A whole new year for travel

By Joy Crutchfield
Special to the News-Capital

What will be the hottest spots for travel in 2007? Where’s the best nightlife? Where can I take Mom and Dad, me and my husband, our kids and grandchildren? Where can I go to get away from the crowds? What’s the best value? Is it better to book early or wait for a last minute sale? What are the new passport regulations?

The hottest spots for travel this year, according to the experts, are Hawaii and Mexico.

Hawaii for two reasons:
1) no passport necessary, and 2) Waikiki has great values which compare favorably to other budget-moderate vacations.

When you’re talking travel, Mexico is huge. Puerto Vallarta is going to be even bigger this year due to the new charter out of Oklahoma City beginning in May, and Nuevo Vallarta (nine miles of beach with new resorts for every budget).

Cancun has re-invented itself since the hurricanes and has added “luxury” destination to its definition. There are many new four- and five-star luxury properties and some are adults only. Palace resorts will be re-opening the Sun and Cancun Palace (within days), and have built the brand new Le Blanc resort (adults only, luxury). Of course for nightlife, Cancun is still the place to go. Los Cabos will place a close second.

The Riviera Maya has developed into a highly desired destination and for diving Cozumel is still the closest and the best.European River Cruises are in very high demand. They offer many different itineraries and you experience a variety of destinations while unpacking once and traveling elegantly.

Cruises are still very favorable for multi-generational travel. Every age group will be indulged and pampered, while visiting a variety of interesting ports. And the price can be budget to luxury. Cruises offer something for everyone.

There are many resorts within a short flight of our area which offer seclusion and rejuvenation. In fact, baby-boomers will be pleased to find many resorts now catering to our need to escape from our fast paced lives. Gourmet restaurants with healthy menus, spa treatments, exercise programs. They want us to live longer, healthier lives and return to spend our travel dollars again.

Value is based on your own expectations. With the room shortages of the past two years (due to the tsunami, hurricanes, etc), the days of the $199 Cancun deal are gone (unless you really want to stay in a hell hole). Having said that, construction is booming in many hot spots and we should see a stabilization of pricing for the next few years.

It is always better to book early. Due to natural disasters there simply have not been many “good” last minute deals. And most major vendors (Worry-Free and Funjet) now offer low-price guarantees. If you wait until the last minute and demand is high, you can pay thousands more for your trip. And spring break is never on sale — book it now.

Beginning Jan. 23 all air travelers entering or returning to the United States from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, points in the Caribbean or anywhere else in the Western Hemisphere must present passports. The exceptions are U.S. citizens returning from Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands, both U.S. Territories.

Travelers returning via cruise ship or by land have been given until June 2009, although there is talk of moving it up to Jan 1, 2008. And what if you are on a cruise, have a family emergency, and have to fly home?

Go to www.travel.state.gov/passport_services.html and download the application. It costs an adult $97 and is good for 10 years, and $82 for a child 15 and younger, good for five years. A new mega center for processing passports will be opening in Arkansas this spring. Right now the government is officially saying it takes six to eight weeks turn around time.There are so many wonderful places to experience in 2007, and our area is fortunate to have several airports within a close drive. Get starting planning your 2007 dream vacation today.