILS NEW TOURISM TECHNOLOCY
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Day tripers unite!
I'm so loving this site. Everyday I come across things and shops and ideas that I think, DANGIT why the hell did I not think of that first!?This is definitley one of those things! Daytrip Society is inspired by "The adventure of travel" and a love for the "romance of nature." And has some really great designers featured. Shows you how to create sunprints! How fun and artsy... if only someone would buy me this ;)
They have some great D.I.Y. guides that I love. I really want to try The Sunlight Print Kit. I got a little carried away in antique and thrift stores and a night of wine and sushi this weekend and I have all of about a dime to my name.
They also feature a designer team that I recently discovered that I also adore. Boy Girl Party.
I so love their look and style. Vintage inspired...
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Ahh! Busy is an understatement
So I have a new jewelry endeavor and work that is kicking my behind this weekend and going into this week so I apologize for the lack of postings. Flog me if you will!
Condo Owner is set to go out the pipe this month and it is taking up alot of my precious time. But it is also travel related so I thought I'd shoot out some info since I'm working on this anyways.
Some great properties have opened up in PCB. Which, I will admit, is not my favorite place in the world during peak season due to the college boys and girls, but if you can go in the off season or don't mind fighting summer crowds Sterling Breeze looks really great...and The Shores of Panama as well. Both are fresh on the scene.
Also, I'm always complaining about airline prices out of Pcola's airport—although they're always the cheapest here though. It seems that everyone is trying to compete to get a low-cost carrier in. Pensacola is expanding its terminal. I was there so much in February it almost felt like home...but I never saw anyone working. Hm. Okaloosa is also opening a rental car facility. Destin is trying for an emergency management operation center and a new tower. So maybe with a little more fierce competition we can attract another low-cost carrier. It would make my day and my life... and maybe keep me here a little longer!
Condo Owner is set to go out the pipe this month and it is taking up alot of my precious time. But it is also travel related so I thought I'd shoot out some info since I'm working on this anyways.
Some great properties have opened up in PCB. Which, I will admit, is not my favorite place in the world during peak season due to the college boys and girls, but if you can go in the off season or don't mind fighting summer crowds Sterling Breeze looks really great...and The Shores of Panama as well. Both are fresh on the scene.
Also, I'm always complaining about airline prices out of Pcola's airport—although they're always the cheapest here though. It seems that everyone is trying to compete to get a low-cost carrier in. Pensacola is expanding its terminal. I was there so much in February it almost felt like home...but I never saw anyone working. Hm. Okaloosa is also opening a rental car facility. Destin is trying for an emergency management operation center and a new tower. So maybe with a little more fierce competition we can attract another low-cost carrier. It would make my day and my life... and maybe keep me here a little longer!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Responsible Travel- Take 2
I'm so loving this. I think so often we limit ourselves in being 'green' and socially responsible...for those of you that aren't willing or don't know how to make a larger committment to the new sustainable movement at home, maybe you could consider amping up your travel? (http://www.responsibletravel.com/copy/copy901504.htm)
But I think this is really the most insightful part of the entire thing. So often, as Americans especially, we see the worlds through our social, cultural and economic lenses and forget that other cultures and socities function so differently than our own. Encountering these cultures and groups is GOOD for us, in my personal opinion, as it grows our imaginations and hopefully makes us think of how our actions and our lifestyles affect the greater world. We don't want to make them conform to our expectations (hello colonialism and etc., etc.) but to fully encounter and appreciate what they offer.
"The tourism industry packages up and sanitises religious rituals, dress, ethnic rites and festivals to conform to tourist expectations. Once a destination begins to see itself through the eyes of tourists it begins to lose its sense of itself and its identity (and pretty quickly the reason why tourists came in the first place)."-
"For example molas, which are blouses worn by Kuna women in Colombia, were designed based on local spiritual beliefs. However as tourists demand new designs the Kuna women are losing their knowledge of the old designs and their meanings."
Some of their tips:
Our tips
1. Read up on local cultures and traditions before you visit – you’ll have a more enjoyable trip, get a warmer welcome and avoid creating any unintended offence
2. Hire a guide from the local community – you’ll make a new friend and discover more about local life and traditions. He’ll advise you on where to go, and how, and where not to go. He’ll also earn an income.
3. Ask permission before you photograph local people – in some countries it can cause offence. In other cases as local villages charge no admission fee its only fair that you a pay a little to take a picture.
4. Realise that often the people in the country you are visiting have different time concepts and thought patterns from your own, this does not make them inferior, only different.
5. Instead of the western practice of knowing all the answers, cultivate the habit of asking questions and discover the enrichment of seeing a different way of life through others eyes.
But I think this is really the most insightful part of the entire thing. So often, as Americans especially, we see the worlds through our social, cultural and economic lenses and forget that other cultures and socities function so differently than our own. Encountering these cultures and groups is GOOD for us, in my personal opinion, as it grows our imaginations and hopefully makes us think of how our actions and our lifestyles affect the greater world. We don't want to make them conform to our expectations (hello colonialism and etc., etc.) but to fully encounter and appreciate what they offer.
"The tourism industry packages up and sanitises religious rituals, dress, ethnic rites and festivals to conform to tourist expectations. Once a destination begins to see itself through the eyes of tourists it begins to lose its sense of itself and its identity (and pretty quickly the reason why tourists came in the first place)."-
"For example molas, which are blouses worn by Kuna women in Colombia, were designed based on local spiritual beliefs. However as tourists demand new designs the Kuna women are losing their knowledge of the old designs and their meanings."
Some of their tips:
Our tips
1. Read up on local cultures and traditions before you visit – you’ll have a more enjoyable trip, get a warmer welcome and avoid creating any unintended offence
2. Hire a guide from the local community – you’ll make a new friend and discover more about local life and traditions. He’ll advise you on where to go, and how, and where not to go. He’ll also earn an income.
3. Ask permission before you photograph local people – in some countries it can cause offence. In other cases as local villages charge no admission fee its only fair that you a pay a little to take a picture.
4. Realise that often the people in the country you are visiting have different time concepts and thought patterns from your own, this does not make them inferior, only different.
5. Instead of the western practice of knowing all the answers, cultivate the habit of asking questions and discover the enrichment of seeing a different way of life through others eyes.
Maybe this will be good for the airline industry...
Was reading today on USATODAY.com, and if I lived in a bigger city witha better airport I might be a little more excited about this. Alas, Pensacola has none of these carriers and it really doesn't affect my travels.
See:
See:
Nimble discount airlines here and around the world are growing and opening new routes even as the recession forces traditional carriers to cut flights and jobs.
Low-cost carriers, such as New York-based JetBlue (JBLU), Ireland-based Ryanair and Canada-based WestJet, are making inroads where higher-cost carriers are shrinking amid falling travel demand, especially among cost-conscious fliers.
"These airlines' common denominator is their agility and cost structures that are compatible with today's economic reality," says Mo Garfinkle, a Virginia-based consultant. "The good news is growth and opportunities in the industry aren't dead."
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2009-03-04-discount-airlines-grow_N.htmWednesday, March 4, 2009
The little 'big' city...
So I was highly amused during my trip to Beaches of South Walton when people reffered to Pensacola as the 'big' city of the NWFL area. Growing up there I thought it was so tiny and so limited, but as I get older I do realize that it has its growth and is fairly medium-sized and not so smallish.
For for kicks I looked up population in these cities just for a comparison based on U.S. Census Bureau data.
Pensacola, technically, only has a population of around 53,000 within city limits, but Escambia County has a population of over 300,000. So, really, that number says much more about the city and the area because its those 300,000-plus that make the area the size it is.
We actually grew 4 percent from 2000 to 2007! Its sad though, that the median household income is only at 41,000.
Walton County only has a population of around 57,000 collectively, but that grew by 30 percent between 2000 to 2007. This region also isn't very diverse. 80 percent of the population is white. I'm kind of disturbed by that... but thats more of a political talk for another day.
Some other population numbers in the state for comparison and to get a bigger picture of how this area compares:
Daytona Beach: 64,000 (household income is only $25,000!)
Fort Lauderdale: 185,000
Tampa: 332,000
Palm Beach Gardens: 34,000 (with a 35 percent growth from '00 to '07)
So that's our geography, stat lesson for today kids. Enjoy ;)
For for kicks I looked up population in these cities just for a comparison based on U.S. Census Bureau data.
Pensacola, technically, only has a population of around 53,000 within city limits, but Escambia County has a population of over 300,000. So, really, that number says much more about the city and the area because its those 300,000-plus that make the area the size it is.
We actually grew 4 percent from 2000 to 2007! Its sad though, that the median household income is only at 41,000.
Walton County only has a population of around 57,000 collectively, but that grew by 30 percent between 2000 to 2007. This region also isn't very diverse. 80 percent of the population is white. I'm kind of disturbed by that... but thats more of a political talk for another day.
Some other population numbers in the state for comparison and to get a bigger picture of how this area compares:
Daytona Beach: 64,000 (household income is only $25,000!)
Fort Lauderdale: 185,000
Tampa: 332,000
Palm Beach Gardens: 34,000 (with a 35 percent growth from '00 to '07)
So that's our geography, stat lesson for today kids. Enjoy ;)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)