Mideast and other “hot” spots for tourists

The Mideast remains “surprisingly” popular with travelers despite tensions there, says Chris DeBrusk, CEO and founder of TravelGator.com, a Boston-based company that brings travelers together to compare notes.

“Both Israel and Jordan are hot destinations,” he said.

Other questions and answers:

Q: Other hot spots?

A: Japan continues to grow in popularity among people interested in culture, especially Tokyo which offers a mix of traditional and very modern culture.  For people more interested in nature and adventure, east Africa, especially Kenya and Tanzania, are once again on the radar, in addition to the more mainstream destinations like Botswana and South Africa.

Q: Why those areas?

A: A combination of very interesting and very ancient historical sites, and a vibrant contemporary culture with cafes, restaurants and a cosmopolitan local scene in cities like Tel Aviv and Amman.

Q: Are these new areas that have not been popular in the past?

A: Popularity comes and goes in waves, partly due to trends and fads, partly driven by political calm or unrest. Places like Kenya were popular among the British as far back as the 19th century, but then there were entire decades when few people went there at all.

Q: Why are people going there now…what are the lures?

A: It’s different from place to place. For some it’s the contemporary culture, places like Estonia or Tokyo; in others it’s history, like in Jerusalem or Kyoto; and other places like Prague it’s the combination of the two in one place. And for nature travelers it’s attractions like Kilimanjaro or nature reserves that are usually the main draw.

Q: In airline travel, what impact are delays having on other areas of the travel biz?

A: Most of the delays seem to be affecting US domestic travel much more than overseas; we’re not seeing much of an impact on international vacation travel.

Q: Do you expect delays to continue, get worse, or get better?

A: Worse in the short term, though they’ll eventually figure things out.

Q: Are you concerned that airline service is getting so bad people aren’t traveling? Is that happening?

A: Again, it’s more of an issue with US domestic travel; airline service on international flights is still quite good.

Q: Do you foresee any alternatives to airlines in the future such as new carriers, etc.?

A: Carriers such as Jet Blue have already had a positive impact, and there are bound to be others.

Q: Just how bad is the airline situation…in your opinion…and what can be done about it? Is the US congress and new legislation the answer?

A: Most of the delays seem to be caused by air traffic rather than the airlines. What’s needed is an overhaul of the air traffic control system to make it more flexible. The US congress could certainly help by pressuring the FAA and providing funding for the new system.

TravelGator.com CEO & Founder Chris DeBrusk spent over a decade working with companies to launch and expand Internet based businesses. He founded TravelGator to bring together a lifelong love of travel and his day job figuring out how to help companies sell and market across multiple channels.

Most recently, Chris was a Managing Partner at Akina, a sales and marketing strategy consulting firm that he founded in 2001.

Report by David Wilkening