Travel observer

COLUMBUS, Ohio - (Business Wire) In spite of an ailing economy, Americans are still keen on taking vacations even if those vacations are close to home or a few hundred miles away. According to the Travel Industry Association (TIA), 91% of Americans say they plan to get away rather than take a
staycation,
or home-based vacation, through early 2009. With over 350 hotels around the country, economy lodging leader Red Read the rest of this entry »

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For Red Wing, the awards just keep rolling in.
The city's latest distinction, however, may be its most noteworthy.
The National Geographic Traveler Magazine named Red Wing the 23rd best historic destination in the world. The magazine listed the top 109 destinations in its 2008 November-December issue.
"It's truly an honor," Red Wing Mayor Donna Dummer said.
The magazine posted the following description on its Web site: "A wonderful river community Read the rest of this entry »

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Cafe Lotus fills an important niche in the community and is receiving attention for its unique venue.
The restaurant on East Kiowa Avenue has been included in the 2008 edition of John Fielder’s “Best of Colorado” and is to be included in Brian Butko’s “Lincoln Highway Companion,” which will come out in two months, said owner Nick Ng.
“We feel honored to be chosen by these publications as a venue to visit Read the rest of this entry »

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(Forimmediaterelease.net) 1. Get guidelines from your resort, #’s needed, deadlines, etc.
2. Have a 9-month timeline: with monthly goals and a matching message to reach each goal.
3. Create an email and hard-copy invitation, with a soft sell or catchy tip.
4. Tell friends why not just where they should go: compatibility, savings, meals together, room shares, specials you arranged, that you are responsible. Where is a geography lesson. Why Read the rest of this entry »

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POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Nov 15, 2008
, owned and operated by George Mavrothalassitis, has become the first stand-alone, non-hotel restaurant in Hawaii to earn an AAA Five Diamond award.
announced its 2009 AAA Five Diamond Award-winning restaurants and lodgings yesterday. Hawaii's winners, in addition to Chef Mavro, included
, for its 19th consecutive year, and among lodgings,
, 18 years. Nationally, of the 58,000 lodgings and restaurants Read the rest of this entry »

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Those U.S. honeymooning couples choosing Cape Town for a blissful vacation are now able to buy almost double what they could earlier - hotels, meals, shopping purchases and more. I'm reminded that just several months ago, I drew attention to the air-and-land package to South Africa operated by South African Holidays for under $2,000 called South Africa in Style. It's still available at that price and brings you airfare, accommodations and a safari Read the rest of this entry »

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Alaska Airlines passengers may gain more direct flights to more international destinations, in what the airline is calling “a major marketing alliance,” to be announced Monday.
The new agreement is with Delta Air Lines, which merged with rival Northwest Airlines after getting antitrust approval Oct. 29. Both Delta and Northwest already had code sharing agreements with Seattle-based Alaska Airlines, which meant flights could be booked Read the rest of this entry »

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How discouraging to read recently in The Ithaca Journal about how the United States lags behind in encouraging workers' vacations. The article reads that only 14 percent of Americans will get a vacation of two weeks or longer in 2008.
At a time when stress levels are at their highest, people need time to rest and recuperate. Unlike 127 other countries, the United States has no minimum paid-leave law. For more information on how to take back your Read the rest of this entry »

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