European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 13, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Travel Europe 1992 travelling the continent what a in what a not  of Thi is the old walled City of Dubrovnik has been damaged in the yugoslav civil War. Nation of Gao Grophie by Norm Zeigler travel outdoor writer St. Basilus in Moscow is Russia s most photographed Monument. Like any Region of the world Europe has vacation spots that Are Quot in Quot and others that Are definitely  a destination May be Quot in Quot for any number of reasons great beaches night life unspoiled Countryside. Out the reasons a place is Quot out Quot May be More serious. This year tourists who venture into parts of Eastern Europe May run the risk of getting shot. Several once stable countries a including once popular Yugoslavia a Are being torn apart by ethnic bloodshed. Other negative factors for travellers May be More unpleasant than dangerous. The past few Summers parts of Italy a Adriatic coast have been plagued by a foul smelling algae. The pluses and minuses of a country City or Region Are variables that should be taken into account when planning a vacation. Other factors include your budget available time and interests. For various reasons a place can have very different appeals for people. If your idea of an Ideal vacation is lying on the Beach in the Sun you probably do not want to Book a week of Whitewater rafting in the Alps. Conversely someone whose avocation is Back country camping will Likely not choose to spend a vacation Sas Guj Schuettler picnickers on horseback in Malaga Spain. Studying the Art and architecture of Rome. But despite the wide Range of different interests certain places in Europe Are perennial favourites among the vast majority of travellers. Industry officials Are unanimous on the single most popular destination Paris. Not surprisingly the list of other top destinations reads like a compilation of the continent s leading cities Amsterdam London Rome Venice Florence Prague Berlin Budapest Vienna. These tourist hot spots Are sometimes Tacky occasionally exasperating but always intriguing. No matter How Many millions of tourists have ascended the Eiffel Tower tossed coins into Rome s Trevi Fountain or Ridden a Gondola on Venice s grand canal the experiences will continue to electrify and fascinate countless millions to come. For huge numbers of americans the first glimpse of Europe s major attractions comes on a bus tour. According to Ron Van Kranen Leisure travel director for scheduled airlines travel offices a overseas last year More than 180,000 people booked bus Tours at Sato offices. Sato is the army s on base travel Agency in Germany. Robert a Wyatt Sato s assistant managing director says the popularity of the bus Tours is Quot partly because of the Cost involved and partly because of the clientele bus Tours serve a specific segment of the travelling Public a Economy minded travellers who want a fast introduction to a City or Region. Their big plus Wyatt says is that they Are Quot a Quick and inexpensive Way to see a lot of  but the same factors that create the pluses a tight schedules built around carefully circumscribed itineraries a make it nearly impossible to really get to know a destination. Travellers who want to explore in depth need a different format that provides More time and greater Freedom. Some people prefer to travel on their own setting their own itinerary and choosing their own Mode of transportation. It is difficult to track those who drive their own cars but Industry officials Are Able to follow Overall travel trends and determine the most popular vacation countries. Michael Muhlenhaupt chief of training and manager of the Central reservations desk for Sato keeps close watch on the company s non bus Leisure travel sales and says there is a Clear first Choice. Quot the no. 1 has been and still is Spain a Muhlenhaupt says. His statement is nearly echoed by Wolfgang Britting press spokesman for amt Liches Bayer Sches Reisaburo a Large German travel Agency that works with Sato. Quot Spain is now As always no. 1, Britting says. The main reasons for Spain s popularity Are climate and geography including hundreds of Miles of excellent beaches and abundant Sunshine. It is also the second most mountainous country in Europe after Switzerland and abounds in rugged unspoiled Countryside Ideal for camping hiking fishing and Hunting. Into Spain we count the Mainland and the Balearic islands Mallorca Menorca and Ibiza which is really no. 1, and the Canary islands which is no. 1 in the Winter Quot Muhlenhaupt says. Though there is wide agreement on the no. 1 position officials differ on the subsequent rankings. Sato reports that the top attractions in Germany Are Munich Heidelberg Rothenburg the Rhine Valley Ludwig s castles and the Black Forest. Not surprisingly Germany is also no. 2 on the list of the country s biggest tour operator touristic Union International headquartered in Hannover but at Abr Greece and Turkey Are tied for no. 2. Sato customers made Greece third Choice followed by four countries of equal popularity a Ireland Turkey Malta and Egypt. But at Abr Ireland is alone in third place with Many travellers choosing the popular Fly and drive specials and hiking vacations. Tui s press spokesman Bernd Rimele lists Italy and Greece tied for third with Austria no. 4 and Turkey though no Eastern european country has reached the ranks of top destinations travel to the former communist countries is increasing. According to Safe s Slater Czechoslovakia continues to grow in popularity. Quot Prague in the last year has picked up so much Quot she says. Quot Russia has also become a very hot  Slater says she thinks travel to the East will continue to grow. Quot i personally think that Poland is going to become a new destination  later this year the air Force s information ticket and tour offices Are planning their own destinations unlimited exclusive tour to Poland. Though Europe has Many tourist hot spots there Are also some Quot not Quot spots. Janet Petronis Consul in the special consular services unit at the . Consulate in Frankfurt says american travellers should weigh the negative factors before travelling to certain countries and regions. Quot i would say it s a Good idea to Check with the local consulate Quot Petronis says. Quot things change All the  the state department distributes advisories for the Benefit of . Travellers. They Are classified according to the seriousness of the conditions that might be encountered. Quot notices Quot inform travellers of comparatively minor problems such As the shortage of hotel rooms that the olympics and expo 92 is expected to cause in Spain this summer. Besides Spain other countries for which notices have recently been issued include Italy Austria Estonia France Italy Latvia Lithuania and Poland. The second level is Quot caution Quot which Petronis Calls Quot sort of a medium level Quot cautions contain information about More difficult problems such As food shortages or political unrest. Cautions Are now in effect for Albania Belarus Greece Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Romania Tajikistan Turkmenistan Ukraine and Uzbekistan. The third level is Quot warning Quot reserved for countries where . Travellers might face serious hazards. There Are currently warnings for Armenia Georgia Moldova Russia Turkey and former Yugoslavia. There have been armed conflicts Between opposing factions in All of them except Russia. Yugoslavia is still being Tom apart by a Long and bloody civil War though the situation seems to have stabilized in the Western regions a now the Independent republics of Slovenia and Croatia. 22 travel Europe May 13, 1992 May 13, 1992 travel Europe 23