Destination News - North America.

Dec 6, 2009

While medical tourism is likely to remain popular long-term, it's taken a real hit as the U.S. has struggled with the recession. Between 2007 and 2009, in fact, the number of Americans traveling outside of the country is likely to have fallen as much as 13.6 percent, according to new research by the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions. The number of medical tourists making such trips is expected to be 648,000 this year, down from 750,000 in 2007, researchers found. This is due in part to higher transportation costs, lower incomes and patient reluctance to undergo non-emergency services. However, over the next three years, outbound U.S. medical tourism should rise 35 percent each year, researchers with the Center concluded. Analysts believe that Americans will enthusiastically embrace medical tourism again once they can afford it. They also suggest that patient volume outside of the U.S. will grow as care continues to improve in international medical organizations. Read more: http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/story/medical-travel-outside-u-s-falls-s... Nov 30, 2009

Cruise West

Cruise West has introduced five new sailings aboard the Spirit of Oceanus along the Atlantic Coast in 2010, including a Caribbean island hop with Cruise West President and CEO Dietmar Wertanzl, a transit through the Panama Canal, and a visit to Easter Island. The Atlantic sailings cruise from St. JohnOs to Halifax, Halifax to Palm Beach, Palm Beach to Panama, Panama to Ecuador, and Ecuador to Easter Island. All voyages include shore excursions at every port and one Ultimate Explorers Experience (UEE) per voyage, designed to bring guests into direct personal contact with the destinationsO people, cultures and natural wonders. The itineraries range from nine to 15 nights, and fares range from USD3,895 to USD9,695 per person, double. In addition, guests will save up to USD2,000 per cabin and receive free, roundtrip, international airfare from six U.S. Cities: San Francisco (SFO), Los Angeles (LAX), Chicago (ORD), Houston (IAH), Washington D.C. (IAD or DCA) and New York (JFK), or an air credit of USD750 per person when booking and paying in full by Dec. 18, 2009. Fares include a pre-cruise hotel night, all excursions and transfers and a tour of the embarkation city. Guests who book more than one voyage will save an additional 5 percent. Call 800-689-1783 or visit www.cruisewest.com.

Dec 4, 2009

Cruise West

Cruise West has appointed Remerinc, a Northwest-based, full-service advertising and creative marketing agency, as its agency of record. Cruise West is consolidating its marketing activities to a single agency relationship to ensure integrated messaging across all of its media platforms and markets. Remerinc will oversee corporate positioning, branding, marketing, online, sponsorship and marketing communications to address consumer and travel agent communication channels. The company will continue to focus on its position as the preferred alternative to small-ship cruising. For more information, call 888-851-8133 or visit www.cruisewest.com. Dec 3, 2009

Crystal Cruises

Crystal Cruises is offering dozens of shore excursions that feature encounters with the OwildO residents of Australia and Singapore during the SymphonyOs April 11 cruise from Sydney to Singapore. The Crystal Adventures include trekking through rainforests, jungles, wildlife conservatories and sanctuaries. They include snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns, Australia; visiting the Koala Park Sanctuary from Sydney to see marsupials, along with dingoes, kangaroos, wombats and emu; visiting Crocodylus Park from Darwin to learn about the reptiles; and going to Jurong Bird Park in Singapore, Southeast AsiaOs first and largest ever bird sanctuary, housing more than 8,000 birds. The 15-day voyage also offers dozens of boutique shore options to suit most any interest in Sydney, Cairns and Darwin, Australia; Bali and Semarang, Indonesia; and Singapore. Two-for-one cruise fares begin at USD7,090 per person, double occupancy, and include a USD1,000 per person shipboard credit, plus complimentary air transportation from more than 20 North American gateways. For more information, call 800-446-6620, or visit www.crystalcruises.com. Dec 1, 2009

Great Canadian Travel

The Great Canadian Travel is offering a 15-day wildlife adventure into Costa RicaOs virgin forests, entitled OQuetzals of the Cloudforest.O The program journeys to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve where clients may encounter the endangered quetzal, a strikingly-colored, long-tailed tropical bird, which was considered divine by Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican civilizations such as the Maya and Aztec. The Monteverde Reserve is one of the last remaining places in Central America where the birdOs habitat has been preserved. The trip begins in San Jose, the centrally located capital of Costa Rica which is in a fertile valley at an altitude of 1,150 meters, where coffee and sugar cane are grown. Within easy reach is Volcan Poas National Park, where a smoking volcano rises from beautiful tropical rainforests. The main crater is one of the largest in the world and there are many trails, one of which leads to a forest-fringed lake where fiery-throated humming birds can be seen feeding on colorful flowers. This two-week trip is priced from USD1,973 per person double occupancy. Included are 12 nights in a high standard of hotels used throughout the tour, plus two nights in a comfortable lodge in Tortuguero and meals that include 10 breakfasts, three lunches and three dinners. Also included is transportation by bus/riverboat/4WD, and services of a tour leaderNplus driver, boatmen and some local guides. Departures for 2010 are Jan. 2, 16 and 30; Feb. 20 and 27; Mar. 13, 20 and 27; April 24; July 24; Aug. 7; Oct. 23; Nov. 6 and 20; and Dec. 11, 18 and 25. For information, call 800-661-3830 or visit www.greatcanadiantravel.com.

Dec 3, 2009

Royal Caribbean Cruises

Royal Caribbean InternationalOs new Oasis of the Seas was deemed among the most accessible cruise ships by Andrew Garnett, founder Special Needs Group, Inc. The vessel offers the largest number of accessible staterooms of any cruise ship: 46. Wider doorways, roll-in showers, grab bars and other assistive features are designed to ensure barrier-free vacations. The accessible staterooms are distributed throughout the decks, ensuring ample choices for location and category. Of the 46 accessible staterooms, 33 have balconies, eight with Central Park or Boardwalk views. Since most persons with disabilities travel with others, RCI designed half of the accessible staterooms to accommodate more than two people. The ample number of family suites and adjoining staterooms facilitates multigenerational travel. Twenty-two percent of all accessible staterooms connect to an adjacent non-accessible stateroom. Each of the 24 dining venues is designed to accommodate guests in wheelchairs. Viewing space in lounges and theatres, including the ice rink, are configured for wheelchairs, as are card tables in the casino. The shipOs carousel has a ramp for wheelchairs, and at least one pool and one whirlpool have lifts. The ship also is outfitted for people who are blind or have low vision. Menus, daily activity schedules and ship directories are available in Braille and large print. Braille signage, including stateroom numbers and elevator information is also used. The ship also provides a four-foot-square relief box for service animals. Advanced technologies for people who are deaf and hard of hearing are available in staterooms and public rooms. Guests who are traveling with oxygen need only alert the cruise line in advance of the quantity and type, and the method of delivery. Call 866-562-7625 or visit www.oasisoftheseas.com.

Dec 3, 2009

Royal Caribbean Cruises

Royal Caribbean InternationalOs private beach destination of Labadee, Haiti, has completed a multi-year renovation in time to welcome the lineOs Oasis of the Seas on the shipOs Dec. 1 voyage. The primary areas of focus under the development plan included renovations to the islandOs pier to allow for the accommodation of Royal CaribbeanOs Freedom- and Oasis-class ships, an overhaul of the facilities and dining venues, and a complete revamp of LabadeeOs upland areas, including the construction of new bars and the renourishment of area beaches. The dining establishments saw a 57 percent growth in capacity, and the new pier area stretches 1,300 feet (pier and trestle) in length. Two areas new to Labadee and central to the redesign of the destination are DragonOs Plaza and Labadee Town Square, both of which offer meeting places where guests can experience Haitian culture and take in shopping, shows, cultural activities and other activities. Within DragonOs Plaza, Columbus Cove Beach offers family-friendly attractions including water slides, which complement the areaOs aqua park. Labadee Town Square offers an expanded version of the artisan market, as well as music, folkloric dancers and other entertainment. New activities and redesigned public areas elsewhere on Labadee include the new DragonOs Tail Coaster, offering a high-speed ride through 2,232 feet of the destinationOs tropical flora and rock formations. Upland-area favorites like Barefoot Beach Club, dedicated for the use of Royal CaribbeanOs suite guests, offers enhanced food and beverage services; and 20 private cabanas are available for rent along the waterOs edge and within the hillside areas. The spa facilities at Barefoot Beach have also been revamped to provide an Oasis-like feel, and an expanded area has been set aside for yoga classes and other spa services. With Oasis of the Seas introducing additional calls to Labadee and other ports on the shipOs Eastern Caribbean itinerary, shore excursions and tour capacities at each stop have increased. On Labadee, new tours include the High Speed Coastal Cruise & Swim excursion and the Discover Haiti Coastal Cruise. Call 800-327-2056 or visit Royal CaribbeanOs travel agent website at www.cruisingpower.com. Dec 3, 2009

Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara announced its 25th annual film festival, marking the 100th anniversary of filmmaking in the city, Feb. 4-14. Among the movies that have been filmed there are OItOs ComplicatedO (new release), OThe Ten CommandmentsO (1923), OOf Mice & MenO (1992), OSidewaysO (2004) and OThere Will Be BloodO (2007). The Santa Barbara International Film Festival will include screenings of more than 200 films from around the world. A special historic series featuring three shorts filmed in 1910 will be screened in honor of the 100th anniversary of filmmaking in Santa Barbara, paired with a lecture at Santa Barbara Museum of Art. The festival also will include panels about directing, screenwriting and producing. Celebrities attending the event will include Sandra Bullock, Colin Firth, James Cameron, Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard, Stanley Tucci and Christoph Waltz. Tickets and passes are on sale now. Visit www.santabarbaraca.com/filmtour. For general destination information, call 805-966-9222 or visit www.santabarbaraca.com. Dec 3, 2009

Telluride, CO

The U.S. ski cross and snowboard cross athletes arrive in Telluride, Colo., over the next few days and will begin training leading up to the LG Snowboard FIS World Cup Telluride the following week. The U.S. World Cup SBX (snowboard cross) and PGS (parallel giant slalom) athletes are coming to compete in qualifying events for the Winter Olympic Games, and will be in town for Olympic training from Dec. 5 to 10. Athletes, coaches, families and friends from all over the world will visit Telluride as well this month. In addition, the PGS World Cup scheduled to take place in Italy in December was recently cancelled and Telluride Ski Resort has picked up this event. An additional PGS World Cup Final will take place Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2009. U.S. ski team athletes attending include ski cross X Games gold medalists Daron Rahlves (Sugar Bowl, Calif.), and Casey Puckett (Aspen, Colo.). On the snowboard cross side, Olympic gold medalist Seth Wescott (Sugarloaf, Maine); Olympic silver medalist Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton, Vt.); five-time X Games gold medalist Nate Holland (Squaw Valley, Calif.); X Games silver medalist Graham Watanabe (Sun Valley, Idaho); Olympic halfpipe gold medalist Ross Powers (Okemo, Vt.); and World Championship bronze medalist Nick Baumgartner (Iron River, Mich.) will be in attendance. Snowboard cross athletes include Jonathan Cheever (Saugus, Mass.); Callan Chythlook-Sifsof (Anchorage, Alaska); Jayson Hale (Sierraville, Calif.); Pat Holland (Squaw Valley, Calif.); Robert Minghini (South Lake Tahoe, Calif.); Shaun Palmer (South Lake Tahoe, Calif.); Brooke Shaw (Litchfield, Conn.); Jason Smith (Basalt, Colo.); and Marni Yamada (Seattle, Wash.). Ski cross will debut at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. The ski cross training events incorporate a variety of jumps, banking turns and rollers for groups of four skiers or riders to race through at one time. Strength and endurance play a significant role in this type of competition along with the technical ability to maneuver through the course with three other competitors. For more information, visit www.tellurideworldcup.com. Dec 4, 2009

Walt Disney World 

A German tourist has been arrested on charges of making a false bomb threat while visiting Walt Disney World. A report from the Orange County Sheriff's Office says 37-year-old Jochen Naumann of Leipzig, Germany, was going through the security checkpoint at the entrance of the Magic Kingdom Sunday when he told a Disney employee that he had two bombs in his back pack. The Disney employee questioned Naumann and he repeated the bomb threat. A sheriff's deputy at the checkpoint had a bomb sniffing dog check Naumann's bag. No explosive devices were found. Naumann claimed he was only joking about the devices. He was arrested on a charge of making a false report of a bomb and taken to the Orange County Jail. Jail records show bond was set at USD10,000. Dec 1, 2009

West Hollywood

West Hollywood N where more than one-third of the population identifies as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender N is well known to people in the Los Angeles area and draws many visitors from around California. But it's not a major national or international destination. Now the city, eager to shore up revenue, wants to expand its reach. And with good reason: Even in a slumping economy, gay and lesbian tourists tend to wield more disposable income and are more likely to spend on travel and leisure than heterosexual tourists, studies have shown. Over the past few years, cities such as Philadelphia, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Chicago and Bloomington, Ind., have launched campaigns to attract gay tourists. The gay-travel segment is so hot that American Airlines, among other large corporations, has a marketing manager whose job is to reach out to that demographic. Nov 30, 2009

ZZ AirGuide 091207

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