Appalachian Trail Database

Even though we got snow on the ground (and more expected tomorrow), springtime gets me thinking about hiking and such.  I cam across this website for information on the Appalachian Trail that you might want to check out.

It includes some pretty useful information for the long distances hikers.  For instance, back in 1974, I slept on this porch!

Sustainable Travel

One of my weekly news feeds showcased this website.  All good stuff and the one I practice on a daily basis is to carry a cloth bag when I shop so I don't need that bad plastic bag. Yes, we can all become a better traveler.

To learn more, also visit Tourism Geography Today.

Good stuff!

Belize 2017

A bunch of our students are travelling in Belize this springbreak, hitting many of the famous ecotourism sites.  After all Belize is probably one of the first ecotourism destinations in the world, up there with Costa Rica, Ecuador, Dominica and even Mexico.   See the early work by Boo.

Boo, E. (1990). Ecotourism: the potentials and pitfalls: country case studies. WWF.

Belize is pretty neat, easy to get around, and has lots of neat places to visit.  Trouble is, like Costa Rica, it is being "loved to death" by American Tourists.

View north from Xunantunich.

Visit Belize soon, before it becomes Florida.

Who is Stella?

So here we go again with all the weather hype.  I am not saying a snow storm dumping 3 inches of white stuff an hour is nothing to sneeze about, but I still need to ask

Who is Stella?

Seems Stella is a commercial name of this latest nor'easter as an attempt to personalize a weather event.  Now, we do name hurricanes, but that is a function of the government.  Stella comes directly from a for-profit cable channel.  So to get a commercial free and accurate assessment of weather, go to the weather.gov (not the dot com one).

Here is what we got as of 12 noon.

Oh yeah, check on your neighbors, especially the elderly.

Robert Osborne RIP (May 3, 1932 – March 5, 2017)

This name may not ring a bell for many of you, but since the start of Turner Classic Movies, the cable commercial free channel, his wisdom on movie and everything about the art form was highly cherished.  In reading his obits this past week I was surprised about his small acting role in the pilot of Beverly Hillbillies, a class comedy from a a past era.  Further it was neat to read that Lucille Ball encourage Mr. Osborne that Hollywood needed more writers that actors.  How true is that!

If you get a chance to watch TCM for the classic films, I think you will be pleased.  It is only a $5 add on for those of you who stream TV, or $10 for those still depending on cable.

Learning by Doing: Spring Break

Here is a neat paper on service learning trips during Spring Break.  Heck you can drink beer and lay of the beach anytime.  The Abstract:

This is a case study based on the Hospitality and Restaurant Management program at a
comprehensive Midwest university in the United States of America (n = 164). The sample
selection for this study was a convenience sample of the students enrolled in a meetings and
events management course. The purpose of the study was to investigate how the incorporation of
service learning/hands-on experience in a meetings and events management class influences
student learning and interest in community service. The results indicated that participants’
involvement in service learning/hands-on experience in a meetings and events management class
significantly influences student learning and interest in community service.

INTERNATIONAL VISITATION DOWN TWO PERCENT IN AUGUST 2016

Way too early to consider Trump Slump (yesterday's Blog), but still shows the volatility of tourism in a global market.  The full summary:

The U.S. Department of Commerce today announced that 8.0 million international visitors(1)(2)traveled to the United States in August 2016, down two percent (-2.1%) from August 2015.

In August 2016 the top inbound markets continued to be Canada and Mexico. Non-resident visits from Canada declined five percent while visits from Mexico increased five percent. The United Kingdom (-6.6%), the People’s Republic of China (excluding Hong Kong) (+9.9%), and Japan (-4.0%) rounded out the top five. Four of the top inbound overseas regional markets(3) posted increases in non-resident visits in August 2016, with Western Europe, South America, Oceania, the Middle East, and Africa posting declines.

For the eight months of 2016, international visits (50.8 million) were down two percent
(-2.3%) when compared to the same period in 2015.

Country of Residence	% Change August 2016 vs. 2015	% Change YTD August 2016 vs. 2015
Canada	-5	-10
Mexico	5	5
United Kingdom	-7	-4
People's Republic of China (excluding Hong Kong)	10	15
Japan	-4	-4
Germany	-14	-11
France	-6	-8
South Korea	6	11
Italy	-3	-5
Brazil	-27	-26

Source:  The National Travel and Tourism Office.

Trump Slump

Trump Slump is the term that travel expert Arthur Frommer has coined to reflect the potential decline in tourism in the states due to the new president's actions.

"Experts across the travel industry are warning that masses of tourists are being scared away from visiting the United States, and the loss of tourism jobs could be devastating."

Well, we will see when I report the stats from The National Travel and Tourism Office at a later date.

Stay tuned.

Cannibal Tours

Cannibal Tours is a great video for Tourism classes.  While it is a bit dated, it does provide a reality TV show view of the tourists interacting with the locals in a region of Papua New Guinea.  What is remarkable however, are the exchanges between the two groups, each trying to hold onto what they value and for the tourists they are totaly oblivious!

It is a jaw-dropping video and can be viewed on YouTube.