Innovative new "staycation" packages offer multi-sensory taste of exotic locales for the armchair traveler
Napa, California (MMD Newswire) August 30, 2011-- Everybody needs to "get away from it all" from time to time, and what with all the pressures people face nowadays - job (or lack-of-job) stresses, the exploding cost of raising and educating their kids, and so on - they need that escape more than ever. Unfortunately, what with the world economy growing increasingly uncertain, not many folks can afford to jump on a plane and fly off to some exotic paradise whenever they want to. And even if they can afford the cost, many balk at the hassles of traveling through airports.
Moreover, with the widespread cutbacks in the workplace, most people can't afford to demonstrate that their company can survive without them, even for a few days. So how can the average person go about relieving stress without adding even more? An innovative startup, www.coffeebreakvacations.com, just may have the answer: a "visualization vacation."
CoffeeBreak Vacations has devised a way for consumers to sample the tastes, smells, sounds, and soul of places heretofore relegated only to dreams and bucket lists, by offering multi-sensory (and refreshingly low-tech) packages designed to make those dreams even more real - and all for under fifty bucks. "Each CoffeeBreak Vacation is created with one goal in mind: to whisk you away to an exotic location completely different from your everyday world, all in the amount of time it takes for you to enjoy a cup of coffee," says the company's founder, Tiffany Taranto.
Taranto acknowledges that while nothing can fully match the experience of traveling to far-off and exotic destinations, a CoffeeBreak Vacation can help to enhance and flesh out the fantasy of taking such a trip, without all the required preparations and hassles inherent in international travel. The creators of CoffeeBreak Vacations set a goal of creating a pleasurable near-meditative experience, the objective being to relieve the stress that builds up on a day to day basis and provide the user with a satisfying experience at a very reasonable cost.
CoffeeBreak Vacations' multi-sensory approach is actually right in step with current research about the merits of engaging all of the senses for everything from stress relief to pain management. (Innovative "multi-sensory" rooms are even being used to help children and adults with developmental disabilities.) While CoffeeBreak Vacations doesn't claim to be "therapy," the virtual vacations it offers can certainly be therapeutic to overworked people who haven't been on a real vacation in years. California acupuncturist Jennifer Chen Everett, L.Ac, says, "I'm finding that as the stress levels continue to rise in our complicated world, many people and patients are needing more outlets for stress relief. CoffeeBreak Vacations offers a visualization vacation that offers similar benefits to meditation but in a fun, new way."
While they're riding one trend, the creators of CoffeeBreak Vacations are bucking others - most notably, they're going against the grain of tech-dependent products by returning to the basics. "We offer a more simple, real, organic experience within yourself," says Taranto. "A CoffeeBreak Vacation gets you off the computer or iPad or iPhone, and back to the basics of a book, a CD playing in the background, and the use of your mind and imagination. We're overrun with technology, and this is a great way to escape that for a little while, as well."
The CoffeeBreak Vacation packages consist of a collection of items designed to make each destination "real," allowing immersion into the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and culture of the destination. The packages include:
- A CoffeeBreak Vacation passport booklet, filled with interesting facts about the chosen location - complete with gorgeous pictures. The passport booklet is literally the itinerary for the "visit," offering insight into the unique culture of the destination, and helping the consumer create his or her own experience, all in the time it takes to savor the cup of coffee.
- A Vacation Soundtrack CD, filled with the music and sounds that, according to the CoffeeBreak Vacations creators, are "the soul of your dream destination."
- A scratch-and-sniff assortment of Vacation Scents reminiscent of the location to help immerse the consumer more fully in the experience.
- A pouch of Vacation Coffee inspired by the chosen location.
- A Vacation Door Hanger, literally a "Do Not Disturb" sign to let others know not to interrupt the "Vacation."
- A CoffeeBreak Luggage Tag and Bookmark.
Each Coffee Break Vacation comes packed in its own quality-crafted travel bag, for which the consumer will no doubt find countless uses, both on exotic journeys and right in their own neighborhood. As of this writing, Coffee Break Vacation destinations include Buenos Aires, Argentina, Kauai, Hawaii, Barcelona, Spain, the Amalfi Coast in Italy, and the Basque Country in Spain and France. Additional destinations will be added in the near future, and consumers are invited to offer suggestions via the CoffeeBreak Vacations Web site.
The creators of CoffeeBreak Vacations believe a "visualization vacation" will appeal to a wide range of people - busy stay at home moms, doctors, students, elderly people who can no longer travel comfortably, teachers, and executives - as well as anyone who loves travel, music, books, or learning about new cultures and places. In addition, travel channels and shows have enjoyed an explosion in popularity, and CoffeeBreak Vacations provides a new outlet that brings people even closer to the real thing - and can even help motivate them to plan an actual trip. They also make a unique gift idea.
"When both money and time are tight, people still need - and deserve - a break," says Taranto. "CoffeeBreak Vacations provide the fun without the fuss, and relieve stress without relieving people of their life savings."
For more information visit www.coffeebreakvacations.com
CoffeeBreak Vacations Contact: Tiffany Taranto 4225 Solano Avenue #642 Napa, CA 94558 707-927-8778 Email for press inquiries: PR@coffeebreakvacations.com
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