Tag: Tourism

A Vacation Of A Lifetime

There are many places that could claim that bold assertion…..places like Paris, London, Ibiza, Greece, etc but now we can add one more destination to that list….the country of….(what for it)….North Korea.

It’s not like North Korea tops any “top vacation destinations” lists, but tour companies on Wednesday were still excitedly touting the latest news out of the secluded nation: After nearly five years of even further isolation brought by COVID, the North will open its borders again to foreign tourists. “We have received confirmation from our local partner that tourism to Samjiyon and likely the rest of the country will officially resume in December 2024,” Koryo Tours, based in Beijing, announced on its website, per Reuters.

Another company, KTG Tours, made a similar announcement about Samjiyon—a mountainous town known for its winter activities, and where the country says a “socialist utopia” is being built—on its own site. Per the BBC, that agency wrote on its Facebook page that “we think that Pyongyang and other places will open too!!!”

NK News notes that most of the North’s prepandemic tourists came out of China, though visitors also included “several thousand Westerners” annually. The nation shut its borders once COVID hit, and it only recently started allowing Russian tourists in earlier this year, thanks to warming relations between Pyongyang and Moscow. Chad O’Carroll, who heads up the US-based analysis firm Korea Risk Group, is wary of the news. “I will believe it when I see it,” he tells the BBC. “For now, I am quite skeptical we will see any real movement in December.”

Seriously?

Well when Donald the Orange was visiting he talked about condos on a beach there….maybe that enticed Li’l Kim to consider opening up for some tourist dollars.

But before you dash off to sign up consider this….as an American what are your chances of being arrested for spying?

Would you chance your freedom and possible torture and death to visit this little nation?

I will pass….I will read about it in the funny papers.

Choose wisely for your next vacay.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

The Mississippi Aquarium

My final post on this Saturday….is one of congrats to the new Mississippi Aquarium that open September 2020 on the day that Katrina destroyed the Coast.

Gulfport’s very own Mississippi Aquarium has reeled in one very prestigious recognition.

It looks like they’re big fish now as they ranked number four by USA Today as one of the top ten in the category ‘Best New Attraction.’

They were selected by a poll with people from all over the country voting. The aquarium is thrilled to receive this award, especially considering they’ve only been open since September 1st.

While the fish, alligators, and birds probably had something to do with it, the aquarium says they’re really thankful for the people. Mississippi Aquarium President and CEO Kurt Allen said, “Our community support in Gulfport and the state has been tremendous. We have over 6,000 members already supporting us in our mission. Everything we’ve done is built on education, conservation, and community. So, we’re always trying to foster a relationship in those three areas. Everything has been really, really positive so far.”

(wxxv.com)

I offer my congrats for a job well done.

But there is a problem……

Us mere peasants cannot afford to visit the attraction…..it cost $30 dollars per visit….no discounts for locals that would generate more income in my opinion.

Other than that it is a marvelous attraction for our visitors.

Have a good day…..be well….be safe….

“lego ergo scribo”

Where Are Those Tourists?

Closing Thought–10Sep19

My region is a mecca for sun worshipers and more recently gamblers…..

I live on the Gulf Coast and we have people on our beaches year round…..but for the last couple of months the beaches have been empty…..the only activities has been the machines used to groom the beaches…..why is this?

Ship Island Excursions has survived hurricanes, global recessions, a world war and a host of economic challenges since the ferry company began taking passengers to the barrier islands that dot coastal Mississippi in the 1920s. But this year, a new threat has emerged: an explosion of blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, that has shut down virtually all of Mississippi’s beaches since July 4. 

No one knows when the algae will disappear, and many wonder how many businesses that operate in the region will survive the hit. 

“Beach vendors have been wiped out,” said Louis Skrmetta, operations manager for Ship Island Excursions. “I’ve never seen something so dramatic. It’s very similar to the BP oil spill…people are frightened to just walk in the sand.”

Scientists have never seen anything like this before in the ocean off’s Mississippi coast ― blue-green algal blooms are normally confined to fresh-water species. Mississippi officials say the bloom is the result of record flooding this year in the Midwest, which has pushed a deluge of polluted, nitrogen-rich water down the Mississippi River. It has forced state officials to issue water and health advisories warning people to stay out of the water and to avoid contaminated seafood. 

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/algae-mississippi-gulf-of-mexico_n_5d715cc6e4b03b3b730a914a

Oysters are big business down here and 90% of the reefs are dead and will take years to come back.

The only creatures that are enjoying the serene days are the several bird species that use these beaches for nesting.

Plus the casinos have helped some of the businesses survive this down turn….a hit below the belt to a region that depends on the waters and beaches of the Gulf for their livelihood.

We will make it through….we did for Katrina and then from the BP spill and now this…..a lot of hits and the people keep smiling and trying…..am hardy bunch indeed.

“Lego Ergo Scribo”

The Civil War Fades

I live in the South and the last home of Confederate president Jefferson Davis is right down the road from me…..I was talking with a guy that works at the home which is now a museum and he complained that the tourist were not flocking to the site as they once did….

And then I read a news report on the Civil War…..

Museums and historical sites are making changes to appeal to a broader audience in the face of declining interest in the Civil War. Data from the National Park Service shows that its five major Civil War battlefield parks drew 3.1 million visitors in 2018, down from about 10.2 million in 1970. Gettysburg, the best-known battle site, had about 950,000 visitors last year; that was 14% of its draw in 1970 and the fewest visitors since 1959, the Wall Street Journal reports. In response, museums and sites are trying to present a fuller picture of history. Often, they focused on “who shot who where,” said one history teacher, “with no explanation of why people were there shooting each other.” The American Civil War Museum that just opened in Richmond includes information on slavery and the war’s effect on civilians. In response to the narrative that slavery wasn’t a core issue in the war, its director says the museum is taking the war’s history “back from the crazies.”

The number of Civil War re-enactors also appears to be dropping. Louis Varnell competed with several military-memorabilia shops when he opened his near Chickamauga Battlefield in Georgia in the 2000s; now, only his remains. People who were interested in reenacting Civil War battles in costume are now too old or are more interested in reenacting as Vietnam War troops or cowboys, he said. “Cowboy re-enacting is where bitter, jaded Civil War re-enactors go,” Varnell told the Journal. A Civil War reenactor in Georgia said, “The younger generations are not taught to respect history, and they lose interest in it.

This American war seem to be more popular in Europe than it is here at home where t was fought.

The younger generations find nothing romantic about this war…they see it as a time when the US was divided and the only way it could solve its division was with a war…..the perfect American answer.

In The Land Of The Lost

Before I get into the meat of my post there is a bit of ranting I need to get off my chest…..stupid people!

People like those that go climb a mountain in Winter and get caught in a snow storm and need to be rescued…..but they were experienced….no they were stupid.

Okay more….remember those Americans in Iraq that went for a hike and winded up in Iran and we arrested as spies….stupid people…in a war zone and have no idea where they were…stupid.

Then there are those people that go to North Korea or Iran on “vacation”….seriously two rogue states and they wanted to go on a walk around…..stupid people!

And now for today’s rant…..it seems that a couple went into a war torn country like Burkina Faso for a walk around…..stupid!

Burkina Faso?

Image result for burkina faso images

Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) achieved independence from France in 1960. Repeated military coups during the 1970s and 1980s were followed by multiparty elections in the early 1990s. Former President Blaise COMPAORE (1987-2014) resigned in late October 2014 following popular protests against his efforts to amend the constitution’s two-term presidential limit. An interim administration organized presidential and legislative elections – finally held in November 2015 – where Roch Marc Christian KABORE was elected president. The country experienced terrorist attacks in its capital in 2016, 2017, and 2018 and continues to mobilize resources to counter terrorist threats. Burkina Faso’s high population growth, recurring drought, pervasive and perennial food insecurity, and limited natural resources result in poor economic prospects for the majority of its citizens.

Now for the two that disappeared……

It was Edith Blais’ “lifelong dream” to travel to Africa, her mother tells the CBC. But after the 34-year-old Quebec woman achieved that dream last year, she disappeared—she and her companion, 30-year-old Italian man Luca Tacchetto, have not been heard from since Dec. 15. They were in Burkina Faso at the time, and on Sunday, Canadian officials said their vanishing is being treated as a kidnapping, the CBC reports. The pair was planning to travel to the capital city, Ouagadougou, for a few days before heading to the neighboring West African nation of Togo to work on a restoration project for a month. But they never arrived. While many have reached out with tips via a Facebook page Blais’ family set up to help with the search, her mother says what’s “difficult” is that “there is nothing tangible” and it’s not clear what leads should be followed up on.

Blais’ mother says her daughter, a visual artist, led a bohemian lifestyle, traveling often since age 18; she and Tacchetto were in Europe before heading to Africa. “They weren’t worried about anything,” Blais sister tells CTV of the traveling companions. “They were having a really happy trip. She has been dreaming about traveling to Africa for all of her life.” But a former Canadian diplomat tells CTV he cautions against traveling in the troubled region, and the Canadian government has an active travel advisory for Burkina Faso advising against any non-essential travel. Of particular concern are its borders with Mali, Niger, Benin, and Togo due to threats including terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping. A state of emergency was declared in Burkina Faso last week following terrorist attacks in the north.

Did these two “rocket scientists” think about checking for travel advisories?  It is not hard…the internet has all the info they would have needed…..

Travel aboard information from the UK……

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advise against all travel to the following parts of Burkina Faso: all areas of the country north of the town of Boulsa; areas within 40km of the western border with Mali and 40km within of the eastern border with Niger; the south-eastern provinces of Gourma, Kompienga, and Tapoa (including the W National Park and the Arly National Park and their contiguous reserves and hunting areas).

The FCO advise against all but essential travel to the rest of Burkina Faso, including the capital Ouagadougou.

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/burkina-faso

The US also…..

Reconsider travel to Burkina Faso due to terrorism.  Some areas have increased risk.  Read the entire Travel Advisory.

Do not travel to:

  • The northern Sahel border region shared with Mali and Niger due to crime and terrorism.
  • The provinces of Kmoandjari, Tapoa, Kompienga, and Gourma in East Region due to crime and terrorism.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/burkina-faso-travel-advisory.html

These are the warnings from all the nations about travel in Burkina Faso…..https://www.reisewarnung.net/en/burkina-faso

All these warnings and these two went hey how dangerous could it be?  Let’s give it a go!

You Can’t Fix Stupid!

Congress Considers Banning Tourism to North Korea

Seriously?

There is no ban in place right now?  You mean the way that Americans keep vanishing in NK and so far it is okay to go there on a holiday?

US legislators are considering a tourism ban to North Korea. While there are many reasons not to visit the hostile country, such a restriction would be an illogical overreach in government policy.

Actually, don’t. The Kim family regime has been kidnapping American citizens and using them as leverage against the United States government—what Korean experts call “hostage diplomacy”—for years. And on the off chance you haven’t heard, earlier this month it sent University of Virginia student Otto Warmbier home with a fatal brain injury after first sentencing him to fifteen years of slave labor.

Source: Congress Considers Banning Tourism to North Korea | World Affairs Journal

Holy Crap!  How many Americans have been imprisoned in NK over the years?  And yet you can still get a visa?  Better yet, why would you want one?

First of all, what moron wakes up one morning and says “hey a trip to North Korea might be fun”?

And yet almost every year we read about an American that has gone to North Korea and then been arrested for espionage or something as lame…..and they keep coming…..exactly what is the big attraction that drives some to want to visit?

This boggles the mind that there is still a way to get a visa to visit NK…….seems like that would have been one of the first sanctions to go into place….but apparently no one thought that far ahead.

I mean…..really?

Stand By Your Man

Not a cheesy country song from the 60’s…..but this about our new leader, Trump and his supporters.

I visit lots of different blogs and most are well thought out and well written….even some of the ones that cheer lead for Trump.  I do not mind that they support their man…all good American voters should stand by their choices….but there are times when they seem to be less in support and more just cheese eating….

There is even an article about this phenom…..

Lee Snover is a born-again Christian, a mother of one, and a boss. She runs a drywall and framing business based in Northampton, Pennsylvania. She manages 15 full-time employees – 50 when you count subcontractors. She calls them her “guys”. They work in four states. She supported John McCain for president in 2008 and Mitt Romney in 2012. She wasn’t in love with either candidate, but it didn’t matter. Her father was a Republican activist and she took after him. She has always been a loyal party soldier.

Then Donald Trump came along, and Snover’s investment in politics changed. “Whatever it takes, that’s what was running through my mind,” she told the Guardian last week. “If I have to lose it all, I need for him to win.”

Source: Trump loyalists stand by their man – but the resistance is taking root | US news | The Guardian

Like the article said…even some of his biggest supporters in the election are starting to see that he is NOT the person they thought he was during the campaign…..

For instance the lies about jobs….jobs….jobs!

There is one industry that is just not seeing an uptick in business and will not create many new jobs that is unless something changes….tourism…..

America – that great land of opportunity – doesn’t seem to be an attractive travel destination anymore.

At least that’s the conclusion being drawn from a study by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), who claim that the US travel industry suffered $185million (£148million) in lost revenue since Trump’s executive order banned citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries.

According to travel agency Hopper, flight search demand to the US dropped 17 per cent since Trump’s inauguration and the implementation of the travel ban. This is compared to the final weeks of Obama’s presidency.

In fact, flight searches to the US dropped in 94 of the 122 countries Hopper has data on.

Source: Donald Trump’s presidency has cost US tourism £148million already | indy100

But never fear these nose picking ass scratchers that support Trump will have an answer for this slow down in tourism….and I for one cannot wait for it.

The one I want to hear about from these people is the money spent.

For 8 years there was endless whining and ranting about how much the Ohama get-a-ways cost the taxpayer…..they would go on and on about the money that was wasted on the trips and the golf games……and now I want to hear from them on this steaming pile of manure…..

A few years ago, President Trump called then-President Obama’s travel expenses “unbelievable,” ABC News reports. According to the Washington Post, those expenses were estimated at $97 million over eight years. Trump and his family are on pace to exceed that total in just seven months, and taxpayers are footing the bill, New York Magazine reports. It starts with the president himself. Despite once promising he would “rarely leave the White House,” Trump is spending the weekend at Mar-a-Lago for the third week in a row. Those three trips are estimated to have cost the US Treasury about $10 million. And the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office says it pays $60,000 in overtime for every day Trump is at his golf resort.

But it doesn’t end with the president. New York City is paying $500,000 per day for security at Trump Tower, where Melania Trump and Barron are living, and estimates it will spend more than $180 million per year. Meanwhile, Trump’s adults sons and their Secret Service detail are in the United Arab Emirates for a Trump-brand golf course opening this weekend. A similar trip to Uruguay recently cost the Secret Service and US Embassy nearly $100,000. All told, the Trump family’s “unusually elaborate lifestyle” is expected to cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars over the next few years—far more than is typical for presidents. And some of that money will go directly to Trump himself, as he hasn’t divested from his businesses.

There is one thing you can say about Obama and his trips…..not much to the money spent went into is personal checking accounts….can Trump say the same thing?

Did I Read That Right?

My last post today….weather is great and I will spend some time doing absolutely nothing…….

Commercial ads are getting clever these days…..the dogs and Subaru are great….but I found one from Australia that made me look twice……

If Virginia being for lovers makes you blush, a new tourism slogan for Australia’s Northern Territory will likely give you heart palpitations. Newshub of New Zealand warns its article “contains language which may offend some people,” and there’s really no way around that. “CU in the NT,” reads the slogan, with a sub-slogan continuing, “The top end. Different from the bottom end.” Though it’s the brainchild of the official-sounding NT Official, Mashable reports that it’s not actually a government-produced or -supported tourism effort but rather a self-described “independent underground campaign.” Says a rep via email, “We are … fronted by a guerrilla group of people with the aim of promoting travel awareness to the Northern Territory region.”

But it would be easy to mistake the campaign for something, well, official. BuzzFeed notes the group’s logo bears more than a passing similarity to the government’s, with both relying on a large NT in a similar font. A marketing director with the official-official Tourism NT says there is no affiliation “with the website or Facebook page of NTOfficial.com or any of their promotions,” and, further, “we will not be commenting on this activity.” Speaking of comments, there are plenty on Facebook, some horrified, some in the “BAHAHAHAHAHAHA” vein

What more can we say?

Vacation To Die For

My weekend begins and it is Summer…what better time to think about a vacation, right?

From time to time I read something in the news that takes me aback and makes me ask…..WTF?

I do not understand some people’s choice for a overseas visit…you know those idiots that go to North Korea or Iran knowing full well that there is no love lost for Americans….but that does not matter it is the trip of a lifetime, right?

I saw one the other day about an attack on a tourist bus in Afghanistan…seriously?  A bus full of tourists in Afghanistan?

Foreign tourists being escorted by an army convoy in western Afghanistan have been ambushed by gunmen in an attack that left at least seven people wounded, Afghan officials say.

Twelve tourists from the UK, the US and Germany were attacked in the Chesht-e-Sharif district of Herat province on Thursday while on their way to Herat from Bamiyan and Ghor provinces.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement. Spokesman Qari Yousef Ahmadi said the foreigners were killed – a claim the governor’s office denied.

“A group of Taliban fighters conducted the attack on the tourists, injuring at least six,” Jalani Farhad, spokesman for the Herat governor, told Al Jazeera. “However, no one is dead.”

Al Jazeera’s Qais Azimy, reporting from the capital, Kabul, said the tourists’ vehicle had been hit by an RPG.

He described the convoy’s route as a “dangerous one”, adding that “even Afghans would avoid travelling on that road.

“This journey is three days long by road, and most of it is controlled by warlords, thieves and, of course, the Taliban,” our correspondent said.

“All these things are raising lots of questions; why did these foreigners, in the first place, decide to travel on that road,” he said, adding that “no embassy, in no country, would recommend to their citizens to take that road. Everyone knows about the risk.”

(AL Jazeera)

WTF?

Sorry I just cannot understand the ignorance of some people….scratch that…the STUPIDITY of some people…..just what was so goddamn important that one would risk their life to visit?

Just what happens to one’s brain chemistry to make then say….gee hon why not go for 2 weeks in Afghanistan this Summer.

Who the Hell booked this visit?  Do they have guided ours of Syria?

I think I will just stay in place and bitch about the heat.

“Papers? Show Me Your Papers.”

Remember those lines from every World War 2 movie you have ever seen?  Always some jack booted a/hole demanding to see the heroes papers before he gets on a train and escapes.

I even joked about it coming to that after 9/11 and the rush for everyone to have a proper ID (papers)…..this would guarantee our safety and help control the bad element……it was humorous post on my part…..but recent events have come to light that make it not so humorous anymore……

This from a short piece in Time’s leisure section…….

Starting in 2016, travelers from five U.S. states will not be able to use their driver’s licenses as ID to board domestic flights—a pretty major development considering an estimated 38 percent of Americans don’t have passports.

The standard licenses from New York, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and American Samoa are considered “noncompliant” with the security standards outlined in the Real ID Act, which was enacted back in 2005 but is being implemented in stages. Why are these specific licenses deemed sub-par? In these five states, getting a license doesn’t require proof of citizenship or residency.

The new rules will go into effect sometime in 2016 (the exact date has not been announced), and there will be a three-month forgiveness period, during which people with these licenses will be warned that their IDs are no longer valid for flights.

Here’s the breakdown: if you’re from one of these states, “acceptable” IDs include passports and passport cards, as well as permanent resident cards, U.S. military ID, and DHS trusted traveler cards such a Global Entry and NEXUS.  (what about those damn silly voter IDs?)

The TSA will also accept Enhanced Driver’s Licenses, the kind that are currently used to replace passports for travel to and from  Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Of the noncompliant states, only New York and Minnesota issue enhanced licenses.

For families from these states, at least children under 18 years old do not need ID when traveling with a companion.

Only thing missing since TSA and others are wearing black uniforms will be the line….”Papers?  Show me your papers”…….

As long as we are talking about flying and the chance of a TSA grope…..how about this piece about flying?

Source: Flying the Unfriendly Skies of America by Tom Engelhardt — Antiwar.com

Can you remember when traveling was an enjoyable pursuit?  I can.  Those days are gone, my friend.