Ah, summer vacation. Despite this never-ending recession, many of us plan (or hope) to catch some rays at the beach, go on a road trip, squeeze in some adventure travel or just unwind out of town.
This week, CNN Money released a list of five global tourist spots in major turmoil right now. All of these cities have weathered some sort of disaster, and their tourism industries are hurting. While it’s unfortunate for the places that are affected, my guess is that if you’re looking for some good travel deals this summer, you can find them there.
One such place is Florida, where many tourists are now afraid to visit due to its proximity to the BP oil spill. Tar balls have washed ashore in Florida’s Panhandle, but most of the state’s 825 miles of beaches are just fine. Hotels are being more flexible with cancellation policies should that change.
The next spot is Jamaica, whose tourism industry has been hit hard by a violent shoot-out with a suspected drug-and-gun smuggler in Kingston. Few tourists actually go to Kingston; most go to Montego Bay, which is several hours away. The country has even flown in journalists and travel agents to show how far away and unaffected the beach resorts are from the incident in Kingston.
Mexico gets a bad rap due the severe drug violence on the border even though the southern areas where most travelers go are quite safe. Thailand is struggling to keep tourism afloat after political riots, and while travelers are advised to be vigilant and steer clear of demonstrations, it’s safer for visitors now. Greece’s tourism industry has also been hit hard due to riots in Athens following a debt crisis, but it has subsided for now, and many of Greece’s popular islands weren’t involved in the riots.
I’m not advocating you go somewhere dangerous or leap too far out of your comfort zone. But if you’re like me and love to travel, but don’t have a fortune to spend, you might want to consider going to one of these places for your summer vacation. It will help out tourism industries that are greatly in need, and you can probably snag some killer deals. Just keep track of the news and travel warnings to make sure everything is still peaceful before you go.
Without further ado, let’s travel down to my list of the best credit card- and debt-related blog posts from the past week!
1. The Simple Dollar explains how procrastination, especially when it comes to financial goals like getting out of debt, is simply an excuse for failure.
2. Bargaineering cleverly outlines seven money lies found in the game of Monopoly, such as that bankruptcy is the be-all end-all, and explains what the realities of these lies really are.
3. Wisebread offers some great advice on how to improve your credit score and provides some cautionary tips.
4. Cash Money Life gives readers the low-down on credit freezes — what they are, how you they work, when you should do it and the ramifications.
5. Have you ever been denied an application for a loan or credit card? Moolanomy explains how you can actually challenge a credit application denial.
6. Read an interview on PT Money about DebtGoal, a service that helps consumers get a consolidated view of their debts and achieve financial goals.
7. Wealth Pilgrim warns readers about a variety of debt relief scams that con the vulnerable; they range from debt consolidation scams to fake credit repair scams.
8. Just paying the minimum isn’t always enough. Alpha Consumer explains how you can get the most out of every credit card payment you make.
9. We all know about the religious seven deadly sins, but Bible Money Matters outlines the secular seven deadly sins of spending. I think we’re all guilty of some of these!
10. On the other side of the spectrum, Money Smart Life lists the seven habits of financially healthy couples. They’re very important, considering that money problems are a major cause of divorce.
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Tags: Summer Vacation, Vacation
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