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Australia Travel / Tourism Boards / Tourism Marketing / Blogs / Blogging / → All Tags

Australia Loves Bloggers, Invites Them Down Under

While we've been busy musing on whether or not we'd go to that far away land of Australia, the gang down at Tourism Australia have been figuring out yet another strategy to convince us. And it's one we're pretty in tune with: blogging.

Tourism Australia has just started inviting influential bloggers from various nations to visit Oz and (presumably) blog up a storm about it. They've got a bunch of super-fashionable fashion bloggers lined up right now, including New York's The Sartorialist and Julia Knole from Germany's Les Mads, and even one of the most popular Chinese bloggers, Yibo Fan.

Presumably the tourism board is hoping treating these bloggers like royalty will lead to enthusiastic promotion of Australia as a destination. Here at Jaunted we've got it the wrong way round: we've been doing the enthusiastic promos already, because we love the place. Can we have a free trip too?

Related Stories:
· Bloggers New Weapon in Australia's Tourism Campaign [AAP]
· Everyone Wants You To Go To Australia But Are You Really Gonna Go? [Jaunted]
· The Five Best Beaches in Sydney [Jaunted]

[Photo: El Fotopakismo]

Destination Dissing / Auckland Travel / Travel Blogs / Blogs / Tourism Boards / → All Tags

Australian Blog Says Auckland is 'Inhabited by Hobbits'

A bit of neighborly rivalry is normal, but a couple of bloggers from Australia have taken their not-too-pretty description of next-door New Zealand a bit far, according to the tourism CEO of Auckland.

The Aussie bloggers who've just moved over to Auckland have been posting their opinions of New Zealand at their Fush'n'Chups blog and there's been quite an outrage over some of their ideas--for example, that Auckland is a "horrible soulless city" inhabited by "hobbits".

The bloggers are defending themselves by saying it's just a tongue-in-cheek blog and the Kiwis should get a better sense of humor. They even mention beautiful parts of New Zealand from time to time. The moral for the rest of us is to remember never to mistake a New Zealander for an Aussie, or there could be trouble.

Related Stories:
· Kiwis Upset By "Pathetically Rude" Aussie Bloggers [The Age]
· Fush'n'Chups [Official Site]
· New Zealand Travel Guide [Jaunted]

[Photo: mgrenner57]

Destination Dissing / Tourism Boards / Tourists / SNL / The Rock / Hawaii Travel / → All Tags

Is Destination Dissing Like Totally Uncool These Days?

Apparently even long after the presidential election has ended, viewers are still to tuning into Saturday Night Live on NBC. And this time, it's not just grounded teenagers watching. Politicians are also paying attention. And one politician in particular was pretty riled up over a recent skit. No, it wasn't Sarah Palin.

Lt. Governor James "Duke" Aiona of Hawaii recently voiced his displeasure about a skit that poked fun at folks who choose the Aloha State as their vacation destination. In fact, a whole bunch of people working for the Hawaii government are a little cranky over the way in which Hawaii hospitality was portrayed, claiming skits like these are further wounding their already beaten down tourism economy.

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Trends / Food Travel / Tourism Boards / Restaurants / → All Tags

Is DC Stealing NYC's Cool?

Washington, DC has spent the better part of its existence in the shadow of its larger neighbor to the north, and there's no better way to get a Washingtonian riled up then to go on about how much less cool their town is than New York.

So what's up with the Manhattan media elite fretting about DC overtaking NYC? First none other than New York Magazine wondered whether the balance of power and culture has shifted southward, undoubtedly thanks to the presidential cool of Barack Obama.

Now Mollie Chen from Conde Nast Traveler is going gaga for DC's suddenly cool food scene:

The inauguration may be over but Washington, D.C., is still on a high--and change is not limited to politics. Last week, we had dinner with many of the city's tourism officials, all of whom were giddy about their new White House residents as well as their own plans for the next few years. "I can't tell you how excited we are to be cool," one of the heads of Cultural Tourism DC said.

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Caribbean Travel / Diving / Carnival 2009 / Tourism Boards / → All Tags

Three Reasons To Visit The US Virgin Islands (Besides The Obvious)

A tropical vacation ain't exactly a hard sell this time of year. (You think it will really hit 20 degrees in New York today? Break out the sunscreen!) But the U.S. Virgin Islands' new website, VisitUSVI.com, gave us three more reasons to go Caribbean:

We've never gone diving and they'll take us as we are. A new diving promotion USVI operators are rolling out takes aim at newbies like us, from the middle-school-aged to the novice spouse. We don't have any prices yet, but we hear the new daylong packages include training in the morning to get you in the water, seeing the sights, by the afternoon.

Carnival in St. Thomas is the new Carnival anywhere else. It's later (kicks off April 29 with a local food festival) and guaranteed to be less crowded. St. John and St. Croix have their own carnivals (held around the 4th of July and just after Christmas, respectively); when we cornered USVI Commissioner of Tourism Beverly Nicholson-Doty, she shrewdly refused to say which was her favorite. Guess we'll have to figure it out ourselves.

If we can only get 20 of our friends to go, we can get a sweet deal. The Department of Tourism just launched a group rewards promotion where large groups get a $50 credit per person that can be used on the islands. And the only thing better than getting out of the rest of winter would be taking all our nearest and dearest with us.

Related Stories:
· In Case Anyone Has Any Money Left, The US Virgin Islands Are On Sale [Jaunted]
· Obamacation in the Virgin Islands [Jaunted]

[Photo: *Hiro]

Tourism Marketing / Tourism Boards / Tourism Board Travel / Comedy / Lewis Black / Recession Travel / → All Tags

Cranky Travel: Can Lewis Black Save Aruba Tourism?

Because of their overwhelming dependence on tourism, the islands of the Caribbean have been hit especially hard by the latest global economic bummer. I read in the Economist this morning that the number of visitors is likely to fall by up to a third, a forecast that has prompted the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island to lay off 800 workers and caused investors to pull out of several planned multi-billion-dollar resort complexes. Usually in a business downturn, companies cut their marketing budgets, but there are always a few radicals that double down instead, gunning for visibility in a diminished field. Aruba is doubling down in this recession with a big advertising push that features the grouchy comedian and satirist Lewis Black, and it just might work.

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Tourism Boards / Cleveland Tourism / Rock and Roll Hall of Fame / → All Tags

Cleveland's Got a Sunny New Outlook

In a depressed world, at least one Midwestern city is staying positive: It's been a year since Cleveland's visitors bureau changed its name to Positively Cleveland, and the city still has things to be happy about, from some special Central African visitors to the return of rock'n'roll.

Of course the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame never left Cleveland, but its April 4th induction ceremony will be held in The Cleve for the first time in 12 years, with inductees to include Metallica and RUN-D.M.C.. In town for the ceremony? After you've blown $35-$75 for the tickets, you'll appreciate the Hall of Fame's free-admission day April 4 and free concert (artists TBA) on April 2.

Visitors all rocked out might want to check out the quieter Cleveland Museum of Art (11150 East Blvd.), where an exhibit of central African sculptures opens March 1st. Cleveland is also home to the International Women's Air and Space Museum (1501 N. Marginal Rd.), whose free exhibit on the life of Amelia Earhart opens March 13.

Related Stories:
· Cleveland Rocks Less Than New York Sketch [Jaunted]
· Holy Smokes, It's The Real "A Christmas Story" House [Jaunted]
· Cleveland Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo of Cleveland's Terminal Tower: JW Ogden]

Travel Facts / Los Angeles Travel / Tourism Boards / Lauren Conrad / → All Tags

Random Facts About LA We Bet You (and Lauren Conrad) Didn't Know

Sure, you might have been to LaLa Land before, hopped from club to club in Hollywood, taken a tour of the stars’ homes, and frolicked in the waves at Santa Monica, but there are some things we bet you didn’t know about California’s city by the sea. Like, actual real people live there! Not just fembots and Ken Dolls.

While LA's tourism board is using Paris-Hilton speak in its new advertising campaign, "That's So LA" as well as relying (again) on celebrities like The Hills star Lauren Conrad to dish out their favorite sites, we decided to keep things a little more high-brow here. We've compiled a list of little-known LA trivia so you can set yourself apart from the 20 million other people who visit each year. You may even learn something that LC doesn't know.

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Australia Travel / Tourism Boards / Aborigines / → All Tags

Australian Vacations May Save Marriages

There's no need for marriage counselors when you have strange videos and sub-$1,000 fares luring you to Australia these days. However, Australia.com seems to feel that if you don't vacation in Australia then you'll probably end up getting a divorce.

Check out this weird, yet beautifully shot video by Australia.com. Those Aussies apparently are all about good cinematography and odd perspective.

Basically, if you've lost sight of the simple treasures in life, you're in deep doo doo. Imagine in this economy, working too hard at your job. (On a rainy day at that!) You're working so hard that once again you've forgotten to call your boo to say that you'll be late for dinner again. But it has been one too many times now, and he says you've changed. You're not the sprite girl he married. And that's why you better book that trip Down Under STAT.

Otherwise he's going to leave you for an aborigine. Well, not quite. The insert of a shirtless, whispering indigenous Australian lad with muddy feet and unkempt hair certainly isn't PC though. Well, unless they made him SAG in a latent attempt at reparations. Let's hope that they at least gave him a shirt and some shoes.

We're not sure where the inspiration for this ad came from, but if you have a story of Australia saving your marriage or relationship, let us know.

Related Stories:
· Tourism Boards Coverage [Jaunted]
· Australia Travel [Jaunted]

Tourism Boards / Chicago Tourism / Tourist Websites / Olympics / → All Tags

Don't Just Choose Chicago, Explore It!

Chicago called and it wants you to get more active. Or at least that's the message we're getting from the Chicago Office of Tourism's new site Explore Chicago, a dynamic (at least in name) change from its former web-home ChooseChicago.com.

ExploreChicago.org shares a background color and a similar slow rotation of chipper photos with its predecessor, but it gives more on-page real estate to newsy items like hotel deals and anything involving Barack Obama. (Not surprising -- banners with the Shepard Fairey Obama design still carpeted downtown when we were there a few weeks ago.)

We're liking the event search on the front page and the "Travel Tools" pull-down menu, although we're skeptical about this Insider Profile -- would mild-mannered Lin really join the drunken crowds at The Wiener's Circle? [NSFW!]

We're guessing the website enhancements could be tied to the Windy City's bid for the 2016 Summer Games as it faces off against 2012 finalist Madrid, 1964 host Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro, which could become the first South American city to host. Chicago won't learn its fate till October, when the IOC meets in Copenhagen, but it's never too early to put on that welcoming face.

Related Stories:
· Wide-Eyed Travel: The Death-Defying Chicago Air and Water Show [Jaunted]
· Sorry Chicago: Virgin America Is Headed To Boston [Jaunted]
· Chicago Tourism coverage [Jaunted]

Hell No We Won't Go / Tourism Boards / → All Tags

Thais Trying To Turn Tourism Tide

Seems shutting down your international airport for eight days doesn't do good things for tourism! Thai officials say as many as 1 million visitors will now stay away in the wake of the closure and the broader political crisis in Thailand. This month alone, just 500,000 tourists are expected to arrive, just one third the crowd the country was expecting.

The head of Thailand's tourism ministry says the latest downturn is the worst in the agency's 48-year history, trumping even the crash after the 2004 tsunami. Hotels corroborate the stats from the government, talking to Reuters about 25 percent occupancy rates at a time of year when 7 of every 10 rooms are booked.

Even the transvestite go-go dancers are having a tough time:

“Right now, business is so slow. Some nights, only one customer,” said Jodie, a 24-year-old transvestite go-go dancer teetering around the capital’s Nana red-light district in spike-heeled, thigh-high boots.

Related Stories:
· Worst Slump in Decades for Thai Tourism [NYT]
· Bangkok International Airport Still Protest Central [Jaunted]
· Thai Airport Standoff Proves World Is Indeed Flat [Jaunted]

[Photo: René Ehrhardt]

Laptop Travel / Queensland Travel / Facebook / Websites / Tourism Boards / Tourism Marketing / → All Tags

Queenslanders Not Backward in Going Forward With Facebook

You might not know about the cheesy 1980s marketing pitch for the north-eastern Australia state of Queensland: "Beautiful one day, perfect the next."

While tropical storms and embarrassing politicians might have spoiled this image of perfection, you can't say Queensland's not trying in the tourism game. They've even got an official Facebook page and we actually like it.

It's a lively page with people leaving messages on the "wall" (usually Queenslanders giving a really biased opinion), competitions to enter and useful info on festivals and events taking place around the state. And last time we checked, Queensland was the proud owner of 2,128 fans.

According to this Facebook page, Queensland's current logo is "Where else but Queensland?" A risky marketing strategy because actually, there are plenty of alternative answers to this rhetorical question. We'll be generous enough to leave it unanswered.

Related Stories:
· Queensland on Facebook [Official Site]
· Queensland Travel Guide [Jaunted]