-
Turkish Airlines prepares for Istanbul New Airport amid rumors of stake…
Matt Falcus Transportation Technology & AutomotiveTurkish Airlines, on the back of its highest ever load factors, has undertaken a trial operation of the Istanbul New Airport and announced plans for the largest movement of equipment in civil aviation history ahead of its October opening. It has certainly been a momentous time for the Turkish flag carrier and its growing dominance of air travel in Europe and the Middle East. On Aug. 9, the airline reported it carried a record 7.5 million passengers and 119,000 tons of cargo in July, marking its best ever month, with a $258 million net operating profit in the first half of 2018.
-
Big Sur back in action as Highway 1 reopens
Dave G. Houser Recreation & LeisureCalifornia’s most famous road trip is back on. For the first time in 14 months, Highway 1 — aka the Pacific Coast Highway — is open without interruption, after a quarter-mile chunk of it in Big Sur was wiped away in a massive landslide last year. Over the years, landslides have taken out portions of the iconic highway, but none were as big as the so-called Mud Creek slide in May 2017, when more than 6 million cubic yards of earth collapsed into the sea following torrential rains.
-
Restaurants create social buzz, opportunity for hotel marketers
Bambi Majumdar Travel, Hospitality & Event ManagementThe recent 2018 Global Digital Report from We Are Social and Hootsuite revealed that a million new social media users are "born" every day. This is an incredible opportunity for hotel marketers. The 2018 CMO Survey showed that companies are spending 12 percent of their marketing budgets on social media. This percentage will accelerate in the coming years. Before they allocate budgets, it is essential that hotel marketers understand what kind of social posts work for them. A generic plan will not work.
-
Historic California wildfires ignite blame game
Michelle R. Matisons Law Enforcement, Defense & SecurityYou already know there are some serious wildfires burning in California and the west. So what’s new? What’s new is that the Mendocino Complex fire is now the largest in California history. This fire is so large that one astronaut on the International Space Station — 250 miles above Earth — tweeted a photo of the infernos as seen from space. The really bad news is that fires are expected to burn the rest of August as high temperatures further fan the flames.
-
Hotels try to pull in travelers with larger loyalty programs
Linchi Kwok Travel, Hospitality & Event ManagementBigger usually means better, especially when it comes to hotel loyalty programs. Otherwise, why are hotel chains building bigger travel rewards programs? Marriott acquired the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Group in 1995 and then Starwood Hotels and Resorts in 2016, but it was not until this April that the company announced its plan to combine the three chains' independent rewards programs under one operation. The merger of these three travel rewards programs brought a combined membership of 110 million travelers into the new program.
-
Should you refrain from posting your hunt on social media?
John McAdams Recreation & LeisureIt’s the same story over and over again: a hunter posts a photo on social media of an animal that he or she harvested, someone with a large social following expresses condemnation of the hunt, and then a firestorm of disapproval ensues for the next few days. Then, the whole process repeats itself a few weeks later. Regardless of where the hunt took place, the end result is never good: the hunter is the object of harassment, and the hunting community in general gets a lot of negative publicity in the media. So, what can be done to break this cycle?
-
Edmonton tackles fence security with autonomous vehicles
Matt Falcus Transportation Technology & AutomotiveEdmonton International Airport (EIA) is leading the way in developing systems to protect the safety of its perimeter by introducing a new autonomous vehicle that offers an extra set of eyes around the miles of fencing that are hard to patrol in person. I reported last month about the problems airports are facing in securing the vast areas of land away from the passenger terminals, which could prove an easy target to those intent on breaking onto airport property and causing danger.
-
Wolves, transport infrastructure and ‘trophic cascades’
Lucy Wallwork Transportation Technology & AutomotiveWhat have wolves got to do with railway lines? A video that has gone viral on YouTube tells the story of so-called "trophic cascades" through the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone National Park — a small-scale change that set off a chain reaction of responses in the park’s complex ecosystem. Yellowstone Park may seem a far cry from the transport infrastructure of our biggest cities. However, the same processes set in action by the wolves can help to better understand how we should approach planning our highways, railways and streets.
-
4 fascinating state capitol buildings
Cindy Belt Recreation & LeisureA great place to visit in each state is a state’s capitol building. I love the history, the stories behind it, the architecture, and that visiting capitol buildings is free! Most capitols also have free tours available, so you can hear more stories. There are two issues to remember…you may need to go through a metal detector. Also, parking can be difficult in these cities. Parking an RV would be very difficult. Here are four intriguing capitol buildings.
-
Going underground: America’s most amazing cave tours
Dave G. Houser Recreation & LeisureWith more than 50,000 caves within the United States, there’s a mysterious and intriguing world to explore beneath the surface. Natural caverns reveal spectacular geologic formations like you’ll never see on the surface. For some, the prospect of venturing underground is exhilarating. For others it is frightening. But as noted author and mythologist Joseph Campbell once wrote, "The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek." So, strike your best Indiana Jones pose — and let’s go spelunking!
All Travel, Hospitality & Event Management Articles