TIME magazine has finally gotten around to covering the new government-funded US tourism board that we covered a few months ago. We're mentioning our post not because we posted the story way back in September, but because the way we emphasized the Travel Promotion Act was exactly the opposite of how TIME is covering it. It's not that the venerable news weekly didn't get to all the angles eventually. It's just that they took a different, kind of obnoxious road.

Whereas we highlighted how it's a bad idea for Congress to charge Europeans an extra $10 per trip, the better to promote Las Vegas hotels and restaurants, TIME took a more "reprint what the press release said" approach. Let's take a look at the article:]]> Omri 2009-11-16T17:14:56-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/10/12/103559/45

Last week's episode of "The Office" featured two timeless romances: the marriage of Jim Halpert and Pam Beesly (played by John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer), and the long infatuation between tourists and Niagara Falls. Pam mentioned in an earlier episode that she and Jim picked the border city because of its distance from Scranton -- which didn't deter their coworker from attending as she'd hoped—but the city's history as a tourist destination dates back to the 18th century.

Visits to the geological wonder picked up after the Civil War when railroad officials capitalized on it as a destination. Back in the day, couples didn't come to (spoiler!) get married on the Maid of the Mist boat ride; they enjoyed it on their honeymoon. While still several days' journey from many East Coast cities, the falls allowed newlyweds -- from the upper classes first, but later middle and working-class spouses too—to get away and enjoy each other's company, sort of like a latter day Hawaii. Its attractions changed with the times: After World War I, motels sprung up so couples could take their cars on vacation with them. ]]> egw 2009-10-12T13:09:47-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/10/7/71921/9673

We’ve always been tempted to sit through a timeshare presentation to score some freebies, but we usually realize that having a good time and a relaxing evening is better than a stressful 90-minute hard sell. However, if you want some free stuff, or are really interested in vacation ownership, now is a good time. Timeshare sales are down big time, and some experts are thinking that things will drop 30 percent from 2008 numbers.

Marriott’s timeshare group, for instance, is cutting prices and slowing down their plans to expand. They are even thinking about selling some of their prime land—might be worth taking a look if you’re looking to build your own vacation home. Wyndham is doing the same thing, despite being the largest seller of timeshares in the country; they are cutting 40 percent of their sales. The salespeople trying to get rid of these properties might be getting desperate, so beware their hardcore pitches. ]]> kjb 2009-10-07T09:03:55-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/10/5/133237/840

Last time we tried to visit Haiti, we were turned around on account of safety concerns surrounding a presidential election in the country, and it probably doesn't help that a friend's entire family fled the country years ago. These are the type of negative views on Haiti that former president Bill Clinton seeks to reverse in his position as a special envoy to Haiti. He made another visit to the struggling country and specifically addressed the need for tourism. So, are you ready to head to Port-au-Prince for a weekend away? But what we really should be asking is if Haiti is ready for you.

In his goodwill trip to encourage tourism, Clinton didn't exactly take the most tourist-friendly route: ]]> JetSetCD 2009-10-05T14:00:25-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/9/28/124811/915

To tell you the truth, we're torn on the issue of tourism in Dubai. Is it a theme park of a city that caters to tourists versus travelers, or is it worth the visit for the unique experiences? Who knows when we'll find out since the place is so firmly out of budget anyways.

Just in case you also like to entertain the thought that a trip to Dubai is in your future, you'll either be delighted or scared shitless to learn that the famous Burj Dubai skyscraper is due to have its observation deck on the 124th floor. Of course the 160+ story building needs to be completed first, and that won't be happening until early December. In the meantime, the building is readying to open the world's first Armani Hotel in the first 37 stories. But let's hear a little more about that vertigo-inducing observation deck, shall we? ]]> JetSetCD 2009-09-28T13:08:50-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/9/10/73113/6457

Despite Arthur Frommer’s feelings about the Grand Canyon State, people seem to be ready to head out to Phoenix this fall. It is possible that his opinion might not have made it through to everyone yet, or it’s possible that nobody cares what Frommer thinks. Even though things are slow due to the economy, the Valley of the Sun appears to keep drawing the crowds into town.

According to the 2009 Travel Leaders Fall Travel Trends Survey—catchy name—the Phoenix and Scottsdale area sits just outside the top ten at number 11 among destinations booked throughout the rest of the year. People must want to avoid the cool crisp days of autumn at any cost. About 75 percent of those asked said that trips were down compared to last year overall, and about 60 percent said they had a good feeling about the strength of the fall travel season. Let's just hope the travel season isn't too strong, we're getting used to all the great deals. ]]> kjb 2009-09-10T09:13:50-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/8/28/71549/5166

Tourism is down all over the globe, but New York City isn’t just going to sit back and take it. They’re fighting to gain back some of the visitors they’ve lost, and to turn around numbers that are down five percent compared to last year. Therefore, teaming up with American Airlines is a good way to start.

NYC and Company has partnered with the airline to offer special deals for its new target markets. Visitors from Dallas, Chicago, and Los Angeles, among others, all had the chance at special round trip fares through last Friday. Nothing was a crazy deal, but at least they were trying their best by offering fares between about $140 and $220. ]]> kjb 2009-08-28T08:59:42-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/