Here's something that might be of interest to devotees with CTD issues. (CTD – compulsive travel disorder). (full article here)

"The Viva Macau promise is all-inclusive $305 fares from Sydney to the Chinese-Portuguese province of Macau, an introductory offer from August to October.

Add to that fare a 30-minute ferry ride to Hong Kong and an Oasis flight to London and suddenly you have arrived in the UK having only spent $600, taxes included. "

When I first 'joined' the Hare Krishna's I was taken back at how much money devotees spend every year on airfare. Previously I'd never encountered anything like it. I can understand the need for a periodic trip to the Holy Dham but for the most part I find it embarrasing how much devotees think they need to zip around the world. What purpose does it serve? Anything that wouldn't be served by directing energy and funds locally? 

Think of how much money the devotees in your yatra spend on airfare. Then think of how many books could be sponsored for libraries and schools by that figure. How many months of rent could be purchased at a prime preaching location in town? How many plates of free prasadam could be sponsored? 

Then you could think of bigger projects such as the Mayapur temple and cumulatively how much money members of our society have spent on airfare over the years. What a temple we could have built!

 If we suspended the Mayapur festival for one year with an attendence of say 2,000 overseas devotees – average airfare being US$900. And if everyone donated what they would have spent on airfare to a worthy cause such as book distribution or cow protection we could in one year raise 1.8 million dollars. Who couldn't use that?

 This isn't an attempt to snicker at anyone in particular, rather a call to sensibility with Krishna's funds. Personally, I think its wasteful and mostly unproductive. Better to spend money helping devotees to become educated and strong in their Krishna Consciousness, for protection of cows, or for direct outreach preaching such as prasad and book distribution.