Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for tourism
2008 Will Usher In Changes in St. Bart’s
By Linda Tancs
Postcode aficionados, take note: in 2008, St. Bart’s postcode will change from 97133 to something beginning with “977.” But that’s not the only change to take place in this small yet sophisticated French West Indies island–the new year brings a new tax on guests. A resort tax (often referred to as a tourism development tax) of 5% will apply to the island’s 160 + hotels, condos and villas. No doubt this levy will greatly enhance the local economy. After all, consider the economic benefit conferred on Orlando, Florida courtesy of its 6% tax remitted by moneymakers like Magic Kingdom properties. By some accounts, the Mouse contributes as much as 33% to Orlando’s resort tax revenue, which tallied in the $14M range this year. Considering the exclusivity of this French isle, it’s a wonder that its luxe visitors (including A-list celebs) weren’t taxed sooner. Better late than never, as they say.
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Gibraltar
By Linda Tancs
In the latest edition of Travelrific® Travel Show, the topic is Gibraltar. Gibraltar is a quaint little place overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar, but it’s more than just a big rock. Find out why at www.travelrificradio.com.
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Proposed Rule Could Assist U.S. Cruise Lines
By Linda Tancs
In a move to thwart the incursion of U.S. cruise business by foreign-flagged lines, Customs and Border Protection has proposed a change in cabotage law. In cruise industry parlance, cabotage refers to the transportation of passengers between two ports in the same country. Current U.S. law prohibits foreign vessels from transporting passengers between ports in the country, but this restriction is often circumvented by foreign lines by the addition of a token port of call in another jurisdiction. Under the proposed new rule, any such additions will be deemed a violation of the cabotage law unless the foreign port of call lasts at least 48 hours and foreign ports comprise at least 50% of the overall itinerary. The time for public comment on the proposed new rule will expire on December 21, 2007. Go to www.regulations.gov for instructions on submitting a comment.
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New Swiss Tunnel Provides Speed
By Linda Tancs
All aboard the trains heading for the new Loetschberg Base Tunnel for a speedier run within and between Switzerland and Italy. Although the new base tunnel may bypass some scenic valleys, it will cut travel time from anywhere between 45 and 75 minutes depending on the route. So look at it this way: more time for the pistes.
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The New South Beach
By Linda Tancs
If market saturation in Miami’s South Beach has you feeling less than sanguine about your prospects for peace and quiet–not to mention scoring that coveted table at Bed–then head a bit north to Sunny Isles. Soon to go upmarket, Sunny Isles will offer CHI condo towers, sporting $5 to $7 million digs complete with personal mineral water pools. Not to be outdone, Regalia will offer full-floor condos in the $7 to $14 million price range. Better hurry before the Euro crowd–or any other dollar beaters for that matter- swoops in for the kill.
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Jersey Building is First to Go Net Zero
By Linda Tancs
A nondescript warehouse in Branchburg, New Jersey enjoys the distinction of being the first “net zero electric” facility in the U.S. A net zero electric facility produces more electricity than it consumes. The Branchburg facility, owned by Ferreira Construction, accomplishes this feat through over 1200 rooftop solar panels that heat the tap water and a series of hoses under the floors that circulate the water. It seems only fitting that a construction company should lead the charge in sustainable building practices. Statistics put the market in green building products and services at $12 billion this year. Consider the advantages. In addition to energy conservation and environmental stewardship, going green could provide tax incentives for suppliers and other municipal benefits for the building’s owner.
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Alpine Delights
By Linda Tancs
In the latest edition of Travelrific® Travel Show, the topic is Switzerland. Switzerland is a study in contrasts, from waterfalls and glaciers in the valleys of the Alps to the Mediterranean climate of its subtropical resorts in the south. Discover Switzerland’s alpine delights at www.travelrificradio.com.
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White Days, White Nights
By Linda Tancs
Are you dreaming of a white Christmas at the Winter Palace? If so, start packing your mukluks (leave the stilettos home) and ushankas and head to St. Petersburg’s Hotel Astoria for their special White Days package. Valid now through March 31, 2008, the 3-day package includes buffet breakfast each morning, a ticket to the Hermitage and a Russian Table (no, not roulette) in the Davidov Restaurant. As you sample from eighty or so vodkas and dine on the finest caviar on earth, enjoy the hotel’s view of the gilded cupola of St. Isaac’s Cathedral, which dominates the city’s skyline. Also nearby are the Winter Palace and Hermitage, Peter and Paul Fortress and Mariinsky Theatre. Be sure to buy your matryoshkas at Nevsky Prospekt, the main shopping mecca. After your 3-hour tour of the city’s highlights, you’ll be ready for your complimentary Russian classical leaf massage at the spa. Chances are, you’ll never look at an oak leaf the same way again. The Mongols managed to conquer Russia in winter. In great style, so can you.
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The Perils of the Antarctic
By Linda Tancs
Perhaps the words of science fiction writer Kim Stanley Robinson, “First you fall in love with Antarctica, and then it breaks your heart” should be changed to “First you fall in love with Antarctica, and then it breaks your boat.” The perils of Antarctic expeditions were underlined with the recent sinking of the Explorer. Thankfully, all passengers and crew survived. There’s no doubt that the wind-driven and swiftly moving ice of the Antarctic imperils any vessel there, but with today’s post-Titanic advances in mapping and sonar technologies, how–and why–does an Explorer-type incident occur? After all, we can trace a mad cow to its birthplace on a farm anywhere in the world. Is an iceberg any less significant? Maybe it just comes down to the numbers involved, but polar research will be driving climate science and experimentation in the years ahead. That should bring the safety of polar travel to the forefront.
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High Oil Prices Affect High Seas
By Linda Tancs
A presumably unwelcome surprise awaits many current and prospective cruise passengers: a fuel surcharge to offset oil prices nearing $100 per barrel. Surcharges currently range from $5 to almost $8 per person per day, with some taking effect in a matter of days. Check with your cruise company for details. If you pay your balance early on an existing reservation, you may be able to avoid the extra fee.
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