What We’re Reading: Sandusky, Ohio’s Twitter Gaffe

This week, our computer screens were aglow with stories about inappropriate tweets, plane food rankings, and annoying public-relations pitches. Here’s the scoop on the travel blogs and news items that have grabbed our attention.

Zagat Ranks Airline Food

Zagat came out with a list of the 10 best airlines for dining. Only one U.S. carrier made the cut: Virgin America, thanks to its “Cocktails with Attitude.” The rest is a pretty unsurprising mix of international carriers that serve sought-after fare that every traveler loves, like “labneh with sumac powder” and “shanklish salad.”

My one gripe: Zagat deviates from its typical amalgamation of individual reviewers’ quotes (i.e.: a “classic” hamburger joint where “the staff knows your name” and “red meat flows like blood”) and simply throws together a typical top-10 list.

Oops, Ohio!

Recently, the tourism folks in Sandusky, Ohio, got themselves into an unfortunate situation on Twitter, reports Travel Kit on msnbc.com. Their offending tweet: “Golf & Spa Kalahari – #Sandusky Package/Gift Certificate. Perfect for a Father’s Day gift!”

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Note the hash tag. Click on it and, surprise surprise, you’ll get the buzz on something not quite as wholesome as Father’s Day in the Buckeye State. According to the report, “Tourism officials in the area want to make sure there’s a distinction between the name of the community and the name of an alleged pedophile.” A smart strategy. You wouldn’t want travelers thinking they’re going on vacation to a city by Lake Erie, only to end up in a crowded court room in Central Pennsylvania. Think of the confusion!

Maybe add “Ohio” at the end of the tag next time?

Stupid PR Pitches

I was reading The Everywhereist last week, and this week I couldn’t stay away, either. In a recent post, The Everywhereist pokes fun at cold public-relations pitches. This hilarious post is a must-read for anyone in the editorial business—or not in the editorial business. If you work at a normal job and don’t receive millions of exclamation-splattered emails about “diverse summer happenings!” and “swanky client hotels!” it’s probably still very funny. Read the piece and see for yourself.

(Photo: Shutterstock/Refat)