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In travel news this week: CNN reveals 10 great American cities to visit that aren’t (yet) overrun with tourists as the country prepares for a record-breaking Fourth of July holiday. Plus, the latest transportation woes and concerns, plus a hurricane you’ll actually like.
Two of the biggest acronyms in the travel industry – TSA and AAA – are sounding the warning: Things are getting busy for the long July 4th holiday week. Like it’s busy setting records.
The Transportation Security Administration said it expected to screen more than 32 million people at U.S. airports from June 27 through July 8. That would be a 5.4% increase over the 2023 Independence Day holiday. “We expect this summer to be the busiest ever and summer travel typically peaks during the Independence Day holiday,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske this week in a press release. He swears the agency is ready for the security line attack.
AAA expects 70.9 million Americans to travel 50 miles or more from home. More than 85% will drive. At least the COVID-19 pandemic is a speck of dust in the rearview mirror. “We expect the Fourth of July week to be our busiest ever, with an additional 5.7 million travelers compared to 2019,” says Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel. Check here for peak travel times in Atlanta, Boston, Seattle and other major cities.
In other news from often crowded places, Disney announced this week that its Genie+ ride reservation service, which helps savvy planners avoid long lines, is being put back in the bottle. Instead, Disneyland in California and Walt Disney Word in Florida: Lightning Lanes. One of the main differences is that visitors can book up to three attractions seven days in advance when staying at a park hotel. (And it’s three days in advance if they’re staying outside the park). View the details here.
If all those crowds walking shoulder to shoulder through the record summer heat don’t appeal to you, your best bet is to find a way out of the US’s least-visited national parks.
The heat will cause many others to head to the coast in the coming week. And you need something to put all your stuff in. Our partners at CNN Underscored, a CNN product review and recommendation guide, have the best beach totes and totes for you.
If you love the urban experience but feel like you’ve had your fill of the Big Apple and other busy, expensive cities, this is for you. At CNN Travel, we tapped our network of contributors for nominations to create our first list of America’s 10 Best Towns to Visit.
They are distributed from New England and the South to the Interior and the West. They’re places where you’ll often find a small-town atmosphere and lots of personality, but also plenty to see and do. And they’re easier on the budget.
The list shows that the United States, recently selected as the best country in the world for tourism, is filled with communities committed to making their cities better – for themselves and for the people who visit.
Traffic accidents and misdeeds
We have seen another difficult situation lately as people tried to get from point A to point B.
A power outage led to delays and disruptions at one of the UK’s busiest airports. Across the Atlantic in Naples, Florida, a former customs officer pleaded guilty to stealing money from arriving passengers. In South Korea, flights at Incheon International were disrupted due to balloons launched by North Korea filled with trash.
Water problems caused the world’s largest cruise ship to catch fire while moored in Mexico. And while it’s admittedly a stretch to call a roller coaster “transportation,” we thought you might like to see this video of people having to get off a classic ride in California after a mid-ride emergency.
This New Orleans Cocktail Will Shake Up Your Fourth of July
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– Source: CNN
Here’s a way to relax and add a little rush to your 4th of July holiday. Bar owner Neal Bodenheimer shows you how to properly prepare a real New Orleans Hurricane. Enjoy! (In moderation, of course.)
This saltwater lagoon is officially a personal right.
This could help the species survive.
The most liveable cities in the world.
An elegant cultural oasis in Europe tops the list. Again.
This comedian wasn’t joking when…
He said he would rather live in Estonia than in the United States.
Close the door to overtourism!
This Iberian city is stopping renting apartments to foreign tourists.