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US Senate Passes Bill Fining Tourists In The Name Of Tourism

On Wednesday the US Senate passed the Travel Promotion Act, which as a piece of legislation seems at least well-named. "Travel" is good. "Promotion" is usually at least interesting. So you'd think that this would be something positive. Yeah right:

Once signed into law, the Travel Promotion Act will create a public-private partnership with a budget of up to $200 million annually—funded by a $10 fee on foreign travelers from countries that do not pay for a visa to enter the United States—for the purpose of attracting international travelers to the United States.

Only our Congress could possibly pretend that the best way to promote tourism is by fining incoming tourists. More over, the bill doesn't so much promote US tourism as a certain kind of US tourism. The bill's original sponsors were the two Senators from Hawaii. The "bipartisan" label got slapped on after they were joined by Harry Reid, the Democratic Senator from Nevada, and John Ensign, the Repubublican Senator from Nevada. You begin to see where this is going.

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Tags: Scandals / Politics / Orlando Travel / Conference Travel / → All Tags

Federal Agencies Accused Of Blacklisting US Tourist Destinations

There appears to be something of a scandal brewing in DC and several federal agencies might be blacklisting entire segments of the country, banning their employees from holding events in popular cities. Suffice it to say that the duly elected representatives of those areas are less than pleased:

Three Central Florida congressional representatives joined four colleagues in signing a letter to the U.S. General Accounting Office urging an investigation of allegations that some federal departments have Orlando, Las Vegas and other possible destinations on a no-meetings list ... the use of do-not-travel list that allegedly would rule out meetings in some cities, including Orlando, that are known as tourist destinations. The allegations started last winter when financial companies that received federal bailout money were criticized for holding corporate meetings in resort destinations.

It's not hard to imagine how these blacklists might be formed. After a bunch of bailed out banks got busted for throwing parties, the last thing the Department of Whatever needs is TMZ running a post headlined "DC Politicos Party During Two Day Vegas Bash." Plus the public really does have a legitimate interest in preventing lawmakers from partying on their dime.

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Tags: Alaska Travel / Sarah Palin / Tours / Politics / Political Travel / → All Tags

Say Bye To Sarah Palin As You Swing By Her Alaska Office

Whether your heart is still aching over her loss in last year’s election or the fact that she's still around, you better hustle up to Juneau, since time is running out for Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Over the long weekend, she decided to light off some of her own fireworks by announcing she wouldn’t be seeking a second term, nor would she even be finishing out her term in office; she’ll be wrapping up her duties and stepping down by the end of July.

Go to Alaska and bring home a souvenir eBay can be proud of: go to Alaska’s Capitol Building and try to get her to sign your ticket stub. The facilities are open all summer, obviously to take advantage of all those cruisers looking for glaciers, moose, and 2012 presidential candidates. The tours last for about thirty minutes, are totally free, and run daily. The state legislature, governor, and lieutenant governor all call this building their home away from home.

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Tags: Know the Law / Cuba Travel / Politics / Congress / Barack Obama / → All Tags

Cuba Travel is Getting Closer, But Still Slightly Sketchy For Most

Ever since Senator Obama became President Obama, travelers in the US have been wondering when the doors to Cuba would open. A couple weeks ago there was some talk about the country easing rules on travel to Cuba, and yesterday, we got one step closer. Congress signed a spending bill that the President is expected to sign today, that among other things, will allow easier family travel to Cuba.

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Tags: Know the Law / Cuba Travel / Politics / Congress / Barack Obama / → All Tags

Obama Set to Ease Cuba Rules; Full-Scale Travel on the Way Soon?

President Obama's semi-State of the Union speech this week left the world with all kinds of questions—When's he gonna end the war? Will his housing plan work? Just how is he planning to cure cancer anyway? But in the travel community, we're still most anxious about just one thing—Is he gonna let us go to Cuba or what?

We’re not buying our tickets to Jose Marti Airport just year, but Washington is inching towards allowing Cuba travel. Congress is expected to pass a budget bill this week, which Obama has said he will sign, that includes language loosening restrictions on Cuba travel imposed by the Bush Administration:

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Tags: Germany Travel / Oktoberfest / Beer / Politics / → All Tags

Beer Travel: Bavarian Premier Says Drinking Heaps is OK

With the beer kegs ready to pour at Munich's Oktoberfest on Saturday, the big news in Bavaria is that the premier, Guenther Beckstein, says you can drink two liters of beer (well over 4 pints) and still drive back to your hotel or home.

With a local election looming mid-Oktoberfest, the media grabbed Beckstein's comment that you could drink two one-liter glasses of beer in two hours without a problem--but police, doctors and other politicians are politely disagreeing.

The premier has since gone back on his statement--saying it was a "rather unsuccessful contribution"--but it wouldn't have mattered much to budget travelers: Beer has become so much more expensive this year that two liters might be financially out of the question, even if it apparently won't make us too drunk to drive.

Related Stories:
· Two Litres of Beer OK for Drivers [news.com.au]
· Breaking Economic News: Oktoberfest Devastation in Munich [Jaunted]

[Photo: Landfeldt]

Tags: Ted Stevens / Alaska Travel / Politics / Ted-Stevens-Alaska-Map / → All Tags

Adventures of Link: Ted Stevens' Alaska Faves

He may be the country's longest-serving Republican senator, but Ted Stevens was indicted today on seven felony counts of making false statements in a corruption case. Prosecutors say the 84-year-old took gifts of more than $250,000 in exchange for political favors.

Stevens says he's innocent of all charges, and he's the first senator to face a federal indictment since 1993.

Despite his statements, the senior senator is dogged by corruption allegations. So in honor of these latest charges, we've mapped some of the more, uh, controversial places that he's been involved with. Unfortunately we couldn't find an address for his notorious "series of tubes."

Our Ted Stevens' Alaska Faves Map

Related Stories:
· Ted Stevens Indicted, GOP Senator [AP, via Google]
· AK Senator Ted Stevens Indicted [LAT]
· Ted Stevens Anchorage International Has Free WiFi [Jaunted]

[Original photo: Steinbring]

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Elvis Lives in Papua New Guinea

While you probably all thought Vegas or Hollywood were the places to go if you want to see famous people, we're about to explain that it's really the remote mountain highlands in Papua New Guinea that you should be heading for. That's because not just Elvis, but a few others like Tom Jones and various kings and queens, are registered as living in PNG and ready to vote in the next election.

Confused? So were PNG government officials when they discovered that voter registration rates in five of the most remote provinces in PNG are well over 100%. That's when they checked the list and found, in fact, more than one Elvis Presley, and all the rest. Getting into this rugged countryside to confirm the list is proving difficult, so Elvis, if you are really alive, you're within your legal rights to rock up to vote in the next PNG election. And Elvis-spotting tours should head south.

[Photo: Silfverduk]

Related Stories:
· PNG All Shook Up By Elvis Ghost Voters [Reuters]
· Fake Names On PNG Rolls [Washington Times]

Tags: Politics / Food / Restaurants / → All Tags

Prince Charles and the McDonald's-Free Vacation

We woke up this morning to the news that Prince Charles wants McDonald's banned. Everyone's screaming about it. Such a ban--and this is assuming he was being serious--would be a lost cause in Britain, but perhaps not so much in the United Arab Emirates (where the suggestion was made). If they want McDonald's out and McDonald's puts up a fight, the UAE will build a giant, diamond-encrusted, multi-billion dollar robotic lion and keep Micky D's out.

So, what if you are seeking solace from the golden arches? Where can you travel to be free from the Big Mac, or any of its international incarnations? The best answer we've found so far comes from Yahoo!. You can roam free in Benin, the Federated States of Micronesia, and Tajikistan, for starters. Those 'stans always come through.

[Photo: The McGuires/Kramchang]

Related Stories:
· Report: Prince Charles advises banning McDonald's food [Boston Herald]
· Are there any countries in the world without a McDonald's? [Ask Yahoo!]

Tags: Environment / Politics / → All Tags

Mountains Are Green in China

How long does it take to paint a rocky mountain face green? Well, if you've got seven workers, about 45 days. That's the discovery of Chinese officials who decided that the best solution to the deforestation of Laoshou mountain--a result of quarrying--was simply to paint it green. After all, office workers at a new government building nearby have to look at it all day.

Plenty of people are unhappy about it: from those who say the feng shui of the area's been destroyed, to others who have calculated that the $60,000 spent on painting could have actually planted trees and bushes over a much wider area. But others think that green paint is "the new green": who needs to save the environment when you can just make it look the right color? Perhaps tourists will soon see a bright green Great Wall of China, just to make sure it'll still be visible from space even through all our pollution.

[Photo: velo city]

Related Stories:
· Mountain Color Confuses Chinese [ABC]

Tags: Celeb Travel / Politics / → All Tags

Prince Charles Returns To Scene Of Crime

Did Napoleon revisit Waterloo? Do Southerners make pilgrimages to Appomattox? Probably not, which makes it all the stranger that Prince Charles, heir to the English throne, would make a detour on a quick trip Stateside to visit the city of Philadelphia.

His Royal Highness was on this side of the pond to receive a Global Environmental Citizen award from Harvard according to People.com, but he and wife Camilla also visited New York City's Harlem neighborhood and two Philly landmarks, Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, which of course have been written into American history as two of the most sacred sites in the birth of our nation. How did he end up there? Maybe he heard, as savvy travelers know, that both sites are free to the public, including the Independence Hall tour, provided you're willing to wait in line with all the other patriotic Americans.

No word on whether Charles jumped up and down in front of the hall yelling, "It should have been mine! It should have been mine!" before heading to the Academy Ball, a white-tie gala celebrating the 150th anniversary of the U.S.'s oldest functioning grand opera house, the Academy of Music. He and his old lady flew in on a scheduled BA flight, but given the recent kerfuffle over his carbon footprint, a switch to Silverjet couldn't hurt.

[Photo: James Muspratt]

Related Stories:
· Prince Charles & Camilla Have Whirlwind U.S. Visit [People]
· Why Prince Charles Is The Key To World Tourism [Jaunted]

Tags: Airports / Politics / → All Tags

Bangkok Airport Investigators Could Get Their Jobs Back

Years before Bangkok's new Suvarnabhumi airport even opened, a reporter from the Bangkok Post discovered cracks in its runways. Now that Suvarnabhumi's problems are very much out in the open, the higher-ups who caved for their former prime minister's demands owe Sermsuk Kasitipradit an apology. He's the staffer who was straight-up canned (another was "asked to resign") when Thaksin put pressure on the Post to retract the negative story on his pet project airport.

Sermsuk told Al Jazeera (yup) his story, explaining how he was "investigated" and eventually fired. The Press Council of Thailand is now seeking some sort of compensation on behalf of both Sermsuk and his former boss, Chadin Tephaval. Should Sermsuk not return to the Post, we'd happily host him here if it meant whipping some American airports into shape.

[Photo: mgminthu]

Related Stories:
· Sacked for exposing airport cracks [Al Jazeera]
· Justice sought on behalf of sacked reporters [Bangkok Post]
· Engineer suspects airport cover-up [Bangkok Post]
· Bangkok's New Airport Is in Trouble [Jaunted]