Travel 2.0, was used as early as December 2003 on a posting on the Planeta Web 2.0 Discussion Forum and is an offshoot of the Web 2.0 phenomenon. Like many other industries, the online travel industry is currently in transition, adapting to new technologies and trends available on the Internet.[2] Travelers, for their part, are becoming increasingly more interested in finding the opinions and reviews of their fellow travelers in lieu of professional travel advice. . This impact is significant given the travel sector's economic influence on the Internet, indeed more money is spent on travel than anything else online. Roughly two-thirds of Americans research and plan travel online and approximately the same amount book online as well. The online travel industry breaks down into several different categories: online travel agents, online travel guides, online travel planners, and online travel communities and forums. Together, these four groups make up the bulk of what are considered Travel 2.0 companies.

Travel 2.0 is a term that represents the extension and customization of the concept of Web 2.0 into a form that applies to the world’s largest industry: travel and tourism. It defines a transformation of online offerings into a new level of user empowerment and functionality. More than “Move to the Internet” as a platform, though, it is about how business forces that characterized Web 1.0 are yielding power, influence and eyeballs to the socially oriented Web 2.0. For Web 2.0, Tim O’Reilly described the following new models or different approaches that illustrated the divide between 2.0 and 1.0.

In short travel 2.0 is all about:

1. Transparency
2. Collaboration
3. Better Basics
4. Speed
5. Predictability

More: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travel_2.0

As economy stalls, tourism can make a difference

The current economic conditions stink. It’s as simple as that.

That’s how Graham Slater from the WorkSource Oregon Employment Department summed up what’s happening in Douglas County and across Oregon at the 2009 Business Outlook Forum, which took place at Umpqua Community College Thursday.

We would have to agree.

At the same time, we’re grateful for the forum that delivered straight talk about what the county is experiencing and what it can expect in the next couple of years. Kudos go to the Roseburg Area Chamber of Commerce for bringing Slater to town, along with four other speakers, to provide some guidance for business owners who face tough times ahead.

Slater delivered the news that Douglas County and Oregon have fewer jobs now than they did at this time last year. That’s the first time that’s been the case since January 2004. The county’s job losses have not only come in manufacturing and natural resources, but also in local and tribal government and education. The only industry that seems unaffected is health care.

It’s no surprise the county’s unemployment rate continues to outpace the state’s, but that’s typical of the state’s rural areas, Slater said. Likewise, the county continues to have a skills shortage and difficulty attracting young workers.

While business in Douglas County may be slow, Attorney General-elect John Kroger thinks we can take advantage of this time to tackle another problem facing businesses: methamphetamine.

Abuse of the drug is a huge contributor to property and identity crimes and child abuse. In 90 percent of the cases where a child is being removed from the home, there’s a meth addict in the house, Kroger told Thursday’s audience.

He said expanding and improving drug treatment is the key to fighting the meth problem, citing every dollar spent on treatment saves $6 in costs of prisons, law enforcement, health care and child welfare costs. He said Texas has experienced that.

“When Texas is being more creative than Oregon, we’ve got a problem,” Kroger said. “We need to show the conservatives it will save money.”

He admits our drug treatment system will need an overhaul to make it work. The programs need to be proven effective and accountable, and people who want treatment but don’t have insurance to cover it need to have access. We’re eager to see Kroger make this happen.

While Thursday’s forum acknowledged that it’s looking like we’re in a recession, efforts at drawing tourists to the county should continue.

Mark Dennett, chief marketing strategist for the Southern Oregon Visitors Association, said even a Costco can be a major tourist attraction. He said a study showed that 75 percent of those who shop the Medford Costco do not live in Jackson County.

He also said the economic slowdown will see families seeking less expensive vacations, rather than canceling them. The Roseburg area provides good value with its abundance of waterfall hikes, a growing number of wineries to visit and a popular attraction like Wildlife Safari.

With gas prices much lower than they were a year ago, people just might decide to drive to Douglas County for a vacation rather than San Francisco or Seattle, he said. That would also help the restaurants and RV parks that are hurting right now.

So tell your friends to come visit. It’s what you can do to help boost our local economy.

- www.nrtoday.com/article/20081116/EDITORIALS/811149848/1022 -

South Africa

South Africa is a treasure chest of unforgettable scenery, from lofty mountains to sun-baked deserts and dramatic coastlines washed by the Atlantic and Indian oceans. Its game viewing equals the best in Africa, and where else can you find both penguins and elephants?

Overshadowed by dramatic Table Mountain and surrounded by the Atlantic, Cape Town is one of the world's most picturesque cities. You can sample fine wine under the grapes in the tranquil winelands, while the pretty Garden Route offers country towns, lagoons and forests to explore. The Wild Coast boasts isolated beaches, rocky coastline and traditional rural villages, and the resorts along the KwaZulu-Natal coast offer lots of family seaside fun.

Inland are the intriguing and moving battlefield sites that lay testament to the Anglo-Boer war. Here too rise the Drakensberg Mountains where vultures ride on the thermals over deeply green valleys and jagged peaks. To the east is the Kruger National Park where the thorny bush harbours the ‘Big Five' animals to see (the lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and rhino) as well as many other fascinating animals and birds.

South Africa also has a vivid history. Apartheid was broken down in 1990 by President FW De Klerk, and jailed ANC leader Nelson Mandela was released after 27 years of imprisonment. In the first democratic elections to be held in South Africa, Mandela became president in 1994. The story is told in the excellent museums in Johannesburg, by far the most vibrant of the country's cities with a rich cultural heritage.

Apartheid activist Archbishop Desmond Tutu named the newly integrated South Africa the ‘Rainbow Nation'. It is a fitting name for a country with 11 official languages and people of all colors, races and creeds, living in a vividly colored and sculpted landscape. It is no wonder then that its cities are so cosmopolitan.

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is a country that has been in the press recently for its bad government. Nevertheless, it is a country of great natural beauty and some of the friendliest people. Victoria Falls is the best known attraction in the country. The waterfalls are one of the world's great natural wonders, especially when they are in full flow.

There are also superb game parks, stunning mountains and attractive cities in Zimbabwe. The facilities and infrastructure of the country are excellent. It is an easy and inexpensive country to visit.