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.

Tornado Chasing and Bill Paxton RIP

It is sort of ironic that Bill Paxton, star of Twister died this weekend AND we had a tornado in Conway, Massachusetts.  It was the movie that prompted me and students in Recreation Geography to study storm chasing and deliver a paper at the Northeastern Recreation Research Symposium.

The paper abstract is "Tours devoted to tornado storm chasing have become popular in recent years, especially with the emergence of many profit and non-profit storm chasing organizations. While most literature in risk recreation has been directed toward rock climbing or other high-risk outdoor recreation activities, tours devoted to storm chasing are quite unlike these traditional activities. The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of these organizations from information collected in a mailed survey. Areas to be discussed are specific tour details for each company, basic demographics of tour attendees, and other areas of tour requirements."

In like a lion, out like a lamb, February??

With temps in the 70s at the end of February and the month starting with two hefty snow storms, is the second month of the year going to be the new March?

Is it climate change?

Oh yeah, today is International Sword Swallowers Day!

U.S. Travel and Tourism Exports Total $21 Billion in December

Sounds like a big economic impact right?

"The National Travel and Tourism Office today announced that international visitors spent more than $21.2 billion on travel to, and tourism-related activities within, the United States in December, an increase of nearly three percent ($564 million) when compared to December 2015 - setting a new record for monthly U.S. travel and tourism exports.

International visitors spent a record-setting $247.1 billion on U.S. travel and tourism-related goods and services in 2016, an ever-so-slight increase (0.4%) when compared to record levels of spending in 2015; conversely, Americans have spent an estimated $158.9 billion abroad, yielding a balance of trade surplus of more than $88.2 billion for the year."

For more details see The National Travel and Tourism Office.

Is eco-tourism the future of science funding?

This is the news heading on CBS tonight.  So it seems since there is a decline of funding for climate change research, the only way scientists can explore the world is to join the world of a tourist.

For example, I had a chance to visit Solheim in Iceland in 2013 and again in 2015 and can report a retreat of 100 meters.

Check out this picture taken in 2015 that shows the glacier location in 2010.  Is there are any doubt about climate change??

An exploration of dark(er) liminal spaces in tourism

This is the name of the session we organized for the American Association Geographers meeting in Boston later this spring.

Paper Session:

4112 An exploration of dark(er) liminal spaces in tourism

is scheduled on Saturday, 4/8/2017, from 8:00 AM - 9:40 AM in Room 201, Hynes, Second Level

Sponsorship(s):
Recreation, Tourism, and Sport Specialty Group

Organizer(s):
Robert S. Bristow - Westfield State University

Chair(s):
Robert S. Bristow - Westfield State University

Abstract(s):

8:00 AM   Author(s): *Nitasha Sharma - Indiana University Bloomington

 Abstract Title: Liminality, ethics and perceptions towards death

8:20 AM   Author(s): *Robert S. Bristow - Westfield State University
Ian S. Jenkins, Ph.D. - University of Iceland, Háskóli Íslands

 Abstract Title: Dark liminal spaces in fright tourism

8:40 AM   Author(s): Marion Karl - LMU Munich

 Abstract Title: The role of risk perception in travel decision-making and destination choice

9:00 AM   Author(s): *Maggie Christine Miller - University of Waterloo

 Abstract Title: Exploring Climbing Sherpas' stories of death and disaster as moments of liminality

9:20 AM   Author(s): *Velvet Nelson - Sam Houston State University

 Abstract Title: Objectivity or Empathy? Representing the Enslaved at Heritage Museums



Session Description: This session seeks papers that explore the liminal nature of tourism travel behavior.  Dark(er) tourist attractions may range from the lighter end (e.g., Fright Tourism for entertainment) to the darker side (e.g., sites of genocide). Further some sites may have "darker" reputation due to one's perception of fear and safety. So people can be expected to have different motivations or reasons to visit (educational, pilgrimage, entertainment).  Studies should pertain to the transition in liminal space from one's ordinary life into a spatial and temporal one found at the destination, from either the tourist's viewpoint and/or the site's management.  International destinations are encouraged.

The International Journal of Tourism Cities has invited manuscripts from this session.