Opportunities Abound for Disaster Reconstruction Industry Professionals with the NDRExpo’s Conference Line-up
ATLANTA, May 28 /PRNewswire/ — Comprising the National Disaster Reconstruction Expo’s (NDRExpo) conference program are the country’s foremost experts in the disaster reconstruction industry. The keynote speakers and session facilitators represent FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), the Department of Homeland Security, the Office of Emergency Preparedness, and the Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA), among many other top industry organizations. The NDRExpo launches June 17-18, 2009 at the Morial New Orleans Convention Center.
“Our keynotes not only reflect our industry today, they are creating the industry of tomorrow,” said Jimmy Mouton, president of Imago Trade Shows, the producer of the NDRExpo. “What these speakers have to share is far too important to risk admission fees discouraging those who work to rebuild our communities after catastrophic events from attending, so we are waiving the general session and expo hall registration fees.”
As Director of the Louisiana Transitional Recovery Office for FEMA, Mr. Tony Russell will educate attendees on the changes in FEMA since Hurricane Katrina. He will also review planned programs and policies, including new primary threats and challenges and how these will affect contractor procurement by state and local authorities in preparation and response.
Mr. Paul Rainwater, executive director of the Louisiana Recovery Authority, serves as the governor’s representative to FEMA and the state’s chief hurricane recovery advisor. Leading the most extensive rebuilding effort in American history, Rainwater partners with state and federal agencies to oversee more than $20 billion worth of programs, speed rebuilding, remove hurdles and red tape, and ensure that Louisiana recovers safer and stronger than before. His keynote will address these efforts and seek to identify professional opportunities.
Mr. T. Bradley Keith has worked with New Orleans’ Senator Landrieu through her Gulf Coast recovery efforts. He will share insights of the team in securing federal recovery dollars, the changes that have been essential for the State of Louisiana in preparing for and responding to catastrophic events, and the role of the private contractor.
Additional highlights include LtCol. Jerry Sneed, of the Office of Emergency Preparedness, and Ms. Jennifer Smither of LLIS.gov. A full conference schedule can be found at www.NDRExpo.com/Conferenceagenda.html.
ABOUT IMAGO PRODUCTIONS, INC.
Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Imago Productions, Inc. is the parent company of Imago Trade Shows and Imago Management Services. Imago Trade Shows focuses on the launch, growth and management of trade show properties within markets affecting communities and the interests of communal citizens.
ABOUT BNP MEDIA
BNP Media serves industry professionals by delivering useful, timely and accurate information through magazines, websites, conferences and events. BNP writes, produces and publishes more than 60 business-to-business publications. Founded in 1926, BNP Media is a fourth-generation, family-run business headquartered in Troy, Michigan.
MEDIA CONTACT Jimmy Mouton Imago Productions, Inc. T. 770-645-0046 jmouton@imagotradeshows.com
SOURCE Imago Productions, Inc.
Attorney General Holder Announces Recovery Act Grant to Save or Create Justice Related Wyoming Jobs
$3.1 Million Recovery Act Grant Addresses Public Safety in the State
WASHINGTON, May 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder today announced that more than $3.1 million in Recovery Act funds will go to the State of Wyoming to maintain or increase public safety in the state, while creating or retaining jobs within the law enforcement community. These Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program funds are part of more than $4 billion in Justice Department Recovery Act funds available to assist state, local and tribal law enforcement and for other criminal justice activities that help to prevent crime and improve the criminal justice system in the United States while supporting the creation of jobs and much needed resources for states and local communities.
As submitted in their application, the Wyoming Office of the Attorney General plans to support five regional drug enforcement teams located throughout the state who work on a daily basis coordinating drug investigative information with local, state, and federal agencies. Project TFO Recovery will fund six additional law enforcement officers and deputies assigned to the enforcement teams and which will increase investigations, arrests, drug and money seizures, and prosecutions. Wyoming is required to provide a portion of the $3.1 million to the local jurisdictions.
“By addressing Wyoming’s economic challenges while simultaneously meeting the state’s public safety priorities, these funds represent the best of what the Recovery Act can do for our communities,” Attorney General Eric Holder said. “This vital funding will help fight crime and build safer communities, and we look forward to continued work with Wyoming to address these criminal justice goals.”
The procedure for allocating JAG grants is based on a formula of population and violent crime statistics, in combination with a minimum allocation to ensure that each state and territory receives an appropriate share of funding. Sixty percent of the allocation is awarded directly to a state and 40 percent is set aside for units of local government. States are required to sub-grant a portion of the funds to local units of government, such as a city, county, township or town. Faith-based and other community organizations are also eligible to receive pass-through funding from the state, as are Tribal governments.
In addition to the $3.1 million to the state, three local units of government will receive Recovery Act JAG awards: $11,606 to Big Horn County, $25,422 to the City of Lander and $40,896 to the City of Laramie. All other local Recovery Act JAG awards will be announced at a later date. The deadline for local units of government to submit their Recovery Act applications to the Department of Justice has been extended to June 17, 2009. The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), a component of the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, established the previous deadline of May 18 to encourage early submission of applications in an effort to provide economic stimulus as soon as possible. Because this is a non-competitive formula grant program, the extension of this deadline does not impact either eligibility or funding determinations. For more local solicitation information, visit http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/recoveryJAG/JAGrecoveryLocal.pdf.
The JAG Program is the primary provider of federal criminal justice funding to state and local jurisdictions and is managed by BJA. JAG funds support all components of the criminal justice system, from multi-jurisdictional drug and gang task forces to crime prevention and domestic violence programs, courts, corrections, treatment, and justice information sharing initiatives. Projects may address crime through the provision of services directly to individuals and/or communities and by improving the effectiveness and efficiency of criminal justice systems, processes, and procedures. For more details on the JAG Program or to track the use of Recovery Act funds, visit www.ojp.gov/recovery. For more details on how to apply for the state managed,
pass-through funding, visit http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/saa/index.htm.
The Office of Justice Programs, headed by Acting Assistant Attorney General Laurie O. Robinson, provides federal leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice, and assist victims. OJP has five component bureaus: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of Justice; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; and the Office for Victims of Crime. Additionally, OJP has two program offices: the Community Capacity Development Office, which incorporates the Weed and Seed strategy, and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART). More information can be found at www.ojp.gov.
SOURCE Office of Justice Programs – US Department of Justice
Hospital Car Parking Fees Top the List of Life’s Biggest Injustices
MANCHESTER, England, May 29 /PRNewswire/ — Having to pay and display whilst visiting loved ones in hospital is life’s biggest injustice payment according to new research released by The Co-operative ISA’s.
Hospital parking charges head the top 20 of raw deals, with 1 in 6 (17 per cent) people citing fees for visiting sick friends and relatives as the thing they hate to pay most for, making some so angry that they deliberately risk being clamped by refusing to pay.
Having to pay to spend a penny at public toilets also makes the list of fees which get the public’s back up, along with prescription charges, dentist bills and surcharges when booking flights.
The survey, which asked 2,000 people to reveal their most hated charge, reveals that taxes are the UKs most contested charges when combined, with over a third of people (39 per cent) believing that they are unfair. Inheritance Tax came second on the public’s unfair hit list, closely followed by Council Tax third, while tax on savings, National Insurance and Road Tax all made the list.
Zack Hocking, Head of ISA’s at The Co-operative, said: “The research confirms that there are many charges the public ‘begrudgingly’ has to pay for.
“Unsurprisingly taxes are a bone of contention, with even tax on savings coming above prescription charges and dentists bills.”
Despite tuning in on a daily basis the public hate having to fork out for their television licence, which came fifth in the raw deal top 20, with many admitting to tuning in but deliberately not paying, despite the risks associated.
Restaurants that put a service charge on bills should take food for thought from the findings, as nearly a fifth (17 percent) of people dine elsewhere to avoid paying.
Amongst the remaining disservices making the top 20, are expensive train fares, vets bills and higher charges for taxis to get home on New Year’s Eve.
Hocking added: “There is little people can do to avoid paying for most things on the list, but there are some opportunities to get their own back on the Taxman through allowances. A simple way to avoid paying tax on savings is to put money in a tax efficient ISA.”
Every tax year, anyone over the age of 16 is given an ISA ‘allowance’ allowing them to save up to 7,200 pounds Sterling tax efficiently. Investors can choose to pay up to 3,600 pounds Sterling into a cash ISA, or the whole amount into stocks and shares where any growth in the investment is free of capital gains tax. This will rise to 10,200 pounds Sterling for the over-50s from October 6 2009 and for the under-50s from April 6 2010, 5,100 pounds Sterling of this amount can be saved in cash.
The Co-operative offers stocks and share ISAs through The Co-operative Investments, and a Cash ISA through The Co-operative Bank.
Notes to editors:
Research carried out by 72 Point on behalf of The Co-operative Bank amongst a representative sample of 2,000 adults
CFS provides a big range of financial products and services including home insurance, car insurance, investment products and pensions to over six million customers.
The Co-operative Financial Services is part of The Co-operative Group, which is the world’s largest consumer co-operative with over 3 million members. CFS currently has 5.5m customers and employs over 8,000 staff. It has 110 retail and corporate branches/centres and over 1,000 face to face financial advisers. It has 38bn pounds Sterling of assets under management across its retail and corporate business areas.
SOURCE The Co-operative Bank
Fairfield Greenwich Rejects Allegations
NEW YORK, May 29 /PRNewswire/ — Fairfield Greenwich today rejected allegations of wrongdoing included in a lawsuit filed by Fairfield Sentry.
Lawyers for Fairfield Greenwich, which is legally separate from Fairfield Sentry, said that Fairfield Sentry appears to be proceeding as part of a legal strategy intended to fend off multiple proceedings against it.
“We understand that the directors of Fairfield Sentry are under attack on several fronts,” said Mark G. Cunha of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, a lawyer for Fairfield Greenwich. “Their lawsuit appears to be a defensive maneuver in connection with those attacks, and itself has no merit.”
Mr. Cunha added that Fairfield Greenwich managers personally lost a great deal of money in the Madoff fraud and performed robust due diligence. Ever since its initial “test” investment with Madoff in 1989 and the launch of the Fairfield Sentry fund in 1990, Fairfield Greenwich continually and regularly enhanced its diligence and risk monitoring capabilities to keep pace with evolving industry standards and growth of the Sentry funds. It performed quantitative monitoring based on daily trade confirmations and monthly brokerage statements and asset verification.
“This was an enormously sophisticated fraud that fooled every one of the scores of sophisticated institutions and individuals that invested with Madoff, and all of the regulators, including the SEC,” said Mr. Cunha. “Fairfield Greenwich and its personnel were victims along with the others.”
SOURCE Fairfield Greenwich
Where do you invest now?
MONTREAL, May 31 /PRNewswire/ – The Dow Jones moved higher but penny stocks have outperformed easily. The stock market has proven to be very profitable for investors who bought in since President Obama took office. The DOW has rallied from 6500 to 8500 without taking a pause.
Penny stocks have proven to be even more profitable during this run higher.
The team at www.pennystockchaser.com is always looking for big gainers for our members.
We scour the OTCBB (http://www.otcbb.com/) , pinksheets (http://www.pinksheets.com/pink/index.jsp), and the TSXv (http://cxa.marketwatch.com/TSX/en/Market/marketactivitycan.aspx) for winning stocks for members.
Some of our recent picks include CVRG (http://www.convergeglobalinc.com/) and HYGN (http://www.hydrogeneticsusa.com/). Both these stocks have made members 20 times their money from their low prices.
Right now we are focused on resources including gold and oil. We think that this is the hottest investment sector given the recent rally in the price of gold and oil.
In gold we have alerted members to USCN (http://www.uscanadianmin.com/) and in oil we are watching PPTO (http://www.precisionpetroleumcorp.com/).
We like USCN because they have a $450 million gold reserve at their COD Mine in Arizona. Gold jumped $17.00 on Friday. A gold rally seems in place for a move past $1000 an ounce.
Our team alerted PPTO because PPTO has acquired a series of producing wells in the US. They are buying the assets cheap in a rising oil environment.
These stocks should outperform the market in this new commodity bull market.
PennyStockChaser has been watching the following stocks: New Gold Inc. (AMEX: NGD), The Meridian Resources Inc, (NYSE: TMR), Paramount Gold and Silver Corp. (AMEX: PZG), QuickSilver Inc. (NYSE: ZQK) and Stillwater Mining Co. (NYSE: SWC).
We invite everyone to join us @ www.pennystockchaser.com to get more information on our picks.
About PennyStockChaser.com
PennyStockChaser.com is an independent electronic publication that provides information on selected publicly traded companies. PennyStockChaser.com is not a registered investment advisor or broker-dealer. PennyStockChaser.com’s affiliates, officers, directors and employees may buy and sell shares in any company mentioned herein and may profit in the event those shares rise in value. Please do your own Due Diligence before investing in any of the stocks mentioned above.
Mike Jacob of PennyStockChaser.com is a member of the National
Association of Securities Dealers, CRD number 1818665.
SOURCE PennyStockChaser.com
The Year of Affordable Healthcare Brings Together San Francisco Community Groups to Tackle Healthcare Crisis
Local Roundtable First in a Series of Community Discussions on Improving Access to More Affordable Healthcare and Medicine
SAN FRANCISCO, May 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, the leading generic pharmaceutical company, today held the first in a series of community roundtables as part of their Year of Affordable Healthcare campaign (www.yearofaffordablehealth.com). The event, held at the YMCA San Francisco, aimed at raising awareness of the need for access to more affordable healthcare and medicine for Americans nationwide. In attendance were a wide-range of community organizers, thought leaders, government officials, and members of the San Francisco community.
San Francisco City & County Supervisor Sean R. Elsbernd opened the event with remarks stressing the importance of programs in the city, like Healthy San Francisco and the work conducted by the Health Service System.
The forum was moderated by Pamela Gilbert, Partner at Cuneo Gilbert & LaDuca and former Executive Director of the Consumer Product Safety Commission and featured Janhavi Bonville of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Jeff Schindler of the Haight Ashbury Free Clinic, Erin Reedy of the YMCA San Francisco, and Doreen King-Roberts, the Community Convener for the Neighborhoods West of Twin Peaks. Topics of discussion included universal healthcare, rising costs in California, state healthcare reform needs, and the cost saving potential of biogenerics.
“With healthcare costs skyrocketing in the state of California, now it is more important than ever to bring together communities to discuss innovative solutions to this crisis that affects every American,” said Pamela Gilbert.
Today’s event is part of a larger drive by the Year of Affordable Healthcare to raise awareness of the need for more affordable healthcare and medicine for Americans. Subsequent community roundtables will be hosted by the Year of Affordable Healthcare this summer in both Chicago, Illinois and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
About the Year of Affordable Healthcare
The Year of Affordable Healthcare campaign (www.yearofaffordablehealth.com) is a nationwide call for increased access to affordable healthcare for American citizens. The program coincides with the 25th anniversary of the landmark Hatch-Waxman Act, which created the modern generic pharmaceutical industry and has saved billions of healthcare dollars.
About Teva USA
Teva USA is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., one of the largest generic pharmaceutical companies in the world and among the top 20 pharmaceutical companies.
SOURCE Teva Pharmaceuticals USA
Apple Vacations Announces ‘Ask an Agent’
With its “Ask an Agent” consumer awareness campaign, wholesaler Apple Vacations is reminding would-be vacationers to turn to their professional travel agent first for expert advice. (PRNewsFoto/Apple Vacations)
ELK GROVE VILLAGE, IL UNITED STATES
Reminds consumers to leave the planning to a professional travel agent
ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill., May 28 /PRNewswire/ — Consumers are more inundated than ever with vacation offers in pop-up ads, email blasts and seemingly too-good-to-be-true package prices. How can an educated customer be expected to cut through the clutter to find the perfect vacation? With its “Ask an Agent” consumer awareness campaign, Apple Vacations is reminding would-be vacationers to turn to their professional travel agent first for expert advice.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090528/CG24130LOGO)
Apple Vacations unveiled the campaign in May in its newspaper ads and radio commercials. The company is subsidizing customized advertising campaigns with qualifying travel agencies and providing marketing materials for travel agents to create their own local campaigns.
“This campaign sends a powerful message about the value travel agents provide to vacationing consumers in professional travel planning, guidance, service, trust, convenience and consumer advocacy,” said John Werner, president of MAST travel network, the Midwest’s premiere travel agency consortium.
Part-personal shopper and part-psychiatrist, a good travel agent should be able to match up options from thousands of travel deals with their client’s personality.
“Using a professional travel agent is a very convenient and even money-saving method of making travel arrangements. Many agents can find travel bargains that the average web-surfing traveler may not be aware of,” said Steve J. Bernas, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois. “Before using any business or signing a contract, we encourage consumers to check out the company for trustworthiness on the BBB Web site at www.bbb.org.”
Why choose to book a vacation through a professional travel agent? Why not?
* Convenience-With so many travel offers, planning your next vacation can be overwhelming and stressful. A professional travel agent can help you focus on the destinations and hotels that best match your needs and preferences. * First Hand Experience-Chances are good that your travel agent has experienced the resort first-hand or has received personal feedback from those who have. With so many outdated websites with misleading information, the expert advice and personal recommendation of a travel professional is far more reliable than a brochure or web posting. * Interpret the Fine Print- Professional travel agents are familiar with the disclaimers and hidden fees that could cost you far more than you bargained for. They’ll provide expert advice on everything from optional resort excursions to the real value of travel insurance. * Best Price- By sifting through the web or making countless phone calls to hotels and airlines, you may be able to find a lower price on your own. But it’s far more likely that a travel agent will find you the best value, and you can avoid making a decision that may cost you dearly. When you book a vacation, you’re investing not only hard-earned dollars but valuable vacation time. It pays to get it right. * Clout- With a travel agent, you have someone who will go to bat for you should the unexpected happen. Experienced travel agents have long-standing relationships with travel suppliers. They have the right contacts and know how to get things done in the most efficient and timely manner.
About Apple Vacations: For 40 years, Apple Vacations, America’s Favorite Vacation Company, has worked hand in hand with professional travel agents to provide affordable, top quality vacation packages from U.S. departure cities nationwide to vacation destinations throughout Mexico, the Caribbean, Hawaii and Europe, as well as ski resorts in the US and Canada. With the support of travel agents, Apple Vacations has delivered more passengers to Mexico and the Dominican Republic than any other North American tour operator. Apple Vacations is consistently voted “Best Tour Operator to Mexico” as well as “Best Tour Operator to the Caribbean” by readers of the leading travel trade magazines. All vacation options described above include round-trip airfare from select US departure cities, all meals, unlimited drinks, activities, entertainment and more (taxes and fees additional, $87-138.60 per person). For more information visit www.applevacations.com.
SOURCE Apple Vacations
PaidContent to Name the ‘Fresh Faces in Tech: 10 Kid Entrepreneurs to Watch’ on June 1st
Also: A Look Back at Previous Wunderkind Entrepreneurs
Immediately following EconAffinity * Monday, June 1 * 5:30 – 8:30 PM
NEW YORK, May 28 /PRNewswire/ — What do you get when you cross driven teenage entrepreneurs with the biggest shift in media and technology in a generation? PaidContent’s inaugural “Fresh Faces in Tech: 10 Kid Entrepreneurs to Watch.”
Looking for the next Bill Gates? Steve Jobs? Michael Dell? You just might discover their names on June 1st at the ContentNext Media Mixer immediately following EconAffinity: Capitalizing on User Engagement at The Edison Ballroom in New York.
None have reached legal drinking age. There’s even a 15-year-old. Some are already bringing in millions of dollars in revenue.
From mobile platforms to social networks to user-generated content. It’s all here, and then some.
Also that day, PaidContent looks back at top tech entrepreneurs from previous decades, revealing new insights into that period between getting the big idea and launching a viable company.
You don’t want to miss this.
WHEN: Monday, June 1st, 5:30 – 8:30 PM
WHERE: The Edison Ballroom, New York, NY
Immediately following EconAffinity: Capitalizing on User Engagement.
Information and registration at http://www.contentnext.com/nycmixer/
WHY: Can you really afford to miss this?
Media contacts:
Jen Harris or Sharon Oh | Brainerd Communicators | (212) 986-6667 | jharris@braincomm.com or oh@braincomm.com
SOURCE ContentNext Media
Pizza Hut(R) P’Zone(R) Asks ‘Are You Hot or Not?’
Warm up to the Loaded $5 P’Zone and Put Cold Subs on Ice
DALLAS, May 28 /PRNewswire/ — Americans are giving the cold shoulder to cold sandwiches; the $5 Pepperoni P’Zone(R) pizza from Pizza Hut(R) has everyone hot for more than a pound of steamy, delicious food at a great price. For $5, would you rather have a hot and tasty meal with great pizza taste or a cold sandwich? We thought so.
Weighing more than a pound, the P’Zone pizza is filled with your favorite Pizza Hut toppings in three different recipes that are sure to satisfy every aching hunger. Your choice of Meaty, Classic or Pepperoni fillings with cheese are folded into a pizza crust and freshly-baked. The P’Zone is like having a whole pizza that you can pick up and enjoy!
A pound of food never tasted so good for so little. Consider some of your options for a meal that will leave you full and satisfied without busting your wallet. Forget about burgers. Four quarter-pound burgers would cost you at least $10, hardly the most economical way to get some taste bang for your buck when compared to the P’Zone.
The hardest part about ordering the P’Zone is deciding which of the three varieties to choose. Options include:
* Classic P’Zone: Filled with cheese, Italian sausage, green peppers and red onions, the Classic P’Zone is filled with more than one pound of pizza goodness * Meaty P’Zone: This P’Zone really lives up to its mouth watering name, packed with cheese, pepperoni, ham, Italian sausage, and seasoned beef * Pepperoni P’Zone: A pepperoni lover’s dream, this P’Zone is loaded with pepperoni and melted cheese for a crave curing meal any time of day.
All P’Zone pizzas are served with a side of marinara sauce.
“Not all five dollar offers are created equal,” said Bob Kraut, marketing communications VP for Pizza Hut. “Pizza Hut believes that five dollars should leave you full and happy, and the P’Zone does just that.”
The P’Zone, as well as all your other Pizza Hut favorites, is available for ordering at pizzahut.com. You can choose from four delicious varieties of Tuscani Pastas, great tasting WingStreet(R) chicken wings, and, of course, pizza! You can also place orders via mobile Web, text message, even the popular Facebook platform. For more information, log on to pizzahut.com.
About Pizza Hut:
Pizza Hut, an American icon, delivers more pizza, pasta and wings than any other restaurant. A shining example of success in American entrepreneurism, the company began 50 years ago in Wichita, Kansas and today operates more than 10,000 restaurants in hundreds of countries. Pizza Hut, Inc. is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM). To check out what’s new at “The Hut” visit www.pizzahut.com.
CONTACT: Dan Skinner Zeno PR for Pizza Hut 312-396-9706 dan.skinner@zenogroup.com
SOURCE Pizza Hut
London Still Top Spot for US Travelers Despite Economic Downturn
Skyscanner Reveals Most Popular European Destinations and This Year’s Fastest Climbers
EDINBURGH, Scotland, May 28 /PRNewswire/ — Cheap flight site Skyscanner.com (http://www.skyscanner.com) reveals that London is still the most popular starting point for American tourists heading to Europe this summer.
The UK capital is the most searched for European destination by US users on the Skyscanner site, followed by Paris, Rome, Dublin and Frankfurt.
Barry Smith, Skyscanner director and co-founder commented:
“Despite the recession, people who have been planning a vacation in Europe are very reluctant to sacrifice their trip, but value is more important than ever and they are determined to find the best deals out there – one of the reasons we have been seeing a steady rise of US users on Skyscanner.com.”
Skyscanner also examined the European destinations that have seen the sharpest rise in interest from US travelers. Athens in Greece has seen the biggest growth, up 224%, followed by Barcelona up 140%, Madrid up 138%, Paris up 108% and Dublin up 96%, compared to summer 2008.
Despite the economic downturn, Europe has become cheaper for US travelers due to the growing strength of the US dollar against European currencies. In May 08, one Euro cost 1.55 US dollars, but now costs around 1.40 US dollars.
The dollar has also strengthened against the GBP; in May 08, one GBP cost almost two US dollars. Now, one GBP costs only 1.60 US dollars.
Most searched for European destinations for summer 09 on Skyscanner.net 1. London 2. Paris 3. Rome 4. Dublin 5. Frankfurt Fastest growing destinations; summer 08 compared to summer 09 1. Athens (+224%) 2. Barcelona (+140%) 3. Madrid (+138%) 4. Paris (108%+) 5. Dublin (+96%) About Skyscanner.com
Skyscanner provides instant online comparison on flight prices for over 670,000 routes on over 600 airlines. With Skyscanner, users can browse without having to enter specific dates or even destinations, and Skyscanner is available in 20 different languages including Spanish, French, German and Chinese.
http://www.skyscanner.net
SOURCE Skyscanner
