Imagine unwrapping a box with travel vouchers for a specific destination or a gift certificate to choose your own. Visualize the look on your childs face when they unwrap their gift from Santa to find a Disney wristband. Giving the gift of travel is not just a gift, it’s an invitation to make memories everyone will not soon forget.
It’s been a tough few years, for everyone, and we have been kept away from friends and family and even confined to our homes for months on end. It’s time to spread our wings and there is no better way to do that this holiday season than with the gift of travel.
It is easier than you might think to gift someone a vacation for Christmas, graduation, a honeymoon or a birthday. You don’t even need to know when or where they want to travel! And there are so many reasons why the people in your life would prefer this gift over anything you can buy in a store.
- It’s the perfect “minimalist” gift as there’s nothing to add more clutter to their home.
- Everyone values memories. The memories made and the pictures taken are far more valuable than the sweater or blender you may get for grandma.
- When you buy lots of toys just to fill under the tree, you may still have to have a vacation budget later on. Why not funnel some of the vacation budget to your holiday gift budget and save money, or upgrade your travels?
Give all or part your gift in the form of a gift card or voucher. Adventure Travel and Cruising offers gift certificates that will let your family member choose their own travel destination and vacation type. Or, maybe you book a vacation to Yellowstone National Park, a great gift would be an annual National Park Pass or a gift card to a nearby restaurant or a gift certificate for a helicopter ride over the park. We can help with all of that and it is a gift that will add to their experience. Maybe you’re planning on booking a vacation to Disney for the family; give the wristbands as a gift or maybe a gift certificate for dinner with Cinderella at the castle. The possibilities are endless and the memories will be priceless.
A Few Things To Consider Prior to Purchase
- If it’s not immediate family or hasn’t been discussed prior, a gift certificate or travel voucher may be the way to go.You don’t know what is going on in everyone’s day to day life so booking a trip with a specific date may not work for them. They may not be able to get those specific times off of work, maybe they have a surgery scheduled or friends are flying in from out of state.
- Consider all the costs and the financial means of your gift recipient. Getting to and from the airport can be costly, are you available to help with transportation? Do they have pets that will need to be cared for while they are away? Are there additional fees they will face during travel; food, gratuities, etc. All of these things add up. If you are giving travel as part of a vacation they are taking anyway, then it will help to save them money. Or if you are giving a train ride to go see family, then there won’t be as many expenses. But giving someone a week-long stay in Jamaica for the winter without any airfare to get there just adds to their expenses.
- Use caution in booking international travel. Be sure you know that their passports are up to date, that they have one, and that it doesn’t expire within 6 months of their travel date.
- Be careful when using YOUR frequent flier miles for THEIR trip, especially if you are not joining them on their travels. Although it’s a great way for you to save money, if something happens during travel they may need to rely on YOU to make changes, etc.
- Be sure you know the correct spelling of their legal names and are certain of their birthdates. For things like cruises or international travel and airlines, their name will have to match their identification EXACTLY or they may be denied boarding.
Great Ideas on How to Present and Wrap Your Gift
- Match the vacation style. For instance, if you have given them an Amtrak Journey through Alaska, wrap your gift voucher or gift card in with a toy train or a pair of binoculars.
- Sending them on an all inclusive trip to the Caribbean? Wrap it with a cute bathing suit or beach hat.
- Ski Vacation? How about a Parka or warm hat and a pair of gloves
- Family trip to Italy? How about a gift basket filled with food from the destination and a bottle of wine.
- Wrapping a guide book or a language guide is another gift that is sure to please.
- Want to make it super cute? Wrap your gift in an old map as wrapping paper and add a luggage tag as your gift tag!
