Strengthening dollar good for travelers

Who would have thought it? While Wall Street plunges, the U.S. dollar surges. And that wholly unexpected rise in the value of the dollar is the biggest news in travel. It has more of an impact on your vacation choices than any other single factor.The extent of the rise is startling. While most of us are aware that the dollar has risen against the euro and the British pound by 20 to 30 percent, the dollar is up against other currencies by 40 to 50 percent. And it is in countries whose currencies have fallen by startling percentages that a vacation trip has become most affordable for U.S. travelers.Mexico leads the list. A year or so ago, you received 10 pesos for one U.S. dollar. Today, you receive more than 15 pesos for a dollar. Drug-related violence in Mexico is mostly confined to cities along the U.S. border, leaving the tourist areas (Cancun, the Mayan Riviera, Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, Cabo San Lucas) largely untroubled, so Mexico should receive an increasing number of U.S. vacationers.Turkey has become affordable again. A year ago, $1 bought 1.18 Turkish lira. Today: 1.74 Turkish lira, an increase in the purchasing power of the dollar of 47 percent.Australia's dollar is exchanged at a rate of 1.53 Australian dollars for one U.S. dollar. A year ago, you received only 1.06 Australian dollars. The improvement is better than 45 percent. And with a new airline - Richard Branson's V Australia - doing battle with Australia's flag carrier, Qantas, airfares to Australia are under such downward pressure that a vacation Down Under is something you really should consider.New Zealand is doing even worse. A year ago, you received 1.24 New Zealand dollars for one U.S. dollar; today you receive 1.95, 57 percent more - a great reason for traveling to "Lord of the Rings" territory.The Brazilian real has fallen by about 45 percent against the dollar. A year ago, you received 1.67 Brazilian reals for $1; today you receive 2.33.The Russian ruble and the Polish zloty have fallen by 40 to 50 percent against the dollar. The currencies of several other eastern and central European countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania) have fallen by just as much.The South Korean won has fallen by more than 50 percent against the dollar. So has the Swedish krona.These currency shifts, and others like them, may give you some vacation ideas. If you have savings left in these troubled economic times, you may discover that 2009 has become an excellent time to engage in international travel. SOURCE:SFGATE.COM