New Yorkers Volunteer to Polish City’s Image

Overwhelmed by the prospect of visiting the Big Apple? A new program provides tourists to New York with volunteer “greeters” who give two- to four-hour tours of city neighborhoods, offer tips on local restaurants or simply act as friendly city representatives, answering questions and tendering advice on things to do and the best ways to do them. The program, called Big Apple Greeters, debuted last month as a project of the Manhattan Borough President’s Office. So far, the stable of nearly 200 volunteers--whose services are free--has taken visitors on informal tours of such places as Central Park, Harlem, the Village and the Lower East Side. The project is designed not so much to explore common tourist spots but to help travelers feel comfortable and to teach them “that we’re a friendly city,” according to Big Apple director Lynn Brooks. For information, call (212) 669-2896.

Travel Quiz: What frontier between countries is most frequently crossed?

No Escaping ‘Em: It won’t be long before you can’t escape phone calls--even at 35,000 feet. Within the next couple of weeks, GTE Airfone Inc. will start phasing in a new digital system that early next year will bring phone calls to airline passengers at their seats. Travelers can now phone from a number of commercial jets, but can’t receive calls. The new technology will make both possible, and will enable travelers to hook up their portable computers with computers on the ground and send and receive faxes and computer messages to and from colleagues or clients on terra firma--or even in another plane. Not all seats on all airlines will be equipped with the phones--just airlines that have contracted with GTE Airfone (currently there are 11). And only on aircraft with phones installed at seats. No need, at least, to fear the constant jingling of the phones. A flashing message will alert you to incoming calls, which you will have the option of taking or ignoring.

Quick Fact: In a recent survey by Harley-Davidson, Inc., 5,000 members of the Harley Owners Group, an organization of motorcycle enthusiasts, selected San Francisco as one of the best vacation spots in the United States. Others in California included Big Sur, Malibu and San Diego.

A Little Easier to Book Vietnam: It is now possible to buy tickets in the United States for travel on Vietnam Airlines--the country’s national carrier--and thus receive tickets and seat confirmation within 24 hours and, as soon as computer installation is complete, immediately after booking. Previously, all ticketing had to be done through a third country and usually took a week to 10 days to complete. Group Systems International (Indochina), which has offices in Los Angeles and Honolulu as well as several Asian cities, is also U.S. agent for Vietnamtourism, the country’s national tourism agency. This union between Vietnam Air and GSII came after the Treasury Department’s relaxation of the U.S. trade embargo against Vietnam. Vietnam Airlines is one of the few air carriers from Hong Kong, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur to Ho Chi Minh City, as well as between cities in Vietnam.

What’s So Great About Japan: The Japan Assn. of Travel Agents is holding a worldwide contest for the best English catch phrase or slogan to be used in a new global tourism campaign. Slogans or catch phrases promoting travel to Japan should be short, although there is no official limit on the number of words. Winners will be contacted in October. Applicants should submit their catch phrase or slogan, typed along with their name, address and phone number, by July 31 to: Japan Travel Slogan Contest, Japan National Tourist Organization, 624 S. Grand Ave., Suite 1611, Los Angeles 90017. The winner will receive two round-trip executive-class tickets on Japan Air Lines from the city nearest them served by JAL. Luxury hotel accommodations for two, for a total of seven days, will also be provided at two hotels--Tokyo’s Imperial Hotel and Kyoto’s Miyako Hotel.

More Kids Stuff: What do teen-agers 13-17 do first upon entering a hotel? Fifty-seven percent look for a pool, 43% flip the channels on the television, 43% bounce on the bed, 22% fight with siblings over choice of bed and 20% look through the room service menu, according to research conducted for Holiday Inn by Yankelovich/Clancy/Shulman. On the more poignant side, 89% agreed that going on vacation with parents gives them a chance to get closer, and 92% think going on vacation is a good way to learn about new things. Where destinations are concerned, a new Holiday Inn-commissioned Gallup survey found that teens selected Australia as their No. 1 pick for a vacation outside the United States, and that domestically, the most popular national park/monument is the Grand Canyon.

Judy, Judy, Judy: Judy Garland would have been 70 this year and her birthplace, Grand Rapids, in Minnesota’s north woods, will celebrate June 12-21 with a Judy Garland Festival featuring a display that includes one of the five pairs of ruby slippers from the “Wizard of Oz,” as well as Dorothy’s blue gingham dress, a costume worn by Garland in “Words and Music” and the Oscar used by Judy in “A Star is Born.”

Comparatively Speaking: Cruise ship sanitation scores for ships inspected in April (a score of 87 or higher indicates acceptable sanitation): Fantasy, 93; Jubilee, 91; Nieuw Amsterdam, 96; Pacific Star, 89; Scandinavian Dawn, 92; Song of America, 87; Tropic Star, 96; Viking Serenade, 95; Royal Odyssey, 55; Royal Viking Queen, 98; Stella Solaris, 87. (Source: Department of Health and Human Services.)

Fair Warning: More than 100 American Indians from 30 tribes, including the Choctaw, Cherokee, Sioux, Hopi and Navajo, will participate in the ninth-annual Indian Fair, a celebration of American Indian art and tradition, June 13-14 at the San Diego Museum of Man in Balboa Park. There will be storytelling, dancing, traditional foods and artwork for sale, including jewelry, kachinas, pottery, sculpture, beadwork and paintings. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, call (619) 239-2001.

Quiz Answer: The border between the United States and Mexico, nearly 2,000 miles long, is crossed--officially--more than 120 million times each year.