No Big Hurry
Everyone is looking for a good investment these days. And with stocks, currencies and companies all foundering, some are finding that taking the trip of a lifetime is actually a smart move right now. Prices are good, crowds are sparse and the dividendsexpanded worldview, lifelong memories, the satisfaction of boosting the global economycant be easily snatched away. Sylvia and Paul Custerson, a retired couple from Cambridge, England, recently took a 16-day vacation to Namibia, where they went on safari and bird-watching excursions. Later this year, they are planning a trip to Patagonia. Were using our capital now, says Sylvia, 64. And why not? Were not getting any interest in the bank. If its a place we really want to go, were thinking, To hell with it! We may as well travel while were fit and healthyand before the airlines go bust.
Some travel agents are thriving in spite of the economy. Weve had more people booking in the first quarter of this year than last, says Hubert Moineau, founder of Paris-based Tselana Travel, which is planning to introduce a new program of longer adventure trips, including polar expeditions, gorilla tracking and cruises in the Galpagos. Were hearing [our clients say] things like, We dont know what the situation will be in six months so lets travel now Ashley Toft, managing director of the U.K. tour operator Explore has been surprised to see an uptick in last-minute bookings of high-priced trips to such places as India, Bhutan and Nepal. It seems people would rather give up something else than the big trip, he says. Travel has become a necessity. Its just how we travel that is changing.
Indeed, though some travelers may be spending more time going longer distances, they do not necessarily have to spend more money. They can use cheaper alternatives like home stays instead of chain hotels, flagging down local taxis rather than reserve hotel cars and choosing family-run eateries over instantly recognizable global brands. Yacht charters and private jets are dead, says George Morgan-Grenville of Abercrombie Kent. But what is remaining resilient is the traditional authentic experience.
A long trip is certainly more satisfying than a short one, but many also choose it because its better for the environment. In terms of carbon emissions, they say, a clutch of weekend trips is more damaging to the planet than one round-the-world jaunt. Clive Stacy, managing director of the U.K.-based tour operator Discover the World, has just launched a 50-day trip around Iceland, which can be done in one stint or spread over three years . We want to encourage people to go away less frequently, he says. The boom in low-cost flying has meant a big rise in weekend breaks. I say fly less, stay longer, do more. If you focus on one or two holidays a year, youre really getting to know the country and achieving so much more.
Longer trips arent necessarily pricier, either. The airfare is a big proportion of the cost of a trip, Stacy says. It means longer trips can even work out cheaper per daysay, in somewhere like New Zealandthan staying at home. Morgan-Grenville says that Abercrombie Kents clients, who come mostly from the U.S. and the U.K., are already traveling less frequently. If they were taking four big trips a year, they are now taking two, he says. What is important is they are not compromising on the duration of their holidays or the quality.
The downturn in the travel industry is already giving rise to some fantastic deals, which will continue at least in the short term. It could be the perfect moment to take that once-in-a-lifetime trip: a journey into Ugandas misty mountains to look into the amber eyes of a gorilla, or to see the white wilderness of Antarctica. Your financial adviser may not approve of that kind of investment, but what does he know anyway?
雅思口语考试高分秘诀化抽象为具体
浅谈雅思阅读中段落标题配对题6点答题诀窍
剑桥雅思考试全真试题集7将全球同步出版
雅思考官点拨雅思作文怎样获得高分
雅思在华东地区设新考点缩短报名等待时间
在雅思培训中怎样更好的与外教沟通
雅思听力考试填空题应对攻略
雅思考生的作文修改及范文教师责任
如何让雅思阅卷老师给你写作评高分
浅析文化背景知识在提高雅思听力中的重要性
如何应对雅思听力考试中的配对题
雅思口语考试秘诀要化抽象为具体
雅思阅读考试笔是最得力的工具
湖南雅思考试参考人数三级跳将破万人
雅思剑七揭秘名师解析雅思学习最佳方式
如何储备雅思阅读词汇的妙招
雅思阅读八大题型解题技巧
雅思听力考试中的图形标签题
IELTS20年成就3个雅思新考点将陆续投入使用
雅思写作问题权威剖析寻求合适解决方法
名师策略助二次烤鸭实现高分梦想
雅思专家支招把握五大环节稳拿听力高分
雅思口语考试高分技巧的三大黄金法则
影响雅思听力的7个因素和其相应对策
雅思口语考试中考官经常使用的套话
名师三大建议让雅思写作简洁完美
名师指点雅思与新托福的相似性及主要区别
考生高分心得雅思总分7.5分阅读9分
雅思专家教你练口语轻松拿高分秘诀
雅思听力备考为何首选VOA
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |