Two-week vacations going way of Dodo?

I found this article in my inbox this morning and thought it might be interesting to pass on. It seems that research is showing that more Americans are foregoing traditional vacations in favour of a number of shorter "escapes." Does this sound like you? See what you think:

Report by David Wilkening

Three-and four-day getaways are replacing the traditional once-a-year two-week vacation that used to be American standard.

Work overload and the accompanying lack of time are some reasons why the two-week family vacation is becoming a thing of the past, according to various surveys.

"People are taking the mini-vacations," Sharif Aboushaba, general manager of the Hilton Melbourne Beach Oceanfront Hotel told Florida Today. He added:

"But here's the catch: They may take a shorter vacation, but they may take three or four of them, especially if it's driving within 100 miles. I call those vacations the 'Weekendscapes."

The shorter vacations are more common because of the difficulty of families in coordinating their various work, school and extracurricular schedules, say tourism officials.

Many employees will try to wrap three- and four-day getaways around holidays, such as Labor Day and Thanksgiving, so the impact on the workplace will be even less, said John Challenger, chief executive officer of Challenger Gray & Christmas, a global outplacement consultancy.

"For the employer, these brief jaunts are the equivalent of a 10-minute power nap," he said. "They do not disrupt the rhythm of the workplace."

Other reasons for shorter vacations include too few vacation days and a lack of money. But it appears some Americans are getting away from vacations entirely, say some experts.

A recent study by Orbitz, the online travel company, found a drop in the number of people taking three-week or two-week vacations. The survey also found an increase in those taking a week or less. One-third of respondents said they took five or fewer days of vacation in the past year.

One in four of those surveyed said they felt their bosses did not encourage them to take vacations, and one in three said they stayed connected with their office via phone or computer while on holiday.

"Our sense is that people are busier than ever with their lives, their family activities, their kids," said Jeanenne Diefendorf of Orbitz. "So they find it difficult to take an extended vacation and easier to balance if they're only gone a couple of days."


If this does sound like you - you should give us a call. We've got a number of 3-4 day escapes available to places like Montreal, Quebec City, New York, San Francisco and more! 1 (800) 563-2338

Wining’ in Virginia

Okay - this surprised me too. Who knew that Virginia was a big wine region in the world?

According to a July article in the Travel + Leisure Magazine, Virginia was named as one of the top five (yes - top five!) wine travel destinations in the world, and was the only American region to be featured in the Wine-Lover’s Guide: 5 Wine Regions to Visit Now article.

The article features Virginia and regions in Italy, Spain, Chile and New Zealand as destinations for those who are passionate about wine and food.

“If you’re a wine lover, you are going to love going to Virginia’s wineries,” said the article’s writer, Bruce Schoenfeld. “It’s not just the wineries, but also new restaurants, B&Bs and inns that make Virginia such a great destination.”

Virginia has 130 wineries and designates October as Virginia Wine Month.

Excess the latest trend in luxury travel

From boutique hotels to high-end wilderness resorts, overindulgence is encouraged
writes Misty Harris, from CanWest News. The hottest trend in hospitality proves celebrity rehab centres aren't the only places leveraging excess.

From boutique hotels to Canadian fishing resorts, overindulgence is getting overnight privileges in travel packages that encourage guests to adopt the stars' philosophy that too much is never enough.

Some of the services on offer at these "immoderation accommodations" include in-room bars staffed by professional mixologists, so you never have to wait for a drink (Hotel Allegro in Chicago); minibars "pimped" to include all the accoutrements of hedonism, from edible body paint to morning-after hangover relief tablets (Catalina Hotel in South Beach); copies of Playboy and a set of poker chips upon arrival (The Muse in Manhattan); and complimentary lace thongs, should you somehow manage to lose your lingerie (Personality Hotels in San Francisco).


The free undies are part of the hotel chain's newly introduced "Britney breakdown package," designed especially for the vacationer who, like its troubled celebrity namesake, is a little too close to the edge.

The deal includes a gift certificate to a top hair salon and the caveat: "Don't shave your head just yet."

Other destinations focus more on losing oneself in sumptuousness than sin, bringing guests the kind of absurd luxuries normally provided only to the super-rich.
At Las Ventanas al Paraiso in Mexico, for example, an after-dinner dip in the tub is orchestrated entirely by hotel staff. Guests simply choose their preferred options from a "bath menu" -- sea salts, scented oils, premium tequilas and cigars are some of the pleasures on offer -- and the bath is prepared in their room while they enjoy a gourmet dinner.

At Clayoquot Wild-erness Resort, a popular fishing destination in B.C., guests' sleeping tents are outfitted with queen-sized beds, down duvets, Persian carpets and antique furnishings.

"It's for people that remember camping as a kid, but don't want to sleep in a pup tent anymore," says Sue Bosdet, director of sales for Clayoquot.

"They've become a little bit spoiled. They want to get back to nature but rather than roasting marshmallows, they want to sit around the fire while a waiter brings them a cognac and a creme brulee."

Deirdre Campbell, a Canadian public relations executive specializing in tourism, says "immoderation accommodations" tap into the trend of living beyond one's means while on vacation. She calls it "trading up."

According to Pam Danziger, a noted expert on luxury marketing, the model for many of these places is Las Vegas -- a city defined by affordable excess. The idea is to give travellers a "short-term indulgence vacation" that offers maximum pleasure for a reasonable dollar value.

"There's a real focus on the experiences of luxury," says Danziger, author of Why People Buy Things They Don't Need. "It's not buying a Rolex watch or another mink coat or a diamond ring."

Indeed, a 2006 survey by Unity Marketing found 56 per cent of luxury consumers believe "having special experiences that make memories" is of the utmost importance to travel.

What could be more memorable than a complimentary thong and a stack of Playboys?

New motorcycle film stars New Mexico

Viewers of the popular film "Wild Hogs" are seeing a lot of New Mexico. And the state's convention and tourism officials are trying to attract more visitors among movie-goers.

"The majority of the film was shot in the colorful former mining town of Madrid," says the Albuquerque Convention & Visitors Bureau. Madrid became a ghost town in the 1800s but was revived with a thriving artists' colony in recent years.

"The open roads, breathtaking vistas, magnificent mountain views, and parking and picnic spots along the way have made this a popular scenic route for tourists, motorcyclists and outdoor enthusiasts," said the CVB.

The Disney Touchstone Pictures comedy stars John Travolta, Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence and William H. Macy as four middle-aged bikers taking a road trip from Ohio to the West Coast.

The Albuquerque area has 310 days of sunshine. It's is already known as the "Hot Air Balloon Capital of the World."

Could motorcycles be next?

Doggie Day Spa!

File this in your "Over the Top" mental folder. The Ritz-Carlton Sarasota has set up a Doggie Day Spa for their guest's pets.

"Initially there is a lot of playful behavior," says Darlene Davison, the Ritz-Carlton Sarasota's spa director, "but soon their eyelids droop and their muscles relax under the massage therapist's soothing touch." Darlene is talking about massaging dogs -- canine.

How much do you think it costs to pamper your pooch, the Ritz-Carlton way?

Oh, about $130 per session. Add to the hotel's 20-pound weight limit and the additional $125 nonrefundable pet fee and the "privileged pup" plan comes out to a minimum of $12.75 a pound. And that's just the standard package.

For another $220, Ritz-Carlton adds gourmet dog biscuits, an in-room massage, a choice of nail buffing or nail polish, a souvenir photo, a brisk walk over Sarasota's scenic Ringling Bridge and a gourmet meal of organic stew and designer water.

The amazing thing is that obviously there is a demand for this kind of pooch pampering. Consider the following US Stats - our neighbours to the south spend about $38.4 billion on their pets annually, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturer's Association. Spending on pets increased an average of $2.3 billion a year since the association started tracking numbers in 1997.

Look for traveling with your pets as one of the upcoming trends in travel this year!

Weather or Not...The Canadians are Coming!

In warm winters past, the industry always claimed that a good cold snap or vicious snowstorm was needed to get the phones ringing. But this year, as Ontario sails through one of its warmest winters in history, business has been booming.

Why you ask? I think the market has changed and Canadians have changed too – getting away from winter, even a mild one, is something that has become ingrained, as much for a restful break as an escape from the cold. People are now used to getting away to the south in the winter, they plan for it every year and weather be damned.

I know weather has been the topic of conversation for most of us living in Ontario, but it hasn't deterred our customers. Nor, in fact, has the whole US passport requirement. Perhaps its our Canadian way of being prepared in advance, but we haven't seen any real issues with the new law. In fact, many of our customers had their passports already.