What happened in Vegas

Here’s what happened during my recent trip to Las Vegas: I watched Mamma Mia! I did some wonderful, cheap shopping. I put my lunch money in those fascinating machines in the casino that looked like toys. I visited an art gallery — in Vegas, yes! I was looking for Ashton Kutcher but instead met a George Clooney look-alike. I saw a Filipino faith healer who instantly cured my bum knee.

And best of all, I attended the International Pow Wow 2008 and discovered a lot of wows.

The Pow Wow is the annual conference organized by the Travel Industry Association (TIA) of America attended by delegates from all over the world who are passionate about traveling. Naturally, that includes those who make traveling in America easier, more exciting and more affordable for everyone. Here, more than 1,000 US travel organizations show some 1,500 international and domestic buyers more reasons why now is the time to visit the United States.

First of all, it is easier now to get a US visa, according to Roger Dow, president and CEO of the TIA. “The country’s visa waiver program is being expanded beyond its current 27 countries to include South Korea and several European Union nations.”

I know what you’re thinking — how about including the Philippines?

“Travel to the United States is exceeding pre-9/11 figures, and the prospects for continued growth are very bright,” Dow added. The darling of the US economy is travel and tourism, which is a $740-billion industry, he noted.

To inspire and attract more travelers to visit the US, TIA has unveiled discoveramerica.com, the new website that will serve as America’s trip planner. Caroline Beteta, the new TIS national chair, explained that this site features 15,000 pages in six different languages. In this site, travelers can even post their own stories and experiences.

“This is the year for visitors to come back to the United States. Many international currencies are strong against the US dollar,” said Donna Flora, this year’s Pow Wow chair.

I know what you’re thinking — unfortunately, that doesn’t include the Philippine peso right now.

What about the security hassles  that travelers to the US have to go through? The US Department of Homeland Security has created “a more inviting atmosphere” at airport security checkpoints.

This includes soothing music and pastel lighting at checkpoints, easier-to-read signs and Plexiglass encased scanners so passengers can see their luggage at all times. A new security-imaging system will use millimeter-wave technology to detect weapons hidden under clothing. The technology is designed to detect plastic and liquid explosives, and metal objects.

“The DHS is providing airlines more flexibility to allow passengers to check in remotely who have been unable to do so because they have a name similar to someone on the watch list. Each airline will be able to create a system to verify and securely store a passenger’s date of birth to clear up watch-list misidentifications,” a TIA report said.

I know what you’re thinking — can they please go easier on us Filipinos at security and immigration?

Certainly a wow for environmentalists is the discussion on how environmental concerns are increasingly affecting the travel industry. Shane Berry, American Express senior VP, announced that his company and TIA have partnered to produce a new website that will highlight environmental issues and how they relate to tourism. “We believe that the time is right for taking responsibility,” declared Berry. To emphasize this, Berry introduced Andrew Winston, founder of Eco-Strategies, a corporate environment strategy firm and author of Green to Gold, a book that shows how companies are going green and staying profitable.

During the Pow Wow, the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority declared its ambitious goal: 43 million-plus visitors by 2010. Las Vegas offers more than just shows, casinos, wedding chapels and shopping malls. Delegates were lured by the thrills in the destinations off The Strip, such as the Grand Canyon, Red Rock Canyon, Hoover Dam and Mt. Charleston.

I decided to do something different in Las Vegas — go art tripping, and there discovered more wows. Beyond the Elvis impersonators, the sexy showgirls and the mind-boggling magicians, I saw that Las Vegas can go from kitschy to artsy.

Check these out during your next trip to Las Vegas: American modernists like Georgia O’Keefe, Stuart Davis and Marsden Hartley at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Arts, aside from Claude Monet paintings... Andy Warhol prints at THEhotel at Mandalay Bay... Frank Gehry architectural renderings and models, Kaz Oshiro trompe l’oeil sculptures, and works by Roy Lichtenstein at the Las Vegas Art Museum.

I know what you’re thinking — boring!

Okay, then go to the Liberace Museum and see the dazzling jewelry, rare antiques, unique wardrobe, historical pianos and the car collection of this entertainer like no other. That should wake you up after losing a few dollars — your lunch money — at the casino.

Now you know what happened in Vegas.

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Northwest Airlines flies double daily flights to the United States via Narita or Nagoya through seven gateways — San Francisco, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Detroit, Honolulu, Portland and Seattle. For inquiries and reservations, call 841-8800 or visit www.nwa.com.ph.