Awhile back Erik mentioned Lonely Planet’s
initative to get more people to apply for their passports. As part of September’s National Passport Month, Lonely
Planet published a short resource book listing more than enough reasons to get your passport. Don’t
Let the World Pass You By: 52 Reasons to Have a Passport gives you one for each week of the year! The book includes
a preface by Phil Keoghan and an intro by Tony Wheeler. Some of the reasons suggested by LP include: escape your daily
routine, improve your resume and feel the thrill of adventure. There’s plenty more, so have a read and get a passport today!! Oh, and it was announced late last
week that 2005 was indeed a banner
year for passports, which I’m sure may have been aided by the September initiative, and maybe even this very book :)
The jump was really attributed to the new requirement that U.S. travelers to the Caribbean, Mexico, Canada, Bermuda, the
Bahamas and Panama show a passport to re-enter the USA, which will go into affect in 2007. Even so, it’s cool to
hear that almost 2 million more passports were issued in 2005.