Tuesday, February 28, 2006

LicketyTrip.com

This site uses a Google Map to display Last Minute Vacation Rentals, which they define as rentals that available in the coming two-week period (sounds appropriate to me). Last minute rentals are not necessarily a Web 2.0 phenomenon, but the use of Google Maps is. All you do is click on the Map Pin to get an instant pop up of the property -- incredibly fast, fun and easy to use! They don't have a lot of properties up at the moment, probably because they are so new.

I think we will soon be seeing more of these kinds of mapping applications beyond the last minute travel realm.

MBA & Ph.D. in eTourism

A Web 2.0 Tool? Possibly. In any event, there is nothing like a good dose of higher education to help that salary and career along...

-----Original Message-----
From: Frew, Andrew [AFrew@QMUC.ac.uk]
Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2006 7:52 AM
To: TRINET-L@HAWAII.EDU
Subject: Ph.D. scholarships

There are opportunities to study for a Ph.D. in the field of eTourism:
If you are interested in any of these topics just get in touch or perhaps post on relevant notice boards.

By the way our MBA (eTourism) survey is still open if you are interested.

Kind regards, Andy

Andrew J Frew, Ph.D.
Professor/Chair of IT and Tourism; Director, SITI
School of Business and Enterprise, Queen Margaret University College
33 Clerwood Terrace, Corstorphine, Edinburgh, EH8 12TS, UK
Tel +44 131 317 3596; Fax +44 131 317 3777

Queen Margaret University College has been named Britain’s top higher education college in The Sunday Times University Guide 2005
- Editor-in-Chief; Information Technology and Hospitality
- President, Hospitality IT Association, HITA;
- President, International Federation of IT in Travel & Tourism, (IFITT)
Advisory Board, HITEC

Thursday, February 16, 2006

Podbop.org - Local bands podcast

Podbop is more entertainment than travel, but since so much of travel is recreation and entertainment, I think it probably fits here. This is a cool website/tool. Type in the name of a US city (unfortunately it is not yet available for the rest of the world) and you will be giving a list of upcoming live concerts and events, with links to some other event sites. The cool part is that you also get an RSS feed that will feed songs from the bands that are coming to your town. I am assuming that it works, as I have just subscribed for my town and have yet to download anything.

Thursday, February 09, 2006

VCarious.com Travel

Another social website worth checking out.

From the website:

VCarious is a community-based travel site. You can use VCarious to explore the world through dynamic travel guides and photos, meet other travelers, and share your experiences with family and friends.

Start by using GeoExplorer to browse content from all over the map. To find something specific try a Search. Want to meet friends? Try the User Search. Contribute to VCarious by editing any of the guides or listings. Or share your trip by adding your own journal and photos. Happy Travels!

Monday, February 06, 2006

Is Podcasting "The death of the guidebook? "

I saw this posted on the Amateur Traveler podcast shownotes (thanks Chris2!). I tend to agree with the conclusions to the article that guidebooks will not go away (I'll take a paper map over one on my PDA anytime!) -- and that destination podcasts will only grow in popularity. Most people want to learn as much as they can about the places that they visit and podcasts make a great supplement to guidebooks -- unless maybe if you are into Experimental Tourism!

NEW: Digital options lighten load for tourists - By Reuters February 18, 2006, 1:59 PM PST

Friday, February 03, 2006

TravelPod - The Web's Original Travel Blog

(click on title above to go to webpage)

TravelPod.com is devoted exclusively to travel blogs, aka online "travel journals" and "travelogues." Started in 1997, it probably was the first website to offer this service. Membership (which is free) allows you to submit blog entries about your trip, upload photographs, and even upload video and audio files (travel podcasts). You can create an address book of people who will be notified each time you make a blog entry of file upload. And, TravelPod will track your entries on a world map for others to see. Pretty cool!

Members also have access to personal guest books (blog visitors), budget travel resources, email accountes, newsletters, and discussion forums.

I started my blogging life this past year when my daughter recommended that I do a blog for a trip that I was taking the Golden Triangle region of Southeast Asia. I spent many a late evening writing up blog entires on my laptop, which I later uploaded to blogger/blogspot.com. For my next trip blog, I will probably be using TravelPod!

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

Podcasts about Tourism and Travel

(click the title above to access this website)

Some say that blogging was the birth of Web 2.0. Podcasting is essentially audio blogging and there has been a gradually growing number of podcasts related to travel. Travel and tourism podcasts tend to be of three types (with considerable overlap among individual podcasts):
  1. Destination Podcasts (describing and selling destinations)
  2. Travel Experience Podcasts (including sound-seeing tours)
  3. Travel/Tourism Industry and Education Podcasts (including news and opinion)
This website (which I maintain) focusses on #3 in this list, though it also includes links to podcasts directories that include destination and experience podcasts.

Mark Peacock of the Travel Commons podcast suggested that travel podcasts can also be divided into those that are Original (specifically for podcasting) and those that are Repurposed (originally broadcast as traditional radio programs, for example).

Here is a recent article on Travel Podcasts:
Digital options lighten load for tourists -
By Reuters February 18, 2006, 1:59 PM PST

NEW and Under Construction: Travelcasts - Travel and Tourism Podcasts Blog

TripAdvisor.com

TripAdvisor.com is the largest travel review site around, though its focus is mostly on selling hotel rooms. I heard that it was purchased by Expedia in 2005 to add some Web 2.0 to the Expedia website, though other than listing TripAdvisor as a "partner," there is no sign of this on eiter website.

TripAdvisor is far from the community comment tool that Yelp.com and 43Places.com are, but I would guess that they are looking at those sites for future development of their own.

From their website:

The largest site for unbiased travel reviews gives you the real story about hotels, attractions and restaurants around the world. Stories, secrets and special places from people just like you. Search, travel, then share your own experiences.
  • 3,000,000+ unbiased reviews and opinions you can trust
  • Updated every minute, every day by real travelers
  • "Been there, done that" inside information
  • The best deals for your travel dates