Taking off Travel blog

Here’s our weekly roundup of some of the recent travel news stories.

Experts Predict Airline Ticket Sales Slowdown

Last week we mentioned the new rules to promote more transparency in air travel prices for consumers. That story has continued to promote discussion especially since the rules came into force last Thursday. However, an article in the LA Times suggests that the rules may result in a reduction in ticket sales because of ‘sticker shock’ – the sudden increase in prices. This view is held by a number of travel industry experts. There is still a pending lawsuit to stop the rules from going into force, brought by Southwest, Spirit and Allegiant.

LA Visitor Numbers Rocket

The Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau has released figures showing a 4.2% increase in overnight visitors to LA during 2011. The influx of 26.9 million people had a resulting 8% increase in spending by tourists to $15.2 billion. One of the largest sections of growth was in the international visitor sector, where visitor numbers increased by 7% and spending increased by 12%. One of the factors driving the growth was increased traffic from Asia, as well as Canada and Mexico but there was also a 2% increase in domestic travel to LA. The airport is undertaking an expansion of the Tom Bradley International Terminal, to cost $1.5 billion and Los Angeles is to host the US Travel Association’s International PowWow in April, resulting in an influx of international visitors. If you are planning to visit LA in 2012, check out our recommendations for things to do in LA.

Brazil Boom Brings Travel Woes

If you’re planning a trip to Brazil in the near future to attend any of the major sporting events to be held there, don’t be surprised if the trip leaves you feeling underwhelmed. The country is due to host the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics and ahead of that the country is experiencing a travel boom. That means headaches for passengers in terms of higher ticket prices and lots of delays. Brazil’s airport infrastructure just isn’t ready to cope with the boom and airport upgrades scheduled to be ready by the June 2013 start of the Confederations Cup, are unlikely to be complete. More on this in the Washington Post.

Relax at SFO

If you happen to be visiting San Francisco, you might find your trip through San Francisco International Airport quite … peaceful. Though that’s not a word often associated with air travel, the airport now has a Yoga Room in terminal 2, reports Time. Low lighting and sound protection should keep the noise of the terminal at bay, and you can sit on one of the many available yoga mats between 4.30am to 12.30am daily and rediscover your bliss!

Visiting SFO, LAX or another airport? Don’t forget to use our Happy12 coupon and save on off airport parking.

Avoid the blahs with these February celebrations

Have you got the January blahs? A bit of post-holiday let down? Don’t be glum, because February offers plenty of reasons to celebrate. Here’s a snapshot of what you can expect.

Black History Month

February is African American History Month or Black History Month. Oddly, this is observed at a completely different time of the year (October) in the UK. There will be events for this annual celebration throughout the month.

National Freedom Day – Feb 1

National Freedom Day commemorates the signing of a resolution for the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. This amendment ended slavery and became law in December 1865. This is not a public holiday, but many Americans observe the day and a wreath is usually laid at the Liberty Bell. Other celebrations of this event include Juneteenth and Emancipation Day.

Valentine’s Day – Feb 14

Also not a holiday, but widely observed, is Valentine’s Day, taking place on a Tuesday this year. It was originally named after some Christian martyrs and is a boon for card makers everywhere (not to mention flower shops and candy stores). Here are some fun facts about Valentine’s Day.

President’s Day – Feb 20

Now observed on the 3rd Monday in February, this holiday originally honored George Washington’s birthday. It now also honors Abraham Lincoln (also born in February) and other presidents.

Mardi Gras – Feb 21

Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday), the day before Ash Wednesday, is a big celebration just before Lent starts – and a great excuse for a party. One of the biggest of these is in New Orleans, which we mentioned in Carnival Celebrations around the World. We’ll look at it in more detail nearer the time.

Leap Day – Feb 29

It only comes around every four years and this is the year for Leap Day. There are several traditions associated with this day and we’ll be looking at those in more detail closer to the time.

Photo: SanFranAnnie

Want discount airport parking ? Find out about our airport parking coupon here.

Travel Strategy

The big news in travel in the past week was the announcement of initiatives to improve travel and tourism in the US. The industry accounted for 7.5 million jobs in 2010 and 2.7% of GDP.  Among the measures announced were the easing of restrictions for regular travelers who pass a background check, resulting in lower waiting times at airports, an increase in the number of countries from which visitors can enter without a visa and quicker processing for visitors from countries like China and Brazil. There will also be an interagency task force to develop a National Travel and Tourism Strategy. See the video below for more info:

Response from the industry has been largely positive, as a snapshot from Travel Market Report reveals. In particular, many felt that the industry was at last being respected as a major force in the US economy.

Sustainable Travel Finalists

The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has announced the finalists in the 2012 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, which recognize sustainable travel initiatives industry wide.  There are four categories: destination stewardship, global tourism business, conservation and community benefit. The finalists are

Destination Stewardship

• Destination Røros, Norway

• Misool Eco Resort, Indonesia

• Tanabe City, Japan

Global Tourism Business

• Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts, Singapore

• REI Adventures, USA
• Wilderness, South Africa

Conservation

• Cheli & Peacock, Kenya

• Inkaterra Peru, Peru

• NamibRand Safaris: Wolwedans Collection, Namibia

Community Benefit

• Saunders Hotel Group, USA

• Soria Moria Boutique Hotel, Cambodia

• The Thailand Community Tourism Based Institute, Thailand

The next stage of the 3-stage judging process includes on-site visits to the finalists. The winners will be recognized at WTTC’s global summit in Tokyo, Japan, to be held from 16-19 April.

No More Hidden Travel Fees

In other news, new protections for air passengers are about to come into force. These mean that when you book and pay for a ticket, that’s the price you should pay. Airlines will have to include fees and taxes in the price they are advertising (only the mandatory ones), and to disclose the costs of the optional extras. Once a flight is purchased, the price stays the same. (Full story on NewsNet5.)

Want discount airport parking ? Find out about our airport parking coupon here.

We’re all accustomed to getting around our home country using menial methods of transportation that have defined the act of transporting oneself between point A and Point B as exceedingly boring. However, locations around the world have become iconic for their alternative take on transport, and this can make our travels more eventful and exciting simply taking a trip between two locations. Although in many cases this involves a hideous violation of any concerns for one’s health and safety, we will not focus purely on these (sorry South East Asia) but will also incorporate flash, stylish and romantic ways of arriving at our destination. It is up to you though on whether you deem it flash or foolish.

The Family Scooter

Scooters are common forms of transport the world over. In most countries the scooter is a 1-2 seater form of transport, but lax rules of health and safety in developing nations means that families of 3, 4 or even 5 can be seen whizzing around. With simple engines that are cheap and reliable, the scooter covers terrain from the congested urban metropolis to the unpaved, muddy and step mountain trail.

Tuk Tuk

Due to its loyal serving of Bangkok, Thailand, this is often the first weird method of transport that travelers to the popular South East Asia experience. The cheerful name serves as an ideal sales call from the many Tuk Tuk drivers and their daring and exciting driving practices make riding a Tuk Tuk an experience never to forget. Cheap prices abound, travelers must be wary of a deal too good to be true. Often, Tuk Tuk drivers will deposit you outside an entertainment venue with the offer of a return trip for a mere 20 Baht. However, the venue is always more expensive to get into than originally promised and when you leave, your Tuk Tuk driver is never there. This results in having to pay an incredibly higher price to one of the few present drivers to get back to your original location. Read more »

It may not be a federal holiday, but there will still be a lot of people celebrating Chinese New Year on January 23 as the Year of the Rabbit comes to an end and the Year of the Dragon begins. Known as Pinyin (the Spring Festival) in China, it’s the country’s most important traditional holiday. It’s also called the Lunar New Year, as the Chinese follow a lunar calendar. Everywhere where there’s a large Chinese population, there are celebrations, so if you want to see what it’s all about, check out your nearest Chinatown.

Chinese New Year Traditions

Traditions surrounding this celebration include cleaning the house to get rid of bad luck and make room for good luck which will come with the new year. There’s lots of red decoration and much talk of wealth, happiness and long life. There’s feasting and fireworks. On the day itself, children wish their parents a happy new year and get money in red paper envelopes. This is the time to forget past troubles and wish happiness and peace to everyone. Celebrations can last for a couple of weeks, traditionally ending with the Lantern Festival.

Interesting facts about the Chinese New Year

• Red is worn because the color was once thought to banish evil spirits.
• most people wear new clothes as a symbol of a new start and of prosperity
• the floral decorations used during the period have symbolize what people hope will happen during the year. For example the plum blossom means luck and the narcissus means prosperity.
• Sydney, Australia claims to have the largest Chinese New Year celebrations outside China. In North America, there are significant celebrations in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Toronto and Vancouver.
• Some people believe that the Chinese calendar has been in use since the second millenium BC, but no one can agree on exactly when it started, so the coming year might be Chinese year 4709, but then again it might not.

Where to Celebrate the Chinese New Year in the US

I’m not going to attempt to list all the Chinese New Year celebrations nationwide, but here are some to consider when making travel plans:

• the Golden Dragon Parade in Los Angeles, now in its 113th year
• the Chinese New Year Festival and Parade in San Francisco
• the New York Chinese New Year celebrations

As for me, I’ll be looking forward to next year’s celebrations since I was born in the Year of the Snake.

Image: Chinese New Year parade, Vancouver, BC, 2007 The Chinese Freemasons Athletic Club

Want discount airport parking when visiting the Chinese New Year celebrations? Find out about our airport parking coupon here.