抓住夏天尾巴的旅遊展 / A travel expo to catch the last bit of summer

夏天是旅遊的旺季，因為夏天正值學校放暑假的期間，無論是中小學生還是大學生，有長達一至兩個月的假期，給了人們充裕的時間去規劃遠行，所以許多家庭會趁著孩子放假安排親子旅行，能增進親子之間的感情，也能讓孩子開拓眼界，因此，許多旅遊業者會在夏天推出各種促銷活動與套裝行程。

隨著暑假劃上句號，旅遊業者特別給人們愛旅遊的心找了個藉口，游說消費者抓住夏天尾巴，好好放縱一下，這個理由，果然打動了朋友的心，邀我一起到旅遊展，看看有甚麼有意思的促銷活動，說實話，炎熱的夏天過了，天氣即將轉涼，秋高氣爽，我覺得更是適合外出旅遊，遊山玩水。

一進入展場內，人潮真是嚇死人的多，我覺得，大家真的很愛旅遊，我並沒有任何的旅遊計畫，只是單純的走馬看花，不過，我發現有很多縣市組織，特別來宣傳在地觀光，像是高雄來宣傳一日農夫體驗營，這個行程是以「食農教育」為核心的農業體驗遊程，讓遊客能親自下田體驗採收、品嚐在地食材，並參與農村的傳統活動，這種太有教育意味的，可能父母們會較感興趣，我只能心裡默默支持。

還有一個吸引我目光的是金門縣烈嶼鄉的芋頭季活動，我在這片土地上活了這麼多年，第一次聽到這個活動，我承認金門有些知名的觀光資源，金門的戰地文化及閩南傳統，就是一個特別的存在，更不用提到遠近馳名的高粱酒，烈嶼鄉的芋頭季，是從中秋節後到十二月，沒有人特別注意過，我想，應該是某單位搞出來的噱頭吧。

朋友和郵輪公司的業務聊了很長的時間，就為了便宜的郵輪船票，我身邊有不少朋友對於郵輪旅遊興趣缺缺，不過，我特別喜歡郵輪旅遊，因為只要一張郵輪船票，就包含了住宿、餐飲、娛樂表演與交通，上船後，就可以盡情放鬆、盡情享受，然而，不喜歡郵輪旅遊的朋友，大多跟我說，他們覺得郵輪旅遊很無聊，唉，我真是無語啊。

Summer is always the peak travel season, mainly because it coincides with the long school break. Whether it’s elementary school kids, high schoolers, or college students, they all get one to two months off, giving families plenty of time to plan trips. That’s why a lot of parents take advantage of summer to go on family vacations, not only to bond with their kids but also to give them a chance to see more of the world. Travel companies also roll out tons of deals and packages during this time.

When summer vacation officially comes to an end, travel agencies are quick to give people another excuse to keep their wanderlust alive — “catch the last bit of summer, let yourself enjoy it a little.” Honestly, this sales pitch really worked on my friend, who dragged me to a travel fair to check out the promotions. To be fair, I think the cooler weather of early autumn is actually even better for traveling — crisp air, blue skies, perfect for a getaway.

The moment we stepped into the exhibition hall, the crowd was overwhelming. It seems like people really do love traveling. I didn’t have any travel plans myself, so I was just wandering around. But I noticed that a lot of cities and counties were promoting their own local attractions. For example, Kaohsiung was advertising a “One-Day Farmer Experience Camp”. It’s built around “food and farming education”, where visitors can actually go into the fields to harvest crops, taste local produce, and join in traditional farming activities. It felt a bit too educational for me, but I could see parents being really into it. I just silently gave it my support.

Another booth that caught my attention was from Lieyu Township in Kinmen, promoting their Taro Festival. Honestly, I’ve lived on this island for years and it was the first time I’d heard of it. Kinmen is already famous for its battlefield history, Minnan cultural heritage, and of course, its world-renowned Kaoliang liquor. The taro festival, which runs from Mid-Autumn to December, didn’t seem like something people usually notice. I kind of felt it was just a gimmick some department came up with.

Meanwhile, my friend got stuck talking to a cruise company rep for ages, all because of discounted tickets. A lot of my other friends aren’t really into cruises, but personally, I love cruise trips. With just one ticket, you get your lodging, food, entertainment, and transportation all included. Once you’re on board, all you need to do is relax and enjoy yourself. But whenever I share this with friends, many of them just tell me cruises are boring. Honestly, I don’t even know what to say to that.

For the best experience view this post on Liketu