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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Illinois Second In Spending On Tourism

From Wire Reports

Which state spends the most to lure tourists?

Hawaii, which spent $33.9 million for fiscal year 1994-95, according to the Travel Industry Association of America.

Runner-up was Illinois (Illinois?), with $30.5 million, followed by Texas, New York and Florida. No Northwest states made the top 10.

Airport Family Rooms: Flying with little kids may feel like going into the lion’s den, but now you can do it for real at Dusty’s Dens, new family activity rooms for parents and kids flying on Delta.

The program is free and runs through Labor Day at eight airports: Atlanta, Cincinnati, Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles, New York’s JFK, Orlando, Salt Lake City and Frankfurt, Germany. Families can enjoy refreshments, games and activities at the lounges.

Kids 2 to 12 who join Delta’s Fantastic Flyer club also get a quarterly magazine, poster and other bennies - for example, 20 percent off air fare for members and their families (up to four people). For information: (800) 392-5437.

Tipping tips: Quick, what do you tip a pool attendant, sushi chef or bellhop? The answer is at your fingertips with a new three-card, wallet-sized set of “Tip Computers.”

The set includes a card with suggested tips for services on the road (bus driver, B&B host); one with everyday services (babysitters, golf caddies); and a third with tips calculated for 15 and 20 percent of dollar amounts up to $100.

Cost is $5.50 for the set, including shipping, from (800) 527-9493.

And a free chart with international information is available by sending a self-addressed stamped envelope to Tip Computers, 1236 Wilbur Ave., Suite M, San Diego, CA 92109.

Topless touring: Six open-top, double-deck buses from Britain will transport sightseers around Toronto this summer. They’ll operate on the same route as the Old Town Trolley tours, and visitors can transfer between the two types of vehicles as they explore the city. Information: (416) 368-6877.

Too much: Costa Rica’s renowned rain forests and park system have made the country a prime destination for eco-travelers, but an admission increase last September has upset the tourism balance there.

For foreign visitors, the government increased the daily fee to more than $15 per person from less than $2.

The number of park visitors has dropped since the increase, hurting tour operators and other local businesses and leading to protests.

The government is considering alternatives, according to Rob Rachowiecki, the author of Lonely Planet Publications’ guidebook to Costa Rica. One plan, he writes in the company’s newsletter, would introduce a single pass that would allow admission to all of the country’s parks.

The fee increases are aimed at making the parks self-sufficient and allowing more guards to be hired.