Travel Weekly Blog

I reproduce this series of travel tweets from Bus2Antarctica for two reasons.

One, they tell a good story.

Two, they work despite trashing a few Twitter orthodoxies - it's quick-fire first-person stuff without much engagement.

Storytelling, as you'll have guessed from the post title, is something I never thought Twitter was all that good at. But I followed this eagerly - and although it doesn't relate a very pleasant experience, the sense of camaraderie and relief in the final tweets makes it inspiring as a mini-travelogue.

All comes from an award-winning journalist (Andrew Evans) who is travelling to Antarctica by bus for National Geographic.

Buzz about 'real' (i.e. no funny cardboard glasses) 3D displays has been ticking away in the consumer electronics industry for a good few years - Wired wrote about it back in 2006 - but we're about to see it adopted by a travel advertiser, namely Dubai.

The destination will be running 3D films, featuring dune-surfing and 'a couple enjoying a view from a balcony', at London's St Pancras station from September 15-28.

Below is a promotional video about the Philips 3DTV technology behind it. Bear in mind that you won't see the 3D effect, because your screen doesn't feature whatever a 'lenticular lens' is.

Problems? Well, as you can see above, the 'wow' factor completely disappears when you aren't watching first-hand. So no amazing pics and videos to get the social networks buzzing.

The other question is the power of the creative. The crash-bang-pow of an action film trailer in 3D would certainly stop St Pancrites in their tracks. Will dune-surfing?

(I also asked Dubai why they chose St Pancras, but will leave it as a footnote because they're the reasons you'd expect: footfall, space, and a good mix of leisure/biz travellers.)

It's a little flowery for modern tastes, I expect, but on the train this morning I came across this passage in Freya Stark's 1936 travelogue The Southern Gates of Arabia:

How few of us in Europe know silence in the night: even if we sleep alone in Alpine pastures we are comforted by the sound of running streams. But here, between one village and the next, there is nothing except the wind when it blows.

('Here' is just inland of Al Mukalla on the south coast of Yemen.)

It made me think of meeting a radio journalist on a recent trip to Norway. I was fascinated to watch him work with background noise - either recording it to edit in later, or making sure just the right amount (and the right kind) was audible during interviews.

Ambient sound is a huge part of the actual travel experience - wandering around with headphones on was one of my Seven Deadly Sins of Tourism - but, for obvious reasons, it's underworked at inspiration stage.

The exception is radio, where focus on sound is part of the medium's contract with its audience.

Resolution #2,691: With this in mind, I've resolved to check out some travel podcasts. If you know of some good ones, comment me; if not, stay tuned and I'll post some recommendations.

No comment. We never did find out what it sold - it's in the Bryggen district of Bergen if anyone wants to go and check.

(There are some destination-focused posts from my trip to Norway on our Postcards blog.)

The Ullensvang Hotel in Lofthus, where we stayed last night, has seen a steep drop in British visitors recently. We used to be mixed in with Danish, Swedish, German and Japanese guests, but now we're barely represented at all.

Why? It's nothing to do with the hotel, which is perfectly good, with fine views out to Sor Fjord and a solid Grieg connection  - the composer was a friend of the founders, and his name is to be found in an old guestbook (in the middle of the pic).

Managing director Barbara Zanoni Utne tells us it's largely down to the closure of the Newcastle-Bergen ferry route. DFDS shut it down in September 2008, and operators who used it to get clients to Ullensvang pulled out.

At the same time, the independent travellers dried up, because they could no longer bring their cars over.

Perhaps this is an unfortunate metaphor, but in many places tourism operates in a delicate ecosystem..

Update: After leaving Ullensvang, we heard the same story all over Hardangerfjord, from hoteliers, museum guides, even staff on the hugely popular Flam-Myrdal railway.

They all, quite unprompted, pointed to the loss of Newcastle-Bergen.

It won't do to get too misty eyed - operators can't be expected to offer routes and destinations that are not bringing returns - but this is a magnificent part of the world, and is intimately related to British history. It would be a shame if the decline in British visitors became permanent.

More from my trip to Norway on Postcards...

The Daily Mirror's front page has British tourists in bullish mood after three bombs went off in Palma de Majorca yesterday:

It's good news for our readers, but an odd front page story for a national paper, given that (as I write) there haven't even been injuries reported.

So, silly season desperation? Or a testament to how much Majorca matters to British holidaymakers?

The FCO hasn't changed its overall level of travel advice, which figures - its advice for Spain has been taking Eta into account for years. So have holidaymakers.

Parts of Asia enjoyed a long total eclipse last night, and readers of the travel media may remember months and months of ads pushing the event - for specialists such as Wendy Wu, which registered chinaeclipse.com as a dedicated eclipse tours website, this was a nice selling point.

So when is the next bankable total eclipse? With ocean covering 70% of the Earth's surface, landfall can be scarce, and even when it happens isn't always in an attractive destination.

Here's a quick map and list. Locations and times are for places that will see the total eclipse, and the map is a sketch - click each line for a link to precise details from NASA.

View Total eclipses 2009 - 2019 in a larger map

2010: Southern Chile and Argentina, 2-3 minutes

2012: The tips of Queensland and the Northern Territory, 2-3 minutes

2015: Faroe Islands and Svalbard archipelago, 2-3 minutes

2016: Parts of Indonesia, 2-3 minutes

2017: Central US, 2-3 minutes (the only eclipse of 2009-2019 in which the point of Greatest Eclipse is on land - it falls in the south of Kentucky)

2019: Central Argentina, 2-3 minutes

So which ones do you think have most potential for attracting travellers from the UK? Australia, Indonesia and the US?

Homepage pic: Top Photo Group / Rex Features

A colleague has spotted a change to the Foreign Office's Greece travel advice: "Some fancy dress costumers may offend the local Greek authorities."

No prizes for guessing which incident that refers to...

Press release arrives announcing that you can swim with pigs at dizzyingly swish Bahamas resort Royal Plantation Island.

Here's the proof:

Each of the six-villas on Royal Plantation Island comes with its own motorboat, so guests can easily hop across to Pig Beach on neighbouring uninhabited island Big Major Spot. Here they can marvel at the curiously graceful water ballet of the island's rotund wild pigs, who paddle out to greet the boats

Sign me up.

Sorry about the fuzzy image - it's all that came with the release.

Update: some kind soul has sent me a better one...

Travolution editor Kevin May is going to be guest blogging from the ITT Conference in Dubai. Here comes his first post...

Hopefully I can be forgiven for not being entirely aware of the surroundings last night after arriving in Dubai for the annual extravaganza that is the ITT Conference.

Crawling into bed at 2am at The Address, Downturn Burj, after a long flight from London, it never occurred to me open the curtains or step out onto the balcony.

So imagine my surprise this morning when I discovered this outside the hotel room window.

The tallest building in the world, still under construction about 300 metres away.

For the photographic purists out there, I'll admit I struggled to include it all in the frame, thus why the top is missing.

One of the most obvious things about Dubai is that the construction programme feels like it is a competition between the imaginations of wacky architects.

Fast forward a few hours and I was interviewing the executive chairman of Jumeirah Group, Gerald Lawless, from its Al Qasr hotel by the beach, with the Burj Al-Arab in the background...

...which seems rather tame in comparison these days...

I've read a couple of pieces that touch on this recently, so putting them into one post with a feature we ran late last year...

If you're seen any other good ones, drop them in the comments and I'll add to the post.

• Zimbabwe needs your tourist dollars [The Daily Traveler]
  "I've never felt so good about spending money as I did in Zimbabwe, and never come home wanting so much to send everyone I know to the place I just visited."
  
• Into the wild: a lifeline for the black rhinos of Zimbabwe [Times]
  "If Zimbabwe does achieve sanity and stability again, the first and most important step towards balance, foreign exchange and international acceptability will be through the tourist trade. Tourists come to Zimbabwe -- or they used to -- to see wildlife."

...and one from Travel Weekly...

• Zimbabwe: Is it time for the travel industry to return?
  "Two comments ring true. First, that refusing to visit hurts not Mugabe or his cronies, but the half a million people who used to be employed by the country's tourism industry. Secondly, that the real attraction of Zimbabwe is its people."

Another 'scandal' has erupted over Costa Brava using a photo taken in Australia in its marketing.

Three weeks ago a photo taken in the Bahamas prompted a similar story.

What fun. But here's the thing: Costa Brava isn't doing anything remotely wrong. 

It is using generic stock photography. Woman standing by sea. Man standing with boy. There are no landmarks, no differentiating factors. 

You can take these photos on the moon for all I care.

Ask yourself this: if Costa Brava had paid to get the same concept shot set up locally (and it would've been considerably more expensive than buying stock from a library) how would the image differ?

Is that the kind of abstract guff you want tourists boards to spend their money on?

I like metaphysics as much as the next guy, but c'mon. Save it for philosophy club. 

When we came to make the advert we didn't have the adequate images with sufficient quality.

Self-deprecating wit is in short supply in destination marketing. The risk of appearing human and approachable is just too great.

So thankyou, VisitSweden, for the following...

Side note: I originally picked it up from an agency, who proceeded to send me a big fat protected file that couldn't be uploaded to my video platform.

So I looked on Youtube and found an embed in about 30 seconds.

Smell the coffee...

Wired points to the real-time coverage of the Mumbai bomb attacks on Twitter.

But it may be news to more traditional Travel Weekly readers, and those affected by incidents like this - Cox and Kings or Somak, for instance, who are busy retooling India itineraries as we speak - might find some benefit in Twitter's short and fast updates.

How to do it: Go to search.twitter.com, put in a keyword, and you can easily monitor what users worldwide are saying and flagging up.

Anecdotally, the service seems to finding a bit of traction in our market. Both TW and our rival TTG used Twitter feeds in our World Travel Market coverage (ours; theirs). 

Travolution then had bigger success with the same idea over at PhocusWright, which is a more Twitter-friendly event than WTM.

Here's hoping we encourage wider adoption of what can - with a bit of intelligent filtering - be a very useful service.

Update: The Twitter coverage has inspired future-of-journalism bod Jeff Jarvis to work on a post about 'witnesses taking over the news'.

Well, according to Kuoni, it is. The tour operator has just quizzed 1,000 British travellers and found that 34 is the age at which we are most likely to have our most memorable holiday.

Mine was in my 34th year (ie I was 33) and the location was India. Travelling around Kerala to be exact.

Martin Couzins, managing editor

Iceland's - and specifically Reykjavik's - unspoken brand among young Brits has long been 'cool as all hell, but just as pricey'.

Nevertheless, we hear from the Iceland Tourist Board that September brought a 20% increase in visitors from the UK, and a 15% increase overall (compared to 2007 figures).

Is this down to the fall of the Krona? If so, travellers are showing fast reflexes - according to GBP/ISK history on exchange-rate.org, the currency's major decline only got going in early September. Perhaps folk were booking during previous, if far less pronounced, dips that took place in May and July.

Either way, the situation remains a good one for Brits' spending money. The currency recovered after nosediving when Iceland's economy went into meltdown earlier this month, but (as you'd expect) it has stabilised at a far lower level than it was at earlier in the year.

Yesterday £1 would buy you 191 ISK - compare that to just 143 ISK when the Krona was at its 2008 high on May 23.

Drinks are on me...

Having been to Austin recently, I feel compelled to share this clip of mayor Will Wynn doing the Thriller dance for charity (spotted on Church of the Customer). Go!

It's like that there.

And while I'm on the subject, props to Austin Overtures, the tour company that showed us round the city - knowledgable, great fun and full of insider tips. I got tour guide Chris on camera giving us a few recommendations.

I've just linked to CotC, so let me put it in word of mouth terms: when people asked me about the trip, those guys were part of the story I told. What else do you need to know?

Here's a vid of Yayoi Kusama's installation The Gleaming Lights of the Souls, exhibiting in Liverpool (Pilkington's on Sparling Street).

It's part of the Liverpool Biennial festival - no direct relation to the Capital of Culture stuff.

Props to flickr user Torl Porl for the vid, and to alisongow on Twitter for the catch.

Location: Bandera, Texas. I think the shop was called the Branding Iron.

So I didn't pick this up (it, er, wouldn't have fit in my case) but I did buy a Don't Mess With Texas bell for use in the office.

Bandera (the 'cowboy capital') is an interesting place to stop and browse, whether you're looking for stuff like this or a genuine pair of cowboy boots. Here's a pic of the main intersection.

More Texas stuff on Postcards. Thanks to hosts Austin CVB, San Antonio CVB and Continental.

I picked up a copy of the New York Times while we were touring Austin on Sunday - and noticed the travel section is given over entirely to New York on a budget.

Oh, and there was some stuff in the main section about a financial crisis. Not that I'm saying the two are related...

(I've posted some photos from Austin over on Postcards.)

Well, how about this for a piece of destination marketing?

[Thanks Adam and Matthew Parsons for pointing us to it]

This comment on the video on Youtube made me laugh . . .

And that young girl shoud have said "harden the @**@ up please, if you can't handle a breakup how are you going to handle walkabout". 

Around this time of year, features about Finland often focus on snow, Lapland and 'Santa breaks'.

But folks are starting to think about their summer holidays too, and a new interactive digital ad from Visit Finland is pushing the country as a summer destination. Starting with a (frankly rather easy) drag-and-drop mechanic...

...it opens out into a larger map with videos on Helsinki, the Archipelago, Lapland and the Lake District (theirs, not ours).

I rather like it, but then Finland in summer has long been on my list (I am, believe it or not, a bit old for the Santa break stuff).

I saw this running on the Guardian's travel blog - not sure where else it's booked to appear. Pop a comment below if you spot it anywhere.

...as shot by TW Blog at the Advantage Conference 2008 welcome party.

This is a small example of correfoc, a Catalonian tradition that involves running or marching around under fireworks.

It was compelling stuff - but as you can see from my occasional steps backwards during the video, you don't want to get too close.

As the US elections approach, Las Vegas travel site Vegas.com emails with news of a marketing tie-in. It is shamelessly, gloriously cynical.

Tired of all the 2008 presidential election hype? The nastiness and innuendo? The half-truths and naked lies? We're not either. We're good with naked. And in Las Vegas, our "polls" tend to have half-dressed women hanging from them.

The site will be distributing "VEGAS: Because you need to be drunk to make it through this election" car stickers as part of the campaign.

WANT.

This is travel marketing filtered through The Daily Show, and very much to TW Blog's taste (I'm not famed for my tolerance of copy with words like 'magical', 'gem' or 'wellness' in it). More at vegas.com/crapshoot.

According to a report in today's Metro, the island is, and I quote, "the teenage punch-up capital of the world".

Martin Couzins, managing editor

Update, May 21 2009: The pop-up this post refers to no longer appears on the ESTA site.

Travel Weekly reports today that the rollout of ESTA, the US's Electronic Travel Authorisation system, may be put back if too few travellers know about it or understand it.

Here's a screengrab of what currently happens when you arrive on the ESTA website. Click the image to enlarge and read what is, by my estimation, between 100 and 150 words of disclaimer...

Public understanding here we come?

To be fair, there's a helpful ESTA page on Visit USA's UK site.

But you'll still be faced with this when you (as traveller or travel agent) go to use the system.

As if anyone needed to be told. It was the one of the wettest summers on record.

And more of us were here to enjoy it - bad news for those got wet, good news for the likes of Bourne Leisure who sold us the holiday.

Martin Couzins, managing editor

According to a survey by online travel agency e-bookers, these are the big holiday stress factors.

1. Losing luggage - 55%
2. Checking in at the airport  and going through security - 37%
3. Accommodation problems - 34%
4. Transport to and from the airport - 24%
5. Packing and unpacking - 20%
6. Travel to your destination (plane, train etc) - 18%
7. Organising things to do on holiday - 13%
8. Overspending whilst on holiday - 9%
9. Eating whilst on holiday - 8%

Martin Couzins, managing editor

TW has just had this statement in from the Caribbean Tourism Organisation regarding the hurricanes currently hitting the area.

Couple of useful sites mentioned:

• Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency.
• The official tourism site ot the Caribbean.

And here is the statement . . .

Julia Hendry, director of marketing for CTO, UK and Europe said, "Our first priority is the safety and security of our people and our visitors, but let me reassure travellers that the Caribbean is a covers a vast geographical area and what happens in one area does not affect all 32 islands and destinations in the region.

We are currently looking into the English language content that is produced in destinations to see a) what type of content is produced and b) whether it would be useful for our readers.

A repository of RSS feeds from in-destination news sources could be very useful - especially if added to maps etc.

Am only at the start of this piece of work and have come across worldnewspapers.com, which is a directory of links to news sources from around the world.

It is divided into lists of sources based on country so is easy to navigate. It aslo has some interesting links.

I took a look at what is being said about hurricanes in the Caribbean and came across the reflections of Fidel Castro published by the official Cuban News Agency.

There is also some useful info at Dominican Republic One, which has a lot of content in forums. 

Martin Couzins, managing editor

La Machine's giant spider ('La Princesse') has 'woken up' after being removed from Liverpool Lime Street station...

Liverpool Daily Post has some more video and a live blog; the BBC has a timetable and map of the spider's five-day visit.

A giant spider on a tower block has heralded the arrival of art-engingeering-storytelling collective La Machine in Liverpool - there's some video on the Liverpool Daily Post site.

La Machine's stint in Liverpool - part of the city's year as European Capital of Culture - begins on Friday September 5 and runs until Sunday 7.

Expect to have seen some clips several times more spectacular than this by next week...

(Hat-tip to LDP's Alison Gow for sharing this on Plurk.)

Three cheers for little ideas that add lots of value. This is a menu from the Founders Arms - an otherwise ordinary pub opposite the Tate Modern in London.

Running along the bottom is a spot-the-building guide to the terrace's great views of the Thames - even including the peregrine falcons that nest on the Tate Modern's chimney.

It's not particularly sophisticated, it's not particularly stylish... hell, it's not even that original. But it helps visitors enjoy what is arguably the pub's best asset.

Had an interesting meeting with Matt Armstrong at South African Tourism (pictured) who told me all about the tourist board taking over the restaurant Hoxton Apprentice (which provides catering training for disadvantaged children) to provide a week of South African food.

Last week South African Tourism took a group of restaurant chefs and front of house staff from Hoxton Apprentice to South Africa, providing them with an opportunity to experience the food and culture and to allow them to learn to work with traditional South African ingredients. 

TW Towers has just taken delivery of what is probably the scariest piece of promotional material we have ever seen.

The music box is promoting Halloween theme nights at Universal Studios Florida.

Martin Couzins, managing editor

Pictured is a sauna gondola* that takes riders up to a 718-metre high ski station where there is... a major sauna.

Can you guess the country?

(Look out for the pics in this week's print Travel Weekly - answers there. And I'll post them here after a couple of days.)

* Gondola = a small cable car.

Then has artist Mina Karimi got a proposition for you. She plans to recreate the parade scene from Ferris Bueller's Day Off at the Deitch Art Parade in Soho.

Here's how that might look.

If travel is all about memorable experiences, I reckon taking part in a Ferris Bueller flashmob fits the bill.

(Via Gothamist.)

The Travel Weekly forum has had a question (not anymore see below) on the best places to visit in the world for adventure.

So, where would you go and what would you do?

Not being particularly adventurous, I have to admit that me being daring was going on the Tower of Terror at Disneyland Resort Paris.

Martin Couzins, managing editor

UPDATE: Thanks to Alex Bainbridge for pointing out our diuscussion thread was not as it seems. Clearly something people need to be aware of. This is what Alex has mailed  . . .

What is this post about adventure? Have you twigged that the original comment was automatically generated by a forum bot?

The purpose of the bot is to get people to send an email - i.e. this is a means to undertake email address harvesting.

 

Search for hobokelly2007 on google - and nearly every phpBB forum that has a travel theme has been hit.

 

Most start with a question...... a generic question about travel (but with a country name themed to the website being targetted).

 

Read these threads

http://grenadatravelforum.com/index.php?showtopic=3083

(that is a good one - explains the joke 2/3 or the way down)

 

http://www.backpack.nu/forum/f24/best-time-visit-london-21411/

Interesting piece on the battle to repel tourists from the the Atlantic island of Ile de Re - it is joined to France by a 3km bridge.

Seems the island does not want any more visitors during the peak summer period. The issue is the bridge, the construction of which will be paid off in 2012, making it free for all - there currently exists a toll of €16.50 in July and August.

Picture credit: http2007

Martin Couzins, managing editor

Spotted on Gothamist: a New York resident has snapped work underway on the new widened sidewalk - I mean pavement - on Broadway:

Says Gothamist:

Between 42nd Street and Herald Square, four lanes of Broadway will go down to two lanes--and a bicycle lane and pedestrian walkway, complete with seating, tables, umbrellas and flower-filled planters, will emerge by August 15

Sounds pretty good. New Yorkers will have adopted a relaxed, continental attitude to life before you can say 'bof'...

Pic by flickr user carolitajohnson

Having read this latest piece of research from Travelodge on the geographical skills of the UK's youngsters I was remided of a discussion I had recently with some travel agents.

We were talking about the USP for travel agents in the future and one of them half joked that a sound knowledge of geography would be more essential than ever as today's children have a poor understanding of countries, destinations etc.

Cue this research from Travelodge, which demonstrates how ignorant UK yoof is of UK destinations.

Martin Couzins, managing editor

TW editor-in-chief Penny Wilson sent over this comment on Antigua's response to the murder of Catherine Mullany...

"Resorts and hotels in Antigua clammed up when Travel Weekly reporters asked them what their security arrangements were, following the shooting of a British honeymoon couple there this week.

I don't blame them, really. No doubt hospitality chiefs thought we were trying to pin the blame on them. Not true.

But I think what would really calm holidaymakers in Antigua right now is large and visible security presence surrounding them.

People feel reassured by a show of strength, even if they know a determined gangster will break through it if they really want to.

Witness airports such as Heathrow, for example, where visible security has increased tenfold and more since 9/11."

A 2,500 year old Greek ship - the largest and best-preserved of its kind - was raised off the coast of Gela, Sicily today. Here's a look at where it fits on the tourism map.

Gela itself is an oil refinery centre with little to attract tourists, but there's plenty in the wider region, notably Agrigento's celebrated Greek temples, about 40 miles west. (NB: Gela's the red pin).

View Larger Map

• Palermo, Sicily's capital: 85 miles northwest
• Catania, a lively university town: 55 miles northeast
• Syracuse, a World Heritage site: 55 miles east
• Taormina, a popular tourist resort: 80 miles northeast
• Cefalu, one of Sicily's best beaches: 70 miles north
• Agrigento, celebrated for its Greek temples: 40 miles west

We're are always writing about destinations in the travel blogosphere, and rightly so. But what would a tourist map of your own area look like?

Travel Weekly lives where London blurs into Surrey, so we have city attractions to the north and stately homes, parks and such to the south (and the same in Kent, off to the east).

I've picked out a few of the sights and attractions near TW Towers on a map (we're the red pin)...

View Larger Map

• Richmond Park (7 miles northwest) - the biggest Royal Park in London, at 2,500 acres
• London Wetlands Centre (8 miles north) - oystercatchers, egrets and plovers... in London?
• Chessington World of Adventures (6 miles west) - a family theme park and zoo
• Hampton Court Palace (7 miles northwest) - former royal palace and gardens
• Box Hill (9 miles southwest) - beauty spot with panoramic views, near Dorking

It'd be great to see some other travel bloggers pick this up - so tagging Darren at Travel Rants, Kevin at Travolution, Guillaime at Hotel Blogs and the guys at Tracking Tourism.

With all the news of a resurgent UK holiday market, TW thought it time to look up some vintage UK holiday footage. Here we have a short film capturing 1950s Blackpool.

It was made by British Transport Films.

Check out the rides . . .

Martin Couzins, managing editor

The resorts of Laredo and Noja, in Spain's Cantabria region, are on the news agenda after ETA bombs exploded on beaches and golf courses - thankfully causing no serious injuries.

Here's where the towns lie in relation to Bilbao and Cantabria capital Santander (distances given as-the-crow-flies):

• Laredo is 26m northwest of Bilbao, 20m east of Santander
• Noja is 36m northwest of Bilbao, Noja 15m east of Santander

Broadly, they're family-friendly coastal resorts that offer something less hectic than the east coast, with lower temperatures. The big beaches are Noja's Ris and Laredo's La Salve.

The map includes the towns and some of the attractions that draw tourists to the wider region:

View Larger Map

• Altamira Museum: Altamira caves are famous for their prehistoric paintings
• Parque de Cabo Mayor: park in Santander, with a lighthouse on a dramatic cliff face
• Guggenheim Museum: a bit of a drive, but justly celebrated - an astonishing modern art museum
• Playa Joyel: a popular camping park close to Noja (see Keycamp, Eurocamp etc)

Laredo is also famous for Batalla de Flores (Spanish language site), a festival which sees flower-covered floats fill the streets on the last Friday in August.

Tripadvisor forum member Wellerman says of the area arund Noja:

Admittedly the weather is not as reliable as the south or the islands but if you want somewhere with fantastic beaches, and wonderful scenery away from the boring over populated costas then it's a great place... You would probably be best to hire a car as there are some brilliant places within driving distance

Every year, groups of New Yorkers take to the streets to capture the sunset aligning perfectly with the east-west lines on the city's grid.

This year Manhattanhenge hit on May 29/30 and again on July 11/12 - I've dug up some embeddable photos from flickr.

by JSchumacher

by effingboring

by marf2010

The American Museum of Natural History explains:

Had Manhattan's grid been perfectly aligned with the geographic north-south line, then the days of Manhattanhenge would be the spring and autumn equinoxes. But its street grid is rotated 30 degrees east from geographic north, shifting the days of alignment elsewhere.

Any city crossed by a rectangular grid can identify days where the setting sun aligns with their streets. But beyond the grid you need a clear view to the horizon, as we have over New Jersey. So Manhattanhenge may just be a unique urban phenomenon.

Update: there's a Wikipedia page about Stonehenge replicas and derivatives around the world. Hat-tip to Triphow.

When business traveller Dubai resident Michelle Palmer isn't catapaulting Jumeirah Beach Park into the news by having sex on it, what can holidaymakers expect from it?

Opened in 1989, it's a 12-hectare area of park with a (usually) family-friendly beach attached.

View Larger Map

You'll find it:

• 8 miles north of The Palm
• 9 miles southwest of Dubai International Airport

According to Virtual Tourist user Escadora7:

Somewhat outside the buzzing city-streets, Jumeirah seems to be moving at a slower pace. People are sunbathing, barbequing, or playing Volleyball and other beach-games; a little food-shack sells soft-drinks and snacks (hot-dogs, keebabs, etc.)

And that's seconded by Tripadvisor user shax:

My wife enjoyed our visit to the beach. it was not 'untidy and dirty' like some told us but very enjoyable. You are not disturbed in any way and can really get on with your holiday. There are open showers for those who wish to wash of and places to eat very nearby,

According to Dubai City guide you can expect to pay 5 dhs for access to the beach, and 20 dhs for parking.

Ladies' day is Saturday, but don't expect to see Palmer sunning herself there - she faces a jail sentence of between three months and six years...

The US National Hurricane Center's latest report has Hurricane Bertha about 350 miles off Bermuda.

Image: NASA Earth Observatory

Bermuda should see the worst of the storm on Saturday and Sunday - predictions say it will be closest in the early hours of Sunday morning, passing 153 nautical miles east-south-east of the island.

This doesn't mean Bermuda is safe - it is already being affected by 'large swells and high surf'. FCO advice is to 'monitor Bertha's progress closely and listen to advice from the local authorities'. Check weather.bm for updates.

Bertha is a category one hurricane, so it doesn't have the ferocity of Dean or Felix last season. But it has broken a record of its own: according to NASA's Earth Observatory, "no hurricane has ever formed so far east before August 1."

According to the Guardian, yesterday Spanish tourist board Turespaña predicted that the weak pound and economic downturn would hit classic packages and 14-day holidays, leaving Spain in a bit of a pickle.

Instead, destinations such as Egypt and Turkey which can offer more competitive holidays will draw the tourists away from Spain.

Well, guess what? Spain has just been knocked off the top of Co-operative Travel's lates market sales charts by none other than... Turkey.

Director of retail distribution Trevor Davis said the strength of the euro against the pound and capacity cuts to Spain following consolidation of the big four, which has led to a lack of available low-price late Spanish breaks, were the key reasons for the change

With a British Chambers of Commerce report indicating we could be headed for full-blown recession, one wonders what the UK's summer holiday league tables will look like in a few years' time...

There's a feature on fam trip etiquette going in Travel Weekly this week, to which I can add my own tip: when a hotel rep at Cliff Bay in Funchal shows you the sea view from a new top-floor room class, don't comment on the great view of iconic rival Reid's Palace. And definitely don't take a photo.

Oops. My bad.

The rep didn't really mind, of course, and Cliff Bay is a fine property in its own right.

It's a spa and sun-deck kind of place, so doesn't have the character you'd get in a quinta, but spa and sun-deck properties are great for the wealthy, often slightly older couples that come back to Madeira year after year.

Cliff Bay's two sun decks are particularly impressive: the upper has an indoor-outdoor pool that runs into the spa area, while the lower (a long way down, and reached by lift) has a saltwater pool, a restaurant-bar and access to the ocean.

There are 40 of the new rooms we were shown - their configuration is much the same as standard rooms, but they include superior decor, in-room interweb access, a pillow menu and breakfast in the a la carte restaurant.

It's a good seller for Inghams, apparently, but I was interested to hear that their most popular property is Quinta Bela Sao Tiago, where the focus is on character - it's in Funchal's old town, so there's no ocean access, and the pool/spa facilities are less extensive than at Cliff Bay.

But in the words of Pierre from Inghams, it's a property that 'presents well'. The terrace and gardens in particular are beautiful - there's actually a small banana plantation guests can wander through. Put next to Cliff Bay, it gives you a good sense of the range of hotel product available here.

The lack of activity round here is down to me being on a press trip to Madeira, and the interweb being less accessible than I foresaw.

I'm writing from the lobby of the Classic Savoy in Funchal, which I'll have some video from when I'm home - believe me, there is no hope of extracting it on the old wind-up Compaq I'm using.

As far as looking for 'angles' goes, our host Inghams has done a good job of dispelling the rather slow, staid image that Madeira has in northern Europe (visitors from Spain and Portugal have a younger average age than those from the UK - anecdotally, all the UK visitors I know are of my parents' generation).

We've gone whale-watching in a small dinghy, spotting two sperm whales just 10 minutes from the marina; been on a 4x4 jeep tour up into the mountainous centre; and 'tobogganed' down roads (yes, roads) in wicker baskets with greased runners underneath, and two locals with ropes to do the steering.

I've also seen some great hotels, drunk 'poncha' in a surprisingly trendy bar, and eaten superbly. I'll post photos and whatever else I have from tomorrow...

Grande Hotel Gardone Riviera hit the news this week after a British holidaymaker died following an outbreak of salmonella (though it isn't yet clear whether the bug caused his death).

The property is set right on the west bank of Lake Garda, roughly:

• 60km north-west of Verona
• 60km north of Mantua
• 139km east of Milan
• 175km west of Venice

View Larger Map

It has a fair amount of history: dating from 1884, it has hosted Sir Winston Churchill, Vladimir Nabokov and Somerset Maugham (among TW Blog's favourite authors, incidentally).

TripAdvisor reviewers are largely complimentary about the property, with only 8 out of 60 dropping below 4/5 - though one family complains that they were hit by a surprise €350 charge for what their 10 month old baby had eaten over 14 meals.

It is featured by a number of British tour operators - Kuoni, Inghams, Prestige Holidays and TUI Travel (Thomson) had guests there during the salmonella outbreak, and are all investigating the hotel's safety standards through hygeine consultant IGI.

From deputy features ed Joanna Booth

I've returned from the Hayes & Jarvis fam to Mauritius overwhelmed by the hospitality on the island.

And not just from the beautiful top-end hotels we visited ­ though each one pulled out all the stops to impress us, from Thai cuisine at the Hilton to a pirate-themed quiz night at the Maritim ­ but also from the Mauritian people themselves.

Our group was divided up and sent off in cars on a treasure hunt round the island. We accosted people in the street, asking them countless questions, and the responses were polite and helpful without exception.

Few went as far as one man, though. We were asked to bring back what translated from the Creole as 'an old Mauritian'. Most teams discovered that our intended target was a day-old edition of the island¹s local paper.

However, Brad Smith, team manager at First Choice Peterborough, took a more literal approach, and arrived at the finish line cheerfully accompanied by a local man of advanced years...

Joanna Booth, deputy features editor

Tracking Tourism has a good post based on an interview with Ian Yeoman, a tourism futurologist formerly employed by Visit Scotland.

One point about city breaks jumped out at me, mainly because this Friday's Destinations section is heavy on city break content.

The rough version is that new constraints (less time, less disposable income, more concern about the ethical/environmental impact of travel) will leave UK travellers 'wanting more from what they can get' - and that this will be to the benefit of cities which:

• ...are within three hours of the UK
• ...have lots to offer tourists
• ...have good transport links

What does this mean for the range of city breaks taken in Europe? One reading is that it will lead to conservatism.

I tried applying the criteria to Kaliningrad, which we feature as an up-and-coming destination this week.

The city is beginning to develop following the introduction of a KD Avia route from Gatwick and a relaxation of visa rules for UK visitors. In some ways, it ticks the right boxes: it's only a two-hour flight from London, and like much of Eastern Europe it is very cheap.

But it also has comparatively limited tourist infrastructure. Public transport from the airport barely exists (though transfer by car doesn't take long). It is also on a route that may struggle as the pressure on airlines increases.

Can we see the kind of consumer Yeoman describes - one who has scarce, valuable time and is determined to make the most of it - taking a punt on Kaliningrad over, say, a low-risk dependable such as Prague?

Are the barriers to becoming a 'Destination City' about to get much higher?

Perhaps it comes down to what consumers consider 'making the most of your time' - another reading is that the desire to do so will encourage people to strike out and look for something new.

Even then, it may be the fortunes of airlines that ultimately decide how broad a palette the next generation of city breakers can paint with...

Nathan Midgley, web producer

Met Richard Edwards, tourism manager at Arun Districy Council, at the Brit 2008 Awards earlier this week. He mentioned that he was vice president of the British Resorts and Destinations Association, a group I had not heard of.

The group represents destinations in the UK - mostly coastal resorts - and boasts 20 MPs as vice-presidents.

Its president is Gordon Marsden, Labour MP for Blackpool South.

What a line-up - something the outbound travel industry can only dream of.

Let's hope ABTA's David Marshall gets to influence more people in government in his new role dedicated to policy.

Martin Couzins, managing editor

Speaks for itself, really. I think beerbike tours are available in several places and from several operators, but Amsterdam seems to be a hotspot. Hello stag and hen market...

Nathan Midgley, web producer

German magazine Spiegel has kicked off a new content strand called Europe's Weird Ways, which is exactly what it sounds like - an effort to cover all the odd behaviours and certifiable festivals that pepper our continent.

It is inviting suggestions from readers, but who's going to top a Greek phallus festival?

If you want to eat phallus-shaped bread, drink through phallus-shaped straws from phallus-shaped cups, kiss ceramic phalluses, sit on a phallus-shaped throne and sing dirty Greek songs about the phallus, then you should visit the little Greek town of Tyrnavos each year on 'Clean Monday' [the first Monday of Lent]

Count yourself lucky there isn't a Dirty Monday (via Metafilter).

Nathan Midgley, web producer

Enjoyed Jo Booth's encounter with a great white and humpback whale whilst on the current South Africa tourism fam.

I know where I would rather be right now . . .

Martin Couzins, managing editor

Are the Brits really this bad abroad?

Martin Couzins, managing editor

Craig Daniels and Mads Kristensen are due to start an epic tuk-tuk journey this weekend. Here is how they describe it on their site 2crazynuts.com.

Through 4500km of the roughest terrain from Kathmandu, Nepal to Pondicherry, Southeast India....A path through the ancient, and at times vertical, donkey dirt-tracks across the Himalayas....Then down south through India's unpaved roads, jungle tracks and complete lack of roads, towards the end destination.

I cannot quite believe a tuk-tuk will make it up and down mountainous tracks, especially in monsoon. The aim is to raise money for The Prostate Cancer Charity.

Can't arguw with the cause, but can't help there is something of the Max Gogarty/Mark Boyle about this.

Just had this press release in from Aeroflot.

Aeroflot on top of its game as English football fans flock to Moscow

Aeroflot has made preparations to ensure a safe and timely arrival for some of the 50,000 English football supporters attending the UEFA Champion's League Final in Moscow tonight.

The Russian airline has announced that the influx of English visitors to Moscow, spurred by what is set to be a historic match between archrivals Manchester United and Chelsea, *will not lead to any delays* or congestion at its base airport Sheremetievo.

* This is the bit I liked.

We have been told!

I am trying to imagine BA taking the same tone . . .

Martin Couzins, managing editor

More from news editor Michelle Perrett's trip to Kenya with Virgin...

Esther Ranson was basically the best dressed woman on the whole trip. At every event she had a new gorgeous outfit and looked stunning, putting the rest of us messy lot to shame.

We left the Maasi Mara on Saturday, having eaten some of the best food, had some of the most amazing service, seen prides of lions literally metres away and been treated like royalty by the Kenyan people and the Sarova Mara Lodge.

We all tried to get our photo taken with Esther, who showed us a pose which her Strictly Come Dancing partner Anton du Beke had taught her. Apparently it takes 10 years and 10 pounds off you. All the female journalists agreed to use it in future...

Michelle Perrett, news editor

More from news editor Michelle Perrett in the Masai Mara...

The big news on Saturday was that Richard Branson had arrived in the Masai Mara - naturally, everyone was excited to meet him.

Branson has been very supportive of Kenya during its troubles, and had come to open a new school which has been partly funded by Virgin Atlantic frequent flyers.

Sir Richard approached me with a kiss on the cheek. I managed to get one of the guys to take a photo of us (above), telling Branson it's for my mum. He said it was typical: women's mums now fancy him!

Later hundreds of locals gathered at the official opening ceremony of the Sekenani Primary School. I sat in the press area, only to find I was sitting directly behind the man himself and thus had a good chance of making it onto Kenyan TV.

The children celebrated by singing about how important education is to them. They were so happy and so excited to have a school. Many of us got a little teary as we realised what a big event this was for the community

Michelle Perrett, news editor

I won't name the company. From the press release:

As TV's favourite series, Benidorm, comes to a close this Friday, viewers are clearly yearning for more as Benidorm is experiencing a revival both on and off screen. The number of nights booked in Benidorm has almost doubled since ITV1 launched the sitcom...

From the Wikipedia entry for post hoc ergo propter hoc (Latin for "after this, therefore because of this"):

The fallacy lies in coming to a conclusion based solely on the order of events, rather than taking into account other factors. Many superstitious beliefs and magical thinking arise from this fallacy.

Other factors... perhaps something about cheap, known-quantity holidays having strong appeal in a floundering economy. But I'm speculating.

Also, TV's favourite series? Benidorm? Did I miss a meeting?

Nathan Midgley, web producer

News editor Michelle Perrett has joined tour operators and journalists on a trip to the Masai Mara, hosted by Virgin Atlantic and Kenya Tourist Board...

To get to the Maasai Mara takes another 35 minutes by plane to Keekorok airstrip after landing at Nairobi. Then there is another 30 minute jeep ride to Sarova Mara Lodge.

The view is unbelievable as the convoy of jeeps make it through to long grass on tracks and dirt roads to the safari resort.

Our driver points out the wildlife in the distance telling us the long grass is rife with both black mambo and green mambo snakes.

He stops to point out the Sausage Tree - it has a strange array of sausage shaped fruit - which the locals ferment and make into a potent alcoholic drink.

The Sarova Mara Lodge greets us with a row of Maasi warriors who sing and dance to welcome us.

The luxury tents we are staying in are amazing allowing you to see the bush and national park through your mosquito netted windows.

My tent is on the edge of the resort backing onto the park - where some of the staff tell me excitedly I could spot and elephant or a lion. I'm thinking it could be a long night...

Michelle Perrett, news editor

News editor Michelle Perrett has joined tour operators and journalists on a trip to the Masai Mara...

Arriving by limo and being checked in at the special Virgin entrance at Heathrow is a spectacular way to start a trip to Kenya.

Through the genius of technology the driver contacts Virgin detailing the expected time of arrival and amount of luggage I need to check in making the arrival smooth and stress-free.

One of the most awful things about getting a flight is the queuing to get food and rush around duty free. But the Virgin Clubhouse is a treat in itself, designed like a trendy London bar or restaurant.

You can have a spa treatment, get a haircut, eat from the menu and have a glass of champagne while waiting to board.

I have a glass of champagne while waiting to interview the Minister for Tourism for Kenya, who has been on a 10-day trip in Europe promoting the country.

He wants to tell tourists that Kenya is now safe after the recent troubles, but is running late as he has been called to No. 10 for a meeting with foreign ministers.

On the eight-hour flight I managed a few hours sleep in the Upper Class beds, which are heaven.

In typical British style, everyone queues for the toilets to change and freshen before landing. That's Life TV presenter Esther Rantzen, who I'd spotted in the Clubhouse earlier, is now in the queue behind me. In typical non-British fashion she decides queuing to change is not the way forward - and decides to strip off her top.

I wasn't expecting to see so much of her on this trip. It turns out she is a travel writer and is going to be on the trip for four days with the other 35 journalists and operators.

More soon...

Michelle Perrett, news editor

A while ago I posted something speculative about the the destination marketing potential of big-ticket video games.

To recap, I reckon that the increase in video game penetration, combined with the bigger and better-looking game worlds made possible by modern hardware, mean that titles which represent or mimic real-world locations could boost visitor numbers in the same way blockbuster films traditionally have (Miss Potter for Cumbria, Moulin Rouge for Paris: you know the drill).

So I was interested when a friend forwarded me a flickr gallery making explicit the similarities between Liberty City, the setting for open-world masterpiece Grand Theft Auto IV, and New York. Here's a sample (original spot by Kotaku):

GTA IV is not the only one: forthcoming title Alone in the Dark is set in a meticulously recreated Central Park (albeit one full of zombies), and the climax of Legendary will apparently take place at our own Durham Cathedral (though that kind of thing can land you in trouble, as Sony recently found...).

Nathan Midgley, web producer

A second dispatch from chief reporter Juliet Dennis, who has joined a Bahamas Flavours fam trip in Nassau...

It's not every day you get to hug and snog a dolphin. But that's exactly what we got to do yesterday as part of Bahamas Flavours' educational.

Dolphin Encounters is a centre that is accessed from Nassau on a short boat ride and intends to look after dolphins and sea lions as well as allow them to show off their party tricks - and some close encounters with their human friends. It's a great day trip for agents to recommend to customers planning on visiting the Bahamas.

For our part, we got to go into the water to meet one of the dolphins, who was so tame he gave us all a hug, several kisses (okay I got four!) and provided he was given plenty of fish, let us stroke him too, bless him.

One of the sea lions we met had been rescued from an aquarium after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. The poor creature has been so traumatised by the hurricane that he's lost the sight of his eyes and is deaf in one ear.

But clearly he's improving fast - he wasted no time in showing us a few choice spins and loud coughing noises. And word has it he has been intimate with at least two pregnant sea lions at the centre, so clearly he's got his mojo back too.

Meanwhile, we also visited a few properties in the Nassau area, the funkiest of which was Compass Point. It has huts of every colour - so a real Caribbean feel to it - some of which are on stilts.

The huts, which have a lovely rustic feel, sit right next to the beach and there's also all the usual facilities (pool, restaurant, Internet).

Definitely worth booking for clients who want a smaller property that offers an alternative to a hotel. There's even self-catering facilities there too, not to mention a view to die for.

Juliet Dennis, chief reporter

The Guardian reports that Prague's intellectuals are hitting back at the commercialisation of the city. They are two main (but related) complaints: first, the arrival of McDonalds, Starbucks and the rest; second, cuts to funding for the arts.

Here are the two sides of the argument in quotes:

'One of Prague's few legitimate claims to world-class status is its vibrant cultural scene, which in turn attracts a steady stream of international performers,' [said Prague Post editor Frank Kuznik]. 'That city officials are so willing to gut Prague's cultural life, while encouraging mindless commercial development, suggests at the very least a warped set of priorities.'

Officials and owners of Prague's popular music hall theatres have struck back at the intellectuals. One impresario said: 'We attract the tourists, we get the biggest local crowds, why should the difficult arty stuff get all the help?'

One answer? Because without a healthy fringe, the mainstream stagnates. The arrival of McDonalds, Starbucks and stage show franchises such as Mama Mia is inevitable - all the more reason to counterbalance them by protecting what is idiosyncratic and distinct.

For good or ill, that synthesis of global and local seems to be the only option available to major cities. And I'm playing devil's advocate here, but less confident travellers may even find it rather appealing...

Nathan Midgley, web producer

Could French coastal resorts be hit by mosquitoes this summer? Apparently so . . .

Martin Couzins, online editor

Merlin Entertainments Group, owners of legoland, is working with Tatweer, a member of Dubai Holdings, to create Legoland Dubailand. This will be the first Legoland Park to be built outside of North America and Europe.

The news follows hot on the heels of the announcement of Dubailand's develeopment of a Super Heroes park.

So, what next for the developing super park?

Martin Couzins, online editor

BBC2 is kicking off a six-part series Wild China on Sunday 11 May at 8.05pm. The series has a nature/history slant but there will be some great footage of this vast nation.

And here is a list of the latest China travel posts on Travelblog.

Martin Couzins, online editor

TripAdvisor has just announced the results of its 2008 Travellers’ Choice Destinations - based on TripAdvisor user opinions.

Here are the top 10 best destinations in the world . . .

Milford Sound, New Zealand

Queenstown, New Zealand

Philipsburg, St. Maarten

Cayo Largo, Cuba

Rhodes, Greece

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas

Cruz Bay, St. John

Bridgetown, Barbados

Banff, Canada

Lake Tahoe, California

Guillaume at Hotel Blogs has posted a video from a quick drive he took around the Dubailand construction site. It doesn't look like much yet - construction won't be finished until after 2010 - but it's interesting to get a look at the size of the bare site.

There's a screamingly over-the-top promotional video for Dubailand embedded in a preview we did a while back. Take a look.

From what I've seen and heard so far Dubailand is going to win on scale, but lack the focus and distinct personality of, say, a Disney park.

Impersonal sprawl could be a difficult sell to the family market that Dubailand would presumably like to attract, but it's all speculation at this stage - let's watch and wait.

Nathan Midgley, web producer

Following on today's aquatic theme, Tenerife's Siam Park has built Europe's tallest water slide - the Tower of Power.

Not to be confused with Disney's Tower of Terror or the US soul and funk band Tower of Power.

A 28m drop is followed by sliding through an aquarium (via a tube) and finishes in a pool.

Martin Couzins, online editor

That's right folks, from 2012 we will be able to get up close and friendly with our favourite super heroes such as Spider-Man, The X-Men, Iron Man, the Fantastic Four and The Incredible Hulk at the world's first Super Heroes theme park to be based within Dubailand.

Martin Couzins, online editor

I suppose it's surprising nobody has done this before - after all, the likes of Longleat and Woburn have been doing high-profile UK approximations of the safari for years.

So why not a UK approximation of the safari lodge? Port Lympne Wild Animal Park in Kent is to open Livingstone Safari Lodge, 10 luxury safari tents set in 100 acres of grounds containing black rhino, giraffes, ostrich, wildebeest, blackbuck and antelope.

Careful you don't confuse it with the other Livingstone Safari Lodge, which has a more exotic location (near Victoria Falls in Zambia) and a rather heftier price tag.

Back in Kent, guests get a 90-minute safari, a six-course dinner with a 'bona fide' Zimbabwean ranger and a second drive out the following morning. It's £150 per person based on two sharing.

When I contacted Port Lympne about opportunities for travel agents they said they were 'happy to talk about commission' - so if you specialise in UK holidays get in there quick-smart, because this looks like a desirable little weekend break. Totallywild.net or 01303 23419.

(Watch out for it on TV, too - apparently BBC News is filming there on Thursday and Friday.)

Nathan Midgley, web producer

Santa Monica amusements are selling a ferris wheel on ebay - bids currently at $50,000. Be warned, it's pick up only

Martin Couzins, online editor

This is Tour Saint-Jean in Avignon, where I spent the last night of a Peter Deilmann river cruise down the Rhone (though the Rhone did its best to stop us).

Is that what taxi offices look like where you come from? Because TW Blog is based in Sutton, and my experiences are a little different.

It's in keeping with the rest of Avignon, which is quit-your-job beautiful. Below are Notre-Dame des Doms, which dominates the town, and the indoor market, which is covered in living (I think) flowers and shrubs.

And you can find the rest in a Travel Weekly flickr gallery...

Nathan Midgley, web producer

Well maybe not yet, but this tie-up is certainly taking the Red Sea resorts in that direction. XL.com has teamed up with Ministry of Sound to offer VIP club passes to the ministry's clubs in Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghadain.

Martin Couzins, online editor

UPDATE: Lonely Planet refutes author's claims.

Thomas Kohnstamm, a Lonely Planet author, has confessed he did not visit one of the countries - Colombia - he wrote about. Lonely Planet has said it has so far not discovered any inaccuracies in Kohnstamm's work . . .

Martin Couzins, online editor

The Olympic relay has already been hit by human rights protesters in Paris, San Francisco and London, and more troubles are doubtless on the way - the Tibet leg is still to come, remember.

Google, itself no stranger to the question of China and freedom of speech, has released a neat map that tracks the torch's journey. Here comes the embed:

Via the Telegraph and Gridskipper.

Update: Some people are telling me they can't see the widget - if you can't, try here.

Pensive update: Now I'm occasionally seeing 'information temporarily unavailable' too. The widget is working, but the content seems to have gone. I wonder...

Nathan Midgley, web producer

Strange but true. An Australian entrepreneur is building a replica of Stonehenge, according to Yahoo News.

Ross Smith hopes to open the attraction in time for 21 December summer solstice in the southern hemisphere.

It will be built on his property in the Margaret River region of western Australia.

And yes. Visitors will be able to play on the stones.

Martin Couzins, online editor

TW Blog hopes readers had an enjoyable St Patrick's day. But unless you're based in Chicago you'll have missed one of the most iconic celebrations: on Saturday the city dyed its river green, as it has every St Patrick's Day since 1962.

Here's a time-lapse video from Youtube (WARNING: contains 'fancy' editing). How much would you like to be piloting one of those boats?

Jaunted has some speculation on the composition of the green dye, which is presumably harmless to people and wildlife.

Nathan Midgley, web producer

Having posted on funnel-shaped hotels in Dubai and Russian islands shaped like, er, Russia, TW Blog feels compelled to share this spectacular Fosters and Partners project in Abu Dhabi. Via Trendhunter...

Green Luxury Building at Al Raha Beach - Abu Dhabi World Trade Center (GALLERY)

Not to be confused with Dubai, Abu Dhabi is on a building binge of its own. This is the World Trade Center to be built on Al Raha Beach, the spectacular spit of land for the waterfront east.

Everything that can be housed in a city building will be in this spectacular piece of architecture by Fost… [More]

Nathan Midgley, web producer

China's Qinghai-Tibet Railway Corporation is set to launch a super-luxurious train service between Beijing and Lhasa in Tibet (Yahoo, AFP).

The train will be decorated 'like a five-star hotel', and carry only 96 people in 12 cars. Do the math: that's eight people per carriage.

A ticket for the five-day journey will be 20 times the normal fare, which is about £140 - so in the area of £2,800.

That's pricier than journeys of a similar duration on the Orient Express, but it's in the same ball park.

The service launches on September 1. If you're an agent and manage to sell it, drop us a line.

Nathan Midgley, web producer

Yesterday I was at The Brewery in London to give a talk to Canadian suppliers attending Spotlight Canada.

Whilst resarching my talk I thumbed through the British Travel Industry Guide To Canada 2008.

A couple of things leapt out:

1. During stampede, Buzzards Cookshack in Calgary serves up 'prairie oysters' - bulls testicles
2. Surrey is not just a county in the UK - it is also situated on the US/Canada border

Martin Couzins, online editor

Metro today reports on the fantasticable between Pietrapertosa and Castelmezzano in the Italian Dolomites which will enable tourists to get between the two villages more quickly. So, you pay up to £20, depending on time of the week, and ride a metal cable at up to 90mph 500m above the valley. Not for the faint hearated, then.

There are other fantasticables, such as this one in Morzine, France.

Martin Couzins, online editor

If the Oz bus seemed like a coach journey too far then check out the Buddhabus service to China. Only 8,000km covered in 16 days at £795 for a single - accommodation not included.

Martin Couzins, online editor

We report today that live music promoter Ibiza Rocks is to open a hotel in San Antonio, Ibiza.

It's a sensible brand extension - competition between event promoters is cutthroat in San Antonio, so having holidaymakers in its pocket will give Ibiza Rocks a big marketing advantage.

Hotel residents get guaranteed ticket availability and live music every night, and packages are being sold through bedswithease.com, Holiday Brokers and Broadway Travel.

Ibiza Rocks even offers gig cancellation cover as part of its travel insurance package.

The Travel Weekly me nods approvingly: this is clever targeting of what is essentially a traditional, uncool package holiday.

Meanwhile, the music-loving me reads 'brand extension' and 'gig cancellation insurance' and wonders what Joey Ramone would say.

Nathan Midgley, web producer

Berlin has launched a new ident - Be Berlin. Not sure what it means and neither do tourists, as this great quote from USA Today reveals.

"I don't want to be Berlin. I wanted to come here to see the galleries."

Martin Couzins, online editor

There's a story in the Metro about plans to crack down on drunken Brits in the Polish city of Cracow.

In particular, the city is looking at punishing bars and cafes which serve 'under-dressed Britons'.

While I sympathise with Cracow - too many cities have seen tourism gains from low-cost flights offset by consistent abuse of their hospitality - this plan will only force business owners into direct confrontation with patrons. Drunk ones. In crowds.

It's a difficult problem to solve. You can't artificially inflate the price of drinks to keep people away, and there are benefits to low-cost air traffic that cities such as Cracow will not want to forego.

So what's the solution? Do you push for a cultural change in Britain? Do you lobby for harsher travel limitations on those who misbehave abroad?

I don't know. But I'm pretty sure refusing to serve bare-chested people is not the answer.

Nathan Midgley, web producer

Following on from news that Warner Leisure Hotels has launched an Experience Breaks brochure offering more than 600 breaks, I called up Ian Bradley, PR for the Association of Independent Tour Operators to find out what unusual activities his members offered.

This is what he came back with:

• Ski Peak offers tandem parapenting (flying in the thermals above the valley below) from 2,000m or 2,800m.
• Himalayan Kingdoms offers tea-house trekking in Nepal.
• Frontier Travel offers dog-sledding in Canada's Algonquin Park.
• Collett’s Mountain Holidays offers Via Ferrata in the Italian Dolomites.
• American Round-up offers polo tuition in Argentina.
• Naturetrek offers wolf-watching in Spain.
Aardvark Safaris offers elephant-back safaris in Botswana.
• Discover The World offers husky dog sledging in Greenland.

Martin Couzins, online editor

Disneyland Resort Paris has launched a web site to promote the opening of its new ride, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. It is a great looking site which really does give a sense of what is in store (believe me). The site is also running a competition for consumers to upload their very own TV or radio ad for the new ride. Visitors to the site can also upload their own pictures.
Martin Couzins, online editor

A transcript of a Northern Ireland Assembly debate on tourism recently popped up on my theyworkforyou.com email alert.

What makes it particularly interesting is that Paul Maskey of Sinn Fein, whose motion initiated the debate, recommends developing political tourism.

I understand that people have sensitivities towards political tourism. However, I also recognise that it has massive potential to grow the tourism industry and will assist in the regeneration of many areas of social need throughout the North.

Robin Newton of the DUP later counters:

The aim of political tourism is to confuse the political process and to present a biased and prejudiced approach to the events of the past. That is a road down which Northern Ireland tourism must not travel.

There's much to think about here, even for those with no specific interest in Northern Ireland. Is there a time threshold beyond which dark episodes of history can acceptably be used to drive tourism? Does the mere possibility of bias make all 'political tourism' untenable? And if objectivity is vital, how is it to be enforced?

Anyone with even a passing interest in tourism and/or destination marketing should give it a read.

Nathan Midgley, web producer

...to mark the 200th anniversary of the composer's death. Haydn Year will involve exhibitions, concerts and other events all over the country, especially in Rohrau, Vienna and Eisenstadt.

Why do I mention it? Because Haydn is the dead artist I'd travel farthest for (come on... everybody has one...) and I am there.

If you're interested too, get some other Austria ideas in this week's Central Europe feature, which, as followers of TW Blog on Twitter will know, was what kept me from posting this morning.

(Via Jaunted.)

Nathan Midgley, web producer

Travel insurer Complete Ski has produced a list of top fracture resorts for skiers based on insurance claims made since 2000. France accounts for 53% of all claims followed by Austria and Italy.

Only French resorts make the top 10 . . .

• Les Arcs (41 fractures)
• Les Dues Alpes (40 fractures)
• Val D’Isere (35 fractures)
• Val Torrens (33 fractures)
• Serre Chevalier (32 fractures)
• Morzine (30 fractures)
• La Plagne (29 fractures)
• Courchevel (25 fractures)
• Meribel (25 fractures)
• Alpe D’Huez (24 fractures)

And here is a map of the top 20 fracture resorts.

Martin Couzins, online editor

Regular contributor Brian Hordon (Silversea UK) sends this last missive from Australia... his next post will come from Singapore

The Australia Bureau of Statistics had announced that UK tourist numbers had fallen by 6% in November 2007 compared to the same period in 2006, although it conceded that the 2006 numbers were inflated by UK visitors supporting our Ashes campaign.

Arrival figures for Japan and Korea were also substantially down, primarily due to various cost implications. But ABTA rallied to the cause, saying that "Australia is a destination hotspot for British tourist this year".

And this was supported by predictions that the launch of the new wartime epic Australia would boost numbers. Indeed, the same article hailed star Nicole Kidman as a "potential saviour of the Australian tourism industry".

Kidman has an enormous following, but the saviour of the Australian tourism industry will be the creative and aggressive UK travel agent, who will continue to recognise the features and benefits of this enchanting destination.

I now wonder just how many of these agents will exploit the film in their promotional programme. It's a potential partnership opportunity (no matter how small) to die for.

Brian Hordon
Director of Training Development
Silversea Cruises (UK) Ltd

A new post from regular contributor Brian Hordon of Silversea Cruises, currently out in Australia...

Travel at the sharp end only serves to confirm my belief that the position of the knowledgeable, creative and aggressive travel agent continues to strengthen.

And if you are an Australia specialist agent, what a great future you have.

Having listened to UK visitors in Perth, Melbourne, and the wonderful resort destination of Byron Bay (New South Wales) there is one consistent message that comes across - they all intend to return.

A fabulous endorsement for a truly great destination, and a real opportunity for agents to make real profits.

Get the little details right before your customers depart and they will return - they will recognise your professionalism. Take the time to walk them through the trip, covering:

• Check-in at a local UK airport
• Transferring at an international departure airport
• Self-service check-in at all major Australian airports
• How luggage allowance varies from international flights to small domestic carriers

And I close with what is still my personal favourite travel association statement, from the Australian Federation of Travel Agents: "without a travel agent, you're on your own".

Brian Hordon
Director of training development
SilverSea Cruises (UK) Ltd.

TripAdvisor has released a list of the best places in the world to propose, based on the mention of proposals in reviews and forum posts - and with a smidge of input from the TripAdvisor editors.

If you can get past the entirely predictable winners (Eiffel Tower? Zzzzz) there are some undeniably nice spots here. I think my favourite is Neuschwanstein, because the 'fairytale castle', though breathtaking, is actually a monument to madness, questionable taste and utter profligacy.

You could probably have some fun with the true connotations of many of these beauty spots, but that's enough cynicism for now. Here's the list in full.

1. Eiffel Tower, Paris, France
2. London Eye, London, England
3. Oia, Santorini, Greece
4. Alhambra, Granada, Spain
5. Canals of Venice, Venice, Italy
6. Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria, Germany
7. Mount Pilatus, Lucerne, Switzerland
8. Trevi Fountain, Rome, Italy
9. Charles Bridge, Prague, Czech Republic
10. Piazzale Michelangelo, Florence, Italy

More romance on the site tomorrow when we publish the second part of our guide to wedding anniversary holidays - with ideas for every landmark year from the 11th (steel) through to the 40th (ruby).

Meanwhile, have a read of the first part, covering the first anniversary to the 10th.

Nathan Midgley, web producer

No genre of music attracts more snobbery and divisive opinion than jazz.

Woe betide the casual fan (is there such a thing?) that tries to tell a hard bop head that this trad stuff really is worth a listen. I should know; I am that hard bob head. So I was particularly piqued when I saw a press release announcing the line-up for the 2008 Tobago Jazz Festival.

The problem with the line-up is that there don’t appear to be any jazz acts headlining. Diana Ross, Rod Stewart, Whitney Houston… not completely without their charms but forgive me if I missed their jazz years.

Other acts: Smokey Robinson, Shakira and En Vogue. Still no jazz then.

Previous line-ups: Sir Elton John, Gladys Knight, LL Cool J, India Arie, Stevie Wonder, Sting… is anyone spotting a pattern here?

Does this lumping together of all ‘Music of Black Origin’ as jazz irk anyone else? Because that’s what seems to be happening here.

Can anyone else name a music festival trading under such false pretences? What’s next? Sting plays Monsters of Rock? Whitney Houston at the Verona Opera Festival? Actually that might be quite cool. But it sure ain’t jazz.

Matthew Hampton, features editor

This put a wry smile on my face - thanks to Kev at Travolution for pointing us to today's This Life cartoon in Metro. If you can't decipher it, the text reads:

'I'm a travel brochure copywriter, and I'm deeply ashamed of the way I've described Torremolinos, Father.'

Martin Couzins, online editor

A press release appears from charity The British Schools Exploring Society (BSES Expeditions). They've got a problem - albeit one that sounds like the premise of a lost Carry On film.

An Amazon Rainforest expedition to Peru, South America, has proved so popular with girls that BSES Expeditions is actively calling for boys to balance team dymanics.

Charlie Masding, Marketing Manager for BSES Expeditions said, “Usually we get an equal number of male and female applicants, but so far the vast majority of applicants are girls."

Now sit back and watch the applications fly in...

Nathan Midgley, web producer

Travel Weekly and its TW Group cohorts (Travolution, Gazetteers and TWacademy) just visited Disneyland Paris, and there was general astonishment at the size of the Newport Bay Club hotel.

Here's one of its corridors stretching into the distance. The white glow at the end is probably the south pole. Or Narnia.

There were tired legs among the TW Group, but pity the hotel staff: according to one, the distance from the end of the west wing to the end of the east is a full kilometre.

(Note to PRs attempting to get buy-in from bloggers: the key is pointless trivia.)

Nathan Midgley, web producer

Virgin Galactic has appointed Accredited Space Agents to sell its space flights. Congratulations to Elegant Resorts, who will be selling to the UK market.

I notice Elegant Resorts has yet to add 'Space' to destinations listed on the home page :-)

Check out this tour of Virgin Galactic's Space Ship Two.

Martin Couzins, online editor

The makers of Monopoly - Hasbro - have launched an online vote for the latest world edition of the family favourite board game. Yes folks, you now have an opportunity to vote (seemingly on a daily basis) for your favourite cities of the world.

You have until February 29 to vote on Hasbro's pre-selected shortlist of 68 cities, the 20 most popular of which will make it to the board.

But voters can also nominate 'wildcard' cities of their choosing. Nominations will be put to the vote from March 1 to March 9, and the two most popular will be added to the game to make the full 22 squares.

Got that? Good.

UK cities that feature on Hasbro's shortlist are London, Edinburgh and Cardiff. I wonder what kind of tactics tourist authorities will employ to bump up votes...

Martin Couzins, online editor

The things people do. Josh Parsons, a lecturer at Otago University, has given a grading to the flags of the world based on design. As well as finding out what some of the flags of the world actually looked like, I was amused by some of the commenatry.

Take the Falkland Islands, for example.

This flag gets a D grade and the following comment.

'Worst UK colonial flag. Has a sheep on it. Actually, if you look closely, you can see that the sheep is riding on top of an island, which is riding on top of a ship. Also the stupid slogan is in English, and is a platitude.'

Here is the methodology for the scoring and thanks to Gadling for pointing us to Parsons' work.
Martin Couzins, online editor

Tim Leffel flags up some interesting ITA figures on where US travellers flew to in 2007. Europe easily outstripped every other region, but grew only 2% - Asia was up 8.6%, South America 7.6% and Central America 8%.

There is speculation that travel to Europe will decline in 2008, with Latin America predicted to make even bigger gains. Says Leffel:

The economy is skittish and airfare hikes are getting daunting, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see people decide to stay closer to home. If you do head out and you’re earning money in U.S. dollars, I have two words of advice for you: habla espanol.

Nathan Midgley, web producer

Here's a trailer for a game called Afrika being developed for Sony's Playstation 3 games console. (Don't worry, this is going somewhere.)

What did that remind you of? Travel ad, right?

The purpose of the game, according to industry speculation, will be to explore an 'African' (read: Kenyan) landscape, interacting with and photographing animals.

So it's a safari simulator. So what?

Well, think about the power of cinema to sell destinations. If a film is seen by lots of people and makes a place look cool, tourism organisations and travel suppliers receive a boost from it.

As that Afrika trailer proves, mainstream games are capable of sexifying real-world or near-real-world destinations. (At the moment they usually don't, but that could change as new kinds of game follow families and female players into the market.)

As for getting eyeballs, Nielsen reports that video game penetration is growing fast. Indeed, PricewaterhouseCooper says revenues could soon overtake those of the music industry in the U.S.

Okay, it's just a bit of speculation for a Friday afternoon. But you see what I'm getting at. Bit more interesting than PR stunts in No Sign Of Second Life if you ask me...

Nathan Midgley, web producer

The McCluskey Blog points us to the real trips section of the Telegraph web site as a good example of web content that is moving in on the traditional holiday programming of terrestrial TV stations. In this clip, The Telegraph's Adam Bridge takes a surf lesson on Bondi beach, Sydney. As McCluskey points out, this content really does bring life to his written article.

Now I know a new version of Wish you were here is coming back to our screens on Monday, but video content like this will really put the squeeze on traditional holiday programming.
Martin Couzins, online editor

LateRooms.com has produced a list of the top 10 emerging destinations in the UK. This is based on a comparison of bookings from 2006 and 2007. What an interesting list it makes . . .

1. Norwich
2. Durham
3. Canterbury
4. Sunderland
5. Liverpool
6. Scarborough
7. Gloucester
8. Walsall
9. Derby
10. Reading

Martin Couzins, online editor

Jaunted is amused by the "terrified tourist family" in this video, shot in a Pizza Hut in Agra, India.

TW Blog knows the feeling. Many, many years ago my family was accosted in an Orlando branch of Denny's by a man with a guitar and somebody dressed as a killer whale, who together performed a Shamu-themed version of Buddy Holly's Oh Boy. It was excruciating for all concerned.

Nathan Midgley, web producer

I am not making this up. The Metro reports that an American couple are planning to develop a theme park on Haiti where visitors can actually play a slave for the day.
Martin Couzins, online editor

TW Blog has a thing for unusual museums, and last night I was pointed to a cracker: the Porthcurno Telegraph museum in Cornwall.

Porthcurno is where the first telegraph cable linking Britain with India landed way back in 1870, and its original cable station is now an underground museum featuring operational equipment from the 1920s and 30s.

Porthcurno went on to become central to world telecommunications as the main station of the Eastern Telegraph company (later Cable and Wireless).

Even better, it's just down the road from that tourist perennial, the clifftop Minack Theatre.

Nathan Midgley, web producer

The Metro reports this morning that the Netherlands is considering building a 30-mile long island in the shape of a tulip to help shield the country from rising sea levels. A spokesman for the company that built the Dubai Palm Island is reported as saying that shapes such as tulips werer unrealistic for an island. That's rich coming from the people that bulit a palm.

UPDATE: And let's not forget Russia's Federation Island.
Martin Couzins, online editor

"Josef Stalin's playful side is not widely publicised..."

I think that's fair to say. TW Blog gets a lot of press releases, but few with such memorable opening lines.

The news concerns Mtatsminda, a leisure park site in what is now Georgia. It was originally developed at Stalin's behest in the 1930s, and the three-storey building at the heart of it is now being redeveloped with half an eye on the tourist market.

Here's an old black-and-white of it:

It sounds quite appealing: a huge 1930s villa at the top of a hundred-year-old funicular railway, with views over Tbilisi from the third floor and lots of shops, bars and restaurants.

Last week TripAdvisor released a list of the world's best converted hotels, and bar one in Hungary it was all western Europe. It will be interesting to see how destinations in eastern Europe (or Michael Palin's New Europe, to give it its full title) use their history as they bid for a bigger share of the tourism market.

Nathan Midgley, web producer

The Ozbus has reached its final destination - that's London to Sydney in 84 days. The Guardian lifts the lid on the experience for both the passengers and the tour organiser.
Martin Couzins, online editor

It's often the details that make travelling fun. So: three photos from my recent press trip to Picardy, and three bits of local detail to go with them.

This is Les Iris, a guest house in a 1930s art deco villa in the little village of St Felix - which claims to be the home of the modern toothbrush.

This is the view from Haute-Picardie TGV station. Unable to decide whether to place it in Amiens or Saint Quentin, the local authorities stuck it in farmland between the two. The locals refer to it as 'Gare Patates' - potato station.

These are cabotans, traditional Picardian puppets that still 'perform' in Ches Cabotans d'Amiens, a theatre in the pretty Saint Leu district of Amiens. Lafleur, on the right, roughly corresponds to our Mister Punch, but he kicks people instead of hitting them with a truncheon.

Nathan Midgley, web producer

Many and splendid are the contents of Thomson new media director Graham Donoghue's crystal ball, but TW Blog is a bit mystified by his latest prediction.

Donoghue reckons holiday shoppers will one day be able to experience a destination in "a Star Trek-style holodeck" before making a purchase. It would project sights, sounds, smells and temperatures from the destination into a room.

I can see a market for virtual destinations, but this model faces a few technical problems.

In the unlikely event that the technology is able to completely mask the walls and contours of the room, it would require the customer to stay stock still, since moving around would leave them suffering from simulator sickness and/or a bump on the noggin from one of the now-invisible walls.

Not very interactive.

In the more likely event that the technology is not able to fully mask the contours of the room, you're basically watching a 360-degree movie in smell-o-vision - and that sounds more like the Epcot centre circa 1985 than the future of retail.

I suppose we could just go back to those huge VR helmets (see pic) and the weird gloves. Technicalities aside, do readers think a 'virtual destination' would inspire them when booking a holiday?

Nathan Midgley, web producer

Most people who have travelled around Spain have probably seen the big black bulls that sit on the side of the Spanish hills. Well, according to the Guardian the Osborne bulls (named after the sherry company they promote) are celebrating their 50th birthday. Thanks to freetransaltion.com for this: Toros felices de cumpleaños Osborne.

Pic credit: Kevin Collins

Martin Couzins, online editor

A busy day four on the Kuoni Worldwide Diploma Final as agents took two papers.

The first was a treasure hunt, which included tasks such as collecting maps and souvenirs. The hunt took place in and around Cape Town.

Pictured are Helen Roberts, Kuoni Tour Leader, and Phil Brady, long haul travel consultant at Midlands Co-op, Sutton Coldfield, at the top of the city's famous Table Mountain. Look in the bay in the distance and you will be able to see Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was held during his imprisonment.

Sunday afternoon was taken up completing the second exam task of the day. This time agents had to make a poster for customers highlighting the selling points and benefits of the Cape Peninsula tour taken on Saturday.

Pictured are (left) Linda Gill, sales consultant, Thomson Retail, Peterborough and (right) Amy Flack, assistant manager, Travelcare, Worthing, working on their poster.

Emily Ashwell, business and community editor

While the Football Association licks its wounds after England were knocked out of the Euro 2008 football championships by Croatia this week, parts of the travel industry will also be seeing red after Steve McClaren's men failed to deliver.

Success for England would have seen a surge in interest in travel to Austria and Switzerland, the 2008 hosts. As well as tour operators, accomodation suppliers and airlines the likes of Eurostar would have taken the opportunity to showcase their services into mainland Europe.

Alas, it is not to be - and according to today's Guardian, the travel industry is not alone in losing out. It predicts the retail industry stands to lose in excess of £1bn in Euro 2008-related sales.
Martin Couzins, online editor

And here they are, courtesy of TripAdvisor.

La Plagne, France
Obertauern, Austria
Kranjska Gora, Slovenia
Ortisei, Italy
Kiruna, Sweden
Canazei, Italy
St. Wolfgang, Austria
Champery, Switzerland
Zermatt, Switzerland
Les Deux-Alpes France

Martin Couzins, online editor

According to PR Newswire, a group of explorers and cartographers has found the end of the Earth. And it is the island of Kiribati which sits in the central tropical Pacific Ocean. The country is made up of 33 atolls and straddles the equator and borders the international date line.

The panel of experts was commissioned to find the end of the world by Disney to celebrate the DVD launch of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.
Martin Couzins, online editor

On Wednesday I floated the idea of a picture caption competition to go with this picture . . .

Well, I'm happy to report that the Slovakian stand at WTM has been kind enough to donate a bottle of one the region's fine wines to the winner of the most amusing caption. The wine 'Varieto' is only available in Slovakia. Get posting - the winner is in for a Slovakian treat.

Martin Couzins, online editor

Just returned from chairing a session at World Travel Market on the future of destination marketing. We had a concern that 10.30am on the last day of the show would mean numbers would be low, but oh no. Full room and people turned away.

Discussions looked at the role of destinations in marketing themselves at a time when consumers are so much more savvy online. It was clear how far there is to go for destinations - they really are unclear about how to get their message/destination content across.

We had a really good Q&A at the end which saw Andy Tomlinson from Harvey World Travel field a lot of questions about online training. Thanks also to Amanda Hills and Kevin Harris at Hills Balfour Synergy for their presentations.

It seemed ironic that while we discussed these issues at WTM our Kev is in Orlando with some of the pace setters in travel - there really are some big gaps in this market. Check out the Travolution blog for updates from the Phocuswright conference.

Martin Couzins, online editor

Twenty or so protesters are camped outside Excel today protesting about Burma's presence at WTM. It's a polite affair with operators to the country on the receiving end as well as Lonely Planet. We'll have the story in Travel Weekly shortly.

Update: Here's a short video of the Burma protest from our WTM playlist.

More posts on Burma:

Burma tourism cannot help, says MP

Burma tourism: why it should continue

To the Israel stand at World Travel Market. It looks like you are stepping into an arcade ride but what you actually get is a four minute film about Jerusalem.

Martin Couzins, online editor

Here's a measure of the size of this exhibition. Yesterday, our four Travel Weekly photographers walked a total of 28.7 miles. Here is Travel Weekly's Matt Sprake with his pedometer and long lens.

And let's hear if for the Czechs who were the last stand partying as the rest of the exhibition hall fell silent.

Whilst filming this morning, we met Fred Dixon at on the New York City stand. We interviewed him for our daily video and he seemed very accomplished in front of the camera. I then learned he has a weekly slot on WNBC called 'News for you' in which he tells viewers what's on in New York City at the weekend.

More from day one of World Travel Market.
Martin Couzins, online editor

Ananova reports that tourism officials in the German city of Hanover have been criticised for featuring a serial killer on their advent calendar.

Fritz Haarman, who killed 24 young men before he was finally hung in 1925, appears with cleaver in hand on the calendar's first window.

Head of the Hanover tourism board, Hans-Christian Nolte, has defended the calendar, saying: "He is part of our city's history. Even on guided tours the serial killer's story is told."

Very festive. "What the hell do they do at Halloween?" wonders cleverthingies.com.

Nathan Midgley, web producer

Many American blogs, including Wired and Consumerist, have been reporting that Disneyland's "It's a Small World" ride is being renovated to accommodate the growing, um, presence of riders.

In what sounds rather like a storyline from The Simpsons, the ride's canals have allegedly become too shallow for today's American, who is on average 25 pounds heavier than when 'It's a Small World' was built.

Disney denied the obesity link - originally posited by Mice Age - to the New York Times, stating that the repairs have to do with 'a buildup of fibreglass in the flume'. But even NYT writer Dan Mitchell wasn't convinced.

But doesn’t logic dictate that heavier loads would worsen the problem? ... “You can draw your own conclusions,” the [Disney] spokesman said.

Whatever the reason, the ride will be closed for around 10 months for repairs. Hat-tip: Bill Geist

Nathan Midgley, web producer

UK tourism to the US is going through a funny phase at the moment. On the one hand we're put off by stories of overzealous border guards turning away ex-LSD users and detaining our MPs.

On the other, the pound is strong against the dollar and Christmas is just eight weeks away. This morning the pound briefly hit $2.066, its highest level against the dollar in 26 years.

I've got a week off at the end of November and a US city break is starting to look like just the thing...

Nathan Midgley, web producer

Oh dear - some more bad PR for US Homeland Security. And it's potentially unsettling news for bloggers and social network users.

It seems a Canadian psychotherapist has been barred from entering the US after a border guard Googled the man's name and found an article of his about some LSD trips he took in the 1960s and 70s.

According to a story in independent Canadian paper The Tyee:

The official said that under the Homeland Security Act, Andrew Feldmar was being denied entry due to "narcotics" use. ... The border guard then escorted him to his car and made sure he did a U-turn and went back to Canada.

Not knowing the specifics of the case, TW Blog isn't going to default to the assumption that Homeland Security was wrong to turn Feldmar away.

But the story has been picked up by several blogs and magazines including Gadling and Wired, and will do little to sway potential vistors who are put off by the idea of heavy security.

Any fast-living TW readers - and having seen some of the 'related groups' on our Facebook page, I have my suspicions about you lot - may want to clean up their profile before heading across the pond.

Nathan Midgley, web producer

Select World Travel's Lee Harrison contacts TW Blog to say that one of his consultant's travel videos a video featuring one of his consutants is up for an award on Weshow.com.

Karen Wratten filmed was at Beachcomber's 18th Birthday Party held in Mauritius, and a very well put together video it is too.

(It transpires the video is actually the work of Enigma FX - Select World Travel just attended the fam and posted the video on its blog. Apols for the confusion.)

Looks like everyone had a great time, if not a relaxing one - if anyone suffers from the delusion that agent fams are an excuse to put your feet up for a few days, they should give it a watch.

Anyway, it's good to see an independent agency producing this kind of content. If you like the video go and vote for it (requires registration). Good luck to Karen, Lee & co.

Nathan Midgley, web producer

Our colleagues on Gazetteers have provided us with a list of the most searched on and viewed destinations for the last week.

Interesting to see Bulgaria sneaking in at number 10. Is this a reflection of Bulgaria as a ski destination?

1. Spain
2. Greece
3. United States
4. Italy
5. Turkey
6. Egypt
7. Cyprus
8. Cuba
9. Dominican Republic
10. Bulgaria

Martin Couzins, online editor

Only days after they sold the Lonely Planet Guides, Tony and Maureen Wheeler tell The Guardian the 25 most amazing places they think we should all see.
I've only got 24 more to see.
Martin Couzins, online editor

If you travel on the London Underground you may find the results of this survey from Tripadvisor a little hard to stomach.

A report in today's Independent says that the world travellers polled found London's public transport system to be one of the safest and efficient networks. The tube and cabbies came in for particularly high praise.

OK, so this is good news for domestic tourism and Visit London will be delighted overseas travellers think this of London transport (and so will London Mayor Ken Livingstone).

But I'd counter that it is a system that is creaking under the sheer volume of passengers. And why do we still not have a properly integrated river bus service?

Martin Couzins, online editor

Forget social networking sites where travellers can share experiences, a group of six 22-year-olds have set up an online diary which they hope will raise enough cash to pay for them all to go back to their beloved island of Ibiza.

According to Metro, 200 people have already paid £1 a pop to download the diary.

Be warned, this is a diary of six lads going large in Ibiza, so Samuel Pepys it isn't.

Martin Couzins, online editor

Some news just published on TW - the Institute of Travel and Tourism has chosen not to go ahead with a Zimbabwe Tourism Authority session at World Travel Market.

As you can imagine, it was the country's dire political situation that led to the decision. The ITT would surely have faced considerable disapproval if the session had gone ahead.

How do readers feel? Is it the right decision, or could some good have come out of what was planned as an educational session for new entrants to the trade?

Nathan Midgley, web producer