→ Crunch time for Travel Act
→ They say they plan to travel
→ Hoteliers rate the world’s tourists
→ Bad news keeping you home?
→ Fewer planes in the sky
→ Cruise news
→ Mall needs more than Botox
→ STS events & dates
INDUSTRY INSIGHTS
Crunch time for the Travel Promotion Act
Little is expected to happen in the last days of the current Congressional session, but the travel industry is keeping the pressure on the Travel Promotion Act.
Passage of the act—which will fund international marketing and improve communication about U.S. visa and entry policies—is a key legislative goal for the Travel Industry Association of America and the Southeast Tourism Policy Council.
TIA President Roger Dow makes a strong case for contacting members of Congress in August. More than half of the House of Representatives and nearly half of the Senate already support the bill. The window for success in 2008 won't remain open very long.
Despite high gas prices and worries about the economy, GfK Roper Consulting says 59 percent of Americans still plan to take a trip more than 100 miles from home in the next six months. That’s down only slightly from the 61 percent average of recent years.
“Mirror, mirror on the hotel wall,
Who’s the nicest traveler of all?”
Hoteliers, normally a very discreet lot, were happy to dish about their guests when Expedia asked 4,000 of them around 
the globe to crown the best tourists and measure travelers on their best and worst travel traits and habits.
The online travel company’s criteria included behavior, manners, willingness to try local cuisine, willingness to try a foreign language, generosity, tidiness, volume, fashion sense and propensity to complain.
The Japanese won the hoteliers’ gold medal. German and British tourists tied for second place, and then came the Canadians and the Swiss. 
You’ll grit your teeth to see where Americans ranked, but remember that fashion sense was one of the criteria.
Hospitality consultant David Brudney viewed an upcoming leisure trip with the same enthusiasm he’d have for a root canal.
He knew full well the aggravations of air travel and even could cite the statistics showing Americans put off 41 million flights in the past year. Those "avoided" trips cost the U.S. economy $26.5 billion.
Brudney’s trip—a cross-country jaunt for a family wedding—was the opposite of a root canal experience. We in the travel and tourism industry can take heart in what he concluded. His essay will brighten your day and reinforce to you our obligation to help travelers have positive experiences.
Look! Up in the sky! Fewer Planes!
Aviation observers expect airlines to start noticeable cutbacks in capacity during the fourth quarter of 2008. Aviation consultant Gabor Kovacks says airlines will protect their home turf by pulling back to core markets where they have the most strength, and travel consultant Adam Sachs predicts much of the cutting will be in domestic leisure-oriented markets (South Florida, Las Vegas, Hawaii). Travel Weekly takes a closer look.
AROUND THE SOUTHEAST
Cruise news: Big ships, big bucks, more home ports
Cruise industry observer Anita Dunham-Potter wonders whether cruise lines’ building binge is over. The new Carnival Splendor cost $640 million, and Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas launches in 2009 with a $1.65 billion price tag. One business shift that may benefit the Southeast is that cruise lines are offering more home ports in North America, putting ships closer to passengers and eliminating the need to fly. Read her analysis.
In Washington: Mall needs more than Botox
Cosmetic touches won’t do. The Mall needs a major facelift. The 2.25-mile-long strip in the heart of Washington, D.C., needs $350 million in deferred maintenance, according to the National Park Service. The Mall draws 20 million visitors a year, twice as many people as Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and more than the combined visitation of the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Yosemite parks. Read The Washington Post’s story about the situation.
IMPORTANT STS DATES
+ The STS Marketing College had a record 298 students in Dahlonega, Ga., this summer. Fifty-seven completed the curriculum’s third and final year and have only two projects to finish to earn certification as Travel Marketing Professionals. View the Memory Book.
+ Registration remains open for the STS silver anniversary meeting in Little Rock, Ark., Sept. 3-5.
+ The STS Congressional Summit is Sept. 24.
