Great place to spend some time with family and if you like snorkeling or scuba it is a plus. The first underwater park in the U.S., John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park encompasses approximately 70 nautical square miles. While the mangrove swamps and tropical hammocks in the park’s upland areas offer visitors a unique experience, it is the coral reefs and their associated marine life that bring most visitors to the park. Many enjoy the view of the reef from a glass-bottom boat tour, but visitors can get a closer look by scuba diving or snorkeling. Canoeing and kayaking through the park’s waters are popular activities; fishing is permitted in designated areas. Visitors can enjoy walking on short trails, picnicking, or swimming at the beach. The Visitor Center has a 30,000-gallon saltwater aquarium and nature videos are shown in its theater. Full-facility and Youth/Group campsites are available. Beach wheelchairs are available without cost. |
Not paying your mortgage because of modification, adds to the economy in a different way. E-Commerce Sales Rise by 5 Percent to Reach $27 Billion for the 2009 Holiday Shopping Season through Christmas Eve |
2009 Holiday Season vs. 2008
Non-Travel (Retail) Spending
Excludes Auctions and Large Corporate Purchases
Total U.S. – Home/Work/University Locations
Source: comScore, Inc.
|
|
|
Millions ($)
|
| 2008
|
2009
|
Percent Change
|
| November 1 – December 24
|
$25,845
|
$27,121
|
5%
|
| Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 26)
|
$288
|
$318
|
10%
|
| Black Friday (Nov. 27)
|
$534
|
$595
|
11%
|
| Cyber Monday (Nov. 30)
|
$834
|
$887
|
5%
|
| Green Monday (Dec. 14)
|
$859
|
$854
|
-1%
|
| Tuesday, Dec. 15
|
$754
|
$913
|
21%
|
| Weekend of Dec 19 – 20 (winter storm)
|
$677
|
$767
|
13%
|
|
| *Individual days and weekends are compared to corresponding shopping days in 2008 |
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Greece confirmed as official partner destination for MITT |
Organisers of the Moscow International Travel & Tourism exhibition (MITT) have confirmed that Greece will be its official partner destination in 2010. Greece is a long-standing exhibitor at MITT, and its former Tourist Development Minister, Costas Markopoulos, attended the event in 2009. |
According to the Greek National Tourism Organisation, “The partnership will complement Greece’s promotional activities in one of its key priority outbound markets. Russia contributes almost 260,000 tourists to Greece every year and continues to produce healthy growth figures. Statistics demonstrate that Russian tourists prefer luxury accommodation, especially during the summer season, and that they also travel to Greece on business.” Approximately 75 Greek companies will be represented at the show. Read more at www.traveldailynews.com |
GENERATION G(ENEROSITY). It was big in 2009, and it will be even bigger in 2010. In particular all things EMBEDDED GENEROSITY. It incorporates all giving initiatives that make giving and donating painless, if not automatic (after all, pragmatism is the new religion ;-).
On top of that, with collaboration being such an integral part of the zeitgeist, expect lots of innovative corporate giving schemes that involve customers by letting them co-donate and/or co-decide.
So check out these innovative, corporate EMBEDDED GENEROSITY examples that are worth copying or improving on in 2010: |
| Australian Baby Teresa manufactures and sells a variety of 100% cotton onesies for babies, and, for each one purchased, donates another to a baby in need somewhere in the world. |
We recently highlighted NOWISM*, and while that mega-trend in its entirety should be on your radar for the next 12 months, let’s dive into one sub-trend that will be truly disruptive: the rise of REAL-TIME REVIEWS. |
In short, with even more people sharing, in real time, everything they do**, buy, listen to, watch, attend, wear and so on, and with even more search engines and tracking services making it easy to find and group these ‘live dispatches’ by theme, topic or brand, 2010 will see ready-to-buy consumers tapping into a live stream of (first-hand) experiences from fellow consumers. |
So, in 2010, expect numerous services to capitalize on this burgeoning ‘global brain’, and its endless real-time reviews and verdicts. Just one example: Read more at trendwatching.com |
Preparing for URBANY and more sophisticated consumers is one thing, running with this trend is another. So here’s a hands-on sub-trend to get you going: URBAN PRIDE.
Basically, in thriving mega-cities, whose economic and cultural power already often surpass that of entire nations, inhabitants’ identities will be closely tied to a city’s culture, its brand, its heritage, its ‘being’. This means that for big brands, delivering city-specific products, services and communications that truly incorporate a city’s character, will be a great, human and fun way to pay respect to urban citizens around the world. |
| The Absolut Cities Series first launched in New Orleans in 2007, when the brand developed a special mango and black pepper blend inspired by the city. Later in 2007, Absolut rolled out the City Series to Los Angeles, and in August 2009, Absolut released the taste of Boston - a black tea and elderflower vodka that has a backdrop reminiscent of Fenway Park’s Green Monster. |
More people in the city, agglomeration, asphyxiation. A defining trend for 2010, 2011, 2012, and so on: urbanization on steroids. We’ll let the numbers speak for themselves: |
| “By 2050, it will have reached 70 per cent, representing 6.4 billion people. Most of this growth will be taking place in developing regions; Asia will host 63 percent of the global urban population, or 3.3 billion people in 2050.” (Source: the Global Report on Human Settlements 2009, October 2009.) |
A forever-growing number of more sophisticated, more demanding, but also more try-out-prone, super-wired urban consumers are snapping up more ‘daring’ goods, services, experiences, campaigns and conversations.
And thanks to near-total online transparency of the latest and greatest, those consumers opting to remain in rural areas will be tempted to act (and shop) online like urban consumers, too. Read more at trendwatching.com |
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For scuba lovers
