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Hotels.com study shows the average price of hotel rooms down 14 percent in the U.S.
Special to The Travel Trolley Hotels.com unveiled its 2009 Hotel Price Index, the definitive annual report on hotel prices paid around the world. The index shows hotel prices in the U.S. fell 14 percent during the last half of 2009 compared to rates in the same time period in 2008. Hotels.com attributes the falling prices in North America to the economic slowdown and the subsequent reduced demand for rooms. With 2009 being the year of
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Obama signs Travel Promotion Act into law
The Travel Trolley President Obama has signed into law the first “national travel promotion and communications program,” which is aimed at attracting more international travelers to the U.S. The Travel Promotion Act of 2009 is to be funded through “private sector contributions” and $10 “user fees” paid by international visitors. The Act does not rely on American taxpayer dollars and would result in a $400 million Travel Promotion Fund, proponents say. “By signing the Travel
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FAA places two on administrative leave after children give pilots instructions
The Federal Aviation Administration said it placed two employees at John F. Kennedy Airport Tower on administrative leave after “a child was permitted to talk with pilots on an air traffic control frequency.” “This lapse in judgment not only violated FAA’s own policies, but common sense standards for professional conduct. These kinds of distractions are totally unacceptable,” FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said in a news release. “We have an incredible team of professionals who safely
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Ohio invites travelers to share photos, video on ‘myOhio’
The Ohio Tourism Division has introduced myOhio, a new interactive feature on DiscoverOhio.com, Ohio’s official tourism Web site. Capitalizing on the popularity of social media networking and consumer-generated content, tourism officials say myOhio allows travelers to share their Ohio travel photos and videos at consumer.DiscoverOhio.com/MyOhio. “MyOhio provides a fun, interactive forum for travelers to share their Ohio getaway experiences with friends, family and others who may be considering Ohio as a travel destination,” State Tourism
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Feds unveil sample legislation to prohibit texting while behind-the-wheel
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood this week unveiled sample legislation to be used as a starting point for states crafting new laws to prohibit texting while behind-the-wheel, the latest step in the campaign against distracted driving. The sample state law, prepared by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and a cross-section of safety and industry organizations, would authorize law enforcement officers to stop a vehicle and issue a citation to drivers who are texting
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Survey shows increased use of Twitter, Facebook by state DOTs
Results of a new survey show that a growing number of state transportation departments (DOTs) are communicating critical news and information with travelers using Twitter, Facebook and other social media. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ (AASHTO) survey of 32 state DOTs finds that 26 states (or 81 percent) are now using Twitter to communicate with travelers when major traffic incidents or severe weather such as snow storms, hurricanes and tornadoes force
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The majestic scene and a ‘natural wonder’ of Georgia
DAWSONVILLE, Ga. — As William Williamson was looking for suitable land he would claim during the Sixth Georgia Land Lottery, he stumbled upon a waterfall. Of the experience, he called the falls “perhaps the greatest in the World the most majestic Scene that I have ever witnessed or heard of,” according to ngeorgia.com. Amicalola Falls — derived from the Cherokee word for “tumbling waters” — is of the “Seven Natural Wonders of Georgia,” as identified