I'm writing this the day before my 54th birthday. A number that breathes midlife crisis. Or rather, at 54 years old, you're on top of this mental reminder that life is finite, and that if there's anything left to be done in life, time is running out. Tik tok, but for the over-50s... Now you have those types who say that you are as young as you feel, but those Xenos wisdoms are … [Read more...] about Column: Almost birthday
Columns
Column Frank Radstake: And now surely everything will be different?
In January, Frank Oostdam said he wanted to quit as director of the ANVR. It is a great honour that the board of the ANVR has decided to appoint me as his successor. With 17 years as director and (also long) chairman of the ANVR, there are generations who know nothing else than that Frank was the foreman of the travel sector. The fact that Kasteel Hoge Vuursche was even more … [Read more...] about Column Frank Radstake: And now surely everything will be different?
Column: ‘passion’, a much-abused cliché word
The term 'passion' is a frequently used cliché word in the travel industry that is used all the time. During a study trip, I once met a travel companion who had 'a passion' for collecting fridge magnets. At most, I would call such a thing a hobby, or a deviation, whether or not it is pleasant. I can say the latter, by the way, because I have to admit that I also collected those … [Read more...] about Column: ‘passion’, a much-abused cliché word
Column: Wǒ kěyǐ jiā dànhuáng jiàng mo?
The sun was about 48 degrees and I walked through the desert landscape of Saudi Arabia. It was about a two-hour drive by 4x4 from the capital Riyadh, the last hour of which was on very dusty off-road desert paths. Then half an hour of walking through the merciless sun. But there I was, at an altitude of 300 meters on the imposing rock formation Jibal Fihrayn, in tourist … [Read more...] about Column: Wǒ kěyǐ jiā dànhuáng jiàng mo?
Column Wolfgang Hendrix (UStravel): The narrative remains the day’s revenue
The (possible) bankruptcy of FTI will not have escaped anyone's notice in the industry. One of the largest European travel companies that has to stop its activities just before the high season. Because FTI is primarily a German organisation, the effects on the Dutch market are somewhat more limited. It is striking that many Dutch travel agents use FTI's individual products, in … [Read more...] about Column Wolfgang Hendrix (UStravel): The narrative remains the day’s revenue