An online tourism class I mentioned in a previous post has since started and some content in the first chapter inspired this write-up. Following a textbook paragraph about top destinations around the world and what makes them stand out, there was a list of 50 such places to visit.
Ireland and its sites didn’t make the list. However, a cruise aboard the Connemara Lady is an example of one activity that I didn’t
know about until near the end of my short time abroad. I took the scenic boat tour on my last full day in the country and loved it!
But what are among the highlights I think of for a combo list of Ireland and although I didn’t get up there, Northern Ireland? My choices include sites and activities even prior to my study abroad experience. To name a few: the Cliffs of Moher, Blarney Castle, Trinity College (where I stayed), Guinness, Book of Kells, Grafton Street in Dublin, Temple Bar, Kylemore Abbey, Newgrange, Titanic Belfast, The Dark Hedges, Dunluce Castle, Giants Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, literary tours and pub crawls.
I’ve only been to one of the destinations so far that did make the textbook list – New York. However, I don’t know if it referred to the
state overall or New York City. If the former, a number of sites state-wide are among my must-sees there; I still have a great deal to check out in the latter as well. Noting what I thought put certain places in the top 50, museum deals and theater trips were among such New York City attractions. Other destinations made particular highlighted sites and / or activities come to mind, as I imagined finally visiting them.
Destinations – sites / activities as tourism highlights:
San Francisco, CA – trolley tour, boat ride to Alcatraz
Grand Canyon, AZ – Red Jeep Tours
Vermont – staying at cozy inns
Hawaii – volcano tours by helicopter
Lake District in England – seeing country estates, any literary sites
London – Changing of the Guard, Tower of London, literary tours, London Eye
Paris – Eiffel Tower
Loire Valley – castles and chateaus
Tuscany – culinary and vineyard tours
Venice – gondola rides, experiencing Acqua Alta high tide
Acropolis – ancient Greek history
Pyramids of Giza – ancient Egyptian history, tours on camelback
Australia – Outback, Uluru / Ayer’s Rock, 12 Apostles, Sydney Bridge Climb
Antarctica – Glaciers
Amazon Forest – seeing an endangered ecosystem
Machu Picchu – the adventure of arriving at this remote site
The first assignment for my class focused on the marketing aspect of tourism and it interests me because of my educational background. I
had journalism classes as an undergraduate and while some universities refer to such programs as a “j-degree,” at mine, it was a B.A. in communication. Before attending the college where I completed that level of study, my related career interests began at a local community college. Intro journalism classes included assignments geared toward writing broadcast and ad copy, as well as creating press kits for a sense of marketing tasks. I put together a press kit for opening a hypothetical Ireland tourism company in my local area. Later, an assignment for my global business study abroad trip to Ireland was to create a marketing plan. Again, it could be for hypothetical business ventures; mine was for photo tours of the country. So, while one of my
career pursuits related to college studies is to be in journalism, I’d also love to be in the marketing side of the tourism industry. I’ve
been drawn to travel for as long as I can remember. I’m just still lacking when it comes to checking off my own bucket list of destinations around the world. Maybe further studies in tourism will help accomplish that. I definitely want to visit the places I listed
above; they cover so many elements – nature, literature, history, architecture, dining. Speaking of culinary delights, as I finished up my marketing-themed first assignment of this tourism class, I came across an ad on Facebook for a page called Food Marketing. It was perfect
timing to see that, considering my textbook reading, as well as the growth in popularity of foodie destinations and culinary tours. Dining is not only a necessary service provided to travelers, but also an activity for immersing in a culture, similar to other interests such as the arts.
Anyway, I look forward to diving further into my current tourism studies!
Photo Journey 