Apart from news and views on media covering tourism, travel, and hospitality, writers, editors, photogs, and bloggers share tips, leads, ideas, news, gripes. PR reps/journos ISO press releases/trips, see also "PR/Marketing." Opinions stated are not necessarily those of Tripatini.

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A tribute to my friend, the late travel media icon Arthur Frommer

  The legendary U.S. travel journalist and entrepreneur Arthur Frommer passed away November 18 at the age of 95. Born in Virginia and with an early boyhood in a small town in Missouri, Arthur was a lawyer who became a pioneering and great travel journalist, and who will be remembered as having helped open the joys of travel to the masses. While serving in the U.S. Army in Europe in the 1950s, he got the travel bug, came out with a travel guide for servicemen, and followed up in 1957 with…

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1 Reply · Reply by José Balido 14 hours ago

Free access to Encyclopaedia Britannica for journalists

My editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica has asked me to extend this offer to all my journalist colleagues. You are invited to enjoy free access to all its factchecked resources, and if you do link to a Britannica story in your articles, none of the content linked to will be paywalled. Your readers in turn will have full and free access to Britannica's content. To get your free, personal subscription, just go to britannica.com/journalists and enter the code: EXPERT-CONTENT.

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1 Reply · Reply by Michael Raviv Jul 18

What do you wear to Seven Magic Mountains?

Seven Magic Mountains is an art installation located in the Nevada desert, and the weather can be quite hot and dry. Therefore, it is recommended to wear comfortable and breathable clothing, such as shorts, t-shirts, and sandals or sneakers. You may also want to bring a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen to protect yourself from the sun. It's also a good idea to bring a bottle of water to stay hydrated. While there is no strict dress code, it's important to dress appropriately for the weather and…

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1 Reply · Reply by Surendra Singh Aug 7, 2023

What is global entry?

Global Entry is a program that allows pre-approved travelers to expedite the process of entering the United States.To apply for Global Entry, you must be a citizen or national of the United States, Mexico, or Canada and have a valid passport. You can also be a lawful permanent resident of the U.S., Canada, or Mexico.Once you have applied for Global Entry and been approved, you will receive an email with instructions on how to complete your interview appointment at any U.S. Customs and Border…

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  • Anyone know who's editing Wild Blue Yonder? I believe Staci is gone and no one over there wants to pick up a phone. Thanks.
  • Sure, Cliff, I'm quite aware that a number of countries already do this! I was simply discussing it in the U.S. context.
  • I was interviewed on the New York Nightly News last night, if anyone might be interested in watching it! http://www.nbcnewyork.com/station/as-seen-on/Family_Bike_Ride___Acr...
  • Hey David Paul Appell
    The US isn't the first, Australia have charged for a visitor visa for years.
    Cliff
  • Hey Tom Inglesby ... thanks for the feedback, something for me to think about.
    Best way is to enter Flights in the search box on the homepage http://www.traveljunkies.com
    Cliff
  • FYI, if anybody's interested, my interview with the BBC on the new US tourism promotion body and tax ran this past weekend. Here's the link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8626355.stm
    BBC News - Will a new visa charge hurt American tourism?
    Fast:track investigates if a new $10 (£7) charge when applying for a US visa will put people off visiting the country.
  • Hi Tom

    Take a look at www.traveljunkies.com and search for Flights for some cheap airline deals.

    Best Regards
    Cliff Chapman
    www.traveljunkies.com
  • Headed to Beaufort, NC (Outer Banks) wine and food fest and then a trip into NC's Yadkin Valley wine region. Anything really esoteric I should look for, let me know. These are for feature stories in print as well as winesdwonsouth.com.
  • URGENT: Tripatini Needs Your Travel Insurance Stories Within the Next 24 Hours

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    Tripatini editor-in-chief David Paul Appell needs to hear from you within 24 hours (no later than 12 noon US Eastern Time on Thursday, April 15, 2010) for a BBC World News story for which he is serving as a source. If your anecdote is selected, you may be quoted.

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  • Ed's right, this has been an extremely interesting exchange on this question here -- kudos to all! I think that Ed is also looking to articulate for the benefit of both the travel industry and the general public how they benefit by keeping to an updated version of the traditional view that gives at least somewhat more weight to the expertise and experience of pro travel journalists, in a landscape where we're all awash in travel content from amateurs, whether they be non-professional bloggers or Joe Traveler weighing in on Tripadvisor.

    Why are we still relevant, in other words? Not in some undefined future, once all the dust settles, but right here and now? They don't give a flying dingdong about our trials and tribulations -- they just want to know what's in it for them.

    Fact is, the public does get plenty of bang for their buck by swarming the likes of Tripadvisor, despite its well-demonstrated flaws. In part this is because all too many members of the public have grown to distrust elites and experts, and like the idea of taking advice from the average gal or the dude next door. Remember, not long ago we disdained the eggheaded candidate to elect the president we wanted to have a beer with.

    There are, I feel, 3 points worth emphasizing. Maybe some of this is obvious stuff, but presenting it all together like this may have some value.

    1. Blogs are becoming paramount -- but not just any old blogs

    The travel blogosphere, as crowded as it's been getting, is still in its teething stage and very much in flux. But because all of us are living and learning increasingly on the Internet these days, this is where attention must most be paid, and with proper care and feeding it can grow in importance against user-generated sites. The casual amateurs will be weeded out and the dedicated talents will rise to the top -- in a sense they'll still be an "elite" but one that's greatly democratized and optimized for the 21st century. As Lana pointed out, those who offer specialized knowledge will be especially in demand. Many in the travel industry have recognized this is a wave they can't afford to miss and have been engaging with bloggers, but my sense is that most are still clueless and need to be educated.

    2. Print media still has and will continue to have its place

    Having said all that, old media may be diminished but it's not dead, and some remnant is likely to retain some amount of influence among a more limited but still commercially desirable elite readership. They will become the coffee table books, as it were, of travel journalism. Yet even most of these outlets will not survive without extending their brand and presence online, and here their strong SEO will guarantee higher visibility for travel writers producing for them. And a significant portion of consumers of travel journalism still do respect its expertise and experience, and the travel industry will underestimate this at its own peril.

    3. A new paradigm: travel-journalist expertise meets social media democracy

    There's also a new model developing that combines the best of both worlds -- traditional travel journalism's expertise and social media's ethos of democratic access. And here's where I get to immodestly plug Tripatini, which for that reason we view as the next stage in the development of travel social sites. We bring media of varying degrees of professionalism together to learn from each other, the public, and the travel industry, and conversely to give the public and the travel industry access to travel writers and broadcasters. Though admittedly in its early stages, Tripatini is an experiment that can only help strengthen the relevance of travel journalists in the second decade of the 21st century and beyond.
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