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There & Back |
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| Travel briefs |
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| By The Associated Press |
Friday, October 09, 2009 |
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National parks headed for banner year
WASHINGTON — The national park system is headed for a record-breaking number of visitors this year if travel trends hold up.
Nearly 232 million people have already visited national park sites this year, with recreational visits in 2009 up almost 5 percent compared to the first nine months of 2008.
If visitation stays strong through year’s end, the parks could see more than 288 million visitors for 2009, topping the previous records of more than 287 million visitors in 1987 and 1999, according to National Park Service spokesman Jeffrey G. Olson.
Ken Burns’ new series about the national parks, “America’s Best Idea,” which debuts on PBS Sept. 27, is expected to help keep interest in the parks high for the rest of the year. “We think it’s the neatest thing since sliced bread,” Olson said.
But other factors have already contributed to bringing in 13 million more people through August of this year compared to January-August 2008.
President Obama’s inauguration in January kicked off the year by bumping up tourist numbers to park sites like the National Mall and monuments in Washington D.C. Then the reopening of some portions of Gulf Islands National Seashore, off the coasts of Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, added another 3 million to park visitation, according to Olson.
Low gas prices and an increased interest in regional, inexpensive vacations also brought more folks to the parks. “Generally in times of economic turmoil, national parks are seen as being a great value, and people really connect with the parks as a place to go,” Olson said.
Obama’s visit with his family to the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone added even more buzz, and three fee-free weekends this summer encouraged more people to visit the parks too. (Fees were also being waived on Sept. 26, which is National Public Lands Day.)
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Olson said October is a big month for travel as well, especially among retirees and in parts of the country where there is fall foliage.
Paris catacombs closed to public due to vandalism
PARIS — Paris’ underground bone collection, the catacombs, has been closed to the public indefinitely after being vandalized.
Ordinarily, the creepy collection of human remains — cleared from city cemeteries long ago — is orderly, with bones piled in stacks along underground tunnels. But a post-vandalism photo in Le Parisien newspaper showed bones and skulls scattered along the walking paths.
Isabelle Montagne, the spokeswoman for the Paris prosecutor’s office, said that an investigation has been opened into the weekend incidents. The catacombs have been closed because the littered site has become hazardous, she said. Montagne and a police spokesman declined to give details of the damage.
The catacombs are a vast underground network tunnel of tunnels holding the bones of more than 6 million Parisians. Near the end of the 18th century, Paris’ cemeteries were filled to capacity, so city officials decided to transfer the contents of graves to quarries.
The section open to the public is only a sampling of the secret world: More than 186 miles of tunnels like beneath the city. The catacombs are visited by 257,000 tourists each year, according to city historical officials.
Elderhostel group tours changing name to Exploritas
BOSTON — The travel organization Elderhostel is changing its program name to Exploritas and opening up tours and activities to all travelers 21 and older.
The rebranding will help emphasize a focus on lifelong learning and exploration, and less on age, as new programs and services are introduced to appeal to baby boomers and even younger travelers.
The original name had become a misnomer, erroneously suggesting that participants are elderly and that trip lodging consists of hostels, according to CEO James Moses.
Most of the accommodations are in hotels.
Elderhostel, a not-for-profit educational group travel organization, was founded in 1975 and has offered thousands of programs in every state and more than 90 countries. Originally it was geared to travelers 60 and older. The age floor was later reduced to 55, but with the launch of the new brand, the age guideline has been dropped to 21 or older. A few programs are also designed for grandparents traveling with grandchildren.
New programs will include an Independent Explorations series in major cities such as New York, Santa Fe, Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and New Orleans combining structured lectures and activities with time built in for participants to explore their own interests at their own pace.
International offerings will also change to include shorter experiences for those who have less time or budget for travel. Programs will be scheduled so that those who prefer longer trips will be able to attend two programs back to back.
The redesigned Web site http://www.exploritas.org also offers a new social networking feature so participants can stay in touch, share memories and photos, send and receive updates, and make plans for future trips.
Cruises to sail from Charleston, S.C., year-round
CHARLESTON, S.C. — The Carnival Fantasy ship will homeport in Charleston year-round beginning in May.
The 2,056-passenger Carnival Cruise Lines ship will make five-, six and seven-day voyages from South Carolina to the Bahamas and Key West, Fla.
Carnival sails from Charleston currently, but operates only a handful of winter season cruises. Most travelers looking for a winter cruise from the region had to head either north to Baltimore or south to Jacksonville, Fla.
“For the first time ever, you will be able to sail from Charleston during any month of the year,” said Jim Newsome, the new president and chief executive of the South Carolina State Ports Authority.
The Fantasy is coming from Mobile, Ala., and will be replaced there by a ship from San Diego, said Jennifer de la Cruz, a Carnival spokeswoman.
“Carnival’s model is fill the ship,” de la Cruz said. “We never enter into a new market unless we are extremely confident that we can fill that ship week after week and it’s going to be tremendously successful.”
JetBlue launching direct service from New York to St. Lucia
NEW YORK — JetBlue will launch direct service to St. Lucia from New York later this fall.
The flights will depart from John F. Kennedy Airport three times a week, Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays, beginning Oct. 26. Roundtrip fare is as low as $300.
The planes will land at St. Lucia’s Hewanorra Airport.
The island is known for a combination of beaches, mountains and lush green forests. In the town of Soufriere, you can tour a volcanic crater where you’ll find steam vents and pools of bubbling mud and colored minerals.
The island’s dry season is between December and May.
Honololu issues preliminary ban on shark tours
HONOLULU — The Honolulu City Council has given preliminary approval to a ban on shark tour businesses operating on Oahu, according to The Honolulu Advertiser.
State law already prohibits the operation of shark tours within three miles of the shore. The measure before the city council also would make it illegal to maintain an office, collect money and market shark tours businesses.
Some say profiting from shark tours is disrespectful because Native Hawaiians consider the animals to be sacred.
If passed, the measure would affect two businesses that currently operate out of the Haleiwa Small Boat Harbor. North Shore Shark Adventures and Hawaii Shark Encounters oppose the measure, saying their tours pose little danger to humans and little disturbance to sharks.
The Maui County Council adopted a similar ban earlier this year.
Mexico has 4 spots in top 10 travel list despite swine flu
MINNEAPOLIS — Mexico took four of the top 10 spots on a list of international destinations booked by agents, managers and agency owners from the Travel Leaders company (formerly Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associates).
The annual survey asked 452 Travel Leaders agents to name the top destinations for the fall, through Dec. 31, using actual booking data. The survey was conducted in late August.
Mexico ranked highly despite concerns about swine flu and drug-related crime that hurt travel there last spring. Cancun came in as No. 2 on the list, Riviera Maya as No. 3, cruises to Mexico were No. 7 and Playa del Carmen was No. 10.
London was not among the top 10 in last year’s survey but it rebounded at No. 6 this year, most likely due to a stronger U.S. dollar.
Caribbean cruises were first on the list and Mediterranean cruises were fourth. Rome came in at No. 5, while Montego Bay, Jamaica, got the eighth slot, and Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic, was ninth.
Domestically, the top 10 destinations were, in order, Las Vegas, Orlando, New York City, Honolulu, Maui, Chicago, Washington, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Miami. Travel Leaders attributed New York’s No. 3 slot to attractive hotel rates in the Big Apple.
Despite Mexico remaining popular as a destination this fall, most agents reported that the country’s bad news had negatively impacted their bookings.
On the H1N1 flu, 50 percent said there was a very dire or significant impact, 37 percent said it had some impact, and only 13 percent said it had little or no impact.
On reports of violence, 24 percent of the agents who responded said it had a dire or significant impact; 47 percent said it had some impact; the rest said it had little or no impact.
Miami offering discount attraction coupons for October
MIAMI — Miami is offering discount coupons to eight attractions during October at www.EveryonesaKid.com.
To be eligible for the discounts for admission for places ranging from the Miami Metrozoo to Everglades Alligator Farm, you must print the coupons out and present them at the gate Oct. 1-31. Some attractions have restrictions on Halloween and the days prior to it, and taxes may be additionally imposed; check Web site for details.
The coupons entitle you to the following:
At Deering Estate at Cutler, where you can take a canoe tour, go on a butterfly walk or a hike, or tour a historic house, one free admission with the purchase of one $10 adult admission.
At Dolphin Harbor at Miami Seaquarium, adult admission and a “Dolphin Encounter” at the children’s price of $99.
At Everglades Alligator Farm, adult admission for the children’s price of $15.50 (with airboat ride) or $10.50 (without airboat ride).
At the Historical Museum of Southern Miami, one free admission with the purchase of another for $8.
At Jungle Island, which offers tropical wildlife, animal shows, waterslides and a private beach, one free child’s admission with the purchase of adult admission for $29.95.
At the Miami Children’s Museum, 50 percent off admission.
At Miami Metrozoo, adult admission for the children’s price of $11.95.
At Miami Seaquarium, adult admission for the children’s price of $26.95.
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