Where on Earth? (Week 6): Zurich, Switzerland

by Justin Glow on

Two of our readers got it right this week, but there can only be one winner. Congratulations go out to David Troyer for being the first to know the location of the photo above as Zurich, Switzerland. A warm thanks to Flickr user, ubiquity_zh, for capturing this stunning image of Switzerland’s largest city.

And no, it’s not a photograph of the first tornado to ever hit Zurich (actually, Switzerland does get the occasional twister). It’s smoke rising from a factory near the shores of Lake Zurich. The photo is titled “Feinstaub III,” which literally translates to “fine dust.” It’s a term that’s concerned with the quality of the air, and seeing the plume of smoke rise over the beautiful lake with the Swiss Alps standing silently in the background, you gain a better understanding of why the photographer chose such a title.

See you next week for another edition of Where on Earth.

The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report Ranks How Attractive Countries Are For Travel Investment

by Willy Volk on

The World Economic Forum recently released its Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report. According to Jennifer Blanke, Senior Economist of the Forum, the Index is “not a ‘beauty contest’, or a statement about the attractiveness of a country.” Rather, the Index measures factors that make it attractive to develop the travel and tourism industry of individual countries.

Of course, as many travel destinations are location-specific — you can’t have an attraction centered around Iguazu Falls if you live in Lichtenstein — but if you’ve got loads of money to invest in a new resort, you probably don’t want to put it in a dangerous or un-business-friendly location. Duh.

Anyway, according to the report, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany took the top 3 spots, for a variety of reasons, while the rest of the Top 10 included:

Personally, I found it interesting that the UAE, home to the future Louvre expansion, ranked 18.

The bottom spots are held almost exclusively held by African nations:

Of course, this isn’t very surprising, but I was amused by the fact that Malawi ranked so low. A few years ago, I toyed with the idea of opening a dive shop on Lake Malawi. The area is absolutely beautiful, the air temperature is comfortable year-round, and the water temperature is also very nice. Moreover, labor is virtually free. Anyway, my point is you should probably weigh everything before investing. Just because something ranks low on this list, doesn’t mean it isn’t the *perfect* spot for you and your needs.

Thinking Cold Thoughts for 2007

by Dave Luna on

Britain’s Meteorological Office announced that 2007 will be a record year for heat, and we will have that wonderful El Nino “weather phenomenon” to thank. So, in an effort to think cool thoughts, I’m passing on this picture from January 2005 of an ice storm’s effects.

This freezer-burned landscape was found along Lake Geneva in Switzerland. Apparently, the spray from the lake turned to ice, and subsequently ruined the day of the poor folks who parked by the water.

Ballooning: It’s Not Just Hot Air

by Iva Skoch on

There’s a tranquil valley in central Switzerland that’s a haven for ballooning. Chateau-d’Oex, near Gstaad, known worldwide by balloonists because of a lack of strong winds, and the views can’t hurt either. The first, non-stop, balloon global circumnavigation took off from there in 1999.

You can join the fun: for about $320 bucks per person, Swiss Balloon Flights or Ballon Chateau-d’Oex will take you and 2-4 of your friends on a ride for 90 minutes. Other operators from other locations in Switzerland can be found here.

Don’t think it’s just a summer-time thing either: they operate year-round, and the winter usually offers clearer skies and unbelievable vistas. In fact, the ballooning festival takes place there in late January (1/20-28). Don’t miss the lighted night-time shows!