"New sights give us new insights". Whether you're setting your sights on the snow-caked Mont Blanc, the cascading Niagara Falls, the colorful Grand Canyon National Park, the vineyards of Tuscany or the turquoise waters of the Greek isles, vacations will color your world and change your perspective on life. Escaping the humdrum of daily life by taking vacations for personal (i.e. visiting friends and family), recreational, business, religious (i.e. pilgrimage) or research purposes yields numerous benefits: 1) relaxation, 2) adventure, 3) camaraderie, 4) discovery of new places, 5) improved health, 6) self-discovery, 7) education, 8) appreciation of things taken for granted, 9) enhanced stress-coping skills, 10) a sense of renewal and refreshment and 11) happiness.
To get from point A to point B, travelers typically either seek out the services of travel agencies or prepare and book their own itineraries and flights. According to a recent travel industry survey, travel agencies sell:
- 51% of all airline tickets
- 81% of all tours and packages
- 47% of all hotel accommodations
- 87% of cruises
- 45% of all auto rentals
Travel agencies sell package tours, accommodation services such as hotels, and travel such as resorts to the public at large and commercial and business clientele. Tours combine accommodation and flights. Travel agencies also arrange for transportation (domestic and international flights, taxis, cruise ships, rental cars) and make hotel and resort reservations for their clients. Many travel agencies' websites offer detailed, regularly-updated information on a substantial number of hotel, car rental and flight vacancies. A number of online travel sites allow consumers to compare flight and hotel rates with different companies gratuitously and to verify flight schedules.
Travelers who prefer to book their own flights and accommodations and to take public transportation (i.e. buses) or rent a car will find dynamic packaging extremely convenient. This method, which allows consumers to create their own package of accommodation and flights, is an alternative to pre-set packages and is becoming increasingly popular for package holiday booking.
For leisure and relaxation, many travelers spend holidays or vacations at a resort, the main feature of which is typically a hotel. Destination resorts are self-contained facilities that offer top service to their guests and cater to their needs, making it unnecessary for them to leave the premises. These types of resorts provide high-quality food and drink, entertainment, lodging, shopping, sports inside their facilities. A second type of resort is the all-inclusive resort, in which guests are charged a fixed price that covers unlimited meals, drink, lodging, entertainment, sports, and most or all other items.
Travelers may choose from an a garden variety of resorts, including 1) ski resorts, 2) casino resorts, 3) non-casino resorts, 4) timeshares, 5) chain resorts, 6) beach resorts, 7) golf resorts, 8) seaside resorts, 9) spa resorts, 10) health resorts, 11) luxury resorts, and 12) mega-resorts. Luxury resorts, often classified as exclusive resorts, offer a wide choice of attractions and activities, including the following:
- golf
- beauty and spa facilities
- water sports
- diving
- skiing
- spectacular surroundings
- sailing
- nature paths
- nightlife entertainment
- first-class
- sophisticated shopping
Mega-resorts are considered destination resorts. They are large venues that incorporate the services provided by hotels and casinos, with shopping, entertainment and dining. The Las Vegas Strip hotels fall within the category of mega-resorts.