Be aware of local customs rules when traveling 
For many U.S. citizens traveling to foreign countries, going through customs upon arrival can be an adventure, even for experienced travelers. If you’re going to Cancun, Mexico, it might be a little more challenging.

            Cancun International Airport is the busiest airport in Mexico, with over 500 daily flights and some 13 million passengers annually. If you’ve ever been there, you know it’s a very busy place and generally runs pretty efficiently. One visitor from Florida recently found out that it might be a little too efficient.

            Tammy Levent told USA Today that she had arrived on a business visit with two check-in suitcases and one carry-on. She was flagged to one of the customs tables and told that a search of her luggage had found something that caught the agent’s attention. No, it wasn’t drugs or other contraband. It was her iPad and her laptop computer. “You can’t have both,” she was told.

            This was news to Levent, who’d brought both devices with her to Cancun several times in the past without a problem. But this was the day she found out that Mexican customs regulations allow one portable computer per foreign arrival. Tablets count, just like laptops. An extra device means a tax of up to 19% of the deemed value, which is up to $4,000 per device. Levent had to pay a $200 entry tax on her iPad, which meant it was valued on the spot at about $2,000, much more than its actual worth, especially considering it was not even close to brand-new. “This was wrong,” Levent told the newspaper. “At the end of the day you want tourism but you’re driving people away,” citing the example of a company that would be bringing employees to Cancun for a conference, with most of those visitors packing more than one device.

            The Mexican law isn’t new, but it’s only randomly enforced. The customs list says foreign travelers can bring “a portable computer equipment known as laptop, notebook, omnibook or similar.” If passengers don’t pay the 19% fine for their extra device, it will be confiscated. It’s not hard to imagine that the traveler would never see the device again.

            Michael Boguslavskiy, a specialist on Cancun trips, says the law “has actually been in effect for a very, very long time. It’s a massively outdated list at this point but it’s still there.” He points out that visitors can only bring in a maximum of ten DVDs. Who still travels with DVDs? Many Gen-Z travelers probably don’t even know what they are.

            Although the law has been around for a while, it might be getting more attention from Mexican authorities. Riviera Maya News quoted David Ortiz Mena, president of the Tulum Hotel Association, as saying, “Since Covid, it has become a global trend for people to choose to work remotely, which opens up a niche for longer-term tourism. But surprisingly, tourists are charged if they bring in more than one electronic item.”

Are cell phones allowed? Yes, up to three per person. I’m not sure anybody would ever travel with four cell phones, but that fourth one might just get taxed. Boguslavskiy also notes that the increase in device taxation could be the result of people bringing extra devices into Mexico with the intent to sell them on the black market, although he says “that’s not the case with 99% of people bringing a laptop and an iPad.” He says that only two cameras are allowed tax-free, and technically, cigarettes exceeding ten packs can be fined or confiscated. Since there’s a duty-free store right before customs, people stock up on cheap tobacco thinking it’s safe, only to have it seized shortly after the purchase.

It's a lesson for all of us: be aware of local customs rules when we’re traveling. If you’re concerned about taking certain things into a country you plan to visit, let us know, and we’ll help you plan your trip so those nasty extra taxes won’t be hitting your credit card. Give us a call!  

Sue Tindell

 

 

World Cruise experiences

For many travelers, the ultimate trip is to outer space, which is possible these days for a pretty high price, and the trip will last only a few minutes. Perhaps more realistic dreamers think that sailing around the world would be the zenith of travel, and indeed, many cruise lines offer voyages that do just that, sometimes taking three or four months from start to finish.

            Last year, Royal Caribbean decided to do a round-the-world cruise like nobody had ever done. This one would last nine months, with passengers sailing aboard the Serenade of the Seas, one of RCL’s older vessels. The voyage would include stops in 65 countries, visit all seven continents and cost anywhere from $60,000-117,600 per passenger—but that would include unlimited food and drinks. About 650 passengers were in it for the entire haul, with others coming and going with each of the four “legs” of the cruise.

            The trip launched from Miami on December 10, 2023, and 274 nights later it ended at the same port last week. How did it go?

            Many of the passengers told news outlets it was “exhausting,” or “a blur.” One woman said, “We don’t know where we were yesterday, we don’t know where we’re going tomorrow.” Many chose to sit out some shore excursions in favor of staying on board to rest, and at-sea days were very popular.

            Social media was heavily used by the cruisers, of course, with many coming aboard as bona fide “influencers” before the cruise, others becoming prominent after setting sail, like Joe and Audrey Martucci, who were new to social media but posted often with the whimsical handle @spendingourkidsmoney. They became known to their followers as “Cruise Mom and Dad.” Joe said he didn’t even know how to spell TikTok before posting his first video. (And, he added, there’s plenty of money left for their kids.) A pair of fortysomething sisters described how to live with an adult sibling and not go stir crazy. A Gen-Z female poster, who used the name “Little Rat Brain,” became known for her chaotic, wry dispatches from sea.

            It didn’t always go well for the influencers. Amike Oosthuizen, a 26-year-old from South Africa, posted a video of the treacherous Drake Passage crossing that drew six million views on TikTok. But then the platform banned her. “They said I was selling counterfeit goods, which I was not selling at all,” she told CNN Travel. She set up another account, which never achieved the traction of her first effort.

            While many of the voyagers said they formed strong friendships with their fellow passengers, things didn’t always go smoothly. Family members experienced the usual tensions that family members do; Little Rat Brain shared an inside cabin with her mother, but just took time for herself when she needed it. Other passengers noticed a disconnect developing between them and their friends and family back home. Some said they might have a little trouble adapting to life back on shore. And dealing with new-found fame might require an adjustment for the newbie influencers. Audrey Martucci said it was a surreal moment when she and her husband were ashore in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and were recognized by fans. Other people came up to them and said, “We thought you were dead.” One passenger, an elderly woman, did indeed pass away on the ship. There were unconfirmed reports that as many as four couples filed for divorce.

            With so many passengers documenting their voyage, even veteran influencers grew a little stressed by all the cameras constantly in use. Little Rat Brain said that after awhile it felt like she was trapped inside The Truman Show, a 1998 film starring Jim Carrey in which the main character is living his entire life as the subject of a reality show, without him realizing it until he finally escapes.

            “I wouldn’t do a nine-month straight cruise again,” Joe Martucci said. “It’s just way too long away from family, away from everyone and we started to feel burned out.” His wife said the nonstop itinerary made it hard to catch up on sleep. Eventually, the couple decided to cope by taking time off and slowing down during their days. Sometimes they’d skip RCL-run excursions to just “wander in the wild” around a destination.

            What was the most popular place they visited? Many of the cruisers cited Antarctica, others a visit to the Great Wall of China. The European ports of call were almost too much, many said, with one right after the other and very little down time.

            Will there be another voyage like this one, ever again? RCL says it has no current plans to repeat the nine-month cruise, but somebody else probably will. Maybe even longer, but talk, as they say, is cheap. Getting it done is a lot harder. Life at Sea Cruises had a 3-year round-the-world cruise scheduled to depart last year, but it was eventually cancelled due to a rather serious problem: the company couldn’t get a ship. Villa Vie Residences says it has one, though, and offered a 3½-year cruise aboard a refurbished 31-year-old ship that is now on its 6^th owner and has been docked at Belfast, Northern Ireland. The voyage was scheduled to begin in May, but various delays prevented sea trials from being conducted until recently, which, the owners hope, will allow them to get the Passenger Ship Survey Certification that will allow them to set up the gangplank and welcome their passengers aboard at last. Some have been waiting in Belfast for months.

            If you’re interested in a cruise, whether it’s one of those long ones or just a more traditional week or two in duration, we’ll get you on board. Give us a call!

Travel is Booming

Most of our clients have traveled within the United States as well as outside our borders. It might have been a relatively short trip by car to Canada, or by air to Mexico, or by ship throughout the Caribbean. Many other clients have gone across the big ponds, east to Europe and Africa or west to Asia and Australia. A few have visited every continent, including Antarctica.

            They’re getting out there, and so are a lot of other folks. Travel is booming, here in the States and worldwide. And when we travel, we spend money, which boosts the local economy. People who travel within the U.S., both American citizens and foreign visitors, spend the most. According to CNN Travel, travel and tourism added $2.36 trillion to the U.S. economy in 2023. That’s a new record, which could very well be broken this year.

            China is the number 2 market worldwide, but lags considerably behind America with “only” $1.3 trillion in travel-related spending last year. Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom round out the top five. France is in sixth place in terms of visitor spending but leads the world in the actual number of visitors.

            It shouldn’t be surprising that Paris is the top destination for tourism in France. The global research company Euromonitor International put together the Top 100 City Destinations Index for 2023, with the French capital at the top of the list. This year, with the Summer Olympics, Paris is once again expected to lead the way. Europe had 7 out of the top 10 cities on the 2023 index; the only non-European cities on the list were Dubai (2), Tokyo (4) and New York (8). Madrid was third, with Amsterdam, Berlin, Rome, Barcelona and London in the top 10.

            There were four newcomers to the Top 100: Washington DC (48), Montreal (68), Santiago (88) and Vilnius (92). Haven’t heard of that last one? Vilnius is the capital of the small Baltic state of Lithuania. The city that led the way in number of actual foreign tourists was Istanbul, followed by London and then Dubai. The cities with the biggest year-to-year growth were Hong Kong (up a whopping 2,495%) and Bangkok (142%), due to being among the last cities to reopen after the Covid-19 pandemic.

            As we’ve mentioned before, “overtourism” is becoming an issue in many cities and countries. Last week, New Zealand tripled its tourist tax. Its International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) has gone up from US$22 to US$62, effective October 1. Visitors to New Zealand spent $11 billion last year, a huge part of the island nation’s economy, and some folks down there aren’t happy with the IVL increase. A consortium of travel professionals from across New Zealand said the country is already losing tourism business to Canada and the U.K., which have smaller entry fees. Also, New Zealand tourist visas will increase from $131 to $211 at the same time the IVL bump kicks in. Citizens of 60 countries and territories, including the U.S., can get a visa waiver that will allow them to stay for up to 3 months for tourism purposes.

            Another example of “overtourism” having an impact is in Rome. City authorities are considering limiting access to the Trevi Fountain, one of Italy’s most noted landmarks. Rome has always been a very popular destination, but it’s expected to set a new record for visitors in 2025, when it will host a year-long Roman Catholic jubilee that is expected to attract 32 million tourists and pilgrims.

            The draft plan to control access to the fountain includes requiring a prior reservation, with fixed time slots and limited access to the steps. Non-residents would be asked to make a “symbolic” contribution of a euro or two (US$1.20-2.20). The Trevi Fountain has been a tourism draw since its completion in 1762. It’s also been featured in many movies, including the famous scene in Frederico Fellini’s classic La Dolce Vita, when Anita Ekberg wades into the fountain and beckons co-star Marcello Mastroianni to join her.

            If Rome is on your bucket list of destinations, give us a call. We’ll help you get there, and by the way, don’t plan on wading in the Trevi Fountain.

             

 

Scenic Railway Travel

            There was a time, not too long ago, when riding the rails in America was not only practical, but even somewhat romantic. The first transcontinental railroad was completed shortly after the Civil War, and for nearly a century the railroad dominated American domestic travel. But then came the 1950s, the decade that saw the arrival of jet-powered commercial aircraft and the interstate highway system. Almost overnight, things changed: flights were much faster and traveling long distances by road much easier. The American railroad system began to decline, in terms of ridership and quality.

            It’s certainly not that way elsewhere. European rail systems are popular and modern, as my husband and I delightedly discovered on our visit to Switzerland last spring, and high-speed rail systems in Japan have set the standard for fast, efficient domestic train travel. Given the choice, most Americans would rather fly from one place to another, rather than take the train. But rail travel is still popular for people who just want to relax and enjoy the scenery, as well as the nostalgia of the experience. We’ve ridden the Rocky Mountaineer twice, in Canada from Vancouver to Banff and in the States from Moab to Denver, and both trips were great. We’d gladly do either one again, but there are many scenic train rides to choose from, especially overseas. USA Today recently ranked the best international scenic railways and routes.

·         Glacier Express, Switzerland. Proud to call itself the world’s slowest train, offering panoramic views of the Alps from St. Moritz to Zermatt. During the 8-hour trip, you’ll go through 91 tunnels and cross 291 bridges.

·         Jungfrau Railways, Switzerland. Your ears will pop on this 45-minute ride through the Alps from Grindelwald to Jungfraujoch. It’s pricey at $127 per person, but worth every penny.

·         Santa Claus Express, Finland. The jolly old elf resides on the Arctic Circle in Lapland, and you get there with a 15-hour journey from Helsinki, with tickets starting at just $25. Sleeper cars are pricier, but riders also have WiFi, power outlets and even showers.

·         Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, Europe. Travel like European millionaires of the 1920s on a luxury train that’s a time machine on rails, with routes from London to Istanbul and many places in between. Its 18 carriages are well-appointed, and the dining is world-class. You’ll pay for it, though; the Paris to Budapest trip will cost over $4,000 per passenger.

·         Rovos Rail, South Africa. This luxury hotel on tracks provides “train safaris” that take you as far away as Tanzania. Itineraries range from two nights to two weeks, but they all offer stunning vistas and off-train excursions for game drives, golf and a visit to Victoria Falls.

·         Oriental Express, Malaysia. The Eastern & Oriental Express departs from cosmopolitan Singapore and takes you to the jungles of Malaysia, with 24-hour private steward service. There’s also a Dior spa on board.

·         Great Journeys New Zealand. Offering routes that take you to both islands for their stunning scenery, from the coastline of the South Island to the volcanoes of the North.

·         The Vietage by Anantara, Vietnam. This is a short train, with only two passenger cars and only six passengers each. Quiet luxury is the unspoken theme, with your fare including afternoon tea and a 15-minute back and shoulder massage.

·         VIA Rail, Canada. The scenic ride from Winnipeg to Churchill is unforgettable, taking you all the way to Hudson Bay and the polar bear capital of the world.

·         Spirit of the Outback, Australia. This is the only way to experience Down Under’s most beguiling place without an exhausting drive. You’ll board in Brisbane and spend 26 hours traversing Queensland all the way to Longreach.

If you’re ready to ride the rails over there or want to stay over here with a wonderful Rocky Mountaineer ride, we can get you there. Give us a call, and pretty soon you’ll be hearing, “All aboard!”