Alex Robertson Textor

Some Updates

It's been a quiet few months but not so quiet that I can't make some claims. 

• I'm still writing for Gadling.

• I've written a few posts for Sunvil, on the Faroe Islands and Flores.

• I joined Instagram.

• I've fleshed out my Pinterest boards. Places I want to visit is the best of these. (But of course I'd say that.)

• I am writing a book. (And burying the lede.)

• I just created my first Vine post.

• I'm thinking a lot about destination branding.

• I'm traveling to Milan, Turin, Aosta, Valais, Copenhagen, Malmö/Lund, the Isles of Scilly, and Baku over the next eight weeks. For the second half of 2013 I'll be focused on family travel (Japan, Thailand, US), a road trip (South Dakota), and book research (Kazakhstan, Russia, Northern Cyprus, Spain).

• I've got some big ideas about co-branded collaborations. I'm hoping to get some of these off the ground by the end of the year.

• I remain in love with London.

Newsworthy in Kent

In October Matt and I took a day trip to Tunbridge Wells, where we were greeted by this headline. The Kent and Sussex Courier's slogan? "Making local matter more." Mission accomplished.

Brits Traveling Less, UK Getting Fewer Visitors

Travelmole's Bev Fearis is reporting that British outbound tourist numbers are down sharply in 2009. Citing provisional figures from the International Passenger Survey, Travelmole observes that overseas trips in the first four months of 2009 are down 16 percent in comparison to the first four months of 2008.

Visits to the UK are down a full 10 percent in 2009.

These are not surprising developments considering the climate. The latter figure certainly helps explain why hotels in London are considerably less expensive this summer than they were last.