To the list of instructions you hear at airport checkpoints, add this: "Put your palms forward, please."
The Transportation Security Administration soon will begin randomly swabbing passengers' hands at checkpoints and airport gates to test them for traces of explosives.
via edition.cnn.com
Here is a direct link to the 2009 Hotel Price Index. TB
DALLAS — March 1, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — Hotels.com®, the largest provider of lodging worldwide, today unveiled its 2009 Hotel Price Index™ (HPI®), the definitive annual report on hotel prices paid around the world. The index shows hotel prices in the U.S. fell 14 percent during the last half of 2009 compared to rates in the same time period in 2008. Hotels.com attributes the falling prices in North America to the economic slowdown and the subsequent reduced demand for rooms.
I'm not sure if adding a tax on inbound tourists is such a great idea. We have created Federal departments like these in the past only to shut them down. We have been told over and over that our reputation overseas has been tarnished due to politics. Will taxing visitors, along with all the additional security requirements, solve our problems? TB
A bill that will create a tourism promotion organization for the United States has received its final passage in the Senate.
The Travel Promotion Act calls for a nonprofit Corporation for Travel Promotion that will promote the United States as a travel destination and explain travel and security policies to international visitors.
"This is a historic victory for the U.S. economy and one in eight American workers whose jobs depend on travel," Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, said in a statement.
President Obama is expected to sign the bill, which the Senate passed 78-18 Thursday, in the next 10 days, according to the travel association.
A $10 fee charged to visitors from countries included in the Visa Waiver Program will partially fund the public-private organization. These visitors will pay the fee every two years when they register online using the Department of Homeland Security's Electronic System for Travel Authorization.
via www.cnn.com
HONOLULU - Hawaii has always been known for its sun, sand and surf. It may soon add another attraction: slots.
Hawaii is one of the last two states with no legalized gambling, but lawmakers facing billion-dollar budget deficits and hunting for ways increase revenue are thinking about allowing casinos in tourist-filled Waikiki or on Native Hawaiian lands.
Proponents say casinos would draw much-needed new money and jobs into the long-troubled, tourism-dependent economy.
via www.usatoday.com
Engineers tasked with building an airport are faced with countless challenges: The ideal location needs ample space, endless flat ground, favorable winds and great visibility. But spots in the real world are rarely ideal, and engineers are forced to work with what they have, making sure that the end product is the safest possible structure for pilots. A survey of airports around the world turns up a mixed bag, ranging from dangerous and rugged landing strips to mega-size facilities that operate like small cities. Here, PM explores the world's most remarkable airports and why they stand out.
February 22, 2010
The Department of State has issued this Travel Alert to update security information for U.S. citizens traveling to and living in Mexico. It supersedes the Travel Alert for Mexico dated August 20, 2009, and expires on August 20, 2010.
While millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year (including tens of thousands who cross the land border every day for study, tourism or business and nearly one million U.S. citizens who live in Mexico), violence in the country has increased. It is imperative that U.S. citizens understand the risks in Mexico, how best to avoid dangerous situations, and whom to contact if one becomes a crime victim. Common-sense precautions such as visiting only legitimate business and tourist areas during daylight hours, and avoiding areas where prostitution and drug dealing might occur, can help ensure that travel to Mexico is safe and enjoyable.
Recent violent attacks have caused the U.S. Embassy to urge U.S. citizens to delay unnecessary travel to parts of Michoacán, Durango, Coahuila and Chihuahua (see details below), and to advise U.S. citizens residing or traveling in those areas to exercise extreme caution. Drug cartels and associated criminal elements have retaliated violently against individuals who speak out against them or whom they otherwise view as a threat to their organization. These attacks include the abduction and murder of two resident U.S. citizens in Chihuahua.
via travel.state.gov
The swimsuit models may have left these locations but the destinations still look nice! TB
We can't all look like a swimsuit model, but that doesn't mean we can't travel like one. Diane Smith, editor of Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue (on newsstands now), shares with USA TODAY's Rebecca Heslin great locations from current and past issues to strut your stuff.
via abcnews.go.com
You may have watched it on TV now you can do it for yourself... I'll just watch. TB
Over the years I have signed plenty of liability waivers before doing thrill-seeking adventures such as bungee jumping, dog sledding and rock climbing, but I have never had somebody explicitly tell me that I will get injured. Not just a chance of injury here, but a promise of at least some bumps and bruises.
via abcnews.go.com
