Photo credits: Amsterdam International Fashion Week, Peter Stigter; Portland Fashion Week, badlyricpolice; Tokyo Fashion Show, dat

Photo credits: Portland, Tokyo, Amsterdam

Tokyo: Fly nonstop from the past into the future.
An approximately 5 km run, the Imperial Palace jogging course is a great way to get a tour through Japanese history into modern day Japan. The route leads runners around the Imperial Palace, through the Marunouchi  business district, past the Budokan (which is home to sporting matches and concerts) and along Hibya Park. It is a great path with not too many hills, and the distance is challenging for novice runners looking to build up their strength, and a solid workout for intermediate and advanced runners. And, for those who enjoy flying at a slower pace, the route makes for a very pleasant walk.

Amsterdam: Fly through…a green lung?
When looking for a quality running workout, be sure to run through Amsterdam’s “green lung,” also known as Vondelpark. A getaway from the city, Vondelpark covers 120 acres and possesses beautiful, lush gardens; ponds, lakes, playgrounds, cafes and performance grounds. A nice, dirt path rings the park and the distance rounds out at about 5.5 km, making this green oasis a great place to turn to for a breath of fresh air (or several breaths, if you are running.)

Portland: Fly from the city to the hills.
Portland’s Forest Park is a huge network of trails, totaling at over 70 miles, and begins from the edge of Portland’s 23rd Avenue to the Tualatin Mountains. Few parts of the trails go uphill and downhill, making most of the running flat, so it is great for runners to utilize for improving pace. Home to more than 100 species of mammals and 100 species of birds, this makes for a fun, running adventure, as runners get to experience encounters with different wildlife, and glimpses of the Willamette River and downtown Portland.

So what are you waiting for? Put on those joggers and start flying!

Fostering a culture of coffee drinking, poetry writing, and literary appreciation is the world’s largest independent book store, Powell’s Book Store. This Portland icon is conveniently located for locals and visitors alike to peruse miles of books themes from rock legend biographies to graphic novels, vegan cooking, international travel and rare books. Take a virtual tour of Powell’s:

Amsterdam couldn’t bare to separate its best bookstores from its fashion district, so relax and enjoy a good read after a tiring day of shopping.

Whether you’re hopping on the next toei train for a day of marathon shopping or to make your next business meeting, it’s important to have some literature along for the ride. Luckily, Tokyo has an assortment of curbside bookstores to fill your every literary need from poetry to murder mysteries and anime.

Who would have thought, for instance, when I traveled to Portland in 2004 to help launch Northwest Airlines’ first nonstop flight from PDX to Narita International Airport in Tokyo as CEO of Northwest, that some six years later, I would be blogging about Delta Air Lines’ international flights out of Portland? First of all, that I would be doing something called “blogging,” and second, that my path would have led me to the role of CEO of Delta.

Even with the inevitable waves in the domestic and global economies over the years, changing business plans, mergers, and the ways we communicate, i.e. Facebook, Twitter, etc., Delta is once again providing nonstop transoceanic service from Portland to Tokyo, and now Amsterdam as well.

We understand this service is crucial to Portland, and we appreciate the proactive and innovative efforts Portland has made to ensure these flights succeed over the long term. It’s a unique partnership we’ve shared with the people of Oregon and southwestern Washington, the tourism industries there, and the people who want to see and experience Asia, Europe and beyond. This partnership includes the local International Air Service Committee which has reached out in new ways to remind everyone that these flights make a real difference in people’s lives, culturally and economically. Portland may not be the biggest market, but it’s clear it has advocates who champion its strengths, who work with real determination and originality to procure and maintain the best service possible for its citizens, its businesses and its visitors. The partnership also includes Portland’s residents who are very vocal fans of their airport and who place great value on their nonstop air service.

Just over a year ago, Delta signed an agreement with Alaska Air Group that made their airlines our preferred West Coast alliance partner. As a direct result, Delta added our first nonstop flight between Los Angeles and Sydney, Australia, and increased flight options by more than 40 percent at PDX.  We’re investing $1 billion through 2013 to improve your customer experience in the air and on the ground. We’re enhancing the B767 seats in both business and economy class with new in-seat entertainment, and we’re installing new full bed seats in business class.

And Delta has a long history of serving the West Coast. From a notable flight between Atlanta and Los Angeles in 1962 that set the record as the fastest flight between Atlanta and the West Coast, to our recent alliance with Alaska, we have always found ways to invest in our West Coast customers. And we’ll continue to do so.

Photos provided by the office of Richard Anderson

Explore Amsterdam’s fascinating neighborhoods, or Tokyo’s peaceful parks and beautiful scenery. Delta takes you to the most destinations worldwide, including nonstop service to Amsterdam and Tokyo from Portland. Purchase on or before April 13, 2010 and save. To book your flight, click here.

Most of my years in the United States I have been spoiled by living in major cities: Boston, Chicago, Washington. So I’ve always had a plethora of travel and flight options.  When I moved to Portland in 2008 to become PSU’s president, it actually struck me as funny, and a bit provincial, that so many people proudly told me about the just inaugurated direct flight from Portland to Amsterdam; I just always assumed there would be one!  But I liked seeing the billboards advertising the flight, featuring a windmill and a canoe with paddles; I took them to be auspicious welcome signs!

My first experience with the flight actually didn’t work out as planned. On the return flight, the famous snowstorms of December 2008 had closed the Portland airport, so we were diverted to Minneapolis.  I got to visit the Mall of America, not an experience I recommend to anyone with jetlag (or ever, probably).  Even worse, I knew I would have to give up my bottle of tax-free genever (Dutch gin) at security!  The next day the trip continued, but again we were diverted, this time to Seattle.  We finally made it to Portland 24 hours late. Because of the snow, I could only make it to downtown, and had to stay in a hotel there for another night, before finally getting home.  Not such a direct flight!

But this February everything went smoothly, and the direct flight really paid off.  What really struck me is that it really is less of a trans-Atlantic flight than a trans-Canada flight.  Most of the flying time is across the frozen wastes of northern Canada, then across Greenland, then a quick conclusion over Iceland and the United Kingdom.  We went just for a long weekend, to see my family, and the direct flight makes that feasible.  In November my wife Alice and I also used the direct flight to Tokyo for meetings in Portland’s sister city Sapporo, and with electric vehicle manufacturers Nissan and Mitsubishi.

Where to next?  I am hoping for direct flights to the Middle East, because Portland State draws lots of students from there; and Singapore, for further Asia access.  Our future is as an internationally competitive university serving a global city, and you can’t do that if you can’t get there from here!

Wim Wiewel, President
Portland State University

Photos courtesy of the office of President Wim Wiewel

Meet the Winners

Mike Donovan - Amsterdam

My Fiance’s One Wish

Her head on my arm
Flying non-stop is the best
Off to her homeland

My name is Mike Donovan and I have lived in many places across the United States and England. I am getting married to my wonderful fiancee, Keri Lenderink. Keri is a Dutch-American and has always wanted to travel to the Netherlands. We plan on using this trip as our honeymoon and are thrilled to be able to go on such a lovely trip. While there, I am hoping to help Keri connect with her family’s past, take a canal boat, and maybe even check out a brewery or two.

Raquel Benito – Tokyo

Restful Escape

eyes closed in Portland
eyes opened in Tokyo
non-stop dreams between

My name is Raquel Benito, and I grew up in Madrid, Spain before coming to the U.S. at age seven. I’ve always been an avid traveler, which is why I’m so excited to finally have a chance to visit Tokyo. My boyfriend Nick is coming along and we look forward to sampling everything from ramen to sushi to Yebisu and sake. If we can time it right we’d love to see the blossoming cherry trees. I hope to bring back some cool gadgets from the Akihabara district, take pictures with the Elvis impersonators in Harajuku, and hike around Mt. Fuji. Perhaps we’ll have time to sneak out of Tokyo on a high speed train and visit some of Japan’s more rural areas-Nikko for example-to see its magnificent temples and shrines. We’re both incredibly excited and thankful to hop on a nonstop flight from our humble little city here in Oregon and wake up across the world!

Photos by Tim Jewett and provided by the Port of Portland

I could spend this whole post sharing impressive statistics with you — for example, the tourism industry provides more than 28,000 jobs in the Portland metro area, and overnight visitors contribute approximately $265 million annually to the Portland economy — but I think I’ll leave it up to our local business owners to share their perspectives on how international tourism impacts them.

Charles Froelick, owner of Froelick Gallery and president of the Portland Art Dealers Association, talks about how his business is directly supported by international tourism.

When you visit Portland, the food cart experience must be on your “to-eat” list. These local foodie icons have been featured in national and international culinary publications, drawing in business for cart owners such as Nong Poonsukwattana.

The hotel industry provides a great service not only to leisure and business travelers, but also to the local job market. Pedro Melendez is the Director of Engineering at the Doubletree Hotel Portland and came to Portland to build the American dream for his family.

Jeff Miller
President and CEO
Travel Portland

Photo credits: Courtesy of Travel Portland