Travel Roundup: Las Vegas Sands is Broke, California's High-Speed Rail, Obama's Heritage Tour and More

(MoneyWatch)  Las Vegas Sands Corp. needs cash -- Las Vegas Sands Corp. announced Thursday that it needs to raise money or stop development by next month to keep from defaulting on its $8.8 billion debt. Reports that the company might renege on its loan agreements caused shares to drop 33 percent. Billionaire and CEO Sheldon Adelson, who has seen his fortunes fall with the company's stock prices, loaned the company $475 million last month. [Source: AP, Travel Weekly]

California approves high-speed rail plan -- California voters approved a $45 billion, high-speed passenger train system that would connect Los Angeles with San Francisco. The California High-Speed Rail Authority said the new system, which still has to be implemented, would ferry 117 million passengers a year by 2030 and speed along the state at 220 MPH. The state will issue about $10 million in bonds to fund the project for its 37 million residents. [Source: AFP]

African tour operator creates Obama heritage tour -- The New York City-based 2Afrika travel company announced an 11-day Presidential Heritage Safari to Kenya, which will take passengers to the usual highlights the East African country as well as Kisumu, the birthplace of president-elect Barack Obama's Kenyan father and then to Kogelo, home to most of his extended Kenyan family. 2Afrika President Kenneth said the tour will appeal to those curious about president-elect Obama and the region. Tours begin at $2,999 a person. [Source: Travel Weekly]

Delta adds direct flights to Paris -- Delta Airlines announced plans for five-day, direct flights to Paris for Raleigh-Durham, N.C and Pittsburgh by next June. The direct flights are part of a new partnership with Air France that will connect passengers to other European cities through its Paris base. Delta spokesman Kent Landers said the new route helps the company by serving secondary domestic markets with high demand and also can attract customers from Europe. [Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution]

Photo of Sheldon Adelson courtesy of Las Vegas Sands Corp.