Selecting a Vacation Destination
 

I'm curious about something. So many people post on this forum that they will be going someplace on vacation and want to know what to do there. Why would someone pick a destination without knowing what there is to do? What would make them think of going to the destination? If they don't know what to do there why do they want to go there?

I don't mind helping people, but I'm curious why some don't bother to do the most elementary of research. Are they perhaps not posting what they already know or are they really ignorant of the area? Asking someone's advice on an attraction is one thing asking someone to name an attraction is quite another.

Just curious.

kkj, I see from some of your previous posts that you are or have been a travel agent. Wouldn't your experiences have made you an expert on this subject? I'll bet you have some pretty good stories to tell.

Actually I've never been a travel agent. I work for a tour operator. No never have seen this situation with people who have booked the tours at any of the places I've worked. I just notice it on this site and it makes me curious.

I think people have an idea of what's in the area but they want to know what other people like about that area.

Utahtea

I'll pick a destination that either sounds interesting, has one or two places of special interest for me, or comes highly recommended. When I went to Boston/Philly/DC I did so because I'd never seen that part of the country and I absolutely love early American history. I picked New Orleans because I was intrigued by the architecture, the reputation for food, and the history. These are just examples, but on each trip I came here to find out what additional info anyone who lived in these places or who had visited recently could share.

I don't think anyone just puts one hand over their eyes while letting the fingers of their other hand drift over map, going to wherever their fingers stop. I do think people have a basic reason for going someplace, but come here to find out more info or to fill in the gaps of their own knowledge.

I can think of many times I've gone places with minimal prior knowledge of what to do or expect, but they were still 'known quantities': London, Sydney, San Francisco, Hawaii, etc.

On the other hand, I'd never schedule a trip to, say, South Dakota or Alabama without some solid research to reassure me I'd likely be happy with the experience.

Actually, I have a friend who they put up a large map of the world and then blindfold themselves and throw a dart...where it lands is where their next trip is.

I always assume I don't know everything about a place I've never been to. I do research on-line and in guidebooks, but I think you can get more specific info here.

Some places have more to do than I can fit into my time there. In that case, I may ask what to do to help pare down the list of things to do. For example, I only had 3 days in Key West. I used this forum to help me decide what I wanted to see.

KKJ, I'm curious too, but it's not the people who ask "what to do there", I think they are just lazy, it's the people who actually answer this question who amuse me! It never fails, somebody would say "do a search" and 3 or 4 immediately jump in, trashing the first one, posting long lists of advices.

To: MMS
Where have they gone with the dart method ? I'm curious :-)

I'd like to hear about the "dart" trips too. How fun is that!

I am trying to see all 50 states. I often pick the city I will fly into based on airfare. I usually have some info on the area, but I find that the Fodorites provide great inside/local info that I cannot get anywhere else.

Several times I've arranged to attend professional conferences in cities I've never been to. A lot of organizations arrange these things in a different city each year. Once I'm going there anyway, I add a few days for touristy stuff - maybe other people are doing the same thing.

Every time I visit my TravelAgent, there is somebody in there talking with one of his associates wanting information on someplace.I hear so often,"I heard at the gym", or "at the cocktail party last night", or "I read it in The Traveller" that sort of thing.They want to hear the info from someone else, not do any research.AI don't think they are "lazy" but more curious.

Like Meesthare, I belong to some professional associations and, if they're in interesting locations, try to combine business with a vacation, and this sometimes finds me in places with which I'm not familiar.

Having said that, I too am amazed at people who seem to do so little research on their own. An hour on the Web plus an hour in the travel section of a good bookstore will give anyone tons of information on any destination in the world.