Bizarre new types of tourism
Tourists are heading to New York to take part in Occupy protests. Picture: Getty Images Source: The Daily Telegraph
JUST as destinations can rise and fall in popularity, so can the activities and tours you take while on holiday.
A decade or so ago, bungy jumps and skydives were the activity to take while on a trip, the adrenalin-packed punch that was the crowning glory of your overseas adventure, while also making you the envy of friends and family when you got home.
Nowadays, people are more surprised if you haven't jumped out of a plane or off a bridge upon your return home.
And the same goes for tours too.
Swimming with the dolphins or sharks, wilderness hikes and authentic indigenous village visits are all still popular and enjoyable options but in the Ive got to be the first to try this so I can boast about it to other travellers climate, they're all a little passe now.
So if you're looking for something a little different when it comes to a tour, you could try one of the off-beat trips I've unearthed here.
While there's little chance any of them will ever make it into mainstream tourism, I'm willing to bet they'll give you the best travel story most people will have heard in a while.
Protest tourism, USA
The closest most tourists usually get to protests is not being able to get where they're going due to transport strikes. And while sitting stranded in an airport isn't the best way to empathise with protesting workers, there are a growing number of travellers who are making a beeline to the 'Occupy' sites in the US to channel their inner socialist for a few hours. New York's Occupy Wall Street is the most popular site, with a wealth of information online about where to go and how to get involved. One of the latest tactics employed by protesters is Sidewalk Sleepovers, where some hardy souls sleep in the belly of the beast on the sidewalks around Wall Street.
Who will do it?
Socially conscious travellers, or if you're doing the sleepover, those looking to save money on expensive NYC hotels.
Scare tourism, USA & Canada
One of my previous blogs took a look at a couple of scary tours you can take - a haunted house where you can be water boarded and a bespoke kidnapping service in Paris - but it seems some travellers need to take things further. On first look, a cruise based around the movie franchise Saw might be enough to soil even the hardiest horror fans pants, with visions of power-tool wielding maniacs at the captains table or dismembering over shuffleboard becoming a reality. However, the tour - setting sail this August from New York - merely has cast members from the movie on board and the chance to have your picture taken with a wooden doll, as well as taking in stops in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. One journalist wrote: "I was expecting a thrilling, horror-filled adventure. Not taking pictures with a puppet. And going to Canada." Then again, maybe the real horror is in the threat that they'll leave you in Canada.
Who will do it?
Horror movie fans. Canada fans. Pinocchio fans.
Crossword tourism, The Caribbean
Now this is more like a horror cruise - being stuck on a boat with hundreds of crossword enthusiasts attending seminars such as 'Puzzles 101' and 'Tackling the Toughies'. Hosted by acclaimed American crossword guru Stan Newman and dubbed 'Crossword University', the 10-day Caribbean cruise is hog heaven for the puzzle fan. Not only will travellers look to improve their crossword skills and learn techniques to boost their brain power, but they will also create their own crossword that will be published in Newsday. One happy customer even went so far as to say the cruise is especially fun for singles but I think she was probably talking about a three letter word beginning with s and ending with x.
Who will do it?
Definitely one for the skinny jean, horn-rimmed glasses, hipster crowd. Or retirees looking for some action.
Homeless tourism, London
It's one thing to see the glossy, romantic side of a city, but quite another to see it through the eyes of those the city has cast aside. Launched as part of last year's London Fringe Festival, volunteer group Sock Mob offer travellers the chance to see another side of London on a walking tour with a homeless guide. Discovering famous areas such as London Bridge, Covent Garden and Mayfair, tales of the city are intertwined with anecdotes of the guides own experiences of living on the streets. Not only will the tour open your eyes to another side of life in one of the worlds most famous cities, but youll be helping the guides make a living, as they share in the revenue of ticket sales. For more info, head to http://sockmobevents.org.uk
Who will do it?
People who want to do more than just scratch the surface of a place they visit
Illegal immigrant tourism, Mexico
If you've ever been planning a trip and thought to yourself, "I wonder what it would be like to illegally cross the border from Mexico to the US?", then I've got the trip for you. Situated in Parque EcoAlberto, three hours north-west of Mexico City, the 'caminata nocturna' - or night time hike - gives participants a Mexican border-hopping experience, complete with chasing border patrol officers and fellow refugees to help you find your way. While all the running away from fake cops may sound a bit contrived, there's also a serious message. "Being an immigrant isn't a source of pride," said one guide. "We abandon the family, the language, the earth. The idea here is to raise peoples consciousness about what immigrants go through."
Who will do it?
Anyone planning on overstaying their visa.
Grave site tourism
Nowadays, people are more surprised if you haven't jumped out of a plane or off a bridge upon your return home.
And the same goes for tours too.
Swimming with the dolphins or sharks, wilderness hikes and authentic indigenous village visits are all still popular and enjoyable options but in the Ive got to be the first to try this so I can boast about it to other travellers climate, they're all a little passe now.
So if you're looking for something a little different when it comes to a tour, you could try one of the off-beat trips I've unearthed here.
While there's little chance any of them will ever make it into mainstream tourism, I'm willing to bet they'll give you the best travel story most people will have heard in a while.
Protest tourism, USA
The closest most tourists usually get to protests is not being able to get where they're going due to transport strikes. And while sitting stranded in an airport isn't the best way to empathise with protesting workers, there are a growing number of travellers who are making a beeline to the 'Occupy' sites in the US to channel their inner socialist for a few hours. New York's Occupy Wall Street is the most popular site, with a wealth of information online about where to go and how to get involved. One of the latest tactics employed by protesters is Sidewalk Sleepovers, where some hardy souls sleep in the belly of the beast on the sidewalks around Wall Street.
Who will do it?
Socially conscious travellers, or if you're doing the sleepover, those looking to save money on expensive NYC hotels.
Scare tourism, USA & Canada
One of my previous blogs took a look at a couple of scary tours you can take - a haunted house where you can be water boarded and a bespoke kidnapping service in Paris - but it seems some travellers need to take things further. On first look, a cruise based around the movie franchise Saw might be enough to soil even the hardiest horror fans pants, with visions of power-tool wielding maniacs at the captains table or dismembering over shuffleboard becoming a reality. However, the tour - setting sail this August from New York - merely has cast members from the movie on board and the chance to have your picture taken with a wooden doll, as well as taking in stops in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. One journalist wrote: "I was expecting a thrilling, horror-filled adventure. Not taking pictures with a puppet. And going to Canada." Then again, maybe the real horror is in the threat that they'll leave you in Canada.
Who will do it?
Horror movie fans. Canada fans. Pinocchio fans.
Crossword tourism, The Caribbean
Now this is more like a horror cruise - being stuck on a boat with hundreds of crossword enthusiasts attending seminars such as 'Puzzles 101' and 'Tackling the Toughies'. Hosted by acclaimed American crossword guru Stan Newman and dubbed 'Crossword University', the 10-day Caribbean cruise is hog heaven for the puzzle fan. Not only will travellers look to improve their crossword skills and learn techniques to boost their brain power, but they will also create their own crossword that will be published in Newsday. One happy customer even went so far as to say the cruise is especially fun for singles but I think she was probably talking about a three letter word beginning with s and ending with x.
Who will do it?
Definitely one for the skinny jean, horn-rimmed glasses, hipster crowd. Or retirees looking for some action.
Homeless tourism, London
It's one thing to see the glossy, romantic side of a city, but quite another to see it through the eyes of those the city has cast aside. Launched as part of last year's London Fringe Festival, volunteer group Sock Mob offer travellers the chance to see another side of London on a walking tour with a homeless guide. Discovering famous areas such as London Bridge, Covent Garden and Mayfair, tales of the city are intertwined with anecdotes of the guides own experiences of living on the streets. Not only will the tour open your eyes to another side of life in one of the worlds most famous cities, but youll be helping the guides make a living, as they share in the revenue of ticket sales. For more info, head to http://sockmobevents.org.uk
Who will do it?
People who want to do more than just scratch the surface of a place they visit
Illegal immigrant tourism, Mexico
If you've ever been planning a trip and thought to yourself, "I wonder what it would be like to illegally cross the border from Mexico to the US?", then I've got the trip for you. Situated in Parque EcoAlberto, three hours north-west of Mexico City, the 'caminata nocturna' - or night time hike - gives participants a Mexican border-hopping experience, complete with chasing border patrol officers and fellow refugees to help you find your way. While all the running away from fake cops may sound a bit contrived, there's also a serious message. "Being an immigrant isn't a source of pride," said one guide. "We abandon the family, the language, the earth. The idea here is to raise peoples consciousness about what immigrants go through."
Who will do it?
Anyone planning on overstaying their visa.
Grave site tourism
Travellers have been going to the grave sites of famous people for years, and for historical and pop culture icons such as JFK, Martin Luther King, Elvis Presley and Jim Morrison, their final resting places have become shrines for the visiting masses. However, the good (OK, maybe that's not the right word) part of grave site tourism is that there's a never-ending supply of new people to visit - Whitney Houston, Etta James and that young-faced looking one from The Monkees have all died this year and it's only May! Michael Jackson's grave at the Forest Lawn in the Hollywood Hills - also known as The Country Club for the Dead - is the latest site to be mobbed by fans, leaving tributes, flowers and silver gloves in their hundreds.
Who will do it?
Travellers who want to pay their respects. And the odd nutty fan
Who will do it?
Travellers who want to pay their respects. And the odd nutty fan
With the uses something has i am sure bus tours to niagara falls from chicago would be helpful enough for us and that's one of those activities that would be helpful for us to take things a different level.
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