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Exploring the travel capabilities of the Internet

Looking for the perfect place to greet the millennium? We decided to look on the web for a great place for a mid-winter vacation and a way to get there and back.

First, the search
We decided to ignore such obvious old favorites as Times Square, Las Vegas and Paris. Many leading destinations have tourism web sites, and many of the web sites have information about local millennium celebrations. Here are just three intriguing possibilities we uncovered in half an hour of point-and-click.

Hong Kong: It offers an array of public celebrations amid some of the most spectacular scenery anywhere. And, if you arrive early, you’ll be on time for what Hong Kong tourism officials are billing as the "World’s Biggest Tea Party." Ten thousand lovers of Chinese tea are expected to be on hand to celebrate 5,000 (not just 2,000!) years of their favorite beverage throughout the day November 27.

Greenwich Mean Time: On the other hand, you may prefer to be right at the world’s Prime Meridian when the clock strikes midnight. Greenwich, England, has created a 181-acre exposition complete with 20-acre dome. It opens December 31 with a spectacular musical production.

Away from it all: There’s still time to book a cruise -- many people’s idea of the ultimate escape. Two suggestions: a week’s vacation divided between a sea voyage on The Disney Magic and several days at a Walt Disney World^® Resort; or a Carnival Cruise Lines’ five-day Millennium Cruise leaving December 28.

Getting to where you want to celebrate
Okay, we’ve got several answers to the question of where to go. Now, how can a computer help you get there? First, it can provide research material that you can then use when you work with a travel agent.

If you want to consult a travel specialist with a particular knowledge of your destination, there’s a list of names, addresses, and phone numbers of knowledgeable American Express travel counselors (as well as lots of other practical information) on the American Express Travel Resources web page.

In addition, the Internet offers two ways to book travel -- independent and assisted. All by yourself, you can find the best availabilities and prices for the various components of your journey -- air tickets, hotel accommodations, and rental cars. You can execute the bookings immediately with your charge or credit card.

The alternative to booking your air, hotel and rental car separately is to buy a travel package. Packages these days are mostly "independent," rather than traditional escorted tours, and many qualify as "last-minute bargains." Both land trips and cruises are included in the up to date listings you can find online every day.

On your own
If you want to book your own trip, begin by registering with an online booking service run by an established travel company. For air travel, you simply fill in your departure and destination cities and the dates you want to travel. The system will search for and list the best airfares available. The procedures for renting a car and finding the right hotel room are similar.

Reliable information about safety and health issues
Finally, you should be informed about conditions in any country you plan to visit -- so turn to the U.S. Department of State web site. You’ll find detailed fact sheets about nearly 200 countries from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe (including an appraisal of each location’s Y2K readiness).

September 23, 1999

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