Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for international travel
Tourism Survey Measures P’s and Q’s
By Linda Tancs
How well tourists mind their p’s and q’s was the subject of a recent survey of hoteliers commissioned by Expedia. The results for American tourists (ranking eleventh overall) are mixed, scoring high points for generosity and low points for tidiness and civility. German tourists scored highest for neatness while the Italians and French topped the best-dressed list. Americans, whose fanny packs and white tennis shoes apparently do little to impress the front desk, are number one on the traveler’s equivalent of Blackwell’s worst-dressed list. So how does one become a model tourist? You’ll need to ask the Japanese, who ranked first overall.
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E-Ticketing Touted as Cost-Saving Measure
By Linda Tancs
You may have noticed that, effective 1 June, paper airline tickets have gone the way of the dinosaur. In a move initiated by IATA about 3 years ago, e-ticketing is now the standard for processing passengers. According to IATA, this move will save the industry over $3 billion per year in expenses. Now the question is: as carriers realize the savings to come through effecting electronic transactions, will we see an elimination of the checked bag charges now being widely introduced by carriers, a reduction in surcharges, and–better snack foods? Stay tuned.
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The Aqueous Paradise of Venice
By Linda Tancs
World famous for its canals and gondoliers, Venice is an aqueous paradise often emulated but never rivaled. Find out what it is about this city that charms so many. Visit Travelrific® Travel Show.
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Moving at a Glacial Pace
By Linda Tancs
A glacial pace is taken to mean a slow, lumbering movement. Not that there’s anything wrong with that– unless we’re talking glaciers. Ice movements in New Zealand and Greenland are causing some consternation among naturalists and scientists alike, not to mention the uncertain effect on tourism. Consider this: New Zealand’s 2 million-year-old Tasman Glacier in Mount Cook National Park is losing 500 meters each year, an uncomfortable progression for a skiing destination touted as the ultimate New Zealand alpine adventure. On the other side of the world, Greenland’s glaciers have been shrinking for 100 years, losing some 150,000 tons of ice each year. That’s bad news for Disko Bay, where adventurists travel to marvel at a colossal collection of floe. Better get there before the glaciers leave town.
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The Eagle Flies Again
By Linda Tancs
After two and half years of reconstruction amounting to nearly a million euros, Germany’s repro of its first steam train, Der Adler (the eagle), trod its original route between Nürnberg and Fürth recently. The original Eagle, built in 1835, was Germany’s first locomotive. The run last month of the toy-like green and yellow Choo Choo attracted a wide range of Germany’s elite, including Bavaria’s prime minister and titans of industry. This trip down memory lane was likely a welcome respite from today’s very unromantic U-Bahn.
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Florence, a Renaissance City
By Linda Tancs
Florence is often referred to as the cradle of the Renaissance, a cultural jewel of 15th century art and architecture. And with a preeminent gallery like the Uffizi at its doorstep, who can argue? Visit it at Travelrific® Travel Show .
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Polo in Pakistan
By Linda Tancs
Amidst the political turmoil and violence of Pakistan, one might hardly expect to find the genteel sport of polo–the ancient pursuit of kings and noblemen. Yet that is exactly what you will find at a polo club in Lahore, Pakistan’s second largest city. Lahore Polo Club is one of the oldest clubs in the world, attracting foreign dignitaries from around the globe to watch or play. Not surprisingly, the 1000-year-old practice there has produced some of the most internationally recognized players like the brothers Baig. Even women are encouraged to play. Sometimes a model for egalitarianism is found in the most unusual of places.
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Airline Combos Read Like a Script
By Linda Tancs
The spate of actual and intended airline combinations reads like a Peyton Place of the transportation industry. Continental breaks it off with United. United begins courting US Air. Continental flirts with OneWorld, perhaps feeling spurned by the impending nuptials of Northwest and Delta. The OneWorld dalliance could portend the greatest development yet in this story. Consider the prospect of a Continental/British Airways merger. Could it happen? Well, continuing open skies negotiations could pave the way for transatlantic marriage. The open skies treaty, after all, opened up markets between the US and EU–allowing, for example, British Airways to fly direct from Paris to New York in lieu of re-routing via the UK. If the well-documented costs of airline operation continue to rise, then suitors will be lining up to cross the borders. Stay tuned….
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Icecapade
By Linda Tancs
Most elementary school students probably learn that Greenland isn’t really green. In fact, the Greenland ice sheet covers nearly 82% of it. So except for seeing icebergs (or not seeing them, as the case may be), is there any reason to go there? Air Greenland would have you answer that question in the affirmative, and they’ve put together a site to make their case. You’ll find out the best time for dog sledding and what to do during the spring, summer and winter tourist seasons. Yes, there really are three seasons in this Arctic island, the world’s largest island by area. And don’t forget about the northern lights (aurora borealis), a popular tourist attraction from November to February.
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Cleanse Your Palate
By Linda Tancs
They say good artists suffer for their art. And if the exhibition taking place at the Whitney biennial art celebration this year is any indication, they suffer for their ecosystem, too. At New York City’s Whitney Museum of American Art now through June 1, there’s an interesting fusion of environmental issues and contemporary art among the 80 or so exhibitors. You’ll find such eco-inspired displays as resin-encased compost droppings, a floral-infused recycled industrial trash heap, and sculptures modeled on bird droppings. Not to be outdone, Germany’s Biennial for Contemporary Art in Berlin offers the work of over 110 international artists until June 15. However, the difference between these biennials is like night and day. Literally. Berlin’s event is divided into two parts–Night and Day. At night, patrons can sample a mix of lectures, concerts, and even an out-of-body experimentation. During the day, the exhibition will have you walking the city at four distinct locations to take in sculpture, artwork and movable objects, some designed to evoke images of Berlin’s tortured past, like the Berlin Wall death strip.
Art with a conscience. That appears to be the promise of these events. Will you promise to go?
Whitney Museum of American Art
945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street
New York City
http://www.whitney.org
phone: 1-800-WHITNEY
Berlin Biennial for Contemporary Art
Multiple locations
http://www.berlinbiennale.de
phone: +004903024345910
