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American Voices I

Carl Calandra

Carl Calandra is the President of the Virginia Travel Center, a travel agency just up the street from our campus. He spoke to the students about the ways Americans travel and how the industry has changed over the years.

One of the trends Mr. Calandra discussed was the growth of the cruising industry. He noted that the number of cruise ships operating has increased dramatically over the past few years. Travelers are attracted by the idea of seeing many exotic locations on a single trip, while only having to unpack once. However, the dominance of the cruise ship has changed the local economies in many of the places they visit. With several huge cruise ships lined up at the docks at a time, businesses have moved closer to the beach and tourists don't need to venture farther than a few blocks to find their souvenirs. Unfortunately, this means that fewer people are experiencing the real culture of these places.

On the other hand, places like Disney World and Las Vegas work hard to provide "international" experiences right here in the United States. Places like EPCOT Center and the Bellagio Hotel offer visitors an opportunity to feel like they are in Italy, Germany or France. They go to great lengths and expense to recreate the canals of Venice or the Eiffel Tower so that Americans can get a taste of international travel without ever having to leave the country. Mr. Calandra doesn't think that these synthetic experiences will ever replace true international travel, but it is interesting to see how the trend has grown in recent years.

Another growing trend in travel is very specialized tours. A traveler can tour the American Southwest with a focus on Native American cultures, or go to South America on a hunting and fishing expedition, or take a cruise focused strictly on jazz music. Whatever the interest or hobby, there is a travel experience tailor-made for it. Some of our students wondered if this is a sign of Americans' inability to simply relax and enjoy a vacation - are we driven to always be working, even if it's working on a hobby, in the midst of our leisure time?

Mr. Calandra's talk was a great complement to our readings and discussions on tourism and travel, and will undoubtedly come to mind again as we set off on our own travels in the coming weeks.