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Dynamic Growth of California Wine Country
Home Rentals
Supports Findings of New TIA Culinary Travel
Survey
Travel Experts BeautifulPlaces
Identifies Top Epicurean Vacation Goals
BeautifulPlaces Reports Record 2007 Bookings
20 February 2007 -- The Travel Industry
Association's survey on Culinary Travel
came as no surprise to BeautifulPlaces,
the Sonoma-based company that specializes
in epicurean travel and wine country home
rentals. "Our bookings are up nearly 200%
this year as California is the #1 destination
for food and wine related travel in the
U.S.," commented BeautifulPlaces, founder
and president Patrick Smith. "Four years
ago we profiled this market segment and
created a travel platform designed solely
to satisfy the very specific aspirations
and passions of this market."
The TIA study identified the roughly 27
million general U.S. culinary travelers
and the four million serious travelers who
have actively participated in both food
and wine-related travel, noting that culinary
travel has reached the tipping point as
a niche industry.
BeautifulPlaces (http://www.beautiful-places.com)
has identified five different vacation lifestyles
goals of these travelers:
Culinary Adventures
Highly customized experiential activities
from the art of food and wine pairing
or consultations on personal cellars
to participating in the grape harvest
and side-by-side cooking with a chef.
Wine Education
These travelers are passionate and eager
to learn about wine. BeautifulPlaces
satisfies this yearning by pairing guests
with experts in the field of viticulture
who take them through the entire wine
production process: grape growing, harvesting,
blending, and bottling.
Feel Like a Native
"Insider" knowledge is coveted -- culinary
travelers place a premium on getting
the inside scoop -- where to buy homemade
crafts; up and coming winemakers not
yet on the map; local street fairs;
pet-friendly restaurants; etc.
Something to Brag About
Affluent culinary travelers want something
'over the top,' something to brag about.
A stay in a drop-dead gorgeous mountainside
villa, a custom-blended barrel, tickets
to trade-only wine auctions, and celebrity
chefs are the new conversation stoppers.
Shared Social Activities
People who love food and drink enjoy
sharing the experience with friends,
family and colleagues. The serious culinary
traveler prefers to cook special dishes
with local ingredients, pour wines they've
selected at local vineyards and enjoy
the informality and privacy of a villa
rental.
BEAUTIFULPLACES was founded four years ago
by seasoned marketing professionals, Patrick
Smith and Liza Graves. "A large segment
of the affluent travel market is passionate
about food and wine, and we created a luxury
travel model tailored especially to them,"
reflected Smith. "In addition to offering
them a portfolio of personalized estate
rentals in California's top wine regions,
our concierge service creates custom itineraries
and exclusive services to satisfy their
every wish. It's like having a friend in
wine country."
BeautifulPlaces recently expanded their
villa portfolio to include chateaux and
wine estates in France including Chateau
Villette made famous in The DaVinci Code.
To view homes and epicurean experience go
to http://www.beautiful-places.com
BeautifulPlaces, Inc.
539 First Street West
Sonoma, CA 95476
1-800-495-9961
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