The LG Travel News Roundup: 4.22.11

Weekly Travel News — By Candace R on April 22, 2011 at 6:00 am

By Susmita Baral
LG News Intern

Missed the big travel stories of the week? And the weird, wacky and insignificant ones? We’ve got your roundup right here…

Sao Paulo Builds New Lego Landmark

What do you get with 500,000 Lego pieces, 6,000 Brazilians and one crane? The world’s largest Lego tower, that’s what. Built this month in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the tower reached 102 feet and 3 inches in height, beating the previous record set by Chile.Children across the city built their own blocks, which were later combined with the help of a crane. The structure took four days to put together and was supported by wires to prevent it from falling in the wind. Source: Telegraph

WANTED: All Petty Hotel Thieves

If you’re considering snatching a bathrobe or towel from your hotel on your next trip, think again! Many hotels–including some in New York, Miami and Honolulu–are using a new device called Linen Trackers to keep inventory of missing and stolen linens. Why? It is estimated that a hotel can lose 5 to 20% of their linens every month! These hotels have placed a waterproof chip in various items that lasts 300 wash cycles. Source: CNN

US Travel Plans Get a Boost from Tax Returns

Not sure what to do with that unexpected tax return in your bank account?A recent survey has revealed that 57% of Americans will be using their tax refund to sponsor their travels–despite the current economic conditions. The poll also revealed that the top international destination was Australia (followed closely by Italy, Ireland, New Zealand and the Mediterranean) and the top national destinations were Florida, California and New York. Source: LA Times

Australians Hope to Establish a Urinal Utopia

The city of Sydney, Australia has a unique crisis that costs the city $7 million a year: public urination. Sydney will now be introducing open air urinals to counter public urination—at least from men. The urinals will be installed on Friday and Saturday nights (since the public urination is usually an aftermath of a messy night out on the town) and uninstalled in the mornings. Source: AOL

* * *

Travel News Bit

Take a splash this summer…for a cause!

If you like both white-water rafting and raising funds for charity, an event in Moab, Utah called “Raft for a Cure” is the perfect way to combine the two. Held every June for the past five years, the one-day event not only features a full day of rafting, but an outdoor concert and free lunch and dinner as well! Source: Gadling

Thumbnail courtesy of the Mirror