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thePeorian.com
W
hen one thinks of a
romantic trip for two
to some exotic locale,
elephants don’t exactly come to
mind.
“
You’d be surprised what
people want and what they
consider romantic,” said Mary
Seaton, vice president of Suzi Da-
vis Travel and general manager
of the agency’s Peoria office, who
told of booking a romantic trip
for two to Thailand so the couple
could be close to elephants.
“
Today, activities and even
adventure go hand-in-hand with
romance, as long as they are
together doing things they both
enjoy doing. Safaris are big for
romance,” Seaton said. “Being
together is what counts.”
Now Seaton and other agents
will be more than happy to book
a trip to an all-inclusive resort
that specializes in pampering its
guests, she said. “It all depends
on what the couple wants and is
willing to pay for,” she said.
While not all vacations that
travel agencies book are for
romance, it is still a big part of
the business, said Shelley Wilson,
vice president of Alexander
Travel in Peoria. “A lot of it is still
just the ‘Gosh, I need to get away’
vacation. But even those can be
romantic if both sleep better be-
ing away from the rat race and
focusing on each other,” Wilson
said.
“
As with everything else, your
budget will be the determin-
ing factor in the vacation you
pick. But we will find the perfect
romantic vacation for a couple in
any price range because that is
not only what we do, it’s what we
enjoy doing,” she said.
SELLING LOVE:
THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY
From Pampering to Adventuring,
Romance is Important to Travelers
by Paul Gordon
The Present