What if you could go on vacation and acquire a new skill at the same time? A growing travel trend combines travel and learning, allowing vacationers to come back from a trip rested and ready to pursue a new interest with knowledge and confidence.
Edu-tourism or edu-vacations, as they are sometimes called, are especially popular with Baby Boomers. These days, travelers can learn Spanish in Costa Rica, take up dance in Spain, study wine in California or learn to cook in France.
It's no secret that travel is a favorite pastime for Boomers, who have more time and more money to spend on travel. But according to the CDC's Audience Insights, Boomers also see themselves as "evolving" rather than aging, which explains their interest in new endeavors.
"Baby Boomers are adventurous and have a strong desire to see places and species that are vanishing, and experience them before the opportunity is lost," the CDC findings state.
One popular learning vacation option combines travel and travel writing workshops.
"In the past few years, more people have become interested in the field of travel journalism," says Janna Graber, editor in chief at Go World Travel Magazine, which covers travel in some 90 countries. Travel journalists write about destinations, resorts and travel experiences for newspapers, magazine and online sites.
"We've seen an increase in writers from the Baby Boomer age group," says Graber. "For many of them, this is a new career pursuit. One of our most popular writers is a former lawyer in his 80s. He has covered places in China, Jordan and more for our publication."
Graber's insight into this market led her to create "Travel Writing On Location," which offers travel writing workshops along with tours of some of the world's top destinations. The goal is to provide travel writing instruction - and an extraordinary destination to write about.
"Travel Writing On Location provides not only classroom learning, but on-the-job experience," says Graber. "Writers experience each destination with our professional guides— trying new activities, interviewing experts and experiencing the culture— while learning the skills they need to be a travel writer."
The workshop/tour combinations vary in length, focus and destination. Upcoming workshops include a stay an authentic dude ranch experience in Colorado to exploring Native American heritage in Santa Fe to an 8-day tour and workshop in Bali.
Costs are similar to the cost of a normal vacation package, and workshop/tour combos start at $995. Accommodations, tours, activities, workshop classes and most meals are included.
Travel Writing On Location is led by a veteran team of travel journalists, photographers and destination professionals.
For TWOL staff and instructors, travel writing is more than just a job; it's a way of life. In addition to staff, TWOL works with talented travel journalists and professional tour guides in each destination. For more information, see www.TravelWritingOnLocation.com
Upcoming workshops and tours include:
Spirit of the Old West: C Lazy U Dude Ranch in Colorado, April 26-29, 2013
Native American & Spanish Heritage in New Mexico: Santa Fe. May 2-6, 2013
Beyond Eat, Pray, Love: Sights and Colors of Bali, Indonesia, Sep 20-27, 2013
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