The Mexican Federal Government has closed five small boutique hotels on Tulum’s breathtaking stretch of beaches, just south of Cancun. An additional five other developments are under investigation. The Mexican government alleges that the hotels were built on protected national park land and must be torn down. Until recently this area was mostly jungle. Potentially at risk is the land surrounding the ancient Mayan ruins of Tulum.

Mexico is home to the world’s seventh-largest hotel industry: 10,400 hotels, or 430,000 rooms Mexico Tourism Investment - according to statistics recently released by Mexico’s Tourism Secretariat (Sectur). Cancun and Riviera Maya is the third most sought after destination for American and Canadian tourists accounting for over $10 billion dollars, 8.3% of Mexico’s gross Domestic Product.

Thirty years ago Cancun was nothing more than a crescent shaped strip of land. Now the only stretch of land not overdeveloped is Tulum, a tiny hippie-style town that started as a backpacker retreat, recently has been transformed into an eco-chic resort. Hotel owners argue they’ve been there for up to two decades without problems, and their businesses are built around protecting the environment. Non-the-less the government has posted closed signs on the small hotels requiring guests to vacate by July 11. Roberto Palazuelos, a Mexican actor and president of the Tulum Hotel Owners Association, says the federal government’s paperwork to create the protected area in the 1980s was never done correctly. His Hotel Diamante K is among the five that have been closed.

The Mexican Government maintains that the developments do not show adequate titles and are too close to the Mayan Ruins. Tourism officials, siding with the hotel owners, are rallying to support them in the fight to keep their land.

In the meantime, Rivieara Maya vacationers attempt to squeeze in one more day in paradise.

Volcanos National Park Hawaii reported that on July 9 that Mount Kilauea, on the southeastern tip of Hawaii’s Big Island, exploded late on Sunday evening causing the spectacular lava waves for tourists to enjoy.

The blast is the second to hit Hawaii in less than four months, after the Halema’uma’u crater exploded in March. Such an erruption has not happened since 1924.

Officials in Hawaii say that the eruption isn’t causing any danger to nearby residents, but that they are monitoring the situation closely. The erruption follows three months of increased activityin the crater which has been releaaing sulfur dioxide gas and carbon dioxide since March.

An average hotel room is about 80% smaller than the average vacation rental villa. And vacation rentals tend to cost about 70% less than a hotel room. So why would you stay in a hotel when you could have an entire vacation rental villa from Destination Villas. Luxuriate in the space, marvel at the price and relax in the ultimate private retreats worldwide.

Typical destination villa amenities feature a fully equipped kitchen with coffeemaker, living rom with sofa bed, washer/dryer (some villas), two color TVs, VCR, CD stereo, patio, balcony or lanai, up to two full baths with towels, whirlpool tubs (some villas), maid service available and from 1-6 bedrooms.

Typical vacation rental resort amenities include owner’s clubhouse, exercise facility with weights and cardiovascular machines, reading lounge, indoor and/or outdoor heated pool, outdoor heated pool, hot tub, sauna, children’s pool, game room, concierge, BBQ grill.

Vacations are much more enjoyable when you have space to relax and unwind, so treat yourself and your family to a spacious resort villa. You get so much more for your money.

If you plan to take non-stop flights to your summer vacation this year, better hurry! The only cheap airline tickets to be found on non-stop flights are those bought well in advance. Why? In most cases, major carriers are doubling or tripling their cheapest fares from last summer’s fares. Add to that the reduction in the number of total of non-stop flights and voila, you’ve got a shortage of flights at reasonable rates. In most cases carriers are dropping the direct, non-stop flights to cut costs.

Compare these airfares. Last summer a round trip ticket on Continental Airlines from Newark to Honolulu was $687. This year that same flight will cost $1107. Delta’s lowest Atlanta-Tampa nonstop round trip starts at $392 for the week of July 22, compared with $148 last year,United’s best deal for Chicago-Charleston, S.C., is $730, up from $178 a year ago.

Tori Milan, Editor of DestinationVillas.com states that the best way to beat these fares is to start surfing the web early, Monitor flight costs on a day-to-day basis and snag a good deal when you see it. I highly suggest signing up for fare-alerts from Travelocity.com or FareCast.com.

Continental Airlines announced on Thursday that it will cut 6 percent of it’s work force and reduce flight capacity by 11 percent this fall. That cut amounts to a loss of 3000 job and a certain fare increase for travelers. The record fuel costs have created the worst airline crisis since 2001. The top two executives will forgo pay and bonuses for the balance of 2008.

Continental should announce soon which flights and destinations it will reduce or eliminate. The airline operates hubs in Houston, Newark, N.J., and Cleveland. Fewer flights will lessen the ability of travelers to find a convenient flight where they’re going. And some airlines may drop service completely to some smaller cities.

The Associated Press reports “Many analysts consider Continental to be the healthiest of the six big network carriers, a group that excludes low-fare Southwest Airlines Co. But that did not make Continental immune from cuts — the airline still lost $80 million in the first quarter after earning a profit last year.”

Travel Tip: Airlines routinely cut fares in the fall to boost ticket sales when kids are back in school and families find it harder to travel. Experts predict that is likely to remain true this fall, even with Continental, American and United offering far fewer flights.

The Volcanic Halemaumau Crater continues to spew toxic gas into the air this week as concerns grow that an evacuation may become necessary. Mayor Harry Kim said yesterday that evacuation of the volcano area is possible, stating that people with respiratory problems are a bigger concern. Joining Kim was the National Park System’s Denny Ziemann. Kim says that an evacuaton of the area is possible. Yesterday, Kim tried to downplay the probability of an evacuation of Volcano village, saying getting information to residents with existing respiratory problems is a higher priority.

Kim was among seven county, state and federal officials gathered on a Hawaii Volcanoes National Park overlook to give an update on the sulfur dioxide gas plume that started March 11.

So far only one community, Pahala, 19 miles to the southwest, has been affected although the gas and ash plume has not reached a problem level there, said state Department of Health official John Peard.

Destination Villas reports that National park and volcano observatory officials said they would also evacuate if necessary, but “safe haven” buildings with air purifiers would allow essential personnel to stay.

Effective June 15 American Airlines will begin charging fees for all checked in luggage; $15 for the first bag, $25 for the second bag and $100 for the third bag. This is a desperate act to try to create revenue to cover jet fuel costs that have risen at unprecedented rates. Baggage weight adds drag to the plane and adds to the cost of fueling the aircraft.

Passengers can counteract the costs traveling light and either checking in only one bag or paring clothing down to what will fit in a carry on. Follow the 10 easy steps to packing light.

What is hypermiling? Hypermiling is a strategy drivers use to exceed EPA estimated mileage on their vehicles by modifying their driving habits. Hypermiling saves gas for all makes and models. It was born out of the technology developed by Toyota engineers for the Prius. The Toyota Prius’ dashboard is a scorecard of sorts that tracks when you are being more fuel efficeint. The basic rules of hyperminling include: coasting whenever possible, anticipating when you need to stop to avoid accelerating and then slamming on the breaks and traveling at speeds that are more fuel efficient.

Hypermiling can actually cut gas consumption in half and can be performed in any car. Drivers must allow more time, stop tailgaiting and simply start to pay attention to their own drivng style.

Everyday we are reminded that global warming has become a major issue worldwide. We all would like to be good global citizens but many times do not know what changes to make. Sustainable tourism covers a variety of criteria, from low environmental impact and energy use to respect for the culture and well-being of the local population. It is realatively easy to make eco-friendly choices when traveling. Why not make a resolution to follow 7 simple Green Travel tips that make a difference.

1. Travel shorter distances but stay longer.

2. Don’t fly at night when emmissions do more harm.

3. Leave no trace. Be mindful of fragil eco systems.

4. Rent a Hybid vehicle or take public transprotation.

5. Choose destiantions that use renewable energy.

6. Choose Eco-friendly hotels, inns and rental homes.

7. Never buy products made from endangered species.

READ MORE>

American Airlines cancels more than 900 flights for a third day snarling air travel and affecting more than 100,000 flights. The flight cancellations are due to FAA requirments to fix faulty wiring in hundreds of jets, marking the third straight day of mass groundings. Company executives offered apologies and travel vouchers but passengers remain angry.

Tori Milan, DestinationVillas.com’s editor, states that passengers have been stranded in airports overnight without their luggage or any real answers as to when these delays will end. Milan suggests extending your vacations or business trips if possible to avoid being stuck at the airports. “If you must travel today and need to find out the status of your flight visit www.flightstats.com to access real time information regarding airline cancellations and flight delays.”