For updates on travel and tourism in the wake of Hurricane Katrina:
– New Orleans: www.neworleanscvb.com.
– Mississippi’s Gulf Coast: www.gulfcoastnews.com.
For flight and airport status, besides checking with individual airlines and airports:
– www.faa.gov; go to Airport Status link.
– www.flightstats.com; go to Sample Aps and then to Airport Status.
Car rental rates up
As gasoline prices hit record highs, travelers who rent cars are feeling a double whammy as many rental car companies have also raised their prices, and the cost of renting a car this fall will remain higher than it was last year.
John Barrows, vice president for communications and public affairs of Cendant Car Rental Group, comprising the Avis and Budget companies, said that the higher cost of rental fleet cars caused an industrywide price increase of 5 percent this summer, and added that they will remain about 5 percent higher than they were last fall.
But even with rising gasoline prices (the average cost nationally for a gallon of regular was $2.61 at the end of August, and expected to increase further as Hurricane Katrina’s impact on oil production in the Gulf of Mexico is felt), more people are driving.
The AAA estimates that 34.5 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home this Labor Day weekend, which would be 0.9 percent more than last year.
Wisconsin wilderness
Officials have dedicated a wilderness area within the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, off the coast of Bayfield, Wis., named after Gaylord Nelson, a former Wisconsin governor and U.S. senator.
The dedication ceremony was held Aug. 8, barely a month after his death at the age of 89.
Under the designation, about 80 percent of the lakeshore’s territory will be managed as federally protected wilderness, which means motor boats will be permitted but there will be no motorized travel on the islands themselves.
Best fairs and fests, by bus
Albuquerque’s tricentennial celebration and Toronto’s Royal Agricultural Winter Fair have been chosen as the top two events in North America for 2006 by the American Bus Association.
The association’s annual list of the best fairs and festivals, scheduled for release last week, is chosen from hundreds of events nominated by tourism officials. It influences itinerary planning for many tour operators and other travelers.
The list is unranked aside from the top two events, which always include one in the U.S. and one in Canada. A complete list can be seen at www.buses.org.
