Travel Buzzwords That Must Be Banished

'Glamping', 'Minimoon' and 'Spatisserie' - 34 travel buzzwords that must be banished. Even in a world overwhelmed by cringe-inducing jargon, trendy acronyms and PR guff, where “moobs”, “YOLO”, and “hangry” are recognised by the Oxford English Dictionary, the travel industry stands out from the crowd as an unrivalled purveyor of extraordinary nonsense.

by Oliver Smith, The Daily Telegraph, October 19, 2017

editing by Earl of Cruise

Photo by Martin Barraud/OJO Images/Getty Images

The marketing managers in the travelindustry created over the years countless new stylish or contemporary words, which found their way into languages. But also they created wordings that create a fals image, e.g. by naming a simple stateroom a suite - a suite is consisting of more than two rooms divided by a wall and a door.
Or the wrong use of the term liner for a cruise ship. Or the wrong use of luxury, especially regarding a 3star or any other budget cruise vessel.

In Germany we have "handy´s" instead of mobiles, smartphones, cellulars, téléphone cellulaire or portable, or a mobile phone. It is quite rediculous to be frank. And this wrong word found its way into our DUDEN. These new words may be creative, but they are pure nonsense.
Finding this article and reading it, made me thinking of my own wordings ...

After all, it lumbered us with “glamping”, the “digital detox”, “voluntouring” and “minimoons” – all words that can only be spoken with a grimace.

It’s not just hip new companies spewing this tripe; the old establishment are at it too. Among the newest additions to the creaking cupboard of holiday buzzwords is "spatisserie", utilised by The Dorchester, which really ought to know better. This awful portmanteau describes a "uniquely named" and "luxurious yet informal" dining space attached to its spa, which serves "opulent" and "elegant" tea and cake. I’ve not yet had a cup of tea and a slice of Victoria sponge that warranted such adjectives, but I live in hope.

"Unique" is another word beloved in the travel industry - and almost always used erroneously. The good folk at THE DORCHESTER will be distraught to learn that "uniquely named" "spatisseries" can also be found at the CULLODEN Estate and Spa in Northern Ireland and Boringdon Hall in Dartmoor.

This week we were also introduced to the "Bleisure traveller", a dreadful mashing of the words "business" and "leisure" which describes people who do a bit of sightseeing during a work trip. It’s a new trend apparently. What utter twaddle.

Another relatively recent arrival was "flocation", used by a firm offering boating holidays (surely "bolidays"? To me it is evoking in first place a hint to Bollywood) to describe a domestic break (otherwise known as a "staycation" or "holistay") on water. Presumably some of these involve floating hotels (which we’ve been pained to hear called both "floatels" and "boatels").

Why must these perfectly adequate descriptions be shortened to something so tragic? Are we too bereft of time to speak in proper sentences? Even the single word “luxury” (which in itself has lost all meaning - even caravans have been given this adjective) has been shortened to the disgracefully lazy “luxe”.

We are living in times of TWITTER and short messages ... so we may degenerate to two-word-sentence-speakers ... some have reached that state allready - the nervous thumb in the Jungle Camp.

But we as homo sapiens developed the speach for the neccessary comunication, the interaction in social groups. And homo sapiens sapiens developed from the neccessaty literature.

Who’s to blame for this trend? To what address must the angry correspondence be directed? PR gibberish is nothing new, but the tendency to replace sensible English words with pigswill really went into overdrive after “staycation” first reared its ugly head. That was in 2009, when the global financial crisis and the weak pound made overseas holidays less affordable. The first recorded use of the word, however, has been attributed by Merriam-Webster researchers to a 1944 article in the Cincinnati Enquirer. "Take a Stay-cation instead of a Va-cation, this year," it suggested. A strongly-worded letter is now on its way to Ohio.

It would be another 65 years before “staycation” really entered the global lexicon, helped by tourist boards and newspapers across the planet, and hot on its heels came all manner of copycats. "Daycation" (a three-syllable description for a one-day holiday, ingeniously replacing the two-syllable "day trip"). Neighcation (riding horses). "Weighcation" (shedding timber). And more besides. Below is our list of banished travel buzzwords. If you find Telegraph Travel using them in anything but an ironic sense, feel free to direct that angry correspondence to us.

Staycation - domestic holiday
Holistay - ditto
Neighcation - horse-riding holiday
Daycation - a one-day holiday
Weighcation - dieting holiday
Gaycation - for LGBT holidaymakers
Mancation - think paintballing, tequila tasting and tickets to the F1
Brocation - same thing
Traincation - rail holidays
Spacation - spas in Britain
Dogcation - holidays with Fido
Momcation - er...
Floatel - a hotel on water
Flocation - a holiday on water
Bleisure - going to a museum after your big business conference
Bizcation - as above
Voluntourism - combining a holiday with charity work
Glamping - roughing it with little Hugo in a teepee
Babymoon - a holiday when you're ready to pop
Minimoon - the shorter of two honeymoons
Early-moon - a pre-wedding holiday
Buddymoon - why not take your mates along?
Weddingmoon - a wedding and honeymoon wrapped into one
Spatisserie - a restaurant in a spa
Wellness - just an awful word
Intuitive medical - this will be replacing "wellness" soon, we're told
Spafari - safaris combined with "wellness"
Doga - yoga with Fido
Cinetourism - visiting a destination associated with a film. A slum tour of Mumbai, for example, or "Hobbiton", in New Zealand
Jetiquette - how to behave on a flight
Flightseeing - viewing an attraction, the Grand Canyon, for example, from an aircraft
Digital detox - a holiday without your mobile, tablet or laptop
Twixmas - a short break between Christmas and New Year
Brokepacking - backpacking on a budget (wasn't that the point of backpacking?)

If you know of other "bright new wordings" please feel free to write them in the comment.

Comments

ss NORMANDIE 1935 - 1942 IX

s s / te NORMANDIE starting from cold Owners: COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE TRANSATLANTIQUE BUILDERS: PENH Ö ET, St. Nazaire, France by Stephen Carey © , editing by Earl of Cruise This document is almost exclusively about the engineering aspects of NORMANDIE , mainly on how to start her up from cold. If you are looking for photos of the passenger spaces, there is a plethora of them on the web, in Facebook groups - Admirers of the ss Normandie , ss Normandie photographic file , The French Ocean Liners / Les Paquebots Fran ç ais , ss Normandie , GREAT LINERS OF THE PAST & PRESENT , and others, Pinterest and in articles about NORMANDIE here in the blog, please see at the end of the article. Using "ss" for NORMANDIE is quite incorrect, as NORMANDIE was a Turbo Electric vessel and not a steamship, therefore NORMANDIE should be adressed as "te". by Earl of Cruise te / ss NORMANDIE berthed in Le Havre, Gare Maritime May 29th, 1935 - colouring courtesy ...

HISTORY - The CUNARD - WHITE STAR Liner rms QUEEN ELIZABETH (1938-1972)

Over years, in my early youth, the QUEEN ELIZABETH was shaping my mind for the perfect ocean liner, despite having made my first experiences with a liner onboard the HANSEATIC (1), ex EMPRESS OF SCOTLAND, ex EMPRESS OF JAPAN. When leaning at the rail of HANSEATIC entering the port, my eyes where every where and I wished to by a camera, I took all in. And when seeing the QUEEN ELIZABETH with my own eyes, the nice behaving young boy turned into a tomboy, that my grandmére was no longer able to tame ... I did draw quite a lot of looks, back then. I found, while on research, this article and thought it interesting publishing in my blog: written and published by John Sheperd at liverpoolships.org editing and comments by Earl of Cruise I ( John Shepard ) joined the CUNARD LINE in March 1962 as an Assistant Purser and sailed the QUEEN ELIZABETH throughout that year, before transferring to the Liverpool-based CARINTHIA in November, where I remained as Crew Purser for the next five...

HISTORY - ts / ss BREMEN and ts / ss EUROPA

Germany’s two luxury liners, BREMEN and EUROPA , have not only played an important part in their country’s mercantile revival, but have added also an immortal chapter to the history of transatlantic travel. Copy from Shipping Wonders of the World From part 6 , published 17 March 1936 editing by Earl of Cruise ss / ts BREMEN in her early years - Source: Shipping Wonders of the World/Bundespresse Archiv The PRIDE OF A NATION - the NORDDEUTSCHER LLOYD quadruple-screw turbine express liner BREMEN . The keel of this ship was laid in June 1927. Her launch took place in August, 1928. In less than a year later, the Bremen made her first voyage to America, when she crossed the Atlantic from Cherbourg to New York in four days seventeen hours forty-two minutes, thus setting up a new record and gaining the coveted “Blue Riband”. During the passage the Bremen attained an average speed of 27.83 knots. ss / ts BREMEN in her early years - Source: W ikipedia For the pop...

Germany and HAPAG - A Journey through History

HAMBURG-AMERIKANISCHEPACKETFAHRT ACTIEN GESELLSCHAFT - HAPAG or HAMBURG AMERICA LINE is reflecting, as Germany, the LLOYD of Bremen, two times of rsing and two times of devasting downfall and a third rise. BORUSSIA , 1856, First Day Cover 1956 of Deutsche Bundespost - own collection Once Germany´s biggest shipping line HAPAG / HAMBURG-AMERIKANISCHE PACKETFAHRT ACTIEN GESELLSCHAFT-LLOYD, merged with it former old Hanseatic rival NORDDEUTSCHER LLOYD in 1970, to now HAPAG-LLOYD, had its peaks and downs, but rose each time on its own to new hights, without any state subsidies. As German mail subsidiaries did never cover the costs for purchasing or mainting the vessels ordered for the specific German mail lines. by Earl of Cruise In this article I used most German Wikipedia links, as they proved to be mostly of better research quality, and surprisinf to me, some English lines and liners have only German written articles, for the others, English Wiki links are to ...

HISTORY - Traveling with airliner LZ 129 HINDENBURG was the most luxurious airtravel

The real airliner LZ 129 HINDENBURG enabled the most luxurious airtravel for decades. Imagine, gliding through the air while the landscape or the sea below can be seen ... LZ 129 HINDENBURG marks the climax of airship construction. On May 6, 1937, the story of civilian airship ended in a tragedy. In Lakehurst, New Jersey, the largest flying object and has been with the similar sized LZ 130 GRAF ZEPPELIN II the most luxurious of all time. How this came about can be reconstructed logically, a series of fatal physics concatenations . The airship LZ 129 HINDENBURG marks the climax of airship construction. It was in its time the fastest and most exclusive traveling object between Europe and America. The challenges of the construction of the giant of the heaven were immense. by Earl of Cruise LZ 129 HINDENBURG, 1936, in Lakehurst - digital copy of a coloured cover photo, originally by Bill Schneider, published in Dan Grossman´s book ` ZEPPELIN HINDENBURG: AN ILLUSTRATED HI...

HISTORY - EUGENIO C. a masterpiece of Italian design and engineering

EUGENIO C., later EUGENIO COSTA, was a masterpiece of Italian design and is an example of beautifully integrated ship design. Her naval architect, Nicolò Costanzi, and her interior designer, Nino Zoncada, worked side by side, or hand in hand, to create a perfect balance and continuity between the vessel's interiors and the exterior profile. EUGENIO C. became a masterpiece of the 60s design and elegance. by Earl of Cruise Some readers had been asking for interior photographies ... here they are. Eugenio C. Tourist Class A pool, looking aft into the wake line - own collection, copy from my LINEA „ C ‟ broshure EUGENIO C. entered service a little more than 50 years ago in 1966. EUGENIO C. was a child of the swinging 60s, when we had the first jet setters, and still style and elegance. And travelling by jet in those days was still an expensive way to travel for few. I am not the only one wishing the same intent and sensibility would be a guide line for present sh...

Ocean Liners in Movies or Films at Sea (updated Nov 2017)

For liners and the shipping companies movies and films had been a top marketing tool Movies or Films and liners at sea, had been intriguing me since I have read about in my youth in LUXUSLINER - BILDER EINER GROSSEN ZEIT by Lee Server ( THE GOLDEN AGE OF OCEAN LINERS ). But earlier, mot only since my first crossing, I was keen watching movies with liners in it, and disapointed, which was an understatement, when I realized the films have been made in a set ashore in some movie "factory". That was after my first crossing. by Earl of Cruise an essay in progress `Sabrina´, Humphrey Bogart in the office, while LIBERTÉ is sailing out of New York harbor - screenshot Ocean liners, especially those of the luxury category, had been the location of dramas, love stories, thrillers, suspense and catastrophies sinde film was born, or nearly. In this list, the most descriptions are taken from Wikipedia, as I guess no one can expect having seen all these films ... otherwise I w...

HISTORY - rms MAJESTIC - Hand in Hand with rms TITANIC

TITANIC and MAJESTIC (1890), both Royal Mail Ships, hand in hand? How so? The review of João Martins will show. by João Martins , editing by Earl of Cruise And WHITE STAR LINE was more than only a shipping line which employed rms TITANIC. WHITE STAR was company with a great heritage and introduced many innovations which became standards. Founded by Thomas Henry Ismay , originally from Maryport, and shareholders amoung whom had been HARLAND&WOLFF . Later the Irish shipbuilder, located in Belfast, built all ships for WHITE STAR. rms MAJESTIC as built by HARLAND&WOLFF - Sour ce: Wikipedia ( original seize ) T he rms MAJESTIC was a 9,965 GRT British ocean liner built by HARLAND & WOLFF for WHITE STAR LINE and completed in 1890. Her career was profoundly intertwined with rms TITANIC. In the late 1880s competition for the Blue Riband, the award for the fastest Atlantic crossing, was fierce amongst the major shipping lines. At the time the prize belonged to CUNA RD...

HISTORY - PACIFIC MAIL STEAMSHIP COMPANY

The PACIFIC MAIL STEAMSHIP COMANY was existing for "just" one hundred years and was in her heydays a backbone for the development of the US West. The PACIFIC MAIL STEAMSHIP COMPANY was founded April 18, 1848, as a joint stock company under the laws of the State of New York by a group of New York City merchants, William H. Aspinwall , Edwin Bartlett, Henry Chauncey, Mr. Alsop, G.G. Howland and S.S. Howland. These merchants had acquired the right to transport mail under contract from the United States Government from the Isthmusof Panama to California awarded in 1847 to one Arnold Harris. The company was sold 1938 last to AMERICAN PRESIDENT LINES , existing only on the paper, was closed down in 1949. by Earl of Cruise CALIFORNIA , PACIFIC MAIL's first ship - Source: Wikipedia CALIFORNIAwas the first steamer built by the PACIFIC MAIL STEAMSHIP COMPANY and she was launched May 19, 1848. She sailed from New York for Panama, via Cape Horn, on October 6, 1848...

Books - Liner scale drawings the story of a long journey to LINERS

Dr. Tamás Balogh told me his long journey with his new book `LINERS ´ of scaled liner drawings. Dr. Tamás Balogh, president of the Hungarian Association of Maritime History ( sorry only in Hungarian ) , Modeling and Tradition, member of the R.M.S. TITANIC Hungarian Research Group start to prepare a graphical presentation of the history of transoceanic passenger liners by scale drawings in 2002. The author leads us through the story from 1838 to the present day using more than 500 profile drawings of 280 liners from 40 shipping companies, with descriptions of the individual liners and the operating companies ( FaceBook LINERS ), which made the collection exceptionally abundant. The collection represents such rarely discussed topics as the history of the late Austro-Hungarian ocean liners or the planned, but ultimately cancelled giant passenger steamers. Earl of Cruise talked with the author, Dr. Tamás Balogh From info to digital art work, here shown for the KOAN MARU - digital ...

Search This Blog

Thank You 500,000 readers