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I was a sixteen year old working in the city’s libraries at weekends when the idea of my hometown, Liverpool, bidding for 2008 European Capital of Culture was first suggested. From the start the people of Liverpool got behind the bid in true scouse style, seeing it as an amazing opportunity to show the world what they and their much maligned city has to offer.

And it seemed to work; 10 million people attended Capital of Culture events which included everything from a homecoming concert by Paul McCartney to an art installation featuring a giant mechanical spider roaming through the city. Key attractions like the Walker Art Gallery and Museum of Liverpool saw a 70% increase in visitor numbers. Over a quarter of visitors in 2008 were new to the city and 75% of all visitors said that the Capital of Culture was the reason behind their visit.

But now we are well into 2009 the question on everyone’s lips is ‘What next?’ how, especially in a recession, can Liverpool maintain the momentum from 2008 and continue to grow the local tourism economy?  The world is littered with cities that once upon a time hosted a big event, whether it was a City of Culture, World Cup venue or Olympic city, some have used these events as springboard for success, while other have been forgotten before the confetti from the closing ceremony has been swept up.

Barcelona, once a grey industrial city, now a thriving cultural centre and top European weekend break destination, is widely acknowledged as an example of Olympic legacy done well. In the Barcelona case the city used the Games as an opportunity to change the way the city was seen by both locals and the wider world. The Games saw an area of industrial wasteland transformed into Barcelona’s beach, giving residents a space to be proud of and creating a whole new tourist district that paved the way for the Easyjet weekend break invasion. For Barcelona the Olympic Games was just the start, they had a plan in place for further development after the closing ceremony

Glasgow, another former Capital of Culture, used its special year in 1990 as a springboard for urban regeneration. Again the key to success was to change the way outsiders and locals themselves think about the city. Glaswegians, like Liverpudlians had something to prove, that theirs was a great world city with an enviable culture. In the years following 1990 Glasgow firmly established itself as a cultural destination with the opening of the Gallery of Modern Art, now the most visited contemporary arts venue outside London, and the Norman Foster designed music venue the Glasgow Auditorium.

So if the recipe for success seems to be having a follow up plan and changing perceptions, how is my city doing? The finale of 2008 was not described as a closing ceremony, instead it was a ‘Transition Event’ and there has been no let up in activity, or in promotion since the start of 2009 with a calendar of events unrivalled by any other city in the UK, many drawing on the most popular elements from 2008. Although 2008 didn’t give Liverpool a beach, it did give us a fantastic new shopping district, cruise liner port and soon a new museum.  When it comes to changing perceptions, 2008 seems to have got the people of Liverpool excited about their own tourist attractions, with 70% of scousers claiming to have visited a museum or gallery in the last year compared to a national average of just 59%. As a Liverpudlian in London I personally have experienced a massive change in people’s reactions to my city. When I tell people where I’m from instead of getting jokes about car theft or hilarious attempts at an impression of a scouse accent, I get comments like ‘Wow, that’s such a cool city, it must be amazing to grow up there’ or ‘I saw all the Capital of Culture events, it looks amazing’. So it’s looking hopeful that 2008 could mark a real new start for a city with so much to offer!

How many times have you arrived at your hotel to find that you didn’t need to squeeze all those bathroom essentials into your luggage after all as everything that you need is already provided by your hotel.  Or, have you relied on your hotel to provide a good selection of grooming products only to find that something significant is not supplied?

With the rise of cheap flights and the need to keep costs down by just taking carry-on luggage, many of us spend a long time considering which bathroom items we will take to fit within the 10 x 100ml fluid allowance.

What if you knew exactly what you were going to find in your hotel bathroom before you left home?  Problem is, you never can predict what you are going to find; there simply seems to be no logic.  Sometimes the most desirable four star hotel in Italy might not provide body lotion or hair conditioner, whereas a bargain 40 Euros a night Spanish hotel might provide enough items to make you not want to leave your hotel bathroom at all.

What if there was a website which held exactly this kind of information?  Content could be posted by both consumers and hoteliers stating what to expect when you visit.  Comments can be made on the standard of toiletries (Ritz Carlton, Santiago Chile – more top quality Bulgari toiletries than you can imagine) and how often they are replenished (Hotel Scribe, Paris - three times a day). 

This site would be great for hoteliers; they could see how they fare against their competitors and guests would be happier as they’ve enabled them to be more clued up about the facilities before travel.

Maybe this site already exists.  If it does please do let me know!  If not, perhaps I’ve found something to do with my evenings.

The New York Times had an interesting article today about Ryanair’s innovative way to save money – charging customers to use the on-board restrooms.

This is not the first out-of-the-box idea to come from Ryanair. In addition to coming up with ‘new ideas’ their CEO, Michael O’leary, is also known for making insensitive and aggressive public statements that would make many brand managers cringe. He has come up with several cost saving, some say crazy, ideas in the last year. In addition to removing restrooms and making them pay-per-use, O’Leary has suggested making a sizeable portion of the plane available for stand-up ‘seating’ to save space. Another idea O’leary has considered is making passengers responsible for hauling their own ‘checked luggage’ to the plane. I think I like this one though as it would ensure that you never have a bag misplaced on the wrong flight.

What makes Ryanair a successful airline in recessionary times? That’s an easy one - Ryanair has been successful because they have some of the cheapest flights around. They might not have a customer service department, a complaint department or much compassion, but  I lived in Europe for three years and bought several roundtrip tickets on Ryanair for less than €30 or €40 – you can’t beat that. They might not fly into every major city or airport in Europe, but for .99€  each way plus taxes it can definitely be worth it.

What makes O’leary the most successful businessman in Ireland despite his crass humor and outrageous public statements on behalf of his company’s brand? And how have they not fired him for this press conference?

It all comes down to Ryanairs brand promise. Ryanair does not promise to be the cleanest airline in Europe, they don’t claim to have comfortable seats, they do not claim to have the nicest flight attendants, the best food or even a customer service department - seriously, there is no customer service department.  However, what they do promise are insanely cheap flights with a pretty decent on-time record, few canceled flights and very few lost bags – period.  As a customer, anything you receive above and beyond this should be considered a luxury. Maybe you should even consider sending a thank-you note afterwards.

Ryanair is a good example of how a brand, which according to The Economist, “has become a byword for appalling customer service, misleading advertising claims and jeering rudeness towards anyone or anything that gets in its way” can still maintain a loyal customer base by managing the expectations of their customers and their brand. They do not pretend to promise much and for that they can be successful at offering very little.

What does your brand promise and are you living up to that promise?

Iceland's Blue Lagoon

While in Iceland on vacation last month, I specifically looked for signs of prosperity after the “kreppa” , the Icelandic term for the 2008 and 2009 financial crisis that took hold of the country late last year and has not let go. But my anxiety was not relieved until the second day of my vacation when I visited my favorite Reykjavik bakery, Bernhöftsbakarí, which was celebrating its 175^th anniversary. As I congratulated the clerk, she proudly boasted to me in her Polish-accented English, “This bakery is the oldest business in Iceland!”

Later, as I sat in the corner reading the English publication, the Reykjavik Grapevine, I noticed a few more immigrants wander in: a security guard from Ghana picking up breakfast, an American jeweler buying coffee, and a middle Eastern gentleman perusing Icelandic delicacies.

I, as one of many avid Icelandic fans, took this as a fortuitous sign. As well, driving into the city, I noticed other signs of economic life in Iceland: rush hour, lines outside of the 3 Frakkar restaurant that still included a number of Icelanders looking for a good place to have a meal, and caravans of camping vans dotting the country roads with Icelanders taking their summer holidays, even though, similar to many Americans, most vacationers are choosing spots much closer to home.

And tourists abound in Iceland at the moment.  The Icelandic Krona (ISK) has dropped 50%. For Icelanders, that has been catastrophic.  For tourists, what was once unthinkably expensive, is now mildly affordable.  A night at a 3 star hotel that would have cost upwards of  $250 a night two years ago now costs $120.  Having visited the not-to-be-missed Kolaportið Flea Market, I will say items have not dropped off into the cheap category.  A half a loaf of “geyser bread” , the delectable daily-made bread served with fresh trout, will cost you upwards of 700 ISK or $5.  Still compared to New York prices, there are deals to be had.   

 For more information on visiting Iceland, go to www.icelandnaturally.org, or www.icelandair.com.      

International travel, according to the June 2009 edition of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, has declined by 8 percent in the first quarter of 2009. This is not good news, especially compared to the first quarter of 2008 when there was a 5 percent increase in international travel. While the pace of decline is expected to ease throughout the rest of 2009, the combination between the recent rise in gas prices and the decline in the number of business class fares purchased is bumping up the cost of leisure travel in a time when many people are already wary about taking a vacation.

Looking at a few of the key highlights, this years trend is apparent; cheaper, developing and newly developing countries are faring much better than their more expensive industrialized counterparts. Africa (+3) and South America (+.2) are the only continents to see an increase in travel so far this year. Travel to North America is down 5 percent from last year, due mostly to the slowdown in the USA as both a source of international travelers and a popular 2008 travel destination. The economic downturn and the rising dollar has made traveling to the States more expensive than it has been in previous years which is not an easy sell in the middle of a recession.

Not surprising, one of the largest declines was seen in Europe (-10%), where most countries have been in or on the verge of a recession since 2008. It appears that Europeans are traveling less within the continent and when they do they are trading more expensive places like the Amalfi Coast in Italy, Ibiza in Spain or the Greek Islands for more affordable beaches along the Mediterranean’s African Coast, as are many other travelers.

The most surprising statistics from this years report was the decline in travel to the Middle East and Asia Pacific. Areas of the world which saw the highest level of growth in 2008 are now experiencing the largest decline this year (-18 percent for the Middle East and -6 percent for Asia Pacific). While Dubai’s economic woes have been well documented this year an 18 percent decline in tourism is huge.

Attracting tourism dollars (or pesos, pesetas, euros, francs, yen, rupees, etc.) is a great way to create and sustain local jobs and many countries economies rely heavily on travel and tourism dollars. While the UNWTO predicts that the decrease in international travel will increase slightly by the end of the year, boosting your country’s visibility through an integrated public relations campaign could be a great way to make your destination top of mind for those willing and able to travel this year and for attracting foreign investment in these precarious economic times.

The current economic downturn has affected millions of people all over the world. Very few industries have managed to trudge through this economic downturn unscathed and, sadly, the travel industry is no exception – it is faring worse than many other industries. Airlines are cutting flights, destinations and prices just to stay afloat. Hotel expansions are on hold and growth of new and current brands have been sizably downscaled. A perfect example is NYLO hotels, which unveiled a XP Hotels, a loft style brand, in 2005 with the ambition of having 50 properties open by 2010. However, to date, only two locations in Texas have actually opened – Plano and Warwick – with another planned opening in Irving next month. Lack of commercial lending and a deteriorating travel market, especially in the luxury category, are taking a heavy toll on the hotel industry.

On the bright side, all this doom and gloom translates in to great savings for travel consumers. Flights, hotels and attractions are the most affordable they have been in years and, compared to last summer, when gas prices hovered close to $5.00 a gallon, car travel is again reasonable. Hotels are giving away free nights and free food to entice customers to their brands. Summer flights are much more reasonable and internationally, the dollar is way up, making foreign destinations, which became so expensive over the last few years due to the sinking dollar, once again affordable. Disney is offering amazing package deals  – even Amsterdam is even giving away free hotel nights.

Now is definitely the time to scratch that travel itch and take advantage of the amazing travel deals to be had!