Visitors from outside the U.S. down 9 percent, spending a lot less

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Visits from outside the United States continued their slide in August. The U.S. Department of Commerce reports that 5.4 million people visited the United States from other countries in August this year. Unfortunately, that’s a drop of 9 percent from August 2008. And, the smaller number of people is spending less money when it comes here. In August 2009, international visitors spent $10 billion. This sounds like a lot, but it’s off almost 21 percent from last year. For the first eight months of this year, spending by foreign visitors reached $79.5 billion, down 17 percent year-over-year. The fact that the year-to-date decline isn’t as bad as what we saw in August suggests that the situation has been worsening.

Trends in visits from Canada and Mexico are consistent with the global trend. Canadian visits fell 6 percent in August and are off 8 percent for the year through August. Meanwhile, visits from Mexico surged in August, gaining 23 percent, with land arrivals up 37 percent and air arrivals down 7 percent. This wasn’t enough to change the situation for the year, however. For the first eight months of 2009, visits from Mexico fell six percent relative to the same period in 2008.

Visits from overseas (not including Mexico and Canada) were off 6 percent in August and 9 percent for the year. Of the top 20 countries sending visitors to the United States, 11 sustained decreases for the month of August, with five of these declines hitting double-digit levels. Along with Mexico, China, Brazil and the Bahamas posted double-digit increases. Year-to-date, 17 of the top 20 countries showed declines in visitation to the United States, eight of them reaching double-digit levels.

Europe certainly isn’t sending as many visitors to the United States as it once did. For August, visits are off 11 percent — the same rate posted for 2009 so far. The United Kingdom‘s visits to the United States were down 13 percent in August, which is disproportionately powerful, given that the United Kingdom accounts for 34 percent of all Western European arrivals in the United States. Through August, visits to the United States from the United Kingdom were off 16 percent, with Germany down 6 percent and France down 3 percent.

The trend is improving in Japan. While visits so far this year were down 16 percent by August, the month of august itself showed an improvement, with visits from Japan down only 8 percent. Japan accounts for nearly half of all Asian visitors to the United States. Year-to-date, visits from South Korea and India fell 11 percent and 12 percent, respectively.

It’s clear that travel to the United States continues to suffer from the effects of the worldwide recession, particularly since, the Department of Commerce says, business travel is falling faster than leisure travel this year.

[Chart courtesy of the U.S. Department of Commerce]

10 Tips for getting a tattoo in Tahiti

by Andrew Evans on

Tahiti is one of the world’s top tattoo destinations and for a good reason: the Tahitians kinda sorta invented the whole tattoo thing, even giving us the word which derives from the Tahitian tatau, “to strike”.

Once upon a time in Tahiti, tattoos were made by taking a comb with teeth of sharpened wood or bone, dipping the tips into natural black ink and tapping it into the epidermis: tap, tap, tap. Then along came the tattoo gun, followed by Spring Break, bad Chinese charcter tats, and tramp stamps.

But Tahiti ain’t Cancun–tattoos have a long history and mean something here, which is why enthusiasts travel all this way for the real thing. If you are among such travelers, here are ten common-sensical things to think about before getting drawn upon:

Don’t rush
Please, please, do not do the following: come to Tahiti, notice a few cool tribal designs and think to yourself, “You know, I gotta get me one of them before my plane leaves in two days!” A tattoo is forever and ever, amen. Take time to learn and make an informed decision. A lot of enthusiasts take a ‘”recce” trip to Tahiti just to plan out their second trip in which they actually get the tat.

Do your homework
Read all about the history of Tahitian tattoos, the meaning of each design, and the range of artists out there. There are plenty of online sites and picture-laden books that can give you a better understanding of the particulars while a preliminary visit can give you a much clearer understanding of what you’re getting into.Ask
If you see a Tahitian on the beach with really cool ink, ask them where they got it. The really good, traditional work is often done by a family friend, and you might just get an introduction. These are small islands so the more you observe and ask, the more chance you have of learning who the most talented artists are.

Show & Tell
Visit prospective artists and ask that they show you photos of their previous work. It seems obvious, but not everyone is as smart as you. If in doubt about any of the work you see, move on. Despite all the talented artists in Tahiti, there are still a few impostors out there.

Go to the market
Papeete’s market is a wild visual destination in and of itself. While wandering among the piles of mangoes and goggle-eyed fish, visit the tattoo artists who hang around on the upper levels on Sundays. They cater to a local, Tahitian clientele and tend to do magnificent work.

Custom build
If in doubt, get a custom-designed tattoo, made just for you. Most Tahitian tattoo shops will have books that are loaded with traditional designs, however most Tahitian artists are actual artists who can draw up a beautiful tat just the way you want it. That’s part of what makes the experience so cool.

Reject realism
If you travel to Tahiti to get a tattoo of turquoise dolphins doing somersaults across your back, well then, you’re a moron. Likewise, there are tattoo artists who will gladly take your money to attempt a scrawling of Bart Simpson skateboarding across your thigh, but none of them know who Bart Simpson is. When in Tahiti, stick to to Tahitian designs and stick to black.

Tap it
For the full-on Tahitian experience, skip the comforts of the tattoo gun and get your design tapped into you skin the traditional way–with a boar’s tusk comb. This takes longer and costs a lot more (one or two helpers need to hold your skin taught while the artists punctures you about four thousand times), but it’s as close as you’re gonna get to the experience of the early explorers who first visited. Moorea Tattoo still offers this method, as do a few other artists.

Start saving now
A decent, singular tattoo in Tahiti costs upwards of 30,000 Polynesian Francs (about US$450). Start multiplying that number if you want to cover more than a shoulder or calf. In that same vein, make sure you’re not getting overcharged because you’re a white man. Even on a good day, Tahiti is super expensive.

Grin and bear it
But does it hurt? Yes it does–and in Tahiti, that’s kind of the point.

Tahiti’s Top 5 Resorts

by Andrew Evans on

Don’t trust the glossy brochures-with clever angles and heavy blue eye shadow, every high end resort looks like a tropical paradise that’s worth the thousands of dollars they will cost you. Then you finally get there and discover the sewage pipe emptying into the ocean, realize that’s a lard rendering factory across the road and that the artful brochure in the mail failed to display the tacky lobby that’s loaded with cheesy art.

In a world of conflicting paradises, discernment is key. Given that tourism is Tahiti’s number one industry and that there are literally dozens of “great” resorts to choose from throughout the islands, it’s hard to pick just five that take the cake. Even so, here’s an attempt to do just that.

This “Top 5” is not based on what’s more elite, expensive, or exclusive, but focuses instead on the overall experience available to guests-from the drinks at the bar to the health of the coral reefs outside your door. The following five resorts are all situated within French Polynesia’s Society Islands, which includes Tahiti:

Le Taha’a Island Resort & Spa
If you’re going to fly to the other side of the world for sun, sea, sand, and palm trees, then do it right, people. The very best of French Polynesia is not found in the hubbub of modern-day Tahiti but out in the smaller, less-inhabited islands and the surrounding motu (small, sandy islets of an atoll). These are the islands you keep dreaming about and where all the newest resorts keep popping up.

The island of Taha’a is home to very few humans and several vanilla plantations, which makes this perhaps the sweetest-smelling place on earth. Throw in a well-conceived Relais & Chateaux property on an outlying sandy motu and it’s pure heaven. Inspired by the va’a (outrigger canoe), the Taha’a’s design is devoted heavily to Tahitian tradition, with hand-painted tapa bark cloth artwork and bottles of flower-scented manoï oil in the bathrooms (which you will be tempted to ungraciously steal). The exquisite over-water bungalows also feature giant picture windows with a romantic view of far-off Bora Bora, while the underwater coral gardens are healthy and loaded with pretty little clown fish.

You know who would love this place?: Margaret Mead and fans of Finding Nemo.

Downside: At $941 bucks a night, the Tah’a isn’t catering to America’s laid-off auto-workers.

Plus: If you want to splurge, at least this experience feels like a grand a night. The Polynesian seafood buffet is splendid, as is the handiwork of the in-house French pastry chef.

Intercontinental Tahiti
If you have to stay on the main island, this is the place to do it. A 10-minute drive from Tahiti Faaa International Airport, the Intercon is surprisingly quiet and fairly secluded, thanks to the thoughtful preservation of the surrounding trees and plants. The resort also wins major points for having a brain and simply giving guests what they want and need. That includes free laundry rooms on every floor, free “transit” rooms for guests with night flights, free shuttles into the city, and a full-time hop-to-it concierge. Refined colonial-era design and a genuine Tahitian touch make this a favorite for locals, and the saltwater “swimming pool” is alive with tropical fish.

You know who would love this place?: Dakota Fanning and entourage

Downside: The man-made beach is a hotspot for Japanese weddings.

Pluses: Kid-friendly, outstanding Tahitian dinner/dance shows, and the same price as Intercontinentals elsewhere in the world.

Sofitel Moorea Ia Ora Beach Resort
Always a fan of French management (clarification: hotel management), the Sofitel in Moorea is just dreamy. Blending modern comfort with ancient island tradition, each of their 114 bungalows is spacious, airy, and totally tricked out with cool stuff like unobtrusive flat screen TVs and nearly-silent air-conditioning. Imagine a millionaire’s Manhattan loft surrounded by an untainted crystal blue lagoon (but for a bit less than a night in New York). Newly renovated, nothing at this place is drab or out of whack, and the location-at the edge of a sharp green volcano on Moorea (surely the fairest isle of them all)-is unbeatable.

You know who would love this place?: Jackie O.

Downside: Eventually, you have to leave.

Pluses: Awesome, awesome white sand beach. Two miles from the ferry dock to Tahiti.


Le Méridien Bora Bora
The glass-bottomed floors in your room offer an eerie-yet-beautiful blue view of all that swims below, from sharks and rays to local hawksbill turtles. Built on a sandy fringe of atoll across from the main island of Bora Bora, Le Méridien stands out for its dedication to protecting the natural wonders that make Bora Bora so beautiful. Clean, quiet, and design-y in a good way, the unique art deco style makes you feel rich even if you’re not. The resort also smartly bypasses the traffic and nonsensical over-development of the main island.

You know who would love this place?: Environmental lawyers with French mistresses.

Downside: If you don’t like sharks . . .

Pluses: Great activities (like dug-out canoe rides) and an in-house sea turtle sanctuary.


Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa
Brand new and built to pamper, the Bora Bora resort is also far from the madding crowds with bungalows laid out symmetrically across the inner lagoon. Beige even works in the South Pacific, and every ultra-beige suite optimizes the already-optimal views, including perfect bathtubs next to giant picture windows, stone bathroom floors, and extra-long outside decks. This resort stands out for its sense of solitude, its cheerful Tahitian staff, and a great dive shop. Although, the main attraction is the Deep Sea Spa where guests get all wrapped up in hot, messy algae (it does wonders to their skin). If you’ve always wanted to get crazy with warm,gooey seaweed, voilà!

You know who would love this place?: Lazy people with good taste and bad skin.

Downside: If your bungalows at the end of the line, it’s a long walk on a hot wood, so wear flip flops.

Pluses: Eco-friendly (seawater air-conditioning), secluded, and the deep sea spa is by far the best in French Polynesia.

Wearing pants in France? You’re breaking the law, ladies.

by Aaron Hotfelder on

Several months ago, French prez Nicholas Sarkozy knocked around the idea of banning the burka. Today The Telegraph points out another item to add to the ever-increasing list of dumb laws: in France it is still against the law for women to wear pants. The law reportedly has been on the books since 1800 and has survived multiple attempts to repeal it, although its application has been narrowed somewhat.

In 1892, an exception was made to the law that allowed women to wear pants “as long as the woman is holding the reins of a horse.” (Sounds like something Borat might propose.) A 1909 modification to the law allowed women on bicycles to wear pants.

Though the law has obviously not been enforced in many years, the French government has little interest in overturning it. A 2003 request to repeal the law was denied by a government official who said, “Disuse is sometimes more efficient than (state) intervention in adapting the law to changing mores.”

More here.

French hotel lets you pay to be treated like a hamster

by Scott Carmichael on

Hands up if you ever had the sudden urge to be treated like a hamster for a couple of days? Well, your wish has come true, though it will involve a flight to France.

In the French town of Nantes, you can pay just under $150 a night to eat hamster food, run around in a giant wheel, and sleep in hay stacks.

According to the first two paying guests, being able to experience how a hamster lives helped them “come out of their daily routine”. Well, yeah, I can see how pretending to be a hamster for a couple of days will change things a little.

The owners of the “Hamster Villa” run a company that specializes in unusual and bizarre hotels. One of the owners used to dress up as a hamster, making their venture just a bit weirder. Sadly, the new “hamsters” in this hotel are already demanding WiFi access and a flat panel TV, so the current $150/night rate will be going up in the near future.