Year: 2021

Here we go again…the new travel planning confusion

Written on August 11, 2021.

Deja vu. In May 2020, I wrote about the patchwork quilt of mandates and regulations facing travelers going into the summer season. Sadly, we’re stitching together another new and confusing quilt for travelers to navigate. And even though we should be experienced at this by now, we’re...

How “chainy” is your community?

Written on July 21, 2021.

The term “Generica” dates back at least 19 years and is widely attributed to Barry Pitegoff, vice president of research for Visit Florida in the early 2000s. It’s been a staple of tourism marketing discussions ever since. As noted then by Pitegoff, “The strategic marketing...

Tourism will help save American retail, the oft-overlooked economic engine of the sector

Written on June 13, 2021.

We’ve known for years that shopping is one of the leading destination activities for leisure travelers. No, it’s not usually a motivator of destination selection, but the siren call of tourism-driven shopping has always been a major economic stimulant of a local economy.

This summer, be kind when you unwind

Written on June 1, 2021.

I just returned from a week-plus vacation trip across the American Southwest with my wife and daughter. The journey was our first trip of any substantial length since the pandemic commenced, and we had a great time seeing the classic sights of the Southwest: Santa Fe, the Painted Desert, the Grand...

What I Learned at My Summer (and Fall) Job

Written on May 4, 2021.

Before most of us worried about paying the rent or saving for a child’s college education, there was the summer job. Many of us worked summer jobs in high school and college that may not have been relevant to our future careers, but which still shaped our lives for many years to come. Whenever...