If You Crave a Caribbean Vacation, Many Areas Escaped Storm Damage: A List
Posted on 10/10/2017, 12:45 PM
This coming winter, many thousands of Americans will agonize over whether they can enjoy tropical vacations in the Caribbean of the sort they once knew. Should they even bother to apply for reservations in an area broadly damaged by hurricanes? Fortunately, a majority of these famed islands was either unaffected by storms or else so moderately damaged that they can be restored and repaired in a...
One Key to a Successful European Vacation Is Planning Several Months Ahead
Posted on 10/09/2017, 8:15 PM
When is it best to begin planning your trip to Europe? Though some of the experts disagree, the majority of them say just after the start of the new year, when airline tickets tend to be priced at their lowest level. The optimum advance period is 120 days (four months), which means that a smart traveler purchases those tickets in January or February for a vacation in May or June. What about a trip...
After Las Vegas, Should Airport Security Measures Now Be Applied to Hotels?
Posted on 10/09/2017, 8:00 PM
The recent horrific shooting in Las Vegas has touched off a number of articles and proposals by travel writers on the relationship of hotel security measures to acts of terrorism. For example: Should the suitcases of hotel guests be subject to the same electronic inspection as the same bags undergo at airports? Should security guards enter a hotel room whose front door has displayed a “do not di...
Hot Tips on Hotel Stays from Top Travel CEOs
Posted on 09/27/2017, 8:00 PM
So what do the masters of the travel universe have in store for us vacationers? I attended the Skift Global Forum, an industry conference, and in between the speeches on marketing and client acquisition by CEOs of many major travel brands, I gleaned a few tidbits that will be helpful for hotel-goers. Real loyalty: After listening to a lot of talk about points programs, it was clear to me that in...
Arthur Frommer: Resort Fees are Immoral, But More Hotels Are Imposing Them
Posted on 09/27/2017, 8:00 PM
At a large and growing number of U.S. hotels, final room prices have recently risen by thirty to sixty dollars because of "resort charges" billed to hotel guests. This has happened despite the fact that these hotels are not resorts by any stretch of imagination. And guests are being charged for indoor swimming pools, fitness rooms, vending machines and parking—the usual justifications for resort ch...
A Tragic Backpacker Death Teaches an Important Travel Lesson
Posted on 09/20/2017, 7:00 PM
What happened to Kit Mallinson was the nightmare every parent has when they send their child away on a trip.Last December, the 18-year-old backpacker from Dorset, England, boarded a night bus in Cambodia to visit Angkor Wat. He had just completed a seven-week engagement as a volunteer building clean water pipes in Borneo, and he wasn't feeling very well, so he hoped the overnight trip would give hi...
Two New, And Quite Appetizing, Culinary Travel Books
Posted on 09/16/2017, 8:00 PM
The old cliché "I live to eat" has a new corollary: "I travel to eat." More vacationers are letting their taste buds decide where their feet (and wallets) will lead them. To aid with that decision, there's a new crop of travel books centered around cuisine.Super Sushi Ramen Express: A Culinary Adventure Through Japan is one of the most exuberant of the genre. Its writing began with a bet of sorts. ...
The Undeniable Drop in Incoming Foreign Tourists Will Gravely Affect Our Economy
Posted on 09/15/2017, 2:00 PM
Disturbing reports from a number of reliable sources have shown, beyond doubt, that the number of incoming foreign tourists to the United States has fallen dramatically in the past several months. Those reports are not simply from private sources, but also from federal government agencies that would be the last to challenge the Administration’s claims of a healthy economy. The fall-off in foreign ...
Not All of the Caribbean was Devastated by Irma: Don't Neglect the Rest
Posted on 09/15/2017, 2:00 PM
Our hearts go out to those island nations that suffered so badly from recent storms—St. Martin, the Virgin Islands, Barbuda, among them. But by assuming that all such islands were equally affected, and by then canceling our general plans to vacation in the Caribbean, we increase the suffering of that area. It’s important to realize that some Caribbean islands were totally or primarily bypasse...
A Major Battle is About to Erupt Over Marijuana Tourism
Posted on 09/15/2017, 2:00 PM
Last year, California, Nevada, Maine, and Massachusetts joined five other states in legalizing the recreational use and sale of marijuana. The action taken by California is especially significant. With its huge population, greater than that of several other large states combined, California will create the foundation for a giant industry of marijuana tourism, causing millions of travelers to f...
