The travel industry continues to inspire new additions to the English language, as travel journalists seek a small slice of immortality by coining a phrase that sticks. ‘Voluntourism’ is a recent addition and a good one, but ‘staycation’ doesn’t do much for me. Sitting in your backyard pretending you’re somewhere else smacks of a cop-out, high fuel prices or not. Here at TakeOffeh, we refuse to be outdone, so we came up with three monikers of our own:
The Ethication: As tourists and travellers, we make an impact everywhere we go, not only through the resources we consume, but also through the dollars we spend. While sending a cheque to a charity can be an effective way to share the wealth, so can buying a piece from a local artist, or even enjoying a meal in a small local restaurant. Now you can choose your destination based on a list of countries that have a strong commitment to the environment, human rights and social welfare. Produced by the San Franciso-based non-profit Earth Island Institute, the Top 10 list of ethical destinations includes Argentina, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Estonia, Namibia, Nicaragua and South Africa.
The Libationcation: Yes, fellow dipsomaniacs, you can base a whole trip on the bottle. What do you mean you already do? And no, we’re not talking about all-inclusive resorts, although the inventor of the swim-up bar should at least receive consideration for a Nobel. We’re talking serious swilling here, the kind where you nose and swirl and spit, then sagely suggest flavour tones like saddle leather and tobacco. (Who knew that riding the range with a chaw in your gob could lead to a career as a respectable drinker?) Whether it’s wine, beer, whiskey or sake, there’s a libationcation for you. Quick tips: Google ‘wine tours’ or ‘sake tours’; visit beercations.com; or check out whisky-tours.com for Scottish distillery destinations.
The (GASP!) Fornication: The naughty antics of exhibitionist tourists have been frisking up the headlines as of late. Last month, French officials fined a couple for knocking boots at Vimy Ridge. (The war memorial site is apparently a popular lovemaking destination- who knew?) And according to a recent article in the Globe and Mail, the high incidence of public sex among tourists in Zakynthos, Greece, led one local politico to request the immediate extradition of all paramours caught getting it on. Inspired, we came up with a number of potential nicknames for this thorny trend. Not surprisingly, many suggestions that were run up the flagpole failed to make the earth move. (Or at least weren’t suitable for a family website.) We do have to award special mention to the ‘$#@% OFF’ entry, which seemed the perfect title for a dirty weekend.
By Bruce Parkinson
Daily Dispatches
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