By Kay O'Sullivan
An exercise in trust
The introduction of full-body scanning machines last year at American airports created controversy and attracted criticism. Despite that, the Obama administration has announced funding to more than double the number of machines. There are about 500 scanners operating at 78 airports but that figure is expected to rise to 1275 by the end of next year.
Fears that images from the machines could be a breach of privacy resulted in the US Senate passing a bill threatening a year's jail or a $US100,000 fine for anyone who misused them.
In a bid to make travelling through American airports less of an ordeal, the US Travel Association is proposing a ''trusted traveller's system'' that divides people into three categories: trusted, regular and risky.
''The idea is to take data that the government and airlines are already collecting about passengers and bring it to the checkpoint,'' a spokesman for the International Air Transport Association, Steve Lott, says.
Under the proposed system, passengers who have already undergone a background check would be allowed to use an expedited security lane.
Murray is still running
Despite some perceptions, Murray River tourism operators are open for business. ''There is a misconception that our town was badly affected by the floods but that's not true,'' the director of Echuca-Moama Tourism, Simon Latchford, says. ''The river level at Echuca did not reach the Bureau of Meteorology's minor flood level at any time.''
But the tourists are staying away, with the number of visitors 40 per cent down on the same time last year.
Along the river at Swan Hill, the experience is the same. The tourism executive for Swan Hill Rural City Council, Janelle Earle, says two weeks of headlines warning an inland sea was heading towards Swan Hill have left an impression with the public that the town is a no-go zone.
Swan Hill was unscathed and only one attraction, the Pioneer Settlement, was closed briefly as a precaution and has reopened.
See echucamoama.com and www.swanhill online.com.
Maiden and celebrity voyages
Melbourne-based Australian Pacific Touring is taking advantage of one of the tourism industry's growth sectors: river-boat cruising.
APT has built seven vessels to cope with the demand for cruises since the 2006 launch of its first river boat in Europe. This year it will add a new vessel to its European fleet and one in Asia.
The Amakatarina will make its maiden voyage, one of 13 scheduled Russian river trips between the cities of St Petersburg and Moscow, in May. The Amalotus, which can carry 124 passengers, will begin trips on the Mekong between Ho Chi Minh City and Siem Reap in September.
APT is introducing a number of themed cruises with celebrity hosts between Amsterdam and Budapest. Entertainer Rhonda Burchmore will host an Artistic Visions of Europe cruise and My Kitchen Rules judge and chef Peter Evans will host a Europe Culinary Mastercruise.
A historian from the University of Melbourne, Charles Zika, will lead the European Masters cruise and photographer Emmanuel Santos will host a Photographers Europe trip.
See aptouring.com.au.
Charity begins in Ladakh
Vets Beyond Borders has joined World Expeditions for a charity fund-raising trip to Ladakh. The vets' group is a small, Australia-based, non-profit organisation established in 2003 to run animal welfare and public health programs in developing communities in the Asia-Pacific region.
The 16-day Discover Ladakh tour, departing on August 25, will include a visit to the organisation's animal birth-control and anti-rabies clinics in Leh.
It costs $5790 a person, which includes airfares, accommodation and a donation to the charity.
See vetsbeyondborders.org or worldexpedi tions.com.
Room service for Fido
It seems many of us aren't willing to leave home without our best friend. Research by the Petcare Information and Advisory Service reveals 37 per cent of Australian dog owners who live alone took their pooch on holidays with them last year, up from 14 per cent a decade ago.
According to a spokeswoman for the service, Susie Willis, the growth in the number of booking websites providing pet-friendly accommodation, such as holidayingwithdogs.com.au and lovemelovemydog.com.au, means there are hundreds of places for pet lovers to choose from.
The latest to turn pet friendly is the Sebel Pier One hotel in Walsh Bay. It has introduced a package that includes overnight accommodation in a heritage room with access to the pier - presumably for morning walkies - room-service breakfast for two (people, that is) and bedding for Fido.
It costs from $265 a night, plus $60 for the pet. Dogs must be kept on a leash in public areas and can't be left on their own in the rooms but a pet-sitting service is available. Dogs have their own menu with a choice of five dishes, including poached salmon with green beans, T-bone steak or beef burger with chunky vegetables and minced chicken with steamed vegetables. All dishes cost $20 and are free from onion and garlic. The question is: how you tell which one your dog wants?
See sebelpierone.com.au.
Send news items to smarttraveller@fairfax.com.au.
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