Travel News You Can Use
By Judy Newell August 15, 2008 San Miguel de Allende
World’s fastest-growing tourism spots
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Every travel organization seems to release
an annual list of up-and-coming destinations. But the survey by the World
Travel & Tourism Council, an association of top travel executives, may
be the most authoritative because it answers the all-important question:
Where’s the money going? |
Each year, the association ranks the spots with the fastest growing travel and tourism earnings, factoring in various economic trends from immediate visitor spending to government investment.
This year, WTTC researchers have their money on Macau—a Chinese territory west of Hong Kong. Tourism to this small peninsula could jump by 22 percent this year, thanks largely to its gambling industry.
Here’s the full list of up-and-comers:
1. Macau
2. Angola
3. Montenegro
4. Seychelles
5. Libya
6. China
7. Azerbaijan
8. Romania
9. United Arab Emirates
10. Chile
Airline News
Virgin America unveils on-demand in-flight menu
Virgin America is now offering guests an expanded on-demand menu that takes in-flight dining to new heights. Guests now have a new range of healthy, fresh menu options, complimentary in first class and available for purchase in the main cabin.
Virgin America is the only US airline to offer a “food button,” allowing guests the freedom and convenience to order whatever they want to eat or drink during a flight, either with a touch of the video screen at every seat or through the handheld remote control in every armrest.
In the main cabin on transcontinental flights, Virgin America offers four meals available for purchase via the RED In-flight Entertainment system. With a swipe of a credit card through the in-seat ordering system, passengers can enjoy the new menu selections. In first class all meals are complimentary.
Virgin America currently flies to seven cities with numerous daily flights from San Francisco to Los Angeles, New York (JFK), San Diego, Washington, Las Vegas and Seattle; and from Los Angeles to New York (JFK), Washington and Seattle.
Rolls-Royce and British Airways launch alternative fuel engine
As rising oil costs continue to plague the airline industry with economic woes, British Airways is exploring alternative energy in a joint effort with Rolls-Royce. The two companies announced a scientific test program that will seek to identify practical alternatives to kerosene, with the potential to make significant reductions of an aircraft's carbon footprint.
Through a joint tender process, the companies will invite suppliers to bring alternative fuel samples for testing to the Rolls-Royce facility in Derby, UK, where a RB211 engine from a British Airways Boeing 747 will be the test subject. The controlled environment of a Rolls-Royce test bed will enable the gathering of more accurate data than from an actual flight due to the additional instrumentation that will be used while performance and emissions will not be affected by external factors.
Upon test conclusion, up to four alternative fuels will be selected to undergo laboratory testing before being delivered to Rolls-Royce in the new year. Intensive trials will follow, comparing the performance of aero-engines when powered by the alternative fuels to performance running on conventional kerosene. Testing is expected to be complete by the end of March 2009 after which the results will be analyzed and reported.
“The key criteria for the selection of the alternative fuels will be their suitability, sustainability and industrial capability," said Ric Parker, director of research and technology at Rolls-Royce. “It is critical that the fuel can not only do the job required of it, but can also offer a CO2 benefit and be produced without a detrimental impact to food, land or water.
Judy Newell, a writer and travel industry executive, heads the custom tour company Perfect Journeys that specializes in luxury and adventure travel. Contact her with comments or suggestions at
JudyNewell_03@msn.com or go to her website
www.PerfectJourneys.net.