Vacations are a time to relax, unwind and rejuvenate. Yet for an increasingly
large number of people, vacations are a time to become educated as well.
While at a vacation destination, people frequently visit historical landmarks,
take tours of beer breweries, and improve their water color technique through
painting classes. This rising interest in educational attractions is evidenced
through this brochure. An aerial tour above Niagara Falls could very well
be a purely thrilling experience, reserved for the truly adventurous.
This attraction, however, merely nods at the sensation-seeking aspect of
the ride, while focusing instead on it's educational merit. The advertised
helicopter ride is transformed from a simple pleasure ride into an "education
excursion" that "highlights the exciting history and geography
of the fascinating scenery."
The appeal of educational attractions streams throughout a great number of tourist destinations. Disney World has acknowledged this rising appeal through it's incorporation of educational activities within it's complex. Disney World is most noted for it's magical theme parks that provide massive amounts of fun to people of all ages. Yet, as if to counter-balance the purely pleasurable, Epcot Center has considerable educational merit. Disney has carried this theme of education even further with the new Disney Institute where one can actually take classes in diverse areas such as culinary arts and storytelling. Even Club Med, the quintessential resort destination, offers educational activities. Upon becoming bored of lying on a tropical beaches, guests may enrich their lives through educational activities such as painting classes or tennis lessons.