Tourism United States

The nation's travel agents, faced with a string of killings of foreign visitors in Florida, are calling for an industry summit to improve tourist safety. "We definitely have to put a stop to this," Earlene Causey, president of the American Society of Travel Agents, said in a keynote address at a convention being held here this week. In attendance were about 5,000 travel agents, as well as representatives from airlines, cruise lines, hotel chains and car rental companies.

At least one in three unionized hotel workers--or about 100,000 people--have lost their jobs since Sept. 11 and many more are working drastically fewer hours than usual, according to national union officials, who called the deep job losses "catastrophic." The 300,000-member Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union represents only about one-tenth of the nation's hotel employees, but union President John Wilhelm said similar numbers are being reported throughout the hospitality industry.

New rides kept the turnstiles spinning at the nation's most popular amusement parks in 1989--including Orange County's Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm, which ranked second and fourth respectively in attendance last year. And Wild Rivers, the Laguna Hills water park, was ranked No. 6 among the country's water parks last year. The rankings are included in an annual survey in the current issue of Amusement Business, a Nashville, Tenn.-based trade publication.

Foreign travelers to the United States have largely disappeared since the terrorist attacks and are likely to stay away in droves in the near future, inflicting deeper wounds to the reeling travel and tourism industry. Few places will feel the pain as much as California, which last year attracted more than a fourth of the country's total overseas visitors, or 6.4 million people who spent more than $7 billion statewide.

Sales of imported beer--led by the Dutch brand Heineken--jumped 365% in Orlando, Fla., in June. As many as 50 kids a week are enrolling at Cherif Zein's youth soccer camp in Pasadena this summer, up from 30 or 40 last year. Washable tattoos featuring Striker, World Cup '94's canine mascot, were a surprise hit for a Texas novelty maker. Beyond the 3.

Americans are bent on travel this summer, and apparently it's going to take more than steep gas prices and higher air fares to thwart their plans, travel industry observers say. Across the country, average gasoline prices are about 50 cents higher than they were a year ago, topping $1.65 a gallon. At the same time, average round-trip air fares nationwide have increased about 3%, with sales and discounts by major air carriers few and far between.

* The Commerce Department projects more than 51 million foreign visitors will travel to the U.S. this year as projected economic growth in Asia and strengthening Latin American currencies boost travel.

Spring has barely sprung, but the nation's travel industry is blooming. Just ask Bob Black, who says his Catalina Passenger Services in Newport Beach has seen demand for ferry service to Santa Catalina jump 40% so far this year. Spring break crowds have packed his 500-capacity Catalina Flyer to the gunwales, giving some early spring days the appearance of summer high season down on the city's Balboa peninsula. "People have money to spend and they want to get out of the house," Black said.

Hotel rooms are cheaper and travel is up, but the number of U.S. tourists to New York is declining, hampering tourism's ability to boost the Big Apple's economy. Manhattan hotels say bookings have picked up since the end of the Persian Gulf War but are still 5% to 10% below last summer, which in turn, were down from the previous year, the New York Times reported. There has been a 7% decline in domestic airport arrivals and a 5% drop in Amtrak arrivals from 1988 to '90.

Summer will be but a blur of funny home videos and mustard-stained T-shirts. Camping gear will be collecting dust in the garage. The kids will be back in school. And, on Sept. 21, thousands of volunteers will descend on public parks and beaches to pick up summer's litter in the "California Gold'n Cleanup." But, there may be less debris than in seasons past, say keepers of the parks, who point to a new environmental awareness or "ecotourism."

No matter what, Gwen Balducci wasn't about to stick with plans to visit relatives in Seattle--at least not if airplanes were involved. Instead, the mother of two dragged her husband, Len, to John Wayne Airport in Orange County two days after the worst terrorist attack against the United States and demanded he cancel their tickets. "I'm not going, and neither are you," said Gwen Balducci, 51, shooing him toward the Delta Airlines counter. "It's craziness. There'll be no planes, period."

The hospitality and travel industry should expect to see the number of travelers 55 years and older increase considerably within the next several years as the baby boom generation--the largest domestic travel demographic--begins to hit late middle age, according to a Travel Industry Assn. of America report. The TIA found that in 1999, travelers 55 and older took nearly 179 million domestic and international trips, a 5% increase for the same age group in 1994.

Americans are bent on travel this summer, and apparently it's going to take more than steep gas prices and higher air fares to thwart their plans, travel industry observers say. Across the country, average gasoline prices are about 50 cents higher than they were a year ago, topping $1.65 a gallon. At the same time, average round-trip air fares nationwide have increased about 3%, with sales and discounts by major air carriers few and far between.

* The Commerce Department projects more than 51 million foreign visitors will travel to the U.S. this year as projected economic growth in Asia and strengthening Latin American currencies boost travel.

Most states and U.S. territories have tourism offices to provide assistance to visitors. If requesting travel literature, be as specific as possible. ALABAMA: Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel, 401 Adams Ave., Suite 126, Montgomery, AL 36104; telephone (800) 252-2262 or (334) 242-4169, fax (334) 242-4554, www.touralabama.org. ALASKA: Alaska Division of Tourism, P.O. Box 110801, Juneau, AK 99811-0801; tel. (907) 465-2010, fax (907) 465-2287, www.dced.state.ak.us/tourism.

ALABAMA Tuscaloosa--Roz Salzman, Los Angeles: "Crimson Inn, 1509 University Blvd., Tuscaloosa 35401; telephone (205) 758-3483. First and only B&B in town. Restored 75-year-old home near University of Alabama." Rate: $100, with full breakfast. CALIFORNIA Albion--Susan Poprock, Camarillo: "Fensalden Inn, 33810 Navarro Ridge Road, Albion 95410; tel. (800) 959-3850, Internet http://www.fensalden.com.

"Trashing" a park means more than leaving behind litter; it means being unkind to the land in other ways. These do's and don'ts are offered by the National Parks and Conservation Assn., a private Washington-based membership organization dedicated to protecting and promoting the national parks: DO . . . try to visit after the midsummer peak. DO . . . take advantage of guided walks, talks and other activities and the rangers' knowledge. DO . . .

With allied soldiers risking their lives in the Gulf War, Japan has decided that it is no time for its citizenry to be seen taking in the wonders of the world and having a good time. Thus, Japanese government officials are telling people not to travel abroad. Americans "are spilling their blood for us," Shokei Arai, a member of the Japanese Diet, said recently in a statement that is being echoed in business and bureaucratic circles.

Second-grade teacher Susan Iery and her family plan to pack their suitcases and swimsuits to drive from Manchester, Ohio, to Disney World this summer on a vacation that is more expensive than usual. An Associated Press poll suggests there are plenty more vacationers like her this year. Almost one-quarter of those surveyed in an AP poll conducted by ICR of Media, Pa., say they expect to spend more on getaways than they did a year ago.

U.S. citizens are accustomed to reading State Department advice about the hazards of travel to Mexico City and other tourist destinations. Now Mexicans may soon be warned about the dangers of travel to a major U.S. city. "The Mexican government is considering the possibility of issuing a travel warning about Houston," a Foreign Ministry official confirmed.