Evening star., 1946-11-10

the war was going to solve were
vacations. Presumably. the good
old days were to return: Americans
would be able to rush of. willy
nilly, to any alluring spot that
caught their fancy, at least in the
Western Hemisphere
Well, it wasn't that way last
winter or last summer, and it is
not that way now. That happy
day Of impromptu vacations has
not yet arrived, even in the
second postwar fall. Compe-
tition for space already is keen for
the winter season, and many res
ervation in the months ahead will
come through proper timing. dill
gence or luck-perhaps all three.
Present prospects for winter va
cations have been brought into focus
by the November travel survey OF
the American Express Co. In brief,
the survey does two things: Points
out that Europe is still busy pre-
pairing for the time it can receive
the American traveller in numbers
and hangs out the danger sign for
domestic recreational travellers who
do not lay the groundwork in time.
x y X X
On domestic travel, the survey
opens with these plain words:
"The American traveller at home
will face crowded accommodations.
Reported from coast to coast Is the
worst hotel room shortage in his
tory. May Southern resorts are
booked to capacity into January,
and tourist jam already is head
ing for Florida, as rail. air and bus
line carriers forecast congestion be-
fore the migrat tory season Is In full
swing.
Motorists journeying to Southern
resorts are being cautioned by auto
clubs of acute shortage of automo-
bile parts. Auto repairs and part
requirements are a source of deep
concern to dealers and repairmen." "
Nor is the jam expected to be
confined to the Southland. In stat
ing that commercial transportation
lines are scheduling special trains,
buses and planes for snow area
resorts, the survey adds:
Reports from more than 100 pop
ular winter sports centers, stretch
ing from New England to the Pacific
Coast, indicate that preparations
already are on the way for a record
season."
Also: Mexico reports the earliest
winter tourist rush in years. .
Heavy bookings for Canada's win
ter sports centers are reported from
all provinces. Shipping circles
are reporting terrific backlog of
passenger travel
In a report from the Grace Line
comes word that while six of its
new ships are filled to capacity on
each weekly sailing from New York
to the west coast of South America,
via the Panama Canal, it will be
some time before these "Santas" can
make much headway with the con-
stantly lengthening list of pleasure
seekers desiring to visit the West
Coast countries.
Godfrey Macdonald, passenger
traffic manager for the line, says:
There has been a piling up during
the last five years a tremendous
volume not only of tourists, but also
commercial travellers and nationals.
The large number of the last two
named classes, waiting to sail both
northbound and southbound, in.
dicates there will be little space
for tourists for the next three or
four months"
The new ships carry 50 first -class
passengers. When all nine are
in seryice-probably this month
twice-a-week sailings are to be
started. Passenger routes will then
cover Curacao, Venezuela and Col
ombia as we'll, ....=.
fastening the tourists day will
be the return to service of the lines
prewar cruise ships, the Santa Rosa
and Santa Paula, about the first of
the year. They now are being re-
conditioned after wartime duty.
Each will carry 225 passengers on
12-day cruises.
y + y
Among direct reports on hand,
showing resort space is climbing to
or has reached the premium level,
are those from Pinehurst, N. c., and
the Southwest, specifically the dude
ranch territory of Arizona.
The Pinehurst season already is
in full swing. All the resorts hotels
were open in October. except one
and that began to receive its initial
guests last week end. The Pine
hurst press bureau says: Bookings
at all of the hotels are extremely
heavy for the fall, and advance reg
istrations for the peak of the season
from February onward indicate
every hotel will have to put out the
SRO sign"
The Phoenix fAriz.) Chamber of
Commerce reports that inquiries
from prospective vacationers have
been running 300 to 400 per cent