An icon design is one of the designer's hardest challenges. Since icons help us execute commands, open programs or documents quickly, it should be immediately clear what kind of thing is represented in them. Normally, the best rule would be to keep them as simple as possible. I read a great article lately about mistakes in icon design, not so long after finding two examples of bad icon design on e-tourism sites:

The first is a "map" icon, found on this wonderful Norwegian e-tourism site. It looks like this: . What is it? come on, it's the shape of Norway... everyone knows that. And if you didn't, the site's admin team added the word "map" just next to it - now you can't go wrong. Well, let's say that a good icon doesn't need words to support it.

The next is a "news" icon, found on the Visit Prague website. It looks like this: . Is it a link to an image gallery? or maybe a stamp-like icon, taking us to The Czech Republic postal authority? again, the supporting text only proves how bad this icon is.

Found any interesting examples of icons on e-tourism sites? either good or bad, feel free to share them with us.

First of all, Zoran Island. Mr Gulu Lalvani, developer of the Royal Phuket Marina in Phuket, Thailand, has his eye set on a new project - Zoran, a man-made island located off the Phuket shoreline. Lalvani told local press that Bill Gates and his 54-meter yacht.provided the inspiration for this island. Phuket lacks a marina that can handle superyachts, a significant failing in light of the increasing number of super-rich tourists such as Bill Gates coming to this area. An Australian consulting firm has been hired to survey the proposed project site, which Lalvani named after his youngest son. Plans are developing for a hotel, luxury villas and berths for superyachts. So, if you have a hankering for such a place, then keep an eye on this future project.

Reef Island. You don’t need to wait until 2010 to invest in Reef Island. This man-made island paradise is gathering momentum as a flux of Bahraini and European investors have rushed to book up to over half the proposed housing units to date. Previously known as Lulu Island, this reclamation project is being built as a joint venture between the Bahrain government and the Bahrain-based Mouawad Group Real Estate Development Company off the coast of Al Manama, in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The development was designed by Australian-based Spowers and Pentago, and it is designed in the shape of the number nine. This freehold development project’s land reclamation is complete, and it covers an area of 6.23 million square feet. Construction has begun on approximately 1,200 condominiums, 65 villas and 49 beach fronted homes. Future plans include a 250-room five-star hotel, marina and yacht club, an aquarium, a well care center, a shopping mall, and a multi-function exhibition center.

thanks to Brian

Google Street View is a feature of Google Maps introduced in 2007 that provides 360° panoramic street-level views and allows users to view parts of selected cities and their surrounding metropolitan areas at ground level. When it was launched on May 25, 2007, only five cities were included. It has since expanded to 23 cities, and includes the suburbs of many, and in some cases, other nearby cities.

Google Street View, when operated, displays photos that were previously taken by a camera mounted on an automobile, and can be navigated using either the arrow keys on the keyboard or by using the mouse to click on arrows displayed on the screen. Using these devices, the photos can be viewed in different sizes, from any direction, and from a variety of angles. Lines that are displayed along the street that is shown indicate the direction followed by that street.

Google has stated that its ultimate goal is to provide street views of the entire world, although the company has not disclosed in advance the exact dates when any particular locations will be added.

Among many tips on the Green Passport website, the campaign encourages tourists to choose responsible service providers, reduce the consumption of energy in transit or in hotels and buy locally made, environmentally-friendly souvenirs.

The website, developed in English, Portuguese and French, together with additional communication tools, is available for dissemination among other partners in the tourism community, UNEP stated.

“Packing a Green Passport along with airline tickets, the swimming costume and the sun lotion means tourists no longer need to leave their green credentials at home but can make them part of the holiday of a lifetime,” UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said.

Stressing that tourism had great potential for development, he noted that by 2020 the number of international arrivals by air and by sea could reach 1.6 billion annually.

He further added that as tourist numbers grow, so will their demands for energy, water and natural resources to support their holidays.

Pointing that the challenge is to manage this growth sustainably, Steiner said that governments have a key role to play, but so too do individuals and families when planning and going on holiday.

The French Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Spatial Planning, and the Brazilian Ministries of Environment and Tourism co-sponsored the campaign launch, UNEP stated.

This is the testimonial of a couchsurfer: 

Ever wanted to have a local travel guide everywhere in the world? Here’s something I ran into about an year ago and have fallen in love with ever since. It’s called CouchSurfing and it’s an online community of travel-loving people. Officially, “CouchSurfing is a worldwide network for making connections between travelers and the local communities they visit“. Unofficially, it’s a belief-system… a way of life… and a passion that has overcome roughly half a million people from 225 countries… and the numbers just keep on increasing by roughly 1000 per day! (I know since I now volunteer on the site, sending welcome messages to new members or as we call ourselves, CouchSurfers)

Broadly, when you sign up, you define ways in which you would be willing to help travellers to your city - offering your couch and hosting travellers at your home or showing them around, meeting them for a cup of coffee or a drink, or simply offering them suggestions on places to visit, stay, eat and/or party while they are in your city. Likewise, when you travel to a new destination (or an old one, but in a different way), you can seek the help of local CouchSurfers for the same.

Already, I have hosted more than 10 people from all over (US, Mexico, India, Slovenia, Germany, Spain…) and have met numerous other wonderful people through regular CS meetings and it has been and amazing experience. I even managed to find a couch for myself in Ahmedabad where this guy let me sleep over at his place after knowing me for less than a couple of hours. Overall, a wonderful experience…so, the next time you’re planning a trip, do give CouchSurfing a thought… definitely worth a try. And if you do, don’t forget to let me know how it went…

 Posted by shilpv on http://shilpv.wordpress.com/ , thanks !

what's your opinion?

posted by nicolas nys for tourismtobe

• I can work and be with my family at the same time
• I can make money and help others at the same time
• I can create the future I want and still love what I am doing at the same time

So, doesn't the living in the LAND of AND sound more appealing than LIVING IN THE LAND of OR.

And what does living in the LAND of AND mean exactly?

Check out this video and find out for yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXN0YP1bXwY

Then decide, do you want to live in the LAND of AND or the LAND of OR! The choice is yours.