Tuesday, November 27, 2007

I'm flexible and adaptable!

Tipped off by a story in the Journal, I took the 'Best Trip Choices' quiz.

Knowing exactly what kind of vacation most fits your travel personality is the key to having a satisfying experience, Dr. Plog says. And it's not always obvious. Sometimes we feel that we need to seek out rough-edge adventures when really we'd be happier lying by a pool with a cocktail. What's more, some couples have different travel personalities, so trips may not be compatible for both.

"People choose the wrong vacation all the time, and they come back really disappointed," he says.

The BestTripChoices site's questionnaire identifies you in one of six personality profiles, from a "venturer," who likes to find undiscovered gems and explore unique cultures, to an "authentic," who prefers everything familiar and predictable and likes going where there are lots of people -- it must be a good place, after all, if there are crowds.

I'm a centric venturer, the most common type of traveler representing 30 % of all travelers, just like WSJ Travel Blogger Scott McCartney.
Unlike venturers, you prefer at least a modest selection of good hotels and some quality commercial development before you visit an area. A good bed in a nice hotel, food that can be trusted, and a transportation network that can help you get around are what you consider to be basic necessities that you would like to see firmly in place before you visit. But, when over-commercialization sets in, signified by many souvenir shops, the intrusion of fast food outlets, and the diesel smell from too many tourist buses, you will move on to some other place that has not yet lost its qualities of freshness and uniqueness. The kinds of things that you like to buy on trips to foreign lands are the products that various countries specialize in as part of their national heritage. Thus, wool sweaters and skirts in Scotland or England; crystal in England, Germany or Scandinavia; pottery and silver in Mexico; or semiprecious stones from various countries around the world serve not only as reminders of a great vacation, but they can be used when you return home.
Apparently I should like Boston. But, maybe just to visit.

2 comments: