World Tourism Blog

Taxes on Hotels, Car Rentals and Meals Add Up Fast

Travelers pay up to $101 in sales, hotel, rental car and other extra taxes aimed at them on an average three-day domestic trip, a study out today from a business travel group says.

The study, commissioned by the National Business Travel Association, says travelers pay not only local sales taxes on goods and services when they go to a U.S. city, but up to 144% more each day they rent a car, stay at a hotel and dine.

The association, which represents 5,000 corporate travel departments and suppliers, estimates that each of its members pays $3.51 million a year in state and local taxes that target travelers — excluding what they pay in taxes on airfares.

Corporate travel departments and the travel industry “are increasingly concerned” about taxes that target travelers, says Michael McCormick, the association’s executive director.

Taxes travelers pay can vary within a city’s metropolitan area, even from the airport to a city’s downtown.

The study looked at the 50 U.S. cities with the most air passengers. It found that a typical business traveler pays $101.27 in taxes on average for hotel, rental car and meals during a three-day, two-night stay in Chicago— more than in any other city.

Travelers pay more than $85 in similar taxes during the same length of stay in Seattle, Minneapolis, New York and Boston.

A traveler pays the least amount of taxes — $52.49 — in Portland, Ore. Other cities with taxes less than $55 for a three-day, four-night stay include Fort Lauderdale and Fort Myers, Fla., Honolulu and Detroit.

The study also looked at the 50 busiest airports and found that a traveler would pay more in taxes at New York’s JFK than at any other airport: $36.53 during a single day.

At Chicago’s O’Hare, a traveler pays $35.34, the second-highest amount.

The least amount of taxes paid daily — $19.84 — is at Washington’s Reagan National Airport. Taxes at Detroit’s airport are the next-lowest.

By GARY STOLLER

A typical business traveler pays $101.27 in taxes on average for hotel, rental car and meals during a three-day, two-night stay in Chicago -- more than in any other city.

The Kiwengwa caves in the Kiwengwa-Pongwe Forest Reserve are part of ancient history of the Zanzibar Island. The locals have visited the caves to worship their ancestors, bringing gifts to the holy stones in the caves. In the old days, the villagers kept leopards in the caves as a status symbol of the owner. Forest guard found these longest caves of Zanzibar in 2002, and there is now an initiative to make this natural wonder available for tourists to visit and enjoy. In 2005, the Department of Commercial Crops, Fruits and Forestry of Zanzibar, in cooperation with the Turku Geographical Society of Finland and the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), started the Kiwengwa Ecotourism Project to develop these unique caves as an ecotourism destination.

The Cave System and Rich Biodiversity

The cave system is divided into three parts. Only the North cave and South cave are accessible for tourists. These are 230 and 205 meters long respectively. The East cave is 50 meters long, is darker, has a lot of bats, and can only be entered by crawling. The stalactite caverns have formed from water dissolving calcium carbonate from coral stone. There are many insects and also five species of bats, of which two are considered to be rare in the caves. The naturally formed holes in the ceiling of the caves let sunlight in, creating an exciting atmosphere. Another curious feature is the roots that have forced their way through the ground and look like electric wires connecting the ceiling and the bottom of the caves.

The caves are surrounded by three natural trails; a short 0.2 km, a medium 0.4 km and a long 2 km trail. The Kiwengwa-Pongwe Forest Reserve is the only large remaining high coral rag forest area in the Northern Zanzibar. There are endemic species, for example Red colubus monkey, duikers (big antelopes) and mini antelopes, which you might see when walking the trails. There are also 47 bird species such as Fisher’s Turaco and a lot of butterflies in the forests.

Most of the trees and other plants along the trail have interesting traditional medicinal purposes, and you can ask your guide about the usage of these plants. There are some endemic and rare species of trees such as Uvarioendron kirkii and Pittosporum viridiflorum and tree climbers such as Vernonia Zanzibariensis and Monodora grandidieri. They are used commonly as local medicine, which is part of the reason why they have become rare.

Developing Ecotourism and Livelihoods of the Communities

The Forest Conservation by Livelihood Development Project (LIVE Project) aims to conserve the forest areas and biodiversity in Zanzibar by supporting alternative livelihoods for the local communities. LIVE Project supports 40 groups in 11 villages around the Kiwengwa-Pongwe Forest Reserve, including Kiwengwa. There are also ten Village Conservation Committees involved in the project, working to develop sustainable use of forest resources. By visiting the caves, visitors will also be able to support the project, as well as experiencing one of the most spectacular natural wonders of the island.

Kiwengwa-Pongwe Forest Reserve is located in the Northeastern region of Unguja Island, and you can get there by taking a dala-dala from Kiwengwa to Mchekeni. The distance from the Stone Town is approximately 35 kilometres. The last journey of the road (about 500 meters) is in a bad condition, but the LIVE Project is seeking funding for fixing the road.

This is a site not yet known to tourists. A reception center has been built, with a café and a souvenir shop, although the center does not have the capacity to provide services for visitors yet. For now there is no entrance fee, while later when the services are more developed, visitors will be required to pay US$5-10 to enter the site. LIVE Project welcomes visitors interested in being among the first to experience this unique attraction.

By Elina Nieminen

Zanzibar LIVE Project

Sleepy Austrian village wakes up with annual beer fest, complete with dirndls and oom-pah-pah.

Dirndls, lederhosen, an oom-pah-pah band and beer: It doesn’t get more traditional than this when the sleepy Austrian village of Altaussee wakes up for a nonstop beer party, Sept. 4-6.

The annual three-day beer fest is sometimes described as a more intimate and less commercial version of Germany’s Oktoberfest. It marks its 50th anniversary this year in Altaussee, a quaint hamlet located 186 miles (300 kilometers) west of Vienna.

Showing up in traditional garb is a must. So if you’ve ever wanted to don an Austrian dirndl or lounge around in lederhosen and knee socks for a few days — this is your chance.

Organized by the local fire department, the annual beer fest draws both droves of locals and a large crowd from the Austrian capital.

It was with one of these Viennese groups that I decided to make the trip last year.

Within minutes of our arrival, the owner of the inn we stayed at welcomed us with a hearty “Griass eich!” (an informal greeting in the local dialect). We had entered another world where talk revolved not around politics or the financial crisis but about the strength of the local schnapps.

The epicenter of the event is the so-called beer tent (”Bierzelt” in German) crammed with wooden benches, tables and counters selling sausages, roast chicken and, of course, beer. From a stage in the center, bands pump out “oom-pah-pah” tunes that, in the early hours of Sunday morning, oddly enough included an Austrian rendition of “The Final Countdown.” A small fairground lies to one side the tent, complete with rides and stalls selling sweets and gingerbread hearts.

As the tent fills up to maximum capacity, you might consider securing a spot at the Wirtschaft Altaussee, an inn a stone’s throw away where, as the night wears on, patrons are known to dance on tables to Austrian and German pop songs. Or for a more formal dinner, try the restaurant at the Gasthof zum Hirschen where we spotted Hannes Androsch, a well-known entrepreneur and former Austrian finance minister.

By VERONIKA OLEKSYN

Young women arrive in their traditional Dirndl dresses during a beer fest in Altaussee, Austria, Sept. 7, 2009. Each year at the start of September, the sleepy hamlet of Altaussee about 300 kilometers (186 miles) west of Vienna turns into a nonstop beer fest some describe as the Alpine republic's more intimate and less commercial version of Germany's Oktoberfest.

Now that Dubai’s glory days are over, it’s a great time to visit.

That sentiment is true enough to guide your travel plans. In a city where $600 per night hotel rooms were once routine, a premium vacation now comes at a nice discount. But once you land in the emirate and start taking in the city there’s a buzz that defies the economic downturn. World-class restaurants are full enough, but will still give you a table at late notice. Hotels abound, at much friendlier rates (a 5-star stay goes for $150-$400 per night). With fewer crowds, service staff are happy to see you, striking just the right deference toward a paying customer.

Here’s what happened: over the past year, while Dubai’s corporate giants downsized and the city stared down payments of roughly $100 billion in debt, a half-built city was largely completed. The over-construction of luxury hotels, swanky apartments, and all-age entertainment meant they all virtually went on sale. The result is that there is now, at last, a way to do a Dubai vacation on the cheap.

That’s especially true in August, when a combination of desert summer heat and the holy month of Ramadan coincide. Travel in the Muslim world slows down, leaving surprising low rates. Just prepare to avoid eating, drinking, or smoking in public during daylight hours (just keep your consumption indoors - hotel restaurants and many eateries remain open, but draw curtains over the windows). On the other hand, Dubai during Ramadan can give you a great local experience, with lush nighttime tents and lavish buffets that open at sunset.

Choosing your hotel is, in some ways, the fun part – a multitude of luxury resorts, some with enough self-contained entertainment to fill a short vacation. The 5-star Monarch Hotel, which played host to Paris Hilton’s Dubai visit last year, starts at $106 on Expedia . A beachside Westin starts at $162. At the bottom, a Holiday Inn Express in Dubai Internet City, at $36 per night (all prices on Expedia.com). Go to the hotels directly and you can get a rich package deal; the Atlantis Hotel, an entertainment mega-complex, offers deluxe rooms at $243 along with unlimited access to its Aquaventure water park and Lost Chambers aquarium. Otherwise Aquaventure and its competitor, Wild Wadi, cost $54 per adult, with a slight discount if you enter after 3 pm (Aquaventure is running sessions by dark, called ‘Cool Summer Nights,’ charging $40 for access from 7 pm to midnight. Available most Thursdays).

By LARA SETRAKIAN

Now that Dubai's glory days are over, it's a great time to visit.

PARIS — Many people buy a pied-à-terre in Paris to use for a few weeks a year and to rent the rest of the time. Most of them don’t realize, however, that they are breaking the law. Now, the city government is trying to address the problem with a more direct approach to enforcement.

Mayor Bertrand Delanoë ordered an agency last year to warn property owners that renting out residential apartments for less than a year at a time violated French law. The move was intended to address the lack of affordable housing in the city center. Those who ignored the warning, he said, would be prosecuted.

Only about 25 letters have been sent since enforcement began last autumn — most of them in response to complaints made by neighbors. And only a handful of those cases have gone to court.

But the rental industry in this most-visited city in the world is concerned and, as more owners slowly become aware of the issue, confusion is growing. A few have pulled their properties off the market, others have deleted addresses or other identifying details from Internet listings. And dozens of rental agencies have banded together to try to save their lucrative business.

“No one seems to know what this crackdown means, but I feel my business will have to change,” said Susie Hollands of Vingt Paris, a property advisory and management company.

There is no precise tally of how many of the 1.3 million residences in Paris are being used for short-term rentals. Industry professionals estimate there may be tens of thousands, with a significant proportion owned by foreigners who bought them as vacation homes or investment properties. (Those buyers are predominantly Americans, Italians and Britons, according to brokers.)

Those in the industry also say they believe that the numbers have risen sharply in the last 10 years as the Internet has made it easier to find potential renters.

To legally offer short-term rentals, owners would need to have their residential properties reclassified as commercial sites, a complicated process that involves finding a commercial property in the same neighborhood that can be transformed into residential use.

“It isn’t difficult; it is impossible,” said Fabrice Luzu, a notary who has helped many international clients invest in city real estate. “The owner must apply for a special permit and there is very little chance he would obtain it.”

Without such a permit, any apartment classified as residential in a French city of more than 200,000 must be offered with a minimum one-year lease. The law, passed in 2005, has some exceptions for student housing.

For landlords in Paris, the difference in income can be substantial. Depending on how it is renovated, a 650-square-foot apartment in the chic Saint-Germain-des-Prés area, for example, could be rented furnished for 2,500 euros ($3,100) a week, Ms. Hollands said.

She estimates that the yearly income, based on the flat being rented about 70 percent of the time, would bring triple the amount of a long-term lease.

She added, “Unfurnished, on a long lease, it would rent between 2,200 euros and 2,500 euros a month” or at most, 30,000 euros a year.

The police are charged with enforcing the law, but rarely do. So last year, after several attempts, Paris succeeded in transferring enforcement within the city to the mayor’s housing agency, the Bureau de la Protection des Locaux d’Habitation, or the office for the protection of residential property.

“We decided to apply the law in a strict manner,” said Franck Affortit, the agency’s assistant director. “Letters have been sent to owners, who include many Italians, some Americans and British and French.”

Most of those owners have taken their properties off the rental market, while “several” others who have not are being prosecuted, Mr. Affortit said.

One case has resulted in a preliminary judgment in favor of the city; court dates for the other cases have not yet been set, Mr. Affortit said.

Conviction could result in a fine of as much as 25,000 euros. Continued violation could result in additional fines of as much as 1,000 euros a square meter a day. Still, he admits that given his small staff of five, tracking down violators “is a problem.”

Therefore, he said, “we are going to apply this in an intelligent manner.”

By JEAN RAFFERTY

Many foreign owners in Paris use their apartments only part of the year, renting them out to short-term tenants for the rest.

IT was love at first sight. Henry James was 26 when he crossed the border from Switzerland and made his way, on foot, down into Italy — “warm & living & palpable,” as he wrote ecstatically to his sister on Aug. 31, 1869. The romance kindled that day lasted nearly 40 years, and played a significant part in his career; he set some of his greatest works in Italy, including “Daisy Miller,” “The Aspern Papers” and “The Wings of the Dove.”

All three are excellent traveling companions, particularly if you’re en route to Rome and Venice — but a more direct (though of course inescapably Jamesian, and therefore at times convoluted) expression of his contagious passion for what he declared to be the “most beautiful country in the world” can be found in his travel writing.

Henry James as tour guide? He won’t lead you step by step, waving a pennant so you don’t get lost, but he does show the way. His fine, reverberating consciousness sets off a corresponding reverberation in the sympathetic reader, who can’t help but admire the way Italy liberates an appetite for sensual experience in this most cerebral of authors.

If you’re thinking of visiting Umbria and Tuscany, James has even thoughtfully planned out your route: in 1874, when his Italian romance was in its infancy (and the Kingdom of Italy was a newborn nation, having achieved unification only in 1861), James wrote for The Atlantic Monthly a travel essay called “A Chain of Cities,” in which he describes his springtime wanderings in Assisi, Perugia, Cortona and Arezzo, ancient hill towns well stocked with artistic treasures and expansive views — all neatly arranged within easy distance of one another. James, traveling by train, lounges and loafs along the way, examining and judging an artist’s work, or sitting on a sunny bench beneath the ramparts of a ruined fortress, or strolling aimlessly, merely savoring the flavor of “adorable Italy.” A 21st-century traveler whose schedule is fixed by the tyranny of airline reservations may be tempted to pick up the pace (certainly a possibility if you’ve rented a car), but accident and adventure, the kind of chance encounter that loitering invites, are just as important, in the search for the essence of a place, as methodical contemplation.

James’s principal interests are scenery and art, though he occasionally casts his eye — while holding his nose — on the unwashed populace (the Puritan in him was shocked by the Italian peasant’s indifference to soap). All four towns are perched high and blessed with stunning views, but of course the views were even more gorgeous in the 19th century, before the valleys were streaked with highways, dotted with factories and warehouses and veiled by smog.

In Assisi, James looks out over “the teeming softness of the great vale of Umbria,” and watches “the beautiful plain mellow into the tones of twilight.” Today the plain is still “teeming” (though with human activity rather than nature’s bounty), and the mellow haze in the distance looks suspiciously chemical. But if the views are less pristine, the art and the architectural monuments are far more accessible, preserved and curated with care and intelligence. Each of these towns is home to more masterpieces than you can comfortably absorb in one visit; this is an itinerary overflowing with artistic riches.

If James insists on a measured tempo (in Perugia he warns that a visitor’s “first care must be to ignore the very dream of haste, walking everywhere very slowly and very much at random”), at least part of the reason is that in these towns there’s little choice. Most of the streets, especially in Assisi, Perugia and Cortona, are steep, narrow and crooked; haste would soon leave you panting. Arezzo is gentler, but there, too, James is right: even if you’re fit enough to race along, a leisurely stroll is infinitely more rewarding when nearly every building has half a millennium of history attached to it.

In Assisi, James counsels, the visitor’s “first errand” is with the 13th-century basilica dedicated to St. Francis. The church, which houses the saint’s tomb — “one of the very sacred places of Italy” — is a magnet for religious pilgrims. James hits on a suggestive metaphor for the basilica’s astonishing structure: it consists of two churches, one piled on top of the other, and he imagines that they were perhaps intended as “an architectural image of the relation between heart and head.” The lower church, built in the Romanesque style, is somber, cave-like and complex, whereas the upper church, a fine example of Italian Gothic, is bright, spacious, rational. (Though he often favored head over heart, reason over emotion, James was a master at turning the tables.) Both churches are famously decorated with frescoes hugely important to the history of art, most of them traditionally ascribed to Giotto (c. 1267-1337). Studying them closely, James pays tribute to the artist’s expressive power: “Meager, primitive, undeveloped, he is yet immeasurably strong” — a judgment still valid today.

By ADAM BEGLEY

The 13th-century basilica dedicated to St. Francis as seen from the fortress above Assisi.

After a Long Winter, The City Revels in its Never-Ending Summer Days.

On a recent Saturday night in mid-June, the banks of St. Petersburg’s Neva River were packed. Mostly young people armed with drinks, mingled with couples and families admiring the sunset from parks and paths along the shore. A pair of bongo players banged away in the shadow of St. Isaac’s Cathedral, and hundreds lounged on the wall that lines the river.

It was 10:30 p.m. and the sun was just starting to dip below the horizon, but no one showed signs of heading home anytime soon. After all, these are the famous White Nights in Russia’s second city, a two-month period from May to July when St. Petersburg is light almost 24 hours a day.

“It’s just marvellous,” said Jonathan Knaus, an American banker who has lived in Moscow for almost two decades and has visited St. Petersburg during White Nights several times over the years. “Great atmosphere, people are wonderful, very nice. Everyone’s just out having fun.”

Situated on the Bay of Finland, St. Petersburg’s northern location at the same latitude as southern Alaska means that during the summer the sun is never far below the horizon. From mid-May until mid-July, most of the hours between sunset and sunrise look like dusk and the darkest moment, around 2 a.m., is short-lived.

“It was too long and too cold [a] winter,” said local Ikbol Kobulov. “I think we deserve it.”

Visitors to St. Petersburg often express frustration that there isn’t enough time to see everything during a short stay, a sentiment the city capitalizes on during White Nights. Museums stay open later, the Mariinsky theatre offers an expanded program of ballets and operas. The city’s numerous drawbridges are drawn in the wee hours of the morning during summer months for ships to pass through, rimmed with lights and admired by sightseers.

“Everyone’s just so ready to be with other people and really embrace everything the city has to offer, which is a lot,” said Emily Moder, a Princeton University student in St. Petersburg for the summer. “You have really all 24 hours of every day to do it.”

By ALEXANDER MARQUARDT

Fireworks light up the sky over the Neva River and the Peter and Pawel Fortress during the annual school-leavers night show in St. Petersburg, June 20, 2010.

The guestroom of the future is not that far off.

Imagine opening your hotel room door with a ringtone, monitoring your health via the bathroom mirror and having the temperature, lighting and other amenities adjust themselves based on your personal preferences.

Actually, said room has already been imagined for you. It’s called Guestroom 20X (nee Guestroom 2010) and it’s on display at HITEC, an annual lodging and hospitality conference for financial and technology professionals that runs June 22–24 in Orlando, Fla.

Now in its fourth iteration, this year’s exhibit features nearly 30 new and near-future technologies that promise to reinvent every aspect of the lodging experience. Some are little more than intriguing ideas at this point, but others are already starting to show up in hotels around the country. In fact, depending on your next trip, you might even run into some of the amenities below:

No keycard? Sounds good
You probably already use your cell phone as a camera, music player or gaming device; why not use it as your room key, too? That’s the idea behind OpenWays’ Crypto Acoustic Credential technology, which will unlock an appropriately equipped door when your phone emits a unique (and encrypted) audio code. Even better, you can receive your code before you check in, bypassing the front desk altogether.

According to the company, the system will work with any cell phone now on the market, although smartphone owners will likely get first crack at it. In fact, Holiday Inn expects to roll out a (smartphone-only) pilot program soon at the Holiday Inn Chicago O’Hare Rosemont and Holiday Inn Express Houston Downtown Convention Center.

Your room, your way
A room that lets you manage everything from the lights to the TV to the drapes with a single remote is nice. One that “greets” you pre-loaded with your personal preferences is even better. The SuiteSystems Guestroom Control from Control4 Corp. is designed to do just that, keeping your choices — stereo off at midnight, for example, or drapes open at 8 a.m. — on file for future visits. Check it out yourself at the Aria Resort and Mandarin Oriental at CityCenter in Las Vegas, the Montage Beverly Hills boutique hotel and the recently opened Trump SoHo New York, among others.

Hotel services via touch screen
While the SuiteSystem remote provides door-to-drapes control, the SmartTouch system from Incentient LLC focuses on the bigger guest-services picture. Using its touch-screen panel, you’ll be able to access all manner of hotel services, from room service and the bell desk to on-site restaurants and spa facilities. The system is currently being used as a wireless wine list by restaurants across the country, with hotels in Chicago, Miami, New York and other cities expected to roll out in-room units later this year.

Finger-friendly fan
You probably won’t see one of those high-tech Dyson vacuum cleaners in your hotel room any time soon, but you may see one of the company’s innovative fans. Looking like an oversized magnifying glass without the glass, the Dyson Air Multiplier draws in air and amplifies it 15 times by passing it through an aerofoil-shaped ring that’s as futuristic-looking as it is free of blades altogether. The fans retail for $300–$330, but you can try one out at the W Los Angeles-Westwood, which offers them in its poolside cabanas and by request for in-room use.

Mirror, mirror on the wall
TV in the bathroom mirror? That’s so 2007. If the folks at James Law Cybertecture International in Hong Kong have their way, the well-equipped hotel bathroom of the future will feature a Cybertecture Mirror that will serve as a “reflective window to a digital life.” Akin to one of those digital windshield displays, it’ll display the time, temperature, traffic, news and even personal health data with the touch of a button. The company expects to start production by the end of the year.

Don’t toss that trash
Burn it instead, with the Miniature Waste Incinerator, an in-room unit designed to heat garbage until it spontaneously combusts. Configured to capture and re-circulate exhaust gases, the unit will save both energy and trash-disposal costs. Alas, it’s strictly a prototype at this point — for some reason, the Mr. Fusion Home Energy Reactor from the “Back to the Future” movies comes to mind — but if it ever comes to pass, it could turn out to be a housekeeper’s best friend.

Best. Bed. Ever.
Finally, when it’s time to hit the sack, consider the HiCan High Fidelity Canopy, which is part sleeping unit, part entertainment center and all-around awesome. Shaped like a king-sized, open-sided cube, it features a state-of-the-art sound system, built-in PC/gaming console and projector that links to a 70-inch screen that slides down at the foot of the bed.

Alas, you’ll probably have to wait to crawl under the covers as the Italian company that makes the bed has so far delivered the unit to only a handful of private customers in Europe, Russia and the Middle East. Unless you run with that crowd, an invitation for a sleepover is probably not in the cards.

By Rob Lovitt

The SmartTouch allows guests to access all manner of hotel services, from room service and the bell desk to on-site restaurants and spa facilities.

The tables on the Seabourn Sojourn were set. Silverware, from Sambonet, and wine glasses, from Schottzwiesel, were meticulously arranged, and napkins crisply folded. The empty dining room awaited the passengers for the luxury cruise liner’s maiden voyage, set for June 6, from London to the Norwegian fjords.

The Seabourn Sojourn aims to provide a lavish yet personalized experience for the upscale cruiser.

Karlo Buer, the captain of the Seabourn Sojourn, which is the second of three nearly identical vessels released by Carnival Corp.’s Yachts of Seabourn line over the course of three years, said the Seabourn Sojourn distinguishes itself not only by its amenities and sophisticated cuisine but by its extra space and singular attention to details.

The 650-foot ship carries no more than 450 passengers, even though it could carry many more.

“On a ship this size, we could hold up to 1,000 or even 1,200 [passengers], but since we’re in the luxury market, we cannot do that,” Buer said. “This is not about quantity. This is about quality.”

Andrew Magowan, the vice president of Seabourn Cruise Line for Europe , the Middle East and Africa, said the Seabourn Sojourn has one of the highest space-per-guests ratios in the industry.

The Seabourn’s emphasis on space extends from the sparingly furnished main decks to the passenger cabins. Ninety percent of the yacht’s 225 suites include private verandas. Suites range from 295 to 1,182 square feet, and all have ocean views.

By CATHERINE CLOUTIER

The Seabourn Sojourn seeks to provide a luxurious yet personalized and intimate experience for the upscale cruiser.

Millions descend upon these spots each year.

Though New York City’s Statue of Liberty invokes awe, and the Hollywood sign looming over Los Angeles is arguably its most iconic sight, neither are their cities’ most visited. Times Square and the Hollywood Walk of Fame draw more tourists respectively, according to 2009 visitor numbers.

When it comes to travel, the role a tourist attraction plays can vary greatly — a monument might be one stop along the way or a national park the destination.

San Francisco is the 15th most-visited city out of 20 measured, but two of its attractions — the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Fisherman’s Wharf — are among the country’s most popular. There are fewer images as stunning as the Golden Gate Bridge. What’s more, the surrounding park’s size and prominence ensure that visitors travel for miles to spend time there. Even though many people dismiss Fisherman’s Wharf as tacky, its seafood restaurants, rich history, sea lion viewing and various events offer much for families to explore.

The Golden Gate National Recreation Area is one of three National-Park-Service-administered attractions that rank among the country’s most popular. It is joined by the National Mall and Memorial Parks, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the only list-maker outside a major city.

“One thing that has the most potential is the national park,” says Dr. Kristin Lamoureux, director of the International Institute of Tourism Studies at George Washington University. She points to the just-passed Travel Promotion Act, which will create a nonprofit Department of Commerce agency to market America’s tourism industry abroad. “The lesser-known parks and places — not the Disneys or Vegas — that don’t have a budget of their own will benefit. We don’t currently have a branch that does that.”

Methodology
In defining a tourist attraction, we considered sites of historical or cultural interest; natural phenomena and landmarks; and officially designated entertainment and recreation centers.

Also included are places with commercial areas, such as Times Square and the Las Vegas Strip; however we’ve excluded shopping malls and casinos. Well-known roads and walks were considered, but long stretches of highway did not meet our definition of a tourist attraction.

Visitor numbers from 2009 were provided by the tourist attractions.

By Msnbc

Times Square has a grandstand for visitors to take in the circus of billboards, news tickers, street performers and excellent people watching.