How about that! United Airlines honored the mistaken fare quote of $25.00 round trip to Paris. Of course, it's the mother of all travel bargains and the last one we'll ever see again. However it did get me to thinking and my mind started to play the 'What if?' game.

What if all of the vendors of each city, of every country, including our own, were to contribute to excursion trips, sponsoring airlines to junket people, at low fares, once a day, into their respective locales, just like the gambling cities of Las Vegas, Reno and Atlantic city do. Think of the world economic boon that would create, as well as make our species world literate! Couldn't that alone help to contribute to understanding other peoples? Certainly it would be a long term side benefit.

What if local vendors ran specials to encourage people to buy once they got there. (Traveler's love to buy.)

What if restaurants and hotels set aside blocks of affordable lodgings to welcome these blocks of spending visitors, as gambling cities do.

What if, in our own country, for people who don't like to fly and there are many lately, Amtrak's interiors replicate their destinations, as the cruise lines do today, in a limited fashion. Perhaps one car could be assigned for each point of interest. Wouldn't it be a lot of fun to be transported by a speeding, miniature Circus Circus show, or a Caesar's Hotel dinner orgy, in the style of the Roman's, with the traveling guests in mandatory togas, or have a car outfitted as a miniature theater showing live excerpts of MGM's famous musicals?

What if further incentives were made to travelers, as a whole, not just retirees, not just giving occasional breaks here and there, but offering incentives that make sense, inducements that people who travel can count on and plan their lives around. The travel industry owes it to itself to at least look into those kinds of travel motivators, which would make people concinnities enough to travel more.

What if, ah, what if!

Speaking of travel. A new section called "Travelogue" will be mounted on the 4pointspress.com website. It's for reader who prefer or, by necessity, like to armchair travel. It may also incite others to leave their armchairs, take the plunge and travel. I remember, when I was much younger and could only dream of traveling, I used to send away for every travel brochure available by mail and, with my pamphlets spread out on a table, wile away many of my precious hours armchair traveling.

Our first installment chapter of "Sicily and the Sicilians" is by S. Ben Piazza, a Sicilian born, well rounded historian and traveler. He came to our attention through our email. His writings lend a new look to his home island, and sheds historical light on places not often traveled to or written about. Point your cursor to: http://www.4pointspress.com/ Travel to Sicily with Ben.

Trivia:
Each traveler should know what he has to see, and what properly belongs to him, on a journey. (von Goethe - c. 1780)

EDITOR'S NOTE:
Do you have an interesting travel story? If so, checkout our  SUBMISSIONS GUIDELINES  and submit it. Contact "Nate" on site; http://www.4pointspress.com or direct your email to the Editor.