School's in at Some Luxury Vacation Rentals
February 21, 2007. Traditional wisdom says vacation is for rest and relaxation. Many travelers, however, just can't sit on a beach all day. Hence, the "active" vacation for golfers, hikers and such; the "volunteer" vacation for those interested in public service; and, now, the "education" vacation for those who love to learn.
One recent article highlighted the growth in educational (also known as "experiential") travel packages and the increased attendance at the annual Education Travel Conference. The conference started 18 years ago with "15 to 20" participants and will host more than 200 registrants this week in Baltimore. The trend has caught the attention of major travel agencies such as Abercrombie and Kent, as well as universities and non-profits pursuing the hearts, minds and pocketbooks of donors.
"A survey of U.S. travelers taken last year by the Travel Industry Association found that 56 percent said they were interested in taking an educational trip and 22 percent said they were more interested now compared with five years ago," according to the article.
While the news story highlights exotic locales such as the Galapagos Islands and Iran, experiential vacations can be had closer to home, without booking custom packages. We recommend reading a book on your destination before leaving, and then visiting a local historical museum.
Read "Sheridan in Shenandoah," for example, and you'll be able to smell the gunpowder when you visit Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, site of the epic Civil War meeting of General Robert E. Lee and Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant. A walk through the local namesake museum will complete the trip back in time.
