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Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Have you ever given someone a trip for a present?
Travel deals abound as economy tightens. Will you take advantage of the bargains as a gift for your family or yourself?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The travel industry would probably be glad to see this year come to an end if prospects didn’t look worse for 2009. Exorbitant fuel costs kept many leisure travelers grounded or off the roads last summer. Months later, economic uncertainty is forcing airlines, cruise ships, resorts and hotels to offer amazing deals in an effort to lure hesitant travelers out of their houses. In fact, the Travel Industry Association has predicted that 2009 will be the “year of travel deals”.
With good bargains already out there and more on the horizon, I wonder if anyone is thinking of giving a getaway as a gift this season? In the past, I have considered giving a ski trip (or some other winter holiday that we don’t normally take) in lieu of all of the toys and little things that are normally tucked under the tree. The anticipation, family time and memories would be priceless.
I recently read a magazine article about a family that makes this kind of gift a yearly tradition. It’s the one Christmas present the parents give their children. Every year, the destination is kept secret - wrapped up as tightly as any present could be. The kids anticipate the great unveiling, and the gift automatically has a longer shelf life than many of those toys that are soon forgotten or broken.
Given the deals I have seen over the past few days, some trips might even be cheaper than buying individual gifts for everyone in the family. Take the 3-day Disney Cruise, where kids sail free; or Disney World’s offer of three free nights with Theme park tickets and a $200 Disney gift card included when you book a seven-day trip.
But it’s not just Disney. A quick search online yielded great deals on lodge getaways to ski Breckenridge, Colo.; steep breaks on beachside resorts in Sandestin, Fla.; midtown Manhattan hotels; flights to Canada, the Caribbean - you name it.
Even a weekend package at a nice hotel —- with discounts of 25 percent or other extras thrown in — would be a comforting present that might help ease the pain of an uncertain economic future for the traveler in your life. Omni Hotels nationwide are currently running Holiday and New Year’s-themed packages with rates as low as $97 - $177.
With the travel industry begging Americans to “pack up their troubles in their old kit bags and smile, smile, smile” during the long the months of recession, I’m wondering… Will you take them up on it? Have you ever gifted a trip before? What other good deals have you seen?
As a travel fan, would you like to receive a trip as a gift - or do you prefer to be in charge of your travels? Given limited discretionary funds, what would you cut out to keep on traveling? Or is leisure travel the first thing to go?
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