The Best Travel Memories Never Come From A Shopping Bag Or ‘Sleep Tourism’
Every so often a travel trend comes along that makes me shake my head. The latest is “sleep tourism.” Before that it seemed everyone wanted to shop in Paris or London. My reaction is always the same: why spend thousands of dollars to fly around the world to do things you can do at home?
I ran across a headline about something called sleep tourism. Apparently, this is a booming trend in traveling to the tune of $690 billion.
What exactly is sleep tourism? Good question because I had to look it up myself. According to the National Geographic, “sleep tourism is a rapidly expanding wellness trend where travelers prioritize rest and sleep optimization over traditional sightseeing. Properties offer tailored retreat packages featuring AI-regulated smart beds, extensive pillow menus, soundproofed blackout rooms, and consultations with sleep coaches to reset circadian rhythms and combat burnout.”
Are you telling me people actually go on vacation to sleep!? That got me to thinking about other things people do when traveling. I am constantly amazed when I see peeople with shopping bags walking through historic areas of European cities. They have traveled thousands of miles, had long flights with layovers and they want to go shopping at the same stores they have a home? Are Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent Louis Vuitton and Chanel and so forth any better in Paris than they are at your local mall?
Or people spend their valuable vacation time and money to sleep!?
I don’t get it. I mean, why go on vacation to do the same things you can do at home?
Here are examples:
- Sleeping
- Shopping at stores you have at home
- Sitting in the hotel all day
- Watching Netflix, CNN in your hotel room (on the hand, local program can prove to be very interesting, even if you don’t speak the language)
- Ordering room service every meal
Power Naps Beat Sleep Tourism Every Time
Let me tell you how to sleep well when traveling. Take power naps.
Power naps are brief late afternoon or early evening sleep periods. You do them in the heat of the day, when things are not too busy and when you won’t miss anything. After exploring a city you go back to your hotel room anyway, right? Instead of getting on your phone or doing something else unproductive, lie down and take a nap.
If you’re afraid of falling asleep for hours, set an alarm. Make it for about an hour. You’ll be refreshed when you head out to dinner and if you are going to hit the pubs and clubs, you will have plenty of energy to make it to last call. And beyond. Heck, there’s a reason Europeans have siestas. This works anywhere, by the way, even if you are traveling to Columbus, Ohio. Tho why you would be spending your vacation time in Columbus, Ohio is a question worth considering.
You can sleep when you get home. I have traveled with several fun-loving friends who, no matter how tired when we are when we arrive, say “sleep is overrated.” Keep that in mind if you need motivation.
Skip The Familiar And Eat Local
The first thing I saw when I arrived in Paris for the first time was a McDonald’s. My immediate thought was “now who in their right mind would travel all the way to Paris and eat in an American fast food chain?” Apparently, a lot of people.
It’s largely an American trait but I have noticed that people travel to different places to experience the same things they have at home. It’s like taking Peoria (or wherever) with you. I try something local and different. While in Paris, I went to a very popular place that was known for having the cheapest meal in the city. I was alone so I bypassed the long line and was seated at a table with a stranger.
We chatted, had some wine and I ordered some type of chicken dinner. I actually asked the waiter to give me the French menu, even tho I don’t speak French. That was a way of being part of the atmosphere. Frankly, the chicken very dry and not very good and the wine was kind of like a French version of Two Buck Chuck. But that’s not what I remember about the place. I had a great time there, soaking in the scene, laughing it up with a stranger and bonding with the staff, who were very friendly. You can’t get that experience at a McDonald’s.
The Hotel Room Isn’t The Destination
This makes no sense at all to me. I spend a minimum amout of time in my hotel room. I use for three things:
• Sleep
• Shower
• Power Nap
• Chill between daytime and nightime activities. And to download my photos/videos from the day and, when I’m inspired, to write some PubClub.com articles while the information is still fresh on my mind.
The Best Travel Memories Never Come From A Shopping Bag
It is my advice that you should spend your vacation time on enjoying the vacation rather than trying to take home with you.
The Nightlife Blogger is the bar columnist for PubClub.com, is an award-winning journalist and expert who has covered destinations, events and bars for more than two decades.
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