THE CHINESEhave again begun lowering the value of their currency, the Yuan, to bolster their rapidly declining export industry and their incoming tourism. (ADRIAN KORTE)

The most important recent travel news has been about currency rates, and has to do with a considerable decline in the worth of (A) the Chinese Yuan, and (B) the euro. Violating every promise, the Chinese have again begun lowering the value of their currency to bolster their rapidly declining export industry and their incoming tourism. If the Yuan continues to lose value at its current rate, China will become an even greater bargain than before. (What’s bad news for the world’s economy is good news for the tourist.) And have you looked at the euro lately? It’s recently selling at $1.23, and although airfare to Europe is high, the cost of living once there is declining. You might want to reconsider your decision to avoid a trans-Atlantic trip this year.

CHINA ON BUS

The other big news has been the move by the Department of Transportation to put 26 so-called Chinatown bus companies out of business because of alleged safety violations (unlicensed drivers working too many hours a day, poorly maintained buses). Left untouched were such apparently reliable firms as BoltBus and MegaBus, and you might want to keep those names in mind for your own next trip in the Northeast and the Midwest (a very few also operate in the far West), where Chinatown buses (so named because they usually drive from one Chinatown to another) offer fares as low as $10 per one-way trip.

SENIOR SECURITY

Also making travel headlines: A recent decision by the Department of Homeland Security to permit people over the age of 75 to keep their shoes on and avoid pat-downs, if they also are willing to undergo swabs with a chemically treated cloth that detects traces of explosives, as multiple passes through an electronic security gate. The new rule is an experiment only, in only four airports (including that of Orlando), and I hope it doesn’t represent an unwise surrender to anti-TSA hysteria.

PFDs

I’m also seeing a great deal of Internet comment about the lack of sufficient life preservers and other safety equipment on ferries and tourist boats. Too often, travelers blithely sign on for brief seagoing excursions, unaware that they will be in danger if the boat or ferry capsizes or sinks.

BARGAINS TO CUBA

I recently wrote about the decision of YMT Vacations to offer air-and-land packages to Cuba, including eight nights of accommodations, for $1,999 plus $299 in taxes and fees. I should have added a phone number for booking the bargain: 800-922-9000. FriendlyPlanet.com comes in second with an eight-night program selling for $2,799.

Read the original here: