Skeleton Racing at Bear Hollow, near Park City, Utah

2008 has been a banner sports season with the nail biting Tiger Woods win to Michael Phelps record-breaking gold medal Olympic performances. These types of wins not only encourage and inspire amateurs to follow in their footsteps, but they also stir the interest in traveling to the destinations athletes’ use as their backdrop.

The Olympics help create interest and demand for a venue, as illustrated in PricewaterhouseCooper’s (PwC) Global Entertainment & Media Outlook: 2008-2012 (GEMO) report. Overall global sports market gate revenue totaled $38.8 billion in 2007 and is forecasted to be $51.2 billion by 2012. The 2008 Summer Beijing Olympics, London’s 2012 Summer Olympics and Vancouver’s 2010 Winter Olympics are credited with boosting gate revenue and further effecting growth in sports market.

The GEMO illustrates that the United Kingdom (UK), which was a $10.2 billion dollar sports market in 2007 is expected to surge to $15.8 billion by 2012. Furthermore, analysts predict that $70 million will be added to Canada’s gate revenue total.

One tour company that created Olympic inspired packages to China resulting from this summer’s games was Inside Sports & Entertainment Group (ISEG). Debra Swersky, ISEG’s marketing and events manager, says “Many of our clients wanted to make an entire trip out of the experience since they were traveling so far for the games.”

With the diverse sporting events locations’, Swersky explains that some of the logisticst were complicated. “Soccer was being played in a variety of locations, including Shanghai, and the equestrian games were being held in Hong Kong. Several smaller groups decided to catch a soccer match in Shanghai, and a horserace in Hong Kong before heading over to Beijing to watch the spectacular Opening Ceremonies,” she says. “The Beijing leg of their journeys also included the swimming 400 IM race where Michael Phelps took home the gold (one of eight), the men’s and women’s all-around gymnastics events, and the USA vs. China basketball game.”

Aside from Olympic event tickets, Swersky says ISEG’s clients’ packages included a accommodations in each city, airport and event transfers, a bilingual guide in their travels, reservations at some of the top restaurants in Beijing, and spa treatments.

“A couple of our clients opted for a meet and greet (an add-on) with track star Allyson Felix in the Olympic Village. She is one of several athletes who we were able to coordinate this type of experience with,” she added.

ISEG has already started receiving requests for travel to Vancouver to experience the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

Even for those travelers interested in reliving an Olympic experience, many locations re-use its Olympic venues as tourist locations. One such example is in Salt Lake City, Utah, home of the 2002 Winter Olympics. Those adventurous travelers can take their turn on the bobsled (even in summer months), participate in a beginners camp for ski jumping or the luge. Visitors can even attend the Alf Engen Ski Museum and 2002 Games exhibit.

Have you attended any Olympic games or have you visited Olympic venues post-event?

Photo courtesy Utah Office of Tourism

Sports Inspired Travel: The Olympics was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

“We all look forward to that last trip to the beach or to a final summer visit to see friends or relatives,” Roger Dow, Travel Industry Association’s (TIA) president and CEO says. “But what most of us don’t know is that the benefits of our summer travel will stay with us long after we’ve returned home.”

Dow cited decades of research on how individuals and families benefit from traveling in the areas of health, education, career success, relationship-building and creativity.

“The evidence is overwhelming that when you take a trip, the benefits are everywhere,” Dow said. “Despite the fact that Americans get less vacation time than in any country in the industrialized world, because of the personal benefits gained, we can’t afford not to travel.”

Among the findings of various studies* conducted during the past few decades:

-Travelers rate their overall health one full point higher (on a scale of 1 to 5) while on vacation. They also get three times more deep sleep after their vacation and sleep almost 20 minutes longer after their vacation.

-An annual vacation can cut a person’s risk of heart attack by 50 percent.

-Women who take more vacations are more satisfied with their marriages.

-More than half of employed Americans say they come back feeling reconnected with their family after vacation (53%).

-Three out of four executives believe that vacations are necessary for them to prevent burnout (78%) or that vacations improve their personal job performance (75%).

-Travelers experience a 25% increase in performance on vigilance tests after returning from vacation – travelers 45 or older show a 50% increase in performance.

-Two out of three executives believe that vacations improve their creativity (68%).

There are some who intend to not have Labor Day be the end of 2008 travels.

TripAdvisor® just released the results of its annual fall travel survey revealing that 82 percent of U.S. respondents plan to travel for leisure this autumn, up from 70 percent who said they took pleasure trips last fall. Twenty-six percent of U.S. respondents said they will travel more this autumn than last, while 49 percent intend to travel the same amount as one year ago. Nearly 60 percent percent of travelers said they plan to fly this autumn for their leisure travel, while close to 50 percent plan to drive.

According to the TripAdvisor survey results, 31 percent of U.S. respondents are planning to travel on Labor Day weekend, nearly equal to the 30 percent who said they traveled the same timeframe in 2007. Those who are traveling Labor Day weekend are doing so via automobile (67%) compared to just over a quarter (26%) of people who plan to fly.

In comparison, AAA projects a slight decrease of 0.9 percent in the number of Americans traveling during the Labor Day holiday weekend, representing the first decline in Labor Day travel since 2006. However, even with a slight predicted decrease nearly 34.38 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home this holiday weekend.

“More travelers concerned about the economy, gasoline prices and rising airfares are opting to travel by train, bus, motorcycle and cruise ship to their holiday weekend destinations,” said AAA President and CEO Robert L. Darbelnet. “This trend points to a desire on the part of the American public to seek alternatives to flying and driving to enjoy the traditional end of summer vacation.”

According to the AAA report, more than 83 percent of all holiday travelers expect to travel by automobile to their destinations over Labor Day, which represents a higher percentage than the TripAdvisor survey revealed.

The national average for self-serve regular gasoline is $3.69 per gallon as reported by AAA, but this is already changing by the minute with the approach of Hurricane Gustav and Tropical Storm Hanna in the Atlantic.

*Studies referenced through www.tia.org by clicking here.

Photo Credit: The Weather Channel

NOTE: Storm names and conditions were accurate at time of publishing on August 29, 2008.

Official End of Summer Vacations was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

I hope your 4^th of July celebrations are fun-filled and safe for all of your family and friends!

It is a holiday of celebration. We have the day off to enjoy a summer day with family, friends, and a good old-fashioned cookout. All of the day’s festivities are capped off after dark by wondrous displays of bright, colorful flashes, and loud explosions. While this is a wonderful sight to see, fireworks can blow a hole in your wallet if you are not careful.

Here are a few quick tips for buying holiday fireworks and celebrating without breaking your budget.

Community Displays

Many communities offer free firework displays leading up to the 4^th of July or in the days following. Packing a picnic basket and a cozy blanket is a wonderful way to experience some family fun for free. If a donation bucket does manage to float around in support of the fireworks, do donate what you can to help keep the fireworks free for all for year’s to come. Times are getting tight all over and your community is no exception.

Avoid the Novelties

Many times during a community fireworks program there will be vendors hawking glow sticks and other novelty toys for sale. Do your best to avoid them at all cost and provide children with other things to occupy their interest or you’ll face shelling out quite a few bucks for junk. You can usually find similar items at a local dollar store. Pick up a few things to keep the kids happy and save yourself a lot of hassles.

Buy Fireworks After the 4^th of July

Like with many holidays, you typically get the best deals after the holiday is over. Purchasing your supply of fireworks on the 5^th can save you big discounts, like half-price or more. It is a great time to stock up for next year, provided you store them properly.

 Make Every Effort to Be Safe

While fun of the holiday is all well and good, it remains most critical that everyone obeys the directions and rules for handling fireworks. In addition to the rule, a bit of common sense will help you save a lot money by helping to prevent any accidents, injuries, and potentially fatalities from occurring during what should be a great family fun time.

 Have a happy holiday and a great weekend!

Quick Tips for Less Expensive Fireworks was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

However, owning a pool can also be an expense but with basic maintenance and routine cleanings, your family pool doesn’t have to drown your budget. Here are some tips to keep your pool fresh and clean without blowing your budget apart.

Routine Maintenance is Key

• Carefully review the manufacturer’s instructions for direction on the optimum maintenance plan to preserve your pool and equipment.

• Skim the water twice daily (more often depending on the frequency of use and the amount of debris). Leaves, insects, and other debris can clog the filter. Keeping the debris away from the filter will help prolog the life of the filter.

• Empty the skimmer basket everyday.

• Regularly brush the sides of the pool to keep it algae-free and to remove dirt.

• Vacuum the bottom of the pool every day after use to remove the debris from the bottom of the pool to keep the water clean and prevent damage to the liner.

• Keep the water levels consistent so the filter will function properly. Having to backwash the filter too often causes the water to become unbalanced and more chemicals will need to be added to keep the water balanced. Adding more chemicals means spending more money.

• Water should be tested daily to make sure the chemical levels are proper. The pH level needs to be correct otherwise your pool fixtures could become corroded and the swimmers will suffer from bring eyes and possible skin issues. Shocking the pool by adding chlorine each week will help fight bacteria, especially when the pool is used often.

• Adding an algaecide each week can also prevent algae and other bacteria from building up in your pool.

• If you are not confident in your abilities to maintain or add proper chemicals, a pool supply store should be able to test a sample of your pool water for you and recommend what you need to do and how often. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice.

• Run the pump when needed but use a timer to keep your electric bill from skyrocketing. If you are running the pump during most of the day, turn it off at night turn save energy.

Keep Your Pool from Drowning Your Budget was created by and is property of American Consumer News.