tourism

Year in and year out, people from all over the United States and the world come in droves to Hollywood. They all want to see a glimpse of the real Tinsel Town that they normally only see on TV and the wide screen. Hollywood already has tried and tested places that attract visitors like nothing else.

What we see on TV and the movies may not be reflective of the “real” Hollywood and the “real” Los Angeles, however. And this is exactly what Robert Cabrales wants to share to visitors. Together with the Communities for a Better Environment, he is organizing tours specially designed for eco tourists. This group is actually an advocacy organization that aims to give something back to communities.

So what does an eco tour of Los Angeles include? The answer is quite stark: a guided tour among the most “notorious environmental black spots” of the city. Dubbed Toxic Tours, these unique vacations are aimed to reveal the “dirty little secrets” of the city.

AFP reports:

“The purpose is mainly to let people know that there is something going on here, which is the dirty little secrets that pretty much most people don’t know about,” Cabrales says. “When we talk about tourism and people coming over to visit Los Angeles they’re not going to see the nasty parts.”

Launched in 2007, the tour departs several times a month, ferrying anyone from environmentally conscious tourists to schoolchildren, activists and even government officials.

Cabrales said the tour aims to shine a light on the “environmental injustices” of Los Angeles, where residents in poorer neighborhoods live in close proximity to heavy industry.

I admire the initiative and concept of the tours. However, I don’t know if I would want to pay to see these places. I mean, I might as well take note of the places and then go there myself. Then again, that wouldn’t mean much for the cause of trying to change things, would it?

How about you, would you pay to go on a Toxic Tour?

Originally posted on June 24, 2011 @ 6:18 am

1225997018 You’ll probably be seeing and hearing that phrase a lot in the next weeks, even months, as it is the tag line for the new tourism campaign that the city of Angels has launched. On Friday last week, Los Angeles city officials kicked off a new tourism campaign that is aimed at boosting the economy and providing jobs.

You would think that this part of the world would not have a lack of tourists. Indeed, last year, they still had a record number of visitors. However, the economic troubles of the country – and hence the city – are far from over and the authorities are bracing themselves for the worst. As such, they have launched this campaign in an effort to attract more visitors.

Mind you, they have put a lot of money into this campaign – a whopping $2M worth! Initially, the campaign is geared at reaching Southern California residents who might want to take a trip to the city. Eventually, the campaign will be widened to target other places in the US as well as international markets.

Despite the money that Hollywood movies brings in – and they capitalize on Hollywood for tourist attractions, believe me – the city knows that tourism is the lifeblood of their economy. As such, $2M is but a small price to pay to entice people from all over the world to spend their money in the city.

That’s So LA is replacing the old campaign dubbed See My LA. It still features the most popular attractions in the city.

Originally posted on May 25, 2011 @ 7:34 am