Eye on Travel

Radio Guest List — The Dupont Circle Hotel in Washington, D.C. — Inauguration 2021

This week, Eye on Travel broadcasts from the nation’s capital during inauguration week. We’re coming from one of the cooler hotels in D.C, The Dupont Circle Hotel.  We’ll speak with Marc Schulman, Author of “History of American Presidential Elections: From George Washington to Joe Biden” to get his perspective on this week’s events not to mention the mostly unknown travel component of how America has voted since the beginning of the republic. Then, more unknown stories from Stewart D. McLaurin, President of the White House Historical Association. And then it’s on to the future conversations with some of the top American travel editors and writers: Julia Cosgrove, Editor-in-Chief of AFAR, Andrea Sachs from The Washington Post, and Jacqueline Gifford, Editor-in-Chief of Travel and Leisure — on their travel predictions for 2021. There’s all this and more as Eye on Travel broadcasts from The Dupont Circle Hotel in Washington, D.C.

 

Tune in to PeterGreenberg.com  from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. ET for the latest Eye on Travel on Saturday, January 23, 2021.

Have a travel question? Then ask Peter. E-mail him at peter@petergreenberg.com, or tweet your questions to @petersgreenberg (include #AskPeter).


 

 

Marc Schulman, Newsweek Columnist and Author of History of American Presidential Elections: From George Washington to Joe Biden, joins the program on this inauguration weekend to talk about all things presidents: from background history on electoral votes, to how elections have changed over the years to how communication has or hasn’t changed. Marc and Peter discuss the Electoral College, the Kennedy vs. Nixon election, American expats and territories voting from abroad, plus a lesson on why some states “matter” more than others. And what about reform? Marc argues that it’s very hard to reform a system where the people in power might lose some power by making this reform.

 

Stewart D. McLaurin, President of the White House Historical Association, explains the roles of the President, First Lady and of the White House itself. The White House is a ceremonial stage and a museum that tells history. He expands on the White House floor plan, and the changes it has undergone in the last 60 years. And what about the bowling alley? Then, McLaurin describes Jacqueline Kennedy’s vision, the Oval Office decor process at the beginning of every administration and how it takes on the personality of whomever is in office. The White House Historical Association also publishes a number of books each year that can be found on its website.

 

Julia Cosgrove, Vice President and Editor-in-Chief at AFAR Media, is very optimistic about what the future holds for the travel and tourism sector that was hit very hard in 2020. She’s hopeful that the new administration will guide the country to a better place in the pandemic and then talks to us about the pent up demand for getting out and traveling. Julia then dives into mindful traveling and how to care more about how we’re traveling and the destinations we’re visiting. It’s all about visiting places slowly, empathetically and joyfully, she says.

 

Andrea Sachs, Travel Reporter at The Washington Post, starts off by discussing national and state park travel, great Canadian destinations to visit and visiting places during the off-season. Then, Andrea and Peter talk about returning to popular destinations where overtourism was a problem prior to the pandemic. The pandemic has allowed these locations to breathe. We as consumers have the power to choose the off-season, but the travel industry has the power to shift the approach too. Perhaps in a post-COVID-19 world, consumers will find themselves with more flexible work schedules that will allow for year-long travel as opposed to the crowded summer months. This, in turn, also allows for longer vacation time and a better work-life balance, Andrea argues, because the approach to working remotely has changed. And don’t miss her details on the fun piece of Las Vegas you can now buy and take with you.

 

Jacqueline Gifford, Editor-in-Chief of Travel + Leisure, speaks about the magazine’s cover issue to kick off the new year and the ways that people are traveling domestically now. Even though the travel industry has had a tough year, some of the trends we’re seeing keep her optimistic. Cities are bearing the brunt of what’s happening in travel, but it won’t last forever. She says that people are desperate to go to museums, dance and visit the large cities again. And it’s all about finding beauty in your own backyard. Jacqueline discusses “the 50 best places to travel” to in the United States. And she shares that there’s a trend that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere — road trips.

 

Costas Christ, Founder of Beyond Green Travel and Editor-at-Large for National Geographic Traveler, describes the increasingly important way that people are traveling as it relates to green and the well-being of the communities in the destinations. There are fundamental issues in travel and tourism, and as a result, there are now countries that are enforcing tourism that puts an emphasis on sustainability. Costas also shares a surprising fact about the Alabama Delta that you don’t want to miss. Lastly, Costas discusses how people want a sense of nature and openness and how that’s what people are gravitating towards right now.

 

Joel Freyberg, General Manager at the Dupont Circle Hotel, speaks about the brand new hotel, its convenient location and the grand city it finds itself in, which he says is the most “European” city in the nation. Joel speaks about the recovering food scene and what to expect in the near future. Then, he discusses some of the challenges faced during the pandemic and what he expects in the upcoming months in terms of incoming travel. Being in the hub that is D.C., you can easily tap into other nearby cities. He says that now is the time to plan upcoming trips.