This rampant expansion of the ‘urban fabric’ which Lefebvre describes will evoke nostalgia to anyone living in a major hub, but unable to enjoy it: Postindustrial society is termed ‘urban’, at which point the city undergoes a process of ‘implosion-explosion’ as it approaches the end of the axis. It starts with the political city - marked by bureaucratic power - before progressing through mercantile and industrial phases. Whether via cabinet-war-room style depictions of central government, or makeshift hospitals in the triangle of London, Birmingham, and Manchester, cities will inevitably emerge as defiant symbols of human endeavour and resilience, irrespective of the harm their cramped organisation may also have caused.īut what of this desire for an active city? In Urban Revolution (1970), Henri Lefebvre uses a rough axis (marked from 0 to 100% urbanisation) to imagine the city space. Having already spread along the avenues of globalisation - holidaying, business travel, and international supply chains - the virus is now recreating a familiar Western narrative: that of the city under siege. To be isolating in the city is to embody an agonising contemporary paradox: that, although the coronavirus is now moving rapidly through regions like New York State and London, the connectivity, medical resources, and infrastructure in these centres means that local health prospects may actually be higher than in less infected areas. But, as the peak of the pandemic approaches in many countries, there are more profound forces at play beyond just the individual’s loss of activity and communication. ![]() And even the things we do to escape this logic of urban gratification - to calm the pace of everyday life - are now increasingly unavailable without culture, community, and recreation, people are beginning to wonder what they’re actually doing here, squashed into crowded cities across the world. The speed, number, and efficiency of available urban experiences are now fixed somewhere close to zero. The optimisation narrative has been stopped in its tracks. Enter our 2019 Customer Survey at the link below and you’ll be automatically entered to win a $50 travel voucher.Whilst the full effects of the Covid-19 pandemic are yet to be seen, the near-global lockdown of urban centres has been a jarring experience for city-dwellers. Now it’s your chance to weigh in on where we travel next. With another fun and productive retreat in the books, we are excited to continue planning our tours for 2020 and beyond…but we need your help: Have your say and enter to win a $50 travel voucher As a special treat our group took over Quazar’s Arcade for a night of retro arcade games and pinball. We also enjoyed a fantastic meal featuring local produce at 10 Acres Commons and a delicious dinner at the Canoe Brewpub, where we celebrated the birthday of our fearless leader, Roland. Luckily the rain stopped long enough for our group to enjoy afternoon tea and a guided tour of the delightful Abkhazi Garden. There are some really exciting new tours coming your way soon! We also used this time to brainstorm new tour offerings for 2020, 2021, and beyond. ![]() ![]() We had numerous team workshops and presentations on all areas of our business from marketing, to technology, to customer feedback. We also made sure to test the libations at Clive’s Classic Lounge-an award-winning cocktail bar located in the lobby.ĭuring our meetings, we hosted guest presentations from Adventure Canada, Tourism Victoria, and Travel Guard Insurance. We stayed right in the Inner Harbour at the lovely Chateau Victoria Hotel and Suites, which had spacious suites, excellent service, and a convenient location. This year the retreat was held in charming Victoria, and despite a bit of rain and wind, we had a fantastic time exploring the city. A new destination is selected for the retreat each year to help educate our team on the cities we frequent on our tours. ![]() Every spring, the Wells Gray Tours team meets for our annual staff retreat, an in-person meeting for our entire team that includes workshops, guest presentations, and planning future tours.
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