Officials Say Rio Safe, Despite Cholera Cases

Fifteen cases of cholera have been confirmed recently in Rio de Janeiro, as an epidemic in Brazil’s impoverished northeast spreads to parts of the city. Cholera first entered the Brazilian Amazon region through Peru in 1991. Since then, there have been more than 38,000 cases and 502 deaths, mostly in the northeast, where basic sanitation is lacking. Health officials are scrambling to prevent the outbreak in Rio from spiraling into an epidemic there. Rio Mayor Cesar Maia has earmarked $10 million a month to fight the disease as health officials go door-to-door in the city’s slums to teach prevention. Officials fear that the outbreak could adversely affect Rio’s tourist industry, which already is battered by the city’s image abroad as a place where pickpockets and robbers prey on tourists. “Cholera would be the worst thing that could happen to the tourist industry in Rio now that we are getting tourists to come back,” a Brazilian tourism official said, referring to the resurgence of visitors after a public relations campaign was launched last year. Sergio Nogueira, president of the Brazilian Association of Travel Agencies, added that tourists should not be alarmed since most of the city’s water is chlorinated. Adequate chlorination can kill bacteria in drinking water, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but as a precaution the CDC recommends that tourists drink only bottled water and carbonated drinks, eat cooked or peeled foods and avoid foods sold by street vendors.

Travel Quiz: What four state capitals begin with the same letter as their states?

Pushy in New Zealand: Passengers on a small Ansett New Zealand commuter jet recently were asked to get out of the plane and push when it was found to be blocked in by other planes parked at the Palmerston North Airport on the North Island. “I understand it was all done in very good humor,” said Ansett airline’s public relations manager John Cordery. The jet had been diverted to the airport after Wellington airport, 60 miles to the south, was closed by fog. After being directed into a parking area at the airport, the plane could not turn because it was surrounded by other jets, and had no technical means of moving in reverse. The two options were: Wait for a tow vehicle to move the jet, or get out and push. The two-man crew broadcast an appeal to passengers, and approximately 24 pitched in to push the plane about 20 yards from the terminal so that it could make its way to the runway for takeoff.

Fewer Complaints, New Reasons: American travelers filed fewer complaints with the government about airline service in 1992 than during any year since figures were first published in 1970. But of complaints that were lodged, grumbles about fares, ticketing and customer service gained ground on passengers’ traditional pet annoyances of flight delays and baggage mishaps. The Department of Transportation said it received 6,849 complaints last year, a 9% drop from 1991, but that complaints about fares accounted for more than 10% of the total, up from 6.4% in 1991 and 4.1% in 1990. The increased irritation probably reflects the confusion that followed last year’s heavy discounting and changes in fare structures, according to a DOT spokesman.

Quick Fact: Number of guests who locked themselves out of their rooms at the Novotel hotel in New York in 1992: 260. Male-to-female ratio: 40% male, 60% female. Percentage of locked-out guests who were only partially clad: 20%.

Still Leaning in Pisa: Steel rings clamped around Italy’s Tower of Pisa last June to prevent it from toppling have proven unsuccessful in stabilizing the 800-year-old tower. So next month workers will begin placing a 600-ton counterweight at the north base of the structure, according to Italian news agencies. The tower was closed to tourists three years ago because of its precarious position, and the tower’s bells were silenced last month for fear the vibrations could cause problems during the six-month installation of the lead counterweight.

McShip Launches Today: The first sailing McDonald’s restaurant will open today on the largest ferry in the world, the MS Silja Europea, which sails the Baltic between Helsinki, Finland, and Stockholm, Sweden. The restaurant is located on the shopping deck and is directly connected with a playground on the ferry, which caters to family travel.

When Half Is More: In a sharp break with traditional airline pricing, which does not allow discounts for children, Air New Zealand is offering a half-price fare from Los Angeles to Auckland for children aged 2 to 17. Dubbed the “Family Values Program,” the discounted fare requires that children be accompanied by an adult--not necessarily a family member--who is paying the $894 round-trip fare for travel between June 1 and July 31. Tickets must be purchased 14 days in advance and by April 30. One stopover is permitted but additional stops will cost $100 per adult, $50 per child.

Travel Office Listing: A free brochure listing U.S. state and territorial travel offices is available by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Discover America, c/o TIA, Dept. A, 1133 21st St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036. The brochure is being offered by the Travel Industry Association of America, a nonprofit travel industry group. State travel offices usually offer a variety of travel brochures and maps and answer questions regarding attractions, accommodations and transportation.

Comparatively Speaking: Top six U.S. resorts by total sales in 1991, the most recent year for which statistics are available: Opryland Hotel, Nashville ($129,022,000); Trump Plaza Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City ($69,149,000); Harrah’s Casino Hotel, Atlantic City ($65,887,000); Hotel Del Coronado, Coronado ($62,000,000); Buena Vista Palace, Lake Buena Vista, Fla. ($52,000,000); Innisbrook Resort, Tarpon Springs, Fla. ($46,058,000). (Source: U.S. Travel Data Center and Lodging Hospitality magazine)

Quiz Answer: Dover, Del.; Honolulu, Hawaii; Indianapolis, Ind., and Oklahoma City, Okla.