Oscar Wilde said, “Only the unimaginative can fail to find a reason for drinking champagne.” The production of Champagne dates back hundreds of years, and the accumulated know-how and substantial public relations have made France and French products one of the most emblematic “wine countries” on the planet. France is the only place in the […]
I Want a Baby: Travel with a Purpose!
Whether the travel plan folder is labeled Fertility Tourism, Reproductive Travel, or Cross Border Reproductive Care, women and couples are leaving their home zip codes with “make a baby” at the top of their to-do list. Making a Baby It is estimated that 186 million couples in these countries (excluding China) have spent at least […]
Death Tourism: Travel with a purpose
Planning to travel? Your motivation is likely going to fall into one of these boxes: 1. Visits to friends and family2. Vacation3. Business What is missing from the list? People who travel to commit suicide. What is it? Death tourism (a specific type of medical tourism) is a system whereby non-terminally ill individuals travel to […]
Tourism and Pandemics: Do They Coexist?
What makes COVID-19 different from previous diseases in the speed and reach of the virus and the extent of the contagion beyond the traveler to the destination? Tourism is about movement. Pandemics are about stopping a spread. It does not matter if your news source is social media, television networks, or print, the link between […]
Tourism Impasse: Cannot Stop or Go
The hotel, travel and tourism industry contributed to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, most notably cruise lines and airlines; however large their role, these enterprises cannot be held accountable for its origin or for the irresponsible approach of governments and global health agencies to the identification, mitigation, control, and elimination of the virus. First Hide, […]
Will meetings return? Can hotels really open safely?… Or should we stay home?
Tourism Encounters a New Paradigm Up to, and including the beginning of 2020, many professionals in the hotel, travel, and tourism industry would have agreed that “bigger is better.” Demand created a need to build larger cruise ships, more and differentiated hotels, additional stadiums and convention centers, faster and bigger aircraft. There appeared to be […]
Death by Vacation: Think you’re safe?
No one plans to die on a vacation! We have learned to take precautions that will keep sickness and death at bay. We know to pack handwipes for cruising and OTC meds while traveling in Europe, Asia and Africa. We have been alerted to avoid contaminated water and reused water bottles, date rape drugs, and sharing […]
NY drinks NY wines: History and hybrids
New York Wines: Disaster in the Beginning Historians have documented the fact that grapes were first introduced to New York by the Dutch (1647-1664); sadly, the crops failed. A few years later, the French Huguenot settlers in Ulster County tried to plant European varietals (1667) and they too were unsuccessful. William Robert Prince (1795—1869) Finally, […]
NYC Winter Show: A treasure trove for hotel interior designers
If you love beautiful things like jewelry, sculpture, lamps, art and antiques, there is no better place to get your “fix” of fabulous furnishings and jewels than at the annual Winter Show at New York’s Park Avenue Armory – now celebrating its 65th anniversary. The event is directed by Helen Allen. The program is supported […]
Tequila: So many choices, so little time
There is only one country on the planet where you can legitimately make Tequila, and it is Mexico! Unlike vodka, gin, and rum that can be made anywhere, Tequila belongs to Mexico. The regions within Mexico where the product can be produced: Jalisco (includes the town of Tequila), 8 municipalities in Nayarit, 7 municipalities in […]