The unemployed, the underemployed, and the generally cash-strapped are forced to get creative when it comes to New York City entertainment options these days.
They needn’t despair. Despite the city’s expensive reputation, there are lots of free and almost-free options that will help residents and visitors experience the excitement of being in New York City. Here are four of my favorites!
Consumer confidence recently hit an all-time low in the United States, but travelers are still determined to get away.
The travel industry is not quite at its pre-9/11 vitality, but it is doing better than one might think.
ALTOUR, a travel agency ranked 14th on the 2010 Power List of best travel agencies in the United States, reported that though clients are nervously watching their investments, they are traveling. And in many cases, they are going further and getting more adventurous than before. Travel to the Euro zone has rebounded, making the continent ALTOUR’s #1 destination with 85% of clientele traveling there. But a growing niche of travelers is increasingly turning to industry professionals in their quest for distant, more exotic locales.
South Korea's Gyeongsang Province: on the "exotic travel" radar? (April, 2010)
And they might as well venture far and wide. Certain American cities, in an effort to relieve their own constrained budgets, are pinching visitor wallets hard with high taxes on travel services like hotels, airports, and dining out.
Despite these financial concerns, luxury travel is thriving. Long-time backpacker destinations like Australia are making an effort to woo high-end customers with their quality food and wine, spas, and “uniquely Australian experiences”.
For a unique experience, a traveler would be hard pressed to venture farther afield than a luxury North Korean cruise. The reclusive country launched its first cruise from the port city of Rajin earlier this month. The ship, formerly used to transport cargo from North Korea to Japan, boasts karaoke and fresh coffee. Unfortunately there are also reports of no running water in the lower-deck bathrooms.
Revised headline: “Travel is Moving Despite Recession”