A Boom in Foreign Travel

Vacationers cash in on the dollar's new clout

Many U.S. airlines may be hurting domestically, but on international flights business is beginning to bloom—and boom. Americans are clamoring for tickets to most of their favorite old haunts, especially those in Europe and the Caribbean, along with some new ones as well.

Until a month ago, it seemed as though the summer of 1981 would prove a foreign travel dud. But suddenly the airlines and travel agencies are being flooded with inquiries. In recent weeks, the number of passports issued by the State Department has jumped...