12
. Priceline makes this clear on its Web site: ’With priceline, you’ll always stay in a nationally
recognized, name-brand or quality independent hotel in the area you select.’
13
. In addition, there are several sites designed specifically to list travel deals. Site59 specializes
in ’last-minute weekend getaways.’ The home page lists cities with prices next to them:
’Washington, DC from $169,’ ’Boston, MA from $177,’ ’Raleigh-Durham, NC from $205.’
14
. A major attraction is also the chance to appear on TV. If you position yourself outside the
’Today Show’ studio in Rockefeller Center, you might get to say hello to Katie Couric, or if you
stand in the middle of Times Square--the back drop for ’Total Request Live’ on MTV--you may
get to say what your favorite music video is on camera. Moreover, these programs do not just
create a reason to visit a particular sight within a city, but add to the general atmosphere that
makes a city attractive.
15
. When a news story with national interest develops in a city, people can find details from a
local newspaper’s Web site. For example, the custody battle over Elian Gonzales brought
national attention to Miami, and South Florida became the center of another major news story
when West Palm Beach became crucial in the 2000 Presidential election. Those who were not
satisfied with the coverage of the ballot problems in their local newspaper or on the network
news could follow the details in the Palm Beach Post, and in the process they would become
familiar with other aspects of Palm Beach and nearby Florida cities.
16
. Yahoo! lists hundreds of travel photo Web sites. Three of the most popular include ’Virtual
Cities,’ ’Geopanarama,’ and ’Sacred Site and Pilgrimage Exploration.’
17
. Urry writes, ’What is consumed in tourism are visual signs and sometimes simulacrum; and
this is what is consumed when we are supposedly not acting as tourists at all’ (149).
Convention