This text belongs to the special Pleasures notebook
News from the tourist world, here and elsewhere.
Update on tourism in the United States
Numbers, lots of numbers. This is what I remember most about the inaugural conference of IPW, the largest tourism trade show in the United States, which brought together some 5,700 participants in Los Angeles this year. The event welcomed 2,000 international buyers and media representatives from 70 countries in early May. There was something flashy about this stream of numbers in an age when success is measured in so many other ways. And this, starting with the well-being of the local population (homelessness and the ubiquity of drugs on the streets of Los Angeles, are we talking about that?). During the meetings and press conferences, I still gathered information that made me want to cross the border again – and that gave me a little hope.
In Portland, Oregon, for example, regenerative agriculture has inspired a series of pop-up dinners and diversity in cuisine is one of the tourist office’s strengths. In Florida, the number of passengers on the private Brightline train, which now goes to Orlando airport, is defying those who believe the car cannot be moved. Dedicated to travel too long to drive, but too short to fly “Brightline’s western division will soon connect Southern California to Las Vegas.
Denver, in turn, is increasingly focusing on active mobility. A train transports visitors from the airport to the city center, which is easy to explore on foot. During the winter months, travelers can access the ski slopes with direct Winter Park Express train service from Union Station. This summer, the country’s first carbon-positive hotel, the Populus Hotel, will also be inaugurated. The goal: give more to the planet than you take from it. The installation will produce solar and wind energy. “We define carbon positive as a commitment to sequester more carbon in biomass and soil than the combined intrinsic and operational footprint of the building over its entire life cycle,” the website summarizes.
Special mention to Washington DC, which, in addition to promoting its sustainable practices, chose to donate to a reforestation organization. And this on behalf of all participants who were present at the press conference, instead of offering promotional material.
Glamping in Nevada
If you’re traveling through Las Vegas and want to escape the crowds, here’s an option to consider: Tarantula Ranch Camping & Glamping, 1 hour and 25 minutes from the Strip. During the pandemic, the Schmidt family found the Amargosa Valley to be the perfect place to escape the long rainy winter of Oregon, where they are based. She now welcomes visitors with a luxury camping or turnkey option, in addition to growing vines.
Towels and bed linen were waiting for me in my caravan for $90 a night. Toilets, showers and a small outdoor kitchen are located nearby. Although my cocoon had a backup heater, the extra blanket was enough to keep me warm that May night (air conditioning wasn’t even considered).
The upside of having to go outside to fulfill an urgent desire: the stars, as far as the eye can see. For more comfort, the Burro model has a sink, toilet and shower. It is also possible to set up your own tent or opt to rent a small studio. About a ten-minute drive away you can do some shopping at the Ruby Store and enjoy tacos at El Valle restaurant. Perfect to start with one tour in the legendary Death Valley National Park, about twenty minutes from camp! Note that no tarantula crossed our path, but the WiFi password suggested a snakebite.
Do Canadians pay more?
This is perhaps the strongest argument for using a virtual private network (VPN) once and for all. This tool allows us to hide our IP address and improve confidentiality and security during our next reservations. A study commissioned by cybersecurity firm NordVPN shows that vacationers spend up to 82% more on Canadian websites.
In order not to trace the origin of the requests, the researchers used NordVPN’s virtual private networks (VPNs) to run various simulations. Result: countless savings on different sites such as Hertz, Hotels.com and Booking.com and for different destinations. For example, renting a vehicle in Europe was 82% cheaper through the Italian version of the Enterprise site than through its Canadian counterpart, a difference of $737.
“Never think you’re getting the same deal as everyone else,” advises Marijus Briedis, CTO at NordVPN. Your location, the number of visits you make to a website and whether your search fits in with the school holiday calendar are all elements that can influence the price you are offered. » Keep in mind that it’s important to shop within your network and subscription costs vary.
This content was produced by the Special Publications team of Task, relating to marketing. Writing the Task did not participate.