The holidays are right around the corner!
Are you finding yourself racking your brain trying to come up with gift ideas for your spouse that has it all?
Do you find yourself dreading watching your children open up one more toy that you know will find its way to the garbage within the month?
Did your siblings put you in charge of a gift for your parents only to find out Mom bought everything off Dad’s list during pre-black Friday sales?
We live in a society of too much “stuff.” Cluttered closets, overflowing cupboards, and stuffed full basements are all too common among families these days.
Have you ever considered forgoing the traditional gifts and instead giving the gift of a travel experience?
A few years ago, my husband and I decided to go this route as our children didn’t need a thing (and we knew the grandmas already had gifts wrapped and waiting).
We had been considering taking our children to Walt Disney World. It is a trip that we had budgeted for and were ready to confirm. So, we decided to go for it and give it to the kids for Christmas!
My husband had a blast making a scavenger hunt that eventually revealed the surprise on Christmas morning. Our 3 kids were over the moon and did not miss the material gifts at all. We spent the rest of the morning talking about the trip, learning about the resort, and watching YouTube videos of the park attractions.
Since our kids have winter birthdays, we also decided to gift them a special birthday character dining experience as their birthday gifts.
While I know that a Walt Disney World Vacation may not always be in your budget, there are still many ways that you can give the gift of travel.
Travel Gift Ideas
-Family vacation to a Disney Destination or Disney Cruise
-Beach vacation (There are some great domestic resorts and international all-inclusive family resorts out there!)
-Cruise vacation
-Ski trip
-Weekend road trip
-Overnight stay at an indoor water park
-Staycation at your local hotel (Swim in the pool, relax, watch movies, and order take out!)
-Camping trip (hiking and fishing included!)
Experience Gift Ideas
-Tickets to a local amusement or water park
-Season pass to the zoo, children’s museum, or other local attraction
-Concert tickets
-Tickets to a sporting event
-Tickets to a local performance
-Add an excursion or spa experience for a trip that is already booked
-Coffee or lunch date to discuss and dream about future travel plans
Travel Related Gift Ideas
-The gift of money to cover passport processing fees
-New Luggage
-A personalized passport holder
-Photo book with pictures from a previous vacation
-Jewelry representing a favorite travel destination. (My husband surprised me with this)
-Noise cancelling headphones
-Travel pillow and blanket
-Audible or e-book credits
When looking over your holiday gift list, remember memories don’t have a size or color and they always last forever.
Giving the gift of a travel experience doesn’t have to be an elaborate vacation and can fit in any budget. Spending time together with your family and friends whether on a beach in Mexico or camping next to a local stream will create lasting memories that will be around much longer than this year’s popular toy.
Do you have questions in order to decide if travel is the right gift for someone on your list? Let the Journey Planners at Embrace the Journey Travel help!
*Note: Some of the experiences mentioned above may be temporarily suspended or have protocols and entry requirements due to COVID-19.
Thanks to Embrace the Journey Travel Planner, Andrea Cassidy, for writing this blog post. You can learn more about Andrea here!