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Be patriotic: Take a trip

Good news for anyone considering a vacation this summer: Tourism is good for the economy. That was part of the message from Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar during a recent announcement that National Parks nationwide are waiving entry fees on three weekends this summer. “National Parks also serve as powerful economic engines for local communities and we hope that promoting visitation will give a small shot in the arm to businesses in the area,”

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Survey: 85 Percent of Travelers Will Book a Hotel this Summer; 65 Percent Plan to Visit a US City

PRNewswire NORWALK, Conn., May 20, 2009 — Despite the recession, 85 percent of travelers plan to stay in a hotel this summer, according to a recent survey conducted by TravelPost, the most comprehensive hotel information site on the Web. “TravelPost users say they’re going to travel in spite of the recession, but 79 percent said they’re working harder to get more for their money,” said Brian Harniman, EVP of Marketing. “People will put more time

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Do you need to ‘Seize the Summer’ and take a trip?

All that bad news that tops the nightly newscasts and leads the daily newspaper might be enough to make most people put off any leisure travel. But, is it time to take a trip? That’s what AAA is asking. Acknowledging that “it’s time to separate general economic anxiety from personal financial reality” and “travel decisions are not always about dollars and cents,” AAA is urging would-be travelers to take a quick quiz and “Seize the

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Swine flu, Mexico, and I’m going to the Caribbean

With swine flu and its connection to Mexico dominating the headlines, it’s no wonder a number of travelers are looking for an alternate destination this summer. Caribbean destinations may benefit, according to new trend data from TripAdvisor. According to TripAdvisor, Mexican hotels have seen an average 50 percent drop in page views between April 27 and April 30 (a Monday through Thursday) compared to the same time period a week earlier. Concurrently, Caribbean hotels saw

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RVers: Recession? What recession?

A new “Campfire Canvass” of RV owners found that more than half (55 percent) plan “to use their RVs more this spring/summer than last year.” At the same time, 45 percent of RV owners might buy another vehicle or are at least considering it, according to the survey, which is conducted bi-annually by Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA). Interestingly, just four percent of respondents plan to use their RVs less this year. Other results include:

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Bless the fleet at Darien’s annual festival

Darien, Ga., the state’s second city, is set to celebrate the annual “Blessing of the Fleet,” a celebration of the city’s shrimping industry. “What makes this festival so great is that we pay tribute to the fishing industry,” McIntosh County Chamber of Commerce President Wally Orrel said, according to the Georgia Times-Union. “There are decades of tradition, and this year, the theme is, ‘Still Shrimping After All of These Years.’” The city of Darien was

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U.S. Embassy: Avoid Roppongi because of ‘drink-spiking incidents’

The U.S. Embassy in Tokyo is urging Americans to avoid bars in the city’s Roppongi district following an uptick in “drink-spiking incidents.” “The number of reports of U.S. citizens being drugged in bars has increased significantly in recent weeks,” the Embassy said in a statement. “Typically, the victim unknowingly drinks a beverage that has been secretly mixed with a drug that renders the victim unconscious for several hours, during which time large sums of money