Evening star., 1953-10-11
raveIers 5 Notebook
Americans Add Greatly to Reputation
As the TruveIingest People in 1853
By Jacques Futrelle, Jr.
The Stnr's TroNel Editor


waiting list since early summer
for the Nieuw Amsterdam's
cruise December 10 and the
Maasdam's December a.,
Some idea Of how cruise space
is snapped up-as well as offer
ing testimonial to Italian Line
ships-is revealed in the recent
chartering of the Conte Blanca
mano for a cruise from New York
December %. Within three days
of the announcement, the survey
says. the ship was As per cent
filled.
Lure of Autumn
Another factor that will push
1885 travel to record levels is
autumn trips. The American
Automobile Association takes
note of this, saying that travel
during the third quarter of the
year might well reach a new
peak. of itself.
The AAA comments: "The fall
is normally a slump period in
the vacation pattern. But travel
specialists of the association cite
several factors accounting for
the current optimistic forecast.
"These factors are: More travel
events scheduled during the fall;
more promotion by resort areas
and transportation carriers; an
increase in the number of persons
who take two vacations during
the year, and in those who pre-
fer to travel after the summer
crowds. Besides these. the AAA
notes that summer travel, off to
slow start, picked up a late
momentum that is carrying into
the fall.
Foreign travel is also shaping
up well. Very substantial book
ings to Europe are reported by
sea and air, and at least one
major steamship line has sold
out its tourist and cabin space
through November"
What John Doe Pays
And what do Americans spend
on travel? The American Express
survey says they lay out $19 bill
lion a year. That includes the
$40 weekend motor trip into the
country, as well as the thousands
expended for a de luxe, escorted
trip around the world.
But what did the average John
Doe dole out for his 1853 sum-
mer vacation? Two clues have
been compiled recently. One is
from New England's six-State
area; the other. from the North
vests Oregon.
The New England vacation
business index, compiled by the
Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
for August, would indicate either
higher prices at hotels and inns
or freer spending, or both. Oc-
cupancy figures by both the ho-
tel-inn group and guesthouses
and cabins were per cent lower
last August than in 1952's Au-
gust, but hotel receipts were up
l per cent and the cabin guest
house group suffered a / per
cent loss.
Oregon Gets Specific
If that is too vague as to what
the American vacation costs each
individual Doe, Oregon figures
are specific and can be consid-
cred just about the average for
most States. Statistics of other
States, which will be coming
in within the next few weeks,
likely will show little variation.
with some up and some down.
Oregon's grand total from mo-
tor vacation expenditures was a
record $125 million. And fewer
foreign-licensed cars than in
1852 produced that sum, again
indicating that there was more
open-handedness or that prices
had risen.
The State Highway Depart
ment comparison of the 1852 and
1858 tourist figures shows that
the average vacationer stayed
in the State 6.5 days this year,
against 6.3; that he spent an
average of $5.35 a day, 28 cents
more than in 1852. The average
occupancy of each car was
slightly above three persons, who