Are surprise holidays the next big travel trend?
A handful of surprise holiday travel agencies aim to add suspense to trips
For five long days, the envelope seemed to be staring Kelly Bemmes down, daring her to peek. Inside were the destination and itinerary for a weekend trip that the 22-year-old was taking with her mom, Kim Bemmes. It took some effort, but she resisted. The mystery and anticipation was, after all, part of why the two booked the trip for US$650 each via Pack Up + Go in the first place: The travel agency specialises in “surprise” holidays.
When her dad dropped them off at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport early on a Thursday morning in August, Kim did the honours. She opened the envelope and read where they were headed: Philadelphia. Both mother and daughter were thrilled.
Kelly said she decided to book the trip after reading about Pack Up + Go on Facebook. She hadn’t travelled much, and loved the idea of someone else planning her getaway.
“I just knew I wanted to go somewhere, and it would be cool to be a surprise because I was going to make the best out of any situation,” she said.
They spent the plane ride poring over the envelope’s contents: a US$50 Uber gift card for airport transport; reservations and a US$100 Harp & Crown restaurant gift card; confirmation for two nights at the Logan Philadelphia, Curio Collection by Hilton hotel; and maps with suggested itineraries that included the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Eastern State Penitentiary, the Mutter Museum, gardens and other spots.
Over the three days, they hit nearly all of the suggestions. Kelly said that even though the trip was short, it was one of the best she has taken, because there was no stress involved.
“I hate planning. Nobody wants to check for their flights and hotel online,” she said. “And I just liked the surprise, because I knew it was going to be somewhere I had never been and I didn’t really have anywhere in mind that I would prefer to go.”
Her mom loved it, too – so much so that she plans to do another surprise trip using Pack Up + Go with Kelly’s dad for their 23rd anniversary.