sustainable tourism in this economy?

I got this kind of question this week after a lecture on Sustainable Tourism. I had raised the point that changing demographics in our future, where besides getting older, the divide between the "haves" and "havenots" is getting bigger. I tried to suggest the need for a living wage for workers.

The MBA student asked how can we afford this in the poor economy.

I answered that it is an investment in the future.

Maybe, I should have suggested that he watch "Wall Street".

How Sustainable are the Pioneer Valley Restaurants

We'll find out, since my students are administering a questionnaire to a sample of restaurants in the Pioneer Valley. Stay tuned.

Air Canada Flight Attendants may Strike

Bummer for travelers, but from I have read, the workers are concerned about retirement packages. Benefits are threatened in the poor economy right now.

Let's hope that fair and thoughtful negotiations move us all forward.

Recreation, Tourism and Sport papers at the AAG

Next February at the Annual Meeting of the Association of American Geographers in NYC, you can find these sessions:

Proposed RTS Sessions

1. "When 'the Rest' enters'the West': (Re-)Negotiating identities in touristic settings". Sybille Frank

2. Developing tourism by indigenous people in indigenous areas and challenges. Anne-Marie d'Hauteserre

3. Managing ethical consumption in tourism: Compromise and tension. Karla Boluk and Clare Weeden

4. (Im)mobilities of dwelling: Places and Practices. Sybille Frank, Lars meier & Silke Steets

5. Film/TV/ Media and tourism. Daniel Knudsen

6. Rural and Peripheral Tourism. Patrick Brouder

7. Moral encounters in tourism. Mary Conran & Kevin Hannam

8. Biopower in tourism. Amy Gray and Claudio Minca

9. Tourism Geographies and Global Climate Change. Jarkko Saarinen and Alison Gill

10. Round Table Discussion: Enclave tourism. Dimitri Ioannides

11. Tourism post-9/11. Anne-Marie d'Hauteserre

12. Dark tourism. Rudi Hartmann Rudi.Hartmann@ucdenver.edu

13. Historical geography of the environment. National parks and protected areas. Yolonda Youngs & Terence Young

14. Privatization and bio-conservation: exploring social/ecological trends.
Jason Abdilla and Melissa Wiggins

Opening Day at WSU

Well, a day of meetings and connections with students and we are set for another academic year. The summer was jammed with our office moves anchored by two significant natural hazards: tornado and hurricane.

Glad that is behind us, but we are still in line to get some more hurricane like weather over the next few weeks. But hopefully, nothing significant.

Take care.