SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwired - December 17, 2015) - What would you pay to dine in a Michelin-starred restaurant or be dazzled with impossible plates designed by a celebrity chef?
If you match the cross-section numbers in a recent survey conducted by Harris Poll and Michelin that dinner would set you back just over $200. However, if you are under 34 you might pay a lot more for that fleeting pleasure than you would if you were 65 or older. The study is outlined in the latest issue of Tours.com's Travel-Intel, which looks at the trends and interests of travelers and news affecting their travel choices.
Similarly, the story details findings from Hotels.com, which reveal what people pay for a club sandwich or cup of coffee in top cities around the world. If you happen to be in Geneva, Switzerland, expect to pay more than $30 for that plate, with or without chips. If you want to grab a coffee-to-go in Korea, it will set you back almost $10. Happily, that same cup of Columbian will cost only $1.50 in Bogota.
From dining out to entertainment, Travel-Intel looks toward the opening of the new Star Wars film and notes what Disney theme parks are doing to keep the force alive.
Park visitors in both Anaheim and Orlando can expect a multitude of Star Wars character encounters and set immersions. These include a new Star Tours attraction that takes guests to multiple Star Wars destinations where they interact with characters from the entire saga all in Dolby 3D and with a dramatic musical score and motion simulator-based technology. Naturally, there are nightly spectacles and parades, themed dining experiences, a re-imagined Space Mountain at Disneyland that thrusts guests into an action-packed battle between Rebel X-wings and Imperial TIE fighters all in complete darkness, and plenty of opportunities at both parks to revisit the epic series in film.
Travelers heading abroad may be looking towards Thailand and what beauty and relaxation can be gained from stays at resorts along the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea. But staying in Bangkok is a must for anyone considering a Thailand vacation and a top hotel to consider for location and ambience is The Siam. A small and precious hotel on the banks of Bangkok's mighty Chao Praya, The Siam is one for simmering down with a classic G & T after a day of bountiful bargain hunts in designer shopping. The property uses original Lanna-style buildings and mixes them with 19th and 20th century Colonial details. The Opium Spa offers lessons in Muay Thai and also presents an unusual tradition-focused retreat in the art and discipline of Thai tattoo. The resort is a member of the exclusive Kurtz-Ahlers collection of luxury hotels, resorts and destination specialists.
From Bangkok to Beijing -- Travel-Intel goes a step further in presenting options to readers looking for exotic and rejuvenating travel experiences. It features a primer on authentic spa experiences to have in Beijing. Ten spa destinations in and around Beijing allow travelers to retreat from the dust and crowds and enter treasured sanctuaries where geo-thermal pools and eastern healing treatments combine for a true antidote to jetlag.
As travel strength recovers with the economy, Travel-Intel looks to the U.S. Travel Association to find out what's hot for 2016 and who is going to these places. Not surprisingly, Cuba tops the list of what tour operators say is in demand for new an emerging spots to target. Cuba is followed by Myanmar, Iceland, Colombia, Ethiopia and Japan. More than half the travelers from the U.S. will be Baby Boomers.
These stories and others are featured in the latest issue of Travel-Intel, a weekly publication sent to 103,000 travel agents and posted on Tours.com.
"News happens fast and much of that news affects the way people travel and the travel decisions they make. Travel-Intel is there as a barometer -- informing travel advisors of trends and updates and also bringing travelers information that will impact where they decide to go. As most booking windows for complex and expensive travel plans run one year to six months in advance, it is important to keep up with the news and stay on top of the opportunities out there to make the best decisions," says Lark Gould, content director for Travel-Intel and Tours.com.
Travel-Intel is written by travel industry journalists and focuses on changing trends in travel. Stories come from a variety of places and positions, whether travel industry conferences and expos, or onsite at popular hotels, exotic resorts, cruise ships and ports, and destinations near and far. Current issues and archives can be viewed at www.travel-intel.com.
As a veteran travel journalist who has been covering the travel industry for more than 30 years, Lark Gould puts her incisive perspective into the weekly publication, with features and news updates, and also "packages" issues that present great travel deals to be found at hotels and resort locations worldwide. Travel-Intel can be viewed as a stand-alone publication on Tours.com. Gould publishes travel columns and stories for Barclay's Travel Community, the Washington Times, Business Travel Executive, and Business Traveler USA, as well as eTravel.news and Larkslist.
About Tours.com: Tours.com is the parent company of two well established tourism websites and two trade newsletters. Tours.com, The only Worldwide Directory of Tours and Vacations, provides a deep and searchable worldwide database of tour and vacation operators. Sightseeing.com is the resource for local sightseeing and attractions in cities and towns around the world. Trade newsletters include Travel-Intel a weekly compendium for retail agents with a circulation of 100,000 to North American Travel Agents and Sightseeing News & Views bi-monthly. Tours.com is celebrating its 20th anniversary and is a proud partner of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA).
Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2015/12/17/11G076260/Images/LARK_HEAD_SHOT_FOR_TRAVEL_INTEL-34de5e3c934fa870953e0bd561d4917a.jpg
Contact Information:
Press Contact:
Maria Polk
maria@tours.com
Phone 415-786-9108
