Cyprus

Spaghetti With Clams — Or Anything You Want!

Published February 26, 2020 | By Clark Norton

The Isle of Capri tour promised spaghetti with clams — or anything you want

When my wife, Catharine, and I were traveling around Europe for six months in 1974 — back when touring Europe was literally cheaper than staying home — we took a ferry from Naples to the Isle of Capri early one sunny morning and settled into seats on deck.

On the ferry was an English-speaking tout trying to line up customers for Capri tours, approaching all the deck passengers who looked to be tourists and showing off booklets of pictures that highlighted the sights of Capri.

One of his key selling points was a restaurant lunch that featured “spaghetti with clams — or anything you want!”

This would have been forgettable except that his voice carried across the deck and by the time he reached us, we had heard him say “You can have spaghetti with clams… Continue reading →

Posted in Baby boomer travel, Travel Behavior | Tagged Capri, Cyprus, The Chipmunks, travel lore | 6 Comments

When a Tourist Office Closes, It Loses Out on Boomer Business

Published August 21, 2013 | By Clark Norton

Today I received a disheartening email from the director of the Cyprus Tourism Organization office in New York City.

The CTO is permanently closing the office as an apparent money-saving measure.

Cyprus, an island nation in the Mediterranean, is closing its New York tourist office.

Cyprus, an island nation in the eastern Mediterranean, is closing its New York tourist office.

The Republic of Cyprus, like Greece and some other southern European countries, has been undergoing fiscal crisis of late, and I’m sure that keeping a New York office in operation has proved expensive.

Still, this action seems incredibly short-sighted to me.

Cyprus is one of the most alluring countries to visit in all of Europe, but I think it’s safe to say that it’s off the beaten track and overlooked by most Americans.

The island is a popular sun-and-sea escape for northern Europeans, but there’s much more to see and do there than beach life.

It has an amazing history, occupying a… Continue reading →

Posted in Baby boomer travel, Countries, Marketing | Tagged baby boomer travel, baby boomer travelers, baby boomers, baby boomers and tourism, boomers, CTO, Cyprus, Cyprus Tourism Office, jackals, marketing baby boomer travel, selling travel to baby boomers, travel, travel marketing, traveling baby boomers | 6 Comments

According to government and private surveys:

Leading-edge baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1955) and seniors account for four out of every five dollars spent on luxury travel today.
Roughly half the consumer spending money in the U.S.--more than $2 trillion--is in the hands of leading-edge baby boomers and seniors.
Baby boomers (born 1946-1964) travel more than any other age group.
When asked what they would most like to spend their money on, baby boomers answered “travel” more than any other category, including improving their health or finances.