Tourism to be at an all time low with rising cost of gas?

[MissJacksonCA]

http://jobs.aol.com/article/onlinecampus/_a/the-hotel-hospitality-and-tourism/20070430132409990001

A recent report (from the above link) would suggest that hospitality and tourism industry jobs are going to be booming soon (with summer I presume) but is it just for now? With the cost of gas rising to the sky and people driving less out of leisure and more out of necessity will they be leaving room in their pocketbooks for vacation? For dining out and for gambling?

Your thoughts?

[darth los]

http://jobs.aol.com/article/onlinecampus/_a/the-hotel-hospitality-and-tourism/20070430132409990001

A recent report (from the above link) would suggest that hospitality and tourism industry jobs are going to be booming soon (with summer I presume) but is it just for now? With the cost of gas rising to the sky and people driving less out of leisure and more out of necessity will they be leaving room in their pocketbooks for vacation? For dining out and for gambling?

Your thoughts?

Well here in New York the tourism, hotel and reataurant industry has never fully recovered from 9-11. Aside from that i've been saying for years that as the cost of living continue to rise wages basically stay the same. Gas is $3.50 a gallon, milk is even more expensive than gas at almost $4.00 a gallon for pete's sake!! :eek: All this stuff leaves little room for entertainment, such as movies and music, and vacations for that matter. It's gotten so bad that its come to the point where alot of americans are putting themselves into debt simply to get necesities such as paying bills on their cars and homes. As a society fixated on consumerism this is a trend that has gotten steadily worse since the 20's. One wonders, and it's just a matter of when, when this economy will collapse under the wieght of our domestic and foriegn debt.

[flyboy]

http://jobs.aol.com/article/onlinecampus/_a/the-hotel-hospitality-and-tourism/20070430132409990001

A recent report (from the above link) would suggest that hospitality and tourism industry jobs are going to be booming soon (with summer I presume) but is it just for now? With the cost of gas rising to the sky and people driving less out of leisure and more out of necessity will they be leaving room in their pocketbooks for vacation? For dining out and for gambling?


Your thoughts?

the world's oil stocks are running very low, hence the price of petrol.:|

[jdog]

i canada where iam the gas price is $1.09 a liter down from $1.20. with prices like this and owning a big truck, i wont be going anywhere any time soon.

[darth los]

i canada where iam the gas price is $1.09 a liter down from $1.20. with prices like this and owning a big truck, i wont be going anywhere any time soon.

Damn your lucky. That's a third of what we pay. How's the overall cost of living up there?

[jdog]

actually its not that bad. rent is about 500-700 a month for a 2-3 bedroom house. the wages are good if you work in the trades $18-$25 an hour starting wage. with a wage like that and your overall cost of living being around a $1000 a month you can do alright for yourself. myself i have a government job and dont have to work to hard so life at the moment is good in canada.

[Eyebiter]

Look at the historical price of gasoline as a percentage of household income. Then compare to the rate of inflation.

[EvilNed]

As countries like Germany, Japan and Sweden ( :D ) just get richer and richer, and also have a strong tradition of tourism since their own countries are so damn dull, I don't think we'll see a huge dent in tourism actually.

[MissJacksonCA]

I think we're fortunate that we have a great deal of foreign travelers come here (god only knows why I mean what do we have that they dont have elsewheres) and visit but I just dont see those jobs increasing and staying steady unless we dont raise min wage.

I remember first finding out min wage here in SC is $5.15 an hour (as it is in a ton of states) and just thinking wtf who lives on that? I dont know how people do it. And then I drive down the street and see pawn shop after pawn shop and title loan after title loan company. Its no wonder the crime here is obscene... some people seem to have no other means to survive...

[flyboy]

I think we're fortunate that we have a great deal of foreign travelers come here (god only knows why I mean what do we have that they dont have elsewheres) and visit but I just dont see those jobs increasing and staying steady unless we dont raise min wage.

I remember first finding out min wage here in SC is $5.15 an hour (as it is in a ton of states) and just thinking wtf who lives on that? I dont know how people do it. And then I drive down the street and see pawn shop after pawn shop and title loan after title loan company. Its no wonder the crime here is obscene... some people seem to have no other means to survive...





@@ agree totally, its pretty much the same in england mjc.

[MikePizzoff]

Damn your lucky. That's a third of what we pay. How's the overall cost of living up there?

Nah, he's actually paying more than we are. Gas here in NJ is about $2.80 per gallon right now. He's paying $1.09 per liter. There are roughly 3.75 liters in a gallon. 3.75 multiplied by $1.09 is $4.08 per gallon.

That's on top of Canada's OUTRAGEOUS beer and cig prices. I'd never be able to live there.

[darth los]

Nah, he's actually paying more than we are. Gas here in NJ is about $2.80 per gallon right now. He's paying $1.09 per liter. There are roughly 3.75 liters in a gallon. 3.75 multiplied by $1.09 is $4.08 per gallon.

That's on top of Canada's OUTRAGEOUS beer and cig prices. I'd never be able to live there.


Your right mike, didn't catch on to that at 3 in the morning. Blah, damn the metric system.:mad:

[jdog]

Nah, he's actually paying more than we are. Gas here in NJ is about $2.80 per gallon right now. He's paying $1.09 per liter. There are roughly 3.75 liters in a gallon. 3.75 multiplied by $1.09 is $4.08 per gallon.

That's on top of Canada's OUTRAGEOUS beer and cig prices. I'd never be able to live there.

ah yes i forgot about the beer and cig prices, we pay $10-$12 a pak for cigs and beer is around $20-$25 a case. at least the green is reasonable priced.

[MikePizzoff]

ah yes i forgot about the beer and cig prices, we pay $10-$12 a pak for cigs and beer is around $20-$25 a case. at least the green is reasonable priced.

On the first tour I went on, we were in Canada for 3 days. Needless to say those three days were complete hell due to those prices.

[jdog]

On the first tour I went on, we were in Canada for 3 days. Needless to say those three days were complete hell due to those prices.
where in canada did you play and how was the crowd?

[darth los]

On the first tour I went on, we were in Canada for 3 days. Needless to say those three days were complete hell due to those prices.


I'm willing to bet that the next time your up there you'll import the stuff. Is that allowed by the way. I know that we have a friendly border with Canada so do you have to declare certain things when you enter the country like you have to do when entering so many others?

[MissJacksonCA]

flyboy man dont tell me that i'm trying to move to the uk

speaking of cigarette prices in canada... i love how they actually have people who spy the cars in the parking lot to track down people buying cigs in ontario and taking them to manitoba... they literally pull ya over for crap like that...

[darth los]

That is funny mj. Who needs to pay attention to terrorists when we have the oh so dangerous cigarette bootleggers on the loose.:p

[MissJacksonCA]

well it is canada... i mean how many terrorists do they have to worry are going to attack them? i do applaud their high liquor/cig/beer/etc prices as a means to not only prevent people from being able to afford such vices but recognising that by highly taxing those goods is an excellent way to pay off the national debt and create a surplus of funds... of course they heavily tax everything there but its totally worth it...

i also love that when i filed my taxes with canada i was able to reach a live human at their tax office who guided me through filling out my forms and actually told me how to get more out of my refund! talk about service!

[jdog]

the free heath care is a good bounes of living in canada as well.and the rising dollar is making the econemy stronger then ever.
to me it is a awsome place to live

[MissJacksonCA]

but not everyone reaps the befits of the free healthcare because of the massive waiting list for things you need like MRIs and catscans and mammograms which drives a good lot of canadiens to private health care providers in the states

[darth los]

Good point. But you ever notice how american's are quick to find fault with great things that other countries have simply because we don't? i'm sure that the pros far outwiegh the cons. This is the richest nation in the world yet millions of people are not eating properly and have no health insurnce. But we can pump a billion and a half dollars a week into iraq. Anybody see anything wrong with this picture?

[jdog]

you have a point there.for basic care its sweet, but for more serious things its on a who needs it more basis. i have never heard of anyone having to hard a time geting an mri or a catskan. i had a skan done earlier in the year when i injured my head in a car accident and it didnt take no time at all.
i know transplants are a different story. i had a friend who died waiting for a liver transplant.

[darth los]

i know transplants are a different story. i had a friend who died waiting for a liver transplant.

That's a very common occurence here as well. With compatibility and being on the waiting list as big issues there are often people who die waiting for everything from hearts to bone marrow transplants. And this could happen with evern the best private insurance.

[MissJacksonCA]

Well I had a friend diagnosed with meningitis after coming back from Europe and he was able to get medical treatment IMMEDIATELY but I've also known people who waited crucial weeks for MRIs. Take into consideration however that Manitoba has one major city that being Winnipeg where I was and how many tons of people live in the outlying areas and its understandable. Most people I knew preferred to seek medical treatment in Grand Norks, ND instead of having to wait. In my personal history of seeking emergency medical treatment in Kenora (nearest hospital to West Hawk Lake) it took over like 12 hours just to see a doctor for most people in the ER.

I see the pros and cons of Canadas healthcare as a dual citizen of both Canada and the states but also as the child of two health care professionals. The healthcare in Canada may be free but it comes at a price of inconvenience which is pretty similar to the wait in line for healthcare that you pay for here in the states. Personally I have no medical insurance and aside from the time I had it when I lived with my dad I couldn't ever afford it. I recently bought some to help me in case my job gets me injured but the price I pay? Its obscene. I can't imagine owning a business and having to provide for my employees and their dependants.

I suppose I could feel bad for the states because of their lack of free healthcare and the country being reduced to so many people making below a living wage but they're bitching about taxes so often... they dont realize the way to get the ammenities Canada has is by way of taxes. Of course now with the war on terror we may have to institute taxes just to pay for someone elses war which may never be paid off.

The sad thing about bone marrow transplants is not enough people donate because its so incredibly painful for most people. But of course when they're the ones needing it they're the first to say why doesn't anyone donate?

[darth los]

The healthcare in Canada may be free but it comes at a price of inconvenience which is pretty similar to the wait in line for healthcare that you pay for here in the states.


Like the y say, "you get what you pay for." free healthcare may not be as good but for some people it's the only way to go. It's tragic that in this country people have to decide between a loaf of bread and their medication.

[MissJacksonCA]

its actually more like a month of groceries for a 4 person household of a prescription... when my mom fell ill 2 years ago her prescriptions every month totaled over 500 dollars... her medical bills are over 30k a year... and now she has an incurable disease for which there are no treatments only a few pills they may ease the side effects... I thank God that she is a Canadien its the best thing that could've ever happened to her

[darth los]

its actually more like a month of groceries for a 4 person household of a prescription... when my mom fell ill 2 years ago her prescriptions every month totaled over 500 dollars... her medical bills are over 30k a year... and now she has an incurable disease for which there are no treatments only a few pills they may ease the side effects... I thank God that she is a Canadien its the best thing that could've ever happened to her

Exactly my point. How else was she going to pay for that? God bless her by the way.:)

[MissJacksonCA]

she never could've afforded it especially because it prevents her from taking any job now or ever in the future... her only choice was to depend on me to pay her bills... and I could do that only for so long... its a real burden but one that so many people face in the states... I only wish the Canadien government could pay for assisted living...

[jdog]

Well I had a friend diagnosed with meningitis after coming back from Europe and he was able to get medical treatment IMMEDIATELY but I've also known people who waited crucial weeks for MRIs. Take into consideration however that Manitoba has one major city that being Winnipeg where I was and how many tons of people live in the outlying areas and its understandable. Most people I knew preferred to seek medical treatment in Grand Norks, ND instead of having to wait. In my personal history of seeking emergency medical treatment in Kenora (nearest hospital to West Hawk Lake) it took over like 12 hours just to see a doctor for most people in the ER.

I see the pros and cons of Canadas healthcare as a dual citizen of both Canada and the states but also as the child of two health care professionals. The healthcare in Canada may be free but it comes at a price of inconvenience which is pretty similar to the wait in line for healthcare that you pay for here in the states. Personally I have no medical insurance and aside from the time I had it when I lived with my dad I couldn't ever afford it. I recently bought some to help me in case my job gets me injured but the price I pay? Its obscene. I can't imagine owning a business and having to provide for my employees and their dependants.

I suppose I could feel bad for the states because of their lack of free healthcare and the country being reduced to so many people making below a living wage but they're bitching about taxes so often... they dont realize the way to get the ammenities Canada has is by way of taxes. Of course now with the war on terror we may have to institute taxes just to pay for someone elses war which may never be paid off.

The sad thing about bone marrow transplants is not enough people donate because its so incredibly painful for most people. But of course when they're the ones needing it they're the first to say why doesn't anyone donate?

its true, it all depends on where you are in canada when it comes to good heath care. alot of the smalller hospitals are not equiped with the materials they need so they have to ship you to a larger city and to a good hospital. manitoba would be a bad one since ya winipeg is the only major city and alot of the population is in the north. living in saskatchewan where i'am i have 4 major citys that if in an emergency i could be sent.the citys being saskatoon, regina, edmonton or calgary. and yes the waiting lines at the emergency rooms are stupid sometimes, a guy could die waiting lol. and yes the taxes are steep in canada but the wages are decent so you dont notice it that much. at my last job i was paying $1200-$1500 a month in taxes, but the wage and take home was still good.

[MissJacksonCA]

The wages and quality of life are great... long live long weekends and lakeside cabins!

[darth los]

The sad thing about bone marrow transplants is not enough people donate because its so incredibly painful for most people. But of course when they're the ones needing it they're the first to say why doesn't anyone donate?


Whichn just goes back to what i always say about human nature. People just don't care about anything or anybody else unless it affects them directly.

[MissJacksonCA]

Its not human nature to care less about people and to not help out. Its the very basic part of human nature to care for others. It is what seperates us from animals (or so some believe) is our ability to care and to choose whether to help and weigh our options (though animals often help others). It is why we have expressions like humane... Humane treatment of whatever...

It is when a person becomes inhumane that they dont bother to donate or to help others. We are all born the same way but we are all raised to a different standard of caring for others and that in a way is what our humanity is formed from. Whether you become inhumane can depend laregely on your past and your upbringing just as how caring you are can depend on it in much the same way.

So if you're a person who doesn't donate blood or plasma and despite hearing the necessity and importance of doing so look into your past and try to find the slice along the way where you lost your humanity.