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22 November 2005
Destination: cash register
America's travel hot spots
By Terry Riley
When I was a kid growing up in southern California, every summer my
parents would load up the Chevy, grab my brother and me, and head up the
highway to places like Lake Arrowhead, Yosemite, Bryce Canyon and Crater
Lake. We’d camp, hike and fish; get bruised, sunburned and
mosquito-bitten. And we’d absolutely love it.
Sometimes, as a reward for not whining too much and as a souvenir of our
vacation, my parents would let us splurge on a memento from the camp
store. My brother and I would meticulously work our way through the aisle
of trinkets selecting just the right item that would capture for posterity
the fun we had had. Then we’d plead with my dad to buy a decal to stick on
the rear window of the ol’ Bel Air as testament to our adventure.
Over those summers, I collected a neat pair of authentic Indian moccasins,
a desert stone paperweight with an engraved picture of a coyote, and a
very cool explorer knife with “Genuine Leather” stamped on the sheath. In
those days before jet travel, credit cards and outlet malls, shopping was
an important part of the travel experience, but it was only a small part.
Not any more. The hottest travel destinations in the United States now are
retail stores. As if we can’t get enough shopping done in our own
hometowns or over the Internet, retailers are now marketing their stores
as travel destinations—their stores!
What’s even more surprising is that people are biting—and biting hard.
Tour operators are filling airplanes, boats and buses with travelers who
can’t wait to load up on merchandise. Among the most popular “retail
destinations” in the United States are:
Bass Pro, Springfield, Mo.
Ron Jon’s, Cocoa Beach, Fla.
There is no question that visiting these locations can be entertaining and
interesting; it can swallow up a good portion of a day. Don’t get me
wrong: I approve of travelers venturing out to shop in air-conditioned,
fluorescently lighted superstructures.
In fact, I more than approve of it: I advocate it. For starters, shoppers
keep the economy churning and the travel business humming, which, farther
down the line, keeps travel columnists employed. But what’s even more
important to me is that while retail tourists are shopping for just the
right muu muus and matching aloha shirts (which, mind you, they will
never wear), they aren’t jamming hiking trails or exploring
out-of-the-way historical sites or packing beaches.
Indeed I encourage all vacationers to skip the National Parks scene
altogether, and get right to the malls. And if you should happen upon a
pair of authentic Indian moccasins, would you mind picking them up for me?
(Size 10 1/2 please.) Mine are way too tight and are getting very worn.
© 2005 Applied Psychology
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