Travel trends in a down economy

So we’re going away on weekends and sticking close to home. But are we taking a cruise? Traveling with the girls? Vacationing with the kids? Here’s how the economy is changing the way we travel. SECOND CITY Some smaller cities are stealing the glory. Both Fort Myers, Fla. and Charleston, S.C. experienced double digit growth [...]

Want a cheap vacation? Try a short cruise

Seeking a getaway despite the downturn, Olivia Gonzalez called her travel agent with an agenda. “I said, what kind of deals do you have?” said the Miami resident, who is in her 60s, standing outside the Port of Miami. What she found was a six-day, five-night cruise through the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos for [...]

Obama heading to Hawaii for family vacation

President-elect Barack Obama, his wife, Michelle, and their two daughters will spend the holidays in the Hawaiian islands, trading frozen Lake Michigan for warmer waters. They are planning a beachside vacation with friends at one of Oahu’s most exclusive properties. Obama last visited Hawaii in October to see his ailing grandmother, Madelyn Payne Dunham. Dunham [...]

Alpine resorts nervous as recession reaching peaks

The past few Alpine ski seasons have melted away under the specter of global warming, as balmy conditions raised fears about the future of Europe’s fabled winter resorts. This year, the Alps have been blessed with abundant snow, bright skies, and perfect powder, but there’s little cheer as resorts feel the pinch from a new [...]

Cuban tourism surges as rest of Caribbean stalls

Cuba’s vacation industry has remained as hot as the tropical sun here, even as the world economic crisis sparks cancellations and layoffs elsewhere in the Caribbean. The communist country says it’s booked solid through December and expects a record 2.34 million visitors this year — largely because global financial woes have so far been softer [...]

Books that make you feel better about staying home

Feeling bad that you can’t afford a vacation? Travel books with titles like “Don’t Go There!” and “I Should Have Stayed Home” may make you feel better. For $15 or so, you’ll get a laugh out of vacation horrors that you’ll be happy to miss. Other travel books out this year include coffee-table beauties — [...]

Thanks to the flat economy, travel deals abound.

Vacation, tours, cruises, Hawaii — they’re all within reach this fall and winter. The stock market is swooning. The economy is wobbling. An election is pending. The future is foggy. Sounds like a great time to take a vacation. What better way to relieve stress? In fact, tourists who scrape up the cash this fall [...]