7 Days; 7 Travel Stories

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1. California Calling

The California Travel and Tourism Commission has developed a marketing plan to extend awareness of California's eight rural tourism marketing regions. Rural tourism in California accounts for $27 billion in travel spending and supports 357,000 jobs. The Rural Tourism Marketing Plan on the California Travel and Tourism Commission's Web site at http://www.visitcalifornia.com/. Statewide, travel and tourism expenditures total $93.8 billion annually in California and support 929,000 California jobs. Sacramento Business Journal

2. The Coolest Places on The Planet

Visit Yakutsk, a place where friendly locals warn you against wearing spectacles outdoors. That’s because Yakutsk, a city in Eastern Siberia with a population of 200,000, is reported to be the coldest city on earth and your glasses are most likely to freeze up in this very cold climate. In January, the most freezing month, average "highs" are around minus 40C. Risk players will recognize the name as one of the countries on the game board. Locals claim that there are enough lakes and rivers in the region for each inhabitant to have one of each. The locals are fond of boasting that the region contains every element in the periodic table. According to local legend, the god of creation had been flying around the world to distribute riches and natural resources, but when he got to Yakutia, he got so cold that his hands went numb and he dropped everything. The Independent (UK)

Ghana wants to become the choice destination for chocolate tourism. As part of the grand scheme the country celebrates National Chocolate Day, which was first observed last year on Valentines Day. This year’s theme, "Chocolate: a gift of love and health," will highlight the globally acclaimed quality of Ghana's cocoa and promote Ghana as the best destination for all forms of chocolate pastries. http://www.allafrica.com/ ETN

3. Box Car Willies

Riding the rails in a box car with author William T. Vollmann. “There will be mornings of bone-cracking cold, tunnels choked with diesel fumes, long waits at trackside, hiding fieldmouse-small in the grass, lurking beyond eyesight and windreach, evading authority,” he writes." Vollmann is concerned that hoboing is becoming a lost science. SF Chronicle

4. Greensleeves

How we travel is changing. Environmentally friendly tourism remains at the forefront of the new trends. Just ask author Rhiannon Batten who wrote the book on it: “How To Travel Responsibly Without Roughing It.”

A recent poll by Travelocity concludes that 38 percent of respondents plan to dedicate at least some portion of their vacations this year to volunteering and nearly 80 percent are interested in spending more on an eco-friendly destination or business. Of the nearly 80 percent willing to spend more money on an eco-friendly destination or business, responses ranged from $25 to more than $200 more.

The largest group of respondents (23 percent) said they would be willing to spend $51-$100 more. Of respondents who indicated they’re planning on volunteering in 2008, 33 percent said conservation and the environment is the cause these do-gooders are most likely to donate time to. Healthcare and education also came in near the top of the list. Finally, respondents are nearly as likely to volunteer stateside as abroad.

5. Game Play

MONOPOLY fans are invited to vote for cities listed on an on-line ballot to determine 20 of the 22 property spaces on the new MONOPOLY Here & Now: The World Edition game board. In case, your hometown, favorite tourist destination or other truly deserving global city isn’t featured on the ballot of 68 iconic worldwide cities, two spaces on the board have been reserved for write-in candidates.

If the voting was to end today, three US cities would be included in the wild card vote: San Francisco, Seattle and New Orleans. But, early grass roots campaigning in Miami, Pittsburgh, and Sheboygan, Wis., may help those cities gain a spot in the vote. Each day from now until Feb. 28, fans can visit http://www.monopoly.com/ to cast up to 10 votes for cities featured on the ballot. Fans can also nominate one wild card city per day. Beginning Feb. 29, the top 20 vote-getting wild card cities will compete in a one-week face-off for the opportunity to be featured as members of the property group traditionally home to Baltic Avenue and Mediterranean Avenue.

6. Why Is Their Air?

The Air Transport Association of America (ATA) released its quarterly Airline Cost Index, incorporating data through the third quarter of 2007. The composite cost index rose to 191.2, up 0.2 percent from the third quarter of 2006. This increase is in contrast to a 2.4 percent increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The three largest components of the index — which includes all operating expenses as well as interest expense — were fuel (25.9 percent), labor (22.8 percent) and transport-related expenses (13.3 percent).

The average price paid for fuel increased 1.6 percent to $2.11 per gallon. The average cost of employing a full-time equivalent worker rose $709 to $76,423. Airlines experienced a 15.3 percent jump in maintenance material costs, offset in part by a 16.4 percent decline in aircraft insurance costs and a 17.4 percent decline for other insurance costs. Overall unit operating cost per available seat mile was unchanged at 12.49 cents. The average break-even load factor (BELF) dropped 1.3 points to 76.6 percent. http://www.airlines.org./ ETN

7. This and That

An Eastern German travel agency is taking bookings for the country's first nudist air service. Passengers can strip off on board but will have to get dressed again before getting off the plane. The flight is to be part of a summer day trip which flies from the Eastern German city of Erfurt to a popular Baltic Sea resort. ETN

Budget hotel chain Travelodge accused Ryanair and easyJet of driving an £18bn "tourism deficit" by drawing British holidaymakers away from Britain with low fares underpinned by state tax breaks. Travelodge complained that inward tourism spending had declined by 16% between 1995 and 2002 while spending by British tourists abroad had climbed by nearly 50%. Travelodge is attempting to break into the British tourism market by opening 20 seaside hotels by 2010. guardian.co.uk

Rich’s Weekend Reader is published by AndTyler222 Communications. All rights reserved. Information from various sources and mostly rewritten. Andtyler222@verizon.net http://www.itinarod.com/