Get Up and Go!

Everyone is upset about people who head-up companies that needed bailout funds to keep their companies alive spending money frivolously. After all, isn't this what got them in trouble in the first place? I'm sure that's what President Obama meant when he said that people shouldn't go to Las Vegas or the Superbowl. I'm sure President Obama did not mean that people shouldn't travel --for business or for pleasure.

When people travel --to Las Vegas or anywhere else, money is spent and the economy benefits. Everyone from the bellman who helps us check-in to the maids who clean-up after us benefit when people travel. Yes the executives and the owners and stock-holders benefit too, and that is ALL good for the economy.

Fact is, because of all the layers of people impacted, travel has been called the largest industry in the world! According to World Tourism Organization in 2008 there were 924 million international arrivals. That means 924,000,000 people traveled away from home. That doesn't even count people who traveled within their own country. You know how much you spend when you take a trip, so just extrapolate that math and you can see what a big impact travel has.

I know people are staying home these days because of economic uncertainty, but once we all get out there traveling again, it will have a huge impact on the worldwide economy.

For heaven's sake, let's not be pejorative in thinking about travel, let's just get up and go somewhere and reap the benefits! If you can, get out there, have fun and spend a little money. It will do us all good.