Tourism

Locals vs Tourists Mapped Through Photography

Eric Fischer uses Flickr geodata to visualize where photos are taken in cities, and by whom. The result is a colorful divide between tourists and locals in a variety of cities around the world.

June 19, 2010 - The Map Room

With Tourism Down, Japanese Cities Question Their Attractions

Japan is struggling to lure tourists, which is causing officials there to rethink how they market their cities and what sorts of attractions they should be offering.

May 8, 2010 - The New York Times

Vintners in the City

The Wall St. Journal reports on a growing trend for wineries to set up show in cities, trucking their grapes to warehouse "cellars" to be closer to the people.

April 23, 2010 - The Wall St. Journal

Adventure Tourism as Preservation

California City is a city in the desert that never came to be. But much of its skeleton remains. A recent tour explored the ghost of this unbuilt city.

March 24, 2010 - Good

River Walk Leans Away From Tourism in San Antonio

San Antonio's River Walk is getting a new stretch of revitalized riverfront, but it's neither the utilitarian drainage ditch of the past nor the heavily sculpted tourist attraction of recent years.

March 12, 2010 - San Antonio Express-News

Tourism Trumps Residents in Egypt

The temple of Luxor is a must-see on the Egyptian tourism route, and city officials are clearing homes of locals out of the way to uncover an ancient parade route. Locals say the government is creating an excuse to clear low-income residents.

March 3, 2010 - Inter Press Service News Agency (IPS)

Tourism Flourishes Below Berlin

A group of historians and urban enthusiasts have developed a successful tourist organization that explores the underground structures and spaces of Berlin.

January 2, 2010 - The New York Times

Iraq, Tourist Destination?

With its rich history and wealth of artifacts, palaces, and natural beauty, some wonder if tourism could help Iraq to recover.

November 18, 2009 - BBC News Magazine

Beautiful Beirut

A former Beirut resident returns to the Lebanese city to find a vibrant and emerging tourist destination, but with many of the quirks of a developing country.

November 12, 2009 - The Guardian

Fighting the Invasive Species of the Galapagos: Humans

Drawn to the Galapagos Islands by their booming tourism industry, thousands of poor Ecuadorians are being booted from the sensitive ecosystem to counteract the negative impact of the rising human population.

October 7, 2009 - The New York Times

NYPD Putting the Brakes on Illegal Bike Rentals

High demand from tourists near Central Park has attracted unlicensed bike rental vendors in NYC. Competition is getting tougher as police crack down on the booming business.

September 30, 2009 - The New York Times

Icons Versus Places

Fred Kent of the Project for Public Spaces was recently entangled in a dispute with architect Frank Gehry over the impact of iconic architecture in cities. Though Gehry's work has its moments, Kent says city emphasis on icons is a mistake.

September 24, 2009 - The Project for Public Spaces

Vegas Tourism Takes A Dive

Formerly thought to be recession-proof, the tourist mecca of Las Vegas is taking a hard hit during the current economic recession.

September 9, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

Tourism Through Authenticity

This episode of Smart City examines some new thinking in the realm of city tourism, focusing providing visitors more authentic experiences.

August 2, 2009 - Smart City

Convention Centers Not Living Up to Expectations

In this article from Next American City, Josh Stephens looks at the role convention centers play in cities, the high hopes cities have for them, and the often poor returns they offer.

June 24, 2009 - Next American City

Small Casino Town Preparing For Big Leagues

With new rules that are going to push it closer to Las Vegas-style gambling, the small Colorado casino town of Blackhawk is getting ready to handle the new crowds as it becomes more of a draw.

April 20, 2009 - The New York Times

Las Vegas Mega Development on Shaky Ground

A major retail and tourist project in Las Vegas -- what some are calling the largest project in the world -- is stumbling amid the recession. Its developers and the city are unsure of its future.

April 10, 2009 - Reuters

Unofficial International Olympic Committee Tours Chicago's 2016 Venues

The Chicago Tribune formed its own panel of international judges -- made up of tourists -- to tour and evaluate the city's proposed venues for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

April 6, 2009 - Chicago Tribune

Time May Be Right for Mag-Lev From Vegas to SoCal

A magnetic levitation train link between Anaheim and Las Vegas has been on the table for 30 years. Now could be the time the project finally gets enough traction to go from idea to reality.

March 24, 2009 - Las Vegas Sun

Sunning in the Slums

Taking a hint from heightened interest in Brazil's favelas, a German developer plans to build 10 villas in a Rio de Janeiro slum, which he'll market as the new tourist hotspot.

March 18, 2009 - International Herald Tribune

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