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CNN Live Today

Interview With Nilou Motamed of 'Travel & Leisure'

Aired May 24, 2002 - 11:40   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Let's check on a few tantalizing summer hot spots to check out this year. The new issue of "Travel & Leisure" magazine highlights some European getaways, and Nilou Motamed is with "Travel & Leisure" magazine, and she's joining us this morning in New York. Good morning. How are you, Nilou?

NILOU MOTAMED, "TRAVEL & LEISURE" MAGAZINE: Hi, Leon.

HARRIS: Good. Glad to have you with us this morning.

MOTAMED: Thanks.

HARRIS: All right. What's the big hot spot that folks are going to go check out this year?

MOTAMED: People are going to go to Europe, and the exciting thing about Europe this year -- every year Europe is very popular, but this year you are going to actually get deals there. What we have seen is that about 5 percent to 10 percent of bookings to popular places like Rome, Paris, Florence are actually down, and then incredibly 50 percent of bookings to places like Greece and Scandinavia are down. So if you want to get a great deal and get away from the crowd, Europe is the answer.

HARRIS: So the numbers that you have been seeing indicate to you that people are going to be getting back on planes, because that hasn't been happening in big numbers up until now?

MOTAMED: We are actually seeing surveys that tell us that there are going to be about 2 percent more travelers this summer than there were last summer. So people are ready to get back on planes.

HARRIS: No kidding, and that's before September 11.

MOTAMED: Absolutely.

HARRIS: Really? Just because of the low prices right now, is that the big enticement?

MOTAMED: I think partially because of the low prices and partially because people are just sick of sitting around waiting for the next shoe to drop, and I think they really just want to get out and enjoy themselves. It is summer, after all. HARRIS: Yeah, smart idea too. All right, listen, you talked about the big cities like Rome and Paris, don't go there. If you had to pick one spot in Europe to go to that would be the optimal spot go to and maybe not spend a ton of money, where would you go?

MOTAMED: I think the greatest deals you are going to find are perhaps in -- if you want to Iceland, right now the krona is down compared to the dollar...

HARRIS: Iceland?

MOTAMED: Yeah, Iceland is great in the summertime. You get almost 24 hours of sunshine.

HARRIS: That's interesting. I would never have thought of Iceland.

MOTAMED: It's a beautiful place.

HARRIS: What can you do there?

MOTAMED: Hang out, party. It's a great party town.

HARRIS: OK. I would imagine so. What else can you do? Do they have golf courses or anything up there?

MOTAMED: Oh, it's naturally -- I don't think they have golf courses, but it's incredibly beautiful there. There are geysers and mud pots, and you can really go there and have a spa experience. It's really one of the most beautiful natural places in Europe still left.

HARRIS: That's a cool idea. How about stateside, real quick?

MOTAMED: Stateside, there are great destinations both for summer and for Memorial Day. I think what we are seeing is a lot of people are making last-minute travel deals because they are trying to find deals, and they can actually do that on a lot of great Web sites. There are Web sites like Site59, and lastminutetravel.com that really focus on people that have been procrastinating but now want to get away.

HARRIS: All right, real quick, if you pick one place in the States, what would it be, where would you go?

MOTAMED: I would go to D.C. I feel patriotic.

HARRIS: Hey, good answer. A bit of a political answer, but a good one. Way to go.

MOTAMED: It's CNN.

HARRIS: There you go. Nilou Motamed, thank you very much for your time. Have a happy holiday and a great summer.

MOTAMED: You too.

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