TAKE A COALITION VACATION! Why spend tourist dollars on Germany or France?

Forbes ^ | 4/4/03 | Christina Valhouli

[ppaul]

Travel Feature
Take A Coalition Vacation!
Christina Valhouli



The news these days is full of the Iraq war and the impact it is having on travel. The airlines have just been awarded a $3 billion rescue package by Congress to stave off bankruptcy, and hotels around the world are watching advance reservations evaporate like water in the Iraqi desert. But for intrepid--and patriotic--Americans who are still looking to go on holiday overseas in coming months, this might be the year to take a pass on countries like France or Germany.

	Click here for slide show

To be sure, Paris is always beautiful and Berlin is bustling, but if you want to show some real support for those countries that have joined the coalition trying to depose Saddam Hussein, what better way than to go there and spend lots of money? There are nearly 50 countries in the coalition (the Kingdom of Tonga in the South Pacific just joined), and although many of them, to put it mildly, are off the beaten path, they are still well worth the extra effort.

Of course many of the coalition nations will already be familiar to veteran travelers. Great Britain, which has been an unfaltering member of the coalition, is always a popular destination for American tourists, as are the equally staunch Spain and Australia. However, for travelers craving a slightly more exotic trip, a visit to such places as Bulgaria could be an economic reminder to countries like Canada, Belgium and Turkey that U.S. tourist dollars follow the flag. (Granted, some of the countries that refused to join the coalition aren't exactly renowned for their culture, food or physical beauty.)

While the contributions by coalition members to the war in Iraq vary--Britain has been sending troops, and there is even a rumor that, according to UPI, Morocco has offered to send to Iraq 2,000 monkeys to search for landmines--each is doing its part. Best of all, this is a wide-ranging coalition, one that spans much of the globe and offers more than just arms and hospital ships. Many of them offer great beaches, scuba diving, hiking, spas and more. The names of many of the coalition's participants may have been, until recently, completely unknown to the average American--Palau, anyone?--but that does not take away from their charms as tourist destinations.

Which ones do we like best? Click on the slide show to find out.

[ppaul]

Sounds like a great idea to me!
Krakow, Poland is beautiful in spring.

[Joe Boucher]

Tourist dollars? Hell I'm not even going to buy a bottle of french water. Not a penny for german anything.
Hope their econemies go the way of the crapper.

[gunnedah]

We need to spend our money vacationing in our own country before the liberals spoil it like France.
Make sure you visit one of those conservative states though.
I have never been in the New England States and my wife and I were going to visit them this summer but we are going to put it off and maybe never go. I truly never realized how liberal those states were and it is sad because all pictures and literature I see they are beautiful. I just dont see how such beautiful looking country produces such liberal vermin.

[dennisw]

Portugal hosted the meeting and Spain is very good too. Their president stared down (allegedly) 90% opposition to our war. From what I've heard I would visit the north of Spain and perhaps Basque country. Portugal too.  

Aside From UK and Australia of course

[The Other Harry]

Nothing wrong with Poland.

[ET(end tyranny)]

Australia sounds nice too.

[mewzilla]

And Portugal, Spain, and Italy. Spent some time in Italy quite a few years back. It was wonderful.

[AnnO]

Gave up my L'Oreal cosmetics and my hair dye from L'Oreal also because the French stabbed Colin Powell in the back and am also boycotting all other French products on the list. When 2 out of 3 polled Frenchmen want Saddam to win then not one nickel of my money will go to the French if I can help it. Like I told another Freeper female friend doing the same, we are "With W Down to the ROOTS"!

[Eowyn-of-Rohan]

"Spain is very good too. Their president stared down (allegedly) 90% opposition to our war"

Somehow the idea of 90% of Spain being angry over supporting us doesn't make me want to go rushing over there...

[Eowyn-of-Rohan]

Good idea. Stay away.

[Taxachusan]

<<<< I have never been in the New England States and my wife and I were going to visit them this summer but we are going to put it off and maybe never go. I truly never realized how liberal those states were and it is sad because all pictures and literature I see they are beautiful >>>>

Hey now! If you'd like to visit, may I suggest central or western MA? Please don't judge us by what goes on in Boston. My city has yellow ribbons and flags everywhere, and the ten commandments are on a monument outside the front door of City Hall (and no one's complaining, LOL). It's more conservative out here where we're paying for the big dig and other things that most of us don't and will never use.

We have better fall foliage out here toward the mountains than they do in the east anyway, ;-)

[chemicalman]

I can't afford much of a vacation. But I will be in Grand Isle for the Tarpon Rodeo.

[Non-Sequitur]

I spent quite a bit of time in European waters during my time in the Navy and hands down my favorite country to visit was Spain. Seville has to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world and I could dine forever on the cuisine in Barcelona. Palma de Mallorcais great, too, if you can get past all the multi-million dollar yachts in the harbor.

[Mamzelle]

Try New Hampshire and Maine--remember even the most conservative states have their embarrassments to overcome. Think of South Carolina and Fritz Hollings, or North Carolina and Edwards.

Before it became a "boutique state", Vermont was famous for Yankee thrift and the Green Mountain Boys.

A lovely time to go is in early to mid October, with all the apple cider and foliage...

[Kenton]

Palma de Mallorcais great, too, if you can get past all the multi-million dollar yachts in the harbor.

I have a wonderful Navy story about a memorable liberty call in Palma de Mallorca in the spring of 1970, involving an American Airlines stewardess and a wonderful old Victorian-Era hotel on the Palma waterfront called El Gran Hotel Mediterraneo.

Can't tell it here, though. ;)

[mountaineer]

Agreed, Spain is a fascinating and beautiful country to visit, especially Sevilla, Cordoba, Segovia and Ronda. (Just saying that makes me laugh, as I recall how my friend and I were propositioned by a couple of Spanish soldiers in Sevilla when we were fresh out of college many years ago). My husband and I have been planning to visit France for the sole purpose of visiting WWI sites where my grandfather and his distant cousins fought. I'm reluctant to put the Euros in the French economy, but can't very well go to another country if we are to see those places of significance to our family, alas.

[RepubMommy]

. Great Britain, which has been an unfaltering member of the coalition, is always a popular destination for American tourists, as are the equally staunch Spain and Australia.

Surely England is my country of choice in Europe for a vacation thse days, but I just saw a poll released from over there saying that for the first time since the war, support has dropped to below 50% and only 1 in 7 Brits trust Bush. Tony Blair has been amazing through this but I would be lying if I said this didn't bother me about our British allies. If for nothing else, they should be more supportive of their own troops efforts.

[RepubMommy]

I have never been in the New England States and my wife and I were going to visit them this summer but we are going to put it off and maybe never go. I truly never realized how liberal those states were and it is sad because all pictures and literature I see they are beautiful. I just dont see how such beautiful looking country produces such liberal vermin.

NH is a red state.

[gunnedah]

Thanks, guess I overlooked that.

[ppaul]

BUMP