The stock market tanks, the U.S. dollar surges. It's the biggest paradox and perhaps the most important continuing news in travel. And although I've discussed the puzzling development on several earlier occasions, it's so very important as to warrant further -- and broader--analysis.

It's especially important to survey the currencies where the dollar's surge has not merely amounted to 20% and 30% (as against the Euro and the British Pound), but to a really significant 40% and 50% (in a dozen other places), creating new bargain-priced countries that cry out for your touristic visits.

Mexico, as I've pointed out before, leads the list. A year or so ago, you received 10 Mexican pesos for one U.S. dollar. Today, you receive more than 15 Mexican pesos. On some recent days, visitors have received as many as 15.50 Mexican pesos for one U.S. dollar. Should we continue to vacation in Mexico? As long as drug-related violence there is confined to cities along the U.S./Mexico border, leaving the touristic areas (Cancun, the Maya Riviera, Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, Cabo San Lucas) untroubled (which is the current situation), Mexico deserves to receive a much greater number of U.S. visitors.

Turkey has become affordable again. A year ago, one U.S. dollar bought 1.18 Turkish lira. Today it gets you 1.73 Turkish lira, an increase in the purchasing power of the dollar of 46%.

Australia's dollar is today exchanged at a rate of 1.59 Australian dollars for one U.S. dollar. A year ago, you received only 1.06 Australian dollars. The improvement (for Americans) is 50%. And with a new airline -- Richard Branson's V Australia -- doing battle with Australia's flag carrier, Qantas, airfares to Australia are under such downward pressure that a vacation Down Under is something you really should consider.

New Zealand is doing even worse. A year ago, you received 1.24 New Zealand dollars for one U.S. dollar; today you receive 2.20 New Zealand dollars for every U.S. dollar, which is 70% more -- a great reason for traveling to Lord of the Rings territory.

The Brazilian real has fallen by about 45% against the U.S. dollar. A year ago, you received 1.67 Brazilian reals for one U.S. dollar; today you receive 2.45.
 
The Russian ruble and the Polish zloty have fallen by 40% to 50% against the U.S. dollar. The currencies of several other eastern and central European countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania) have fallen by just as much.

The South Korean won has fallen by more than 50% against the U.S. dollar. So has the Swedish krona.

These currency shifts, and others like them, may give you some vacation ideas. Provided only that you have savings left in this troubled era, you may discover that 2009 has become (would you believe it?) a tremendous time to engage in international travel.