Well-Traveled Mayor Heading Excursion to South Africa

With 87 days left in office, the District's globe-trotting mayor, Anthony A. Williams, jetted off on another foreign excursion yesterday, with a 31-member entourage in tow.

Williams took off from Dulles International Airport on a 10-day visit to South Africa, his second since July, to promote the city as a tourist and business destination. He left behind such unfinished business as debates over an emergency crime package and parking at the Nationals baseball stadium.

As on many of his other trips abroad, Williams's office would not release the names of businesses that aides said had paid travel expenses for the mayor and his 13 staff members, except to say the total will be released after the trip is over.

But taxpayer money is paying the expenses of the four council members who are his traveling companions -- Marion Barry (D-Ward 8), Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), Vincent B. Orange Sr. (D-Ward 5) and Carol Schwartz (R-At Large).

The cost for each council member was $7,500. Evans and Schwartz said they paid out of funds budgeted for the council. Orange, who leaves office in January, could not be reached for comment. Barry said he did not use personal funds and left it up to his staff to figure out.

"I'm not paying out of my pocket when I'm doing the city's work," Barry said.

In his two terms, Williams has traveled more extensively than any of his predecessors. And lately, he has even spent more time out of the country more than President Bush.

The president's last international trip was to Germany and Russia in July. In the last month alone, Williams has visited Ireland and France. Since June 2005, he also has been to China, England, Greece, Germany, Austria, South Korea, South Africa, Senegal and Ghana.

In 2003 and 2004, he traveled 190 days, spending more than a quarter of each year away from the District. And that was before he became president of the National League of Cities.

Williams's spokesman, Vince Morris, said this is the last trip the mayor is scheduled to take before he leaves office in January.

Williams has said that the nation's capital should be an international destination and that he sees his role as bolstering the city's reputation.

"Tourism is growing in the city, and the mayor wants to take advantage of that by telling people abroad that the city is a great place to visit," Morris said. "Those tourism dollars help fund every part of our government, so he takes that role very seriously."