With the summer comes peak season for scammers coming up with new ways to empty tourists’ wallets — increasingly, by getting their hands on travelers’ personal financial information. Here are five tricks to be on the lookout …
Tourism
Germany Has Become the Cut-Rate Prostitution Capital of the World
The presence of thousands of brothels and hundreds of thousands of prostitutes has heightened competition and pushed prices down steeply in the German sex trade. One tourist from Florida, who visits the country three times annually to pay for cheap sex, compares the scene to a discount supermarket: “Germany is like Aldi for …
The Other Complication for Airbnb and the Sharing Economy: Taxes
Few people involved in the sharing economy know what taxes they’re supposed to pay, nor how to pay them. Because the rules are unclear, enforcement is almost nonexistent, and the feeling that “sharing” shouldn’t be taxed at all, very few people do pay them.
Four Months After the ‘Poop Cruise,’ the Carnival Triumph Sails Again — and Is Sold Out
Is it safe to go back in the water? Based on how the Carnival Triumph was fully booked last week, when it embarked on its first departure after the infamous “poop cruise” incident, plenty of cruise passengers seem to say yes.
Sharing Is Hard: Legal Trouble for Airbnb, RelayRides, FlightCar
As more consumers turn to services like peer-to-peer rental-car outfits rather than Hertz, local authorities are penalizing participants with fines and ordering the companies to cease operations. Is it still safe to share?
Why Hotels Aren’t Making a Killing on Fees Like the Airlines
Love it or hate it, the fee-based business model appears to be here to stay for airlines. But the hotel business is a different story.
Summer Camp For Grown-Ups
Like cartoons and cupcakes, summer camp is becoming one of those things adults just won’t leave to the kids anymore.
“Glamping” — that is, staying in a tent, yurt or treehouse but with butlers, electricity and luxury hotel-style amenities — was discovered by Justin Bieber and Elle magazine last year, and this year, camp fever …
Entrance to Walt Disney World Now Costs Over $100 (With Tax)
Theme parks are so predictable. Universal Orlando recently jacked up admissions prices by a few bucks, just as it did last year in the weeks before kids start their summer breaks. It was only a matter of time before Disney followed suit.
Despite ‘Poop,’ Fire, Cruise Business Cruises Along — How To Avoid Being Taken for a Ride
Cruise ships tend to make appearances in the mainstream media for only one reason: Something went terribly wrong. So, considering that cruises have been a mainstay of cable news for the past few months, you might assume that …
Travelers Still Avoiding Carnival After ‘Poop Cruise’
Months after the infamous “poop cruise,” in which Carnival Triumph passengers were stranded at sea for five days without working toilets, Carnival Cruise Lines is still struggling to convince travelers to come back aboard its ships. Perhaps rock-bottom pricing and a new cruise passenger bill of rights will help the cause. But the fire …
Theme Park Inflation: Universal Orlando Becomes First to Cross $90 Admission Mark
Each year around Memorial Day, some theme park—likely in central Florida—jacks up ticket prices by a few bucks, prompting the competition to follow suit with their own price hikes. This year, like last, it’s Universal Studios Orlando leading the charge.
Car Sharing: Future Looks Bright, Even With Some Cloudy Legal Issues
There’s just no stopping the sharing. Despite recent legal challenges to certain “peer to peer” car-sharing services, the range of sharing options keeps on expanding, making it easier and easier for consumers to skip taxis, traditional car rentals — and car ownership in general.