The pretty islands of Samoa have a had a rough time lately. As if switching from right side to left side driving wasn't enough, the poor Samoans endured a tsunami in late September which killed close to 200 people, some of them tourists, and that meant a bunch of canceled bookings by future travelers. This is all not great news for a country with tourism as 25% of GDP.

But now we've got the good news: Samoa is back on track. Less than two months after the tsunami, the Samoa Tourism Authority says that tourism is recovering. Some of the 33 resorts that were forced to close are on course to start opening early next year, and although tourist numbers are currently down 20% compared to the same time a year ago, the outlook for the future is better. On top of that, the "It's Still Beautiful" marketing campaign has kicked off to convince tourists that Samoa should still be on their wishlist. It's still on ours, but we've got a long, long list.

Related Stories:
· Recovery Begins In Samoa [The Age]
· Samoa Switches Sides Of The Road For Drivers [Jaunted]

[Photo: YXO] ]]> amandak 2009-11-24T15:20:39-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/11/24/111856/71

Everytime we hear about the Heathrow Clubhouse for Virgin Atlantic's Upper Class and Flying Club Gold members, we get a little excited, if you know what we mean. Just a glance at the Arne Jacobsen Egg chairs, mid-century modern colors and design influence, and we've blasted off even before the plane departs. Knowing that Virgin's Clubhouse at London-Gatwick was under renovation, we wondered if it would re-open as sexified as Heathrow, and the answer is yes.

First, let's talk about the amenities that lie within the space that can accommodate 130 passengers. Please welcome to Gatwick a Cowshed Spa and rock garden, Wii and Guitar Hero zone, and electronics charging areas. Plus, they haven't forgotten all the modern design details we love; think Eames dining chairs, Turtle lounge chairs by Pearson Lloyd, Roberto Romanello's Delta chairs, Bertoia barstools, Nelson Coconut chairs, Fritz Hansen tables and of course plenty of Virgin's lipstick red. Is it just us or is it getting hot in here? ]]> JetSetCD 2009-11-24T14:04:32-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/11/24/121719/13

One lucky college in Boston, Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago or Philadelphia will get the chance to hang out with Micheal Cera and get a sneak peek of his new movie.

Eventful and Dimension Films are holding a competition for college students to bring Youth in Revolt to their campus. Students in these cities can demand a private screening at their school through Eventful’s Demand it! service and the college with the most "demands" wins. Based on current voting, it looks like Cera might be packing his bags for Berkeley, which is in the lead with nearly 3000 "demands". The competition ends Nov. 29.

It seems Ann Arbor, MI, the one college town that is an obvious choice for the competition, has been suspiciously left off the list. Most of the movie was filmed in and around Ann Arbor, home to the University of Michigan, last summer. Maybe they're saving UM for the rumored Youth in Revolt Comedy Central College Tour that is supposed to begin on Dec. 1, though there has been no official schedule announced as of yet. ]]> cmb 2009-11-24T13:09:32-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/11/24/0521/3583

An example of the quirky goods you'll find at UNIQUE LA

Shopping for presents at malls and chain stores will do if you're pressed for time, but with a solid few weeks before holiday delirium fully sets in, we suggest turning elsewhere for your gift-giving needs. In Los Angeles, one option is hitting up the UNIQUE independent design sale, set to return to the city on December 5th and 6th.

UNIQUE has enjoyed considerable success and garnered buzz among L.A.'s cool kid contingent, who head downtown to support their artistic friends, or sell wares of their own. The selection of artwork, beauty products, jewelry, handbags, home goods, and creative miscellany is vast, and it's guaranteed that you won't find items like these at your local Wal-Mart. Plush, California-shaped pillows by Love, California, "Steaktionery" by Pamela Barsky (steak-themed paper goods, just as the name suggests), and hammered jewelry by A Stone's Throw are just a few of the awe-inspiring finds at UNIQUE. Attending is essentially like walking through the real, live version of Etsy. ]]> Heidi Atwal 2009-11-24T12:19:32-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/11/24/93343/146

For just about all of us, spending 12 hours at the airport during the Thanksgiving rush sounds like punishment for some heinous karmic crime. But for the soldiers at Travelocity, it's just a public service. The Travelocity Thanksgiving Task Force has fanned out across the country to some of America's busiest airports to provide live updates on crowds and delays -- not that there will be any of those this year, right??

Travelocity has 12 airports picked out and one Twitter hashtag (#TravelocityTTF) if you want to give tips to the people stationed on the ground. Naturally, since most people don't travel on Tuesday most of the accounts are pretty calm right now -- in fact, they're having a Thanksgiving joke contest with a gnome in the offing. ]]> egw 2009-11-24T11:24:32-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/11/24/0500/7051

Tomorrow is travel's Black Friday. Are you prepared to hit the road—whether it's the skies, the rails, or the actual road? If you're flying, then you'll be happy to hear that airports are predicted to be less busy as the recession, reduced capacity and airline surcharges take their toll on traveler wallets. The Air Transport Association has forecasted a 4% drop in airline passengers over the holiday while AAA says a 6.7% drop, but it's not like those people are just going to be sitting at home.

Road trips are the one area where Thanksgiving Travel is expected to grow this year, as gas prices fall (for once!), weather stays temperate, and airlines loose their flyers. Already we've seen tons of tweets from those heading out today, and a surprising amount of them have been noting the beginning of such road trips, from people we'd expect to be flying. But then of course, our trip to Thanksgiving dinner this year just required one free ferry. ]]> JetSetCD 2009-11-24T10:26:49-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/11/24/12359/644

Globetrotters heading to Thanksgiving dinner will want to pick up a bottle or four of these travel-themed wines. Aside from being fun additions to dinner, they'll pair nicely with your turkey and trimmings. They'll also ensure you have a very blitzed holiday.

Just be sure not to carry then through security, because these bottles are definitely over 3 oz, and that for which we are very thankful.

See our top three wines for jet-setters after the jump.]]> Jennifer Kester 2009-11-24T09:31:58-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/