The Titanic Awards » Tourism

Festival celebrates creativity, lack of skill

Doug Lansky — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 12:35:49 +0000

Can’t play an instrument to save your life? No problem. Channel your inner Van Halen at Finland’s Air Guitar Festival. Air guitar may not be particularly Finnish, but they were the first to try to turn a profit from it.

www.airguitarworldchampionships.com

S.F. decides to cash in on poverty tourism

Doug Lansky — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 09:37:54 +0000

You’ve got the township tours in South Africa and favela tours in Rio de Janeiro. Tourists go on these poverty safaris for a little excitement, the opportunity to see the culture behind the newspaper headlines, and a chance to photograph some authentic poor people to show their friends back home. But how about some first-world poverty? San Francisco, already endowed with some of the world’s most famous attractions and just up the road from the heartland of venture-capital billionaires, has decided to try a little poverty tourism itself. With the support of the mayor, they want to add the Uptown Tenderloin area to the tourist menu. Sure there’s the historical aspect, like “the world’s largest collection of historic single-room occupancy hotels,” but to experience the region during the day (and they mean “DAY” — even the local supporters don’t recommend you don’t visit after dark) is to get a first-hand look at 30,000 people living in 60 blocks with widespread drug use and drunks passed out on the street. Or as the tourist board looks at it, turning passed out lemons into lemonade.

Tourism Australia vs Tourism New Zealand — the gloves are off

Doug Lansky — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 12:25:38 +0000

Hard to tell if it’s a real fight or an April Fool’s joke, but just after Australia launched their new campaign “There’s nothing like Australia” Tourism New Zealand put some polemic images on their Facebook page (see below), one featuring Steve Irwin feeding a croc while holding a baby. “It’s nothing personal Australia,” they wrote, “We love your new advertising campaign, it’s just that we’re nothing like you. Love from New Zealand.” Tourism Australia is considering legal action against the creator of nothinglikeaustralia.net.

Tour of LA slums and gang sites sold out, lunch included but not guns or bullet-wound insurance

Doug Lansky — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 10:04:09 +0000

Finally an even more kitsch alternative to visiting Hollywood homes: gang tourism. You can see the LA County Jail, Skid Row (home to 90,000 homeless people) and gang hangouts instead. Couldn’t get tickets to a game show? How about checking out the top crime scene locations instead.

On the upside, the tour hopes to create jobs for residents and hand back a percentage of the profits.

Just make sure you’re covered by travel insurance. To join the tour ($65 with lunch), you’ll need to sign the mother of all waivers.