Turkey is a country that has a unique culture at an important point in its history, facing questions of religious and regional identity. Although it has always been an exotic, beautiful, somewhat off-the-beaten-path alluring destination, this time of sweeping change makes Turkey an even more exciting place to be right now. The timing works out well in this case, as the lovely autumn climate and many deals on flights are currently rolling in. For example, Turkish Airlines is offering roundtrip nonstop flight between New York and Istanbul for just $564, between the dates of October 26-November 1 and November 7-30. Flights to other less visited (and therefore usually more expensive) cities in Turkey are also very reasonably priced next month, such as Izmir for $689, and Antalya or Kayseri for $729. Many of these rates apply for flights leaving from Chicago as well. Additionally, the favorable exchange rate allows the affordability to continue after you step off the plane. From cultural and historical adventures such as ancient ruins to breathtaking natural wonders like Cappadocia, a trip to Turkey is an enchanting (and inexpensive) way to ease yourself into the winter.
October 25, 2007 No Comments
For those thinking of traveling abroad this Labor Day weekend, the problems with subprime lending may serve to keep you grounded. The downturn in the US economy, mainly as a result of the housing recession will cause many people to change their minds about that vacation. But those that do venture abroad will find things a lot cheaper due to the recent appreciation in the US dollar.
The economic slump affects the prospective traveler in a number of ways (all negative). First, the housing recession has spread to other parts of the economy, depressing wages in a variety of sectors. If you are getting paid less, you have less money to spend on discretionary items like travel. Second, your purchasing power is tied to not only your income, but also your wealth. And the largest component of net worth for most Americans is the value of their home. What the subprime crisis (and the broader housing decline) has done is cause that value to depreciate, lowering your net worth and ability to spend money on foreign vacations.
Subprime problems will also prove detrimental to travel in more general ways. Going abroad on the Labor Day holiday is a luxury, and the ability to pay for that luxury requires certain things. We have discussed how American consumers have less real money to spend, but many times, vacation decisions are made on the basis of how we feel about our economic health. Consumer confidence in this country is at a multi-year low, partly due to so many people losing their homes in the subprime fiasco. And since consumer spending accounts for 2/3 of our economy, the low confidence is only likely to perpetuate itself, creating conditions where no one feels up to traveling.
Lastly, we have to consider that many people pay for vacations by borrowing money. The most direct effect of the subprime issue is the tightening of the credit market. Banks are so afraid to lose money on loans (or at least, some loans) that they have begun charging higher interest rates to cover their losses. Higher borrowing costs mean that last vacation before summer ends just got more expensive.
There is a silver lining to those that just have to show off those white clothes one last time. I said that banks have become gun-shy with loans; that feeling of fear is true with regard to investors and traders as well. Everyone wants to get out of risky investments in case everything blows up on them. And when fear pervades the marketplace, traders turn to the world’s safest investment: US Treasury bonds. People love buying the debt of the world’s largest economy because it is the world’s most liquid asset, and the US government will never (absolutely never) default on its debt obligation.
What does this mean for American travelers? Well, to buy US Treasury bonds, you need US dollars. As the demand for Treasuries increases, the value of the US dollar goes up. And that’s been the direction of the American currency for the past two weeks against all the other major currencies (Euro, Pound, Swiss Franc, etc.) except for the Japanese yen (a more complicated story). That means it’s cheaper to visit Europe, Australia or New Zealand than at any other time this summer. So if the housing slump hasn’t gotten you down, take advantage of the dollar strength while you still can and realize a discount on the last warm weather holiday of the year.
August 21, 2007 No Comments
According to the Chicago Tribune, expediting passports may soon be a thing of the past. With the increase of passport applications after 9/11, and new laws stating that crossing any country boarder (including Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean) now requires a passport, the State Department is overwhelmed with passport processing. So overwhelmed, in fact, that they have hired hundreds of new employees, and even shipped ex-employees back to the United States to try to deal with the backlog.
Usually, people can pay an extra $60 fee to have their passport expedited in a week. Now, the realistic wait for an expedited passport is three weeks, or longer. A regular passport, usually taking 6 weeks, can take anywhere from 10 to 12 weeks. Though the State Department website can be checked regularly to see how fast expediting is, there is no guarantee for when your passport will be returned.
August 17, 2007 No Comments
Denver Business Journal stated this week that the Dollar and Thrifty rental-car services around Denver, Colorado are starting to offer services where car renters can pay a fee up front to cover toll payments on the E-470 and surrounding toll routes (though the Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group is actually based in Tulsa, Oklahoma). The service is called Pass24, and is already offered in Houston and Dallas, along with the three Dollar and Thrifty rental offices in Denver (including Denver International Airport).
Pass24 covers a total of 65 miles of highway, such as the E-470, the Northwest Parkway and the I-25 express lanes. Travelers can sign up for the service at the rental counter to pay $8.95 per day for Pass24. This enables them to drive an unlimited number of times through toll booths, without any sort of electronic device (the technology is provided by Rent A Toll, a Texas technology company).
August 15, 2007 No Comments
Three weeks ago, Belfast Today made it public that Ryanair is going to start daily flights to Liverpool, East Midlands and Glasgow, in an attempt to increase tourism. In fact, 10,000 of the first seats are for sat at £10. But the destinations are also to extend to Paris, Barcelona, Rome, Madrid, Brussels and Pisa. Ryanair is hopeful that this will increase the amount of visitors in Belfast, and will also create almost 300 jobs at Belfast City Airport. Rival airlines such as EasyJet, and British Midland have already started flying direct from Belfast to Glasgow and Liverpool, increasing the interest in Belfast and Northern Ireland in terms of tourist from continental Europe. Not only would the new routes boost the economy, but the new routs are expected to carry almost 300,000 new passengers a year.
Surprisingly, there was little worry about a runway extension at Belfast City Airport, nor at Aer Lingus’ announcement that they will be flying direct from Belfast International Airport to London Heathrow. Officials say that growth in terminals and runways, if any, will come gradually in the future, and that they are fully prepared to deal with the new Ryanair deal.
August 13, 2007 No Comments
Reuters Africa published an article last month, stating that there has been a sudden fall in tourist visits to Morocco. For the last few years there seemed to have been a huge boom in the Marrakesh tourist industry. But all that was brought to a halt by what hotel managers and officials are calling an ‘increase in activity by Islamic militants’.
In March and April, seven suicide bombers bombed outside U.S. diplomatic buildings in Casablanca, killing several people. Locals claim that this set off a chain of events to give Morocco a bad image, including al Qaeda’s associate in Morocco threatening to widen its war against regional rulers and their Western ties. Officials also fear tourism future because the security alert was raised to the maximum level.
The target for 2010 is to boost the number of tourists to 10 million, but the fact that the number of tourists to Marrakesh was up only 1% does not bode well for that goal. Hotel bookings are predicted to drop anywhere from 20 to 50%, as well, because of recent fears.
August 13, 2007 1 Comment
The Prague Daily Monitor recently published an article claiming that Russia is discouraging Russian tourists from traveling to the Czech Republic by introducing stricter visa procedures. Many Russian travel agencies, for example, have already removed offers for trips to the Czech Republic. In its place, travel agencies are suggesting countries such as France, Slovakia or Poland. Because of these new, stricter procedures, the Czech Tourism Office’s estimate of 280,000 Russian tourists is unlikely to be met.
In order to travel to the Czech Republic, Russian tourists must submit a travel contract that they signed with the travel agency, and a signed declaration that they will not abuse the visa for anything other than tourist purposes.
This is quite a blow to the Czech Tourism industry, because Russians are said to make up the most profitable tourists to visit the Czech Republic. Last year, 240,000 Russian tourists visited the Czech Republic.
August 13, 2007 No Comments
According to ABS-CBN, despite the tsunami in 2004, Thailand’s tourism is still thriving. In 2006 alone, there were around 14 million visitors. The Tourism office quickly started a new “Amazing Thailand” campaign to promote Thailand post-tsunami, and more recently there has a “Seven Amazing Wonders of Thailand” campaign that incorporates culture and heritage to attract tourists. Because of this, Thailand is expecting 15 million tourists this year, and has already attracted three million visitors in the first quarter of 2007.
Also, the recent military coup in September 2006 has not hurt tourism as much as expected. Thailand’s shift to a parliamentary system of government has boosted the economy. It is said that out of all the countries in Southeast Asia, Thailand is one of the only ones that was not colonized by the West, and therefore has the most cohesive sense of culture. This, coupled with exchange rates, makes Thailand an attractive destination for those looking to explore the Asian continent.
August 13, 2007 No Comments
Naturist tourism, though already mainstream in Western Europe, has begun to pick up speed in Hungary, according to Oringo and Caboodle.
Naturist beaches can be found all around the country. Many of the beaches that are not specifically for naturists, are naturist-friendly, and have designated areas for them.
For instance, the Balatonberény beach and campsite owns an area of almost six hectares and is one of the largest naturist spots in Europe. During the past 20 years, over 1 million Euros has been invested into the complex, but plenty more renovations and expansions are still in process.
In addition to that, investors have found it profitable to start building a naturist hotel for beachgoers and fishers. This, combined with a ‘wellness center’, should be constructed within the next two years. Rumor has it that it will be accessible by sail boat, and plans are in place for a port able to hold around 250 ships (it will apparently be built in 2009, for around 4 million Euros
August 10, 2007 No Comments
According to Belize publication, Lovefm, The Belize Carnival Association has officially launched this year’s carnival season. It is claimed that this season will be much better organized, and will be affiliated with the National Institute of Culture and History. Funded by the Belize Tourism Board, Traveler’s Liquors Limited, the Protected Areas Conservation Trust, Angelus Press Limited, and Tenchtronics, the carnival season also has a theme song has been written by Kenny G and the New Creation Band, and is called “Jump Fi Carnival”.
On top of that, there will be seven senior bands, five junior bands, and two non-competitive bands, making it the biggest turn-out yet. Not only that, but the cash prizes have increased, and trophies, in order to top last year’s carnival. Though the date for the carnival isn’t until September 8th, the Carnival Association is still looking for business to fund the bands themselves, so that they won’t need to foot the bill.
August 10, 2007 No Comments
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