I recently read that travel to Ireland was down 15 percent year to date. I recently traveled to Bermuda, which is having a similar downturn in visitation. Marketers find it difficult to pull away from the mass travel media to help build visitors. When they do move away from mass travel media, they often turn to the Web to help increase traffic. Unfortunately for both these destinations, the travelers most affected by the recession (which does seem to be turning) are the same individuals frequently viewing those two types of media. Mass travel publications have always catered to the mid- to lower-spectrum travelers. The Web is a “deal-only” vehicle. Neither of these solutions help destinations, such as Ireland or Bermuda, which are exclusive and expensive places to visit. Ireland and Bermuda are equally some of the best areas of the world for hospitality and satisfaction and get an “A” whenever I travel. My next blog will be about my quick trip to Bermuda to play golf. I was able to add my 15-year-old daughter to the itinerary at the last minute. Until then, ta-ta! -Fran Gallagher, publisher and CEO