“Maybe Christmas, the Grinch thought, doesn’t come from a store”
Dr. Seuss
As Christmas approaches, it is required that any journalist fortunate enough to reside over a column of opinion, will find a way to spread some Holiday warmth to his readers. That is certainly my purpose today, as I would like you to join me as we spend just a few moments contemplating the true meaning of this Holiday.
My Christmas message begins, of course, in the United Arab Emirates. It is now clear that guests spending the Holidays at the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi will enjoy a Christmas a bit more steeped in tradition than was the case last year.
It is going to be positively Norman Rockwell-like in the lobby of the Palace as the huge evergreen tree will, in the words of management, “fall in line with professional standards.” You see, there was this wee bit of a problem with the tree last Christmas. And therein lies our story.
During the months when much of the world was undergoing a rather steep economic downturn, the Emirates Palace, a seriously excellent hotel and conference center, welcomed guests with a gaily decorated tree in the stunning hotel lobby. Visitors said that it was the largest Evergreen tree they had ever seen. Imagine how comforting the large Christmas tree must have been to arriving guests from the West.
It was a tree, one might say, decorated in the tradition of the three Wise Men. But it appears that the “Wise Men” they had in mind were the owners of Tiffany, Cartier, and De Beers Diamonds. Someone in marketing decided that the world’s most expensively decorated Christmas tree would garner a bit of seasonal publicity, the kind that might precede the “world’s largest fruitcake” story on your local news.
This Christmas symbol required its very own security attachment charged with watching over a Christmas tree that was festooned with 181 diamonds and $11 million worth of precious gems. There were enough diamonds, emeralds, pearls, and sapphires to leave no doubt that this tree was, as advertised “the most expensive Christmas tree in history.”
This did generate publicity. Some media observers commented on, what was largely viewed, as a grossly inappropriate display of wealth at a time when so many were struggling for survival. Eventually, the management of the Emirates Palace admitted as much, saying it had “overloaded” its tree.
But displays of ostentatious wealth are not limited in the Gulf States to Christmas tree decorations. After all, the Palace already has a vending machine where hotel guests can purchase genuine “gold bars” to go.
Fortunately, the travel agent community has not been forgotten as the Holidays approach. Agents can sell a seven-night package that includes a nice car, a butler, and top accommodations, along with a private jet that can be used to visit neighboring nations in the United Arab Emirates. The price of this tidy little package is $1 million.
But I do want to suggest that this emphasis on over-the-top travel packaging may easily backfire. This is not the time in our history for ostentatious displays of wealth. This is not the time to brag about how much money you can get your guests to spend on baubles and trinkets or on services that defy the test of reasonableness and logic.
In America, we have also made serious errors as we rush to shroud the true meaning of Christmas into a credit card filled shopping orgy. In fact, we are so obsessed that we have already seen citizens who have given their lives in the quest to save a few bucks on season despite the onslaught of bling and glitz and batteries required
But despite this, I am sensing that many of the wealthiest people in the United States are beginning to understand the true meaning of Christmas.
Our two best known billionaires have formed a foundation and they actually give away the vast majority of their earnings. They’ve gone further than Black Friday sales. They’ve asked other wealthy, truly wealthy, Americans to sign pledges that they will also use the bulk of their fortunes to help others in these challenging times. Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook has signed the pledge, so has filmmaker George Lucas and Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York.
I don’t know if we can call it Christmas spirit, but there is something different in the air as concerns the subject of conspicuous consumption. And don’t think for a moment that the travel industry is going to be immune from this trend if it continues to grow.
In Austria, a millionaire from Telfs, Karl Rabeder, is giving away every penny of his riches because “Money is counterproductive – it prevents happiness to come.” So the stone farmhouse in Provence, six gliders, the cars, and his lakeside villa, are all gone.
I mention Herr Rabeder because the realization came to him during a three-week vacation in Hawaii. He said that the biggest shock in his life was “seeing how horrible, soulless and without feeling the five-star lifestyle is.” He said that he started having similar feelings on prior extravagant vacations.
Travelers to France this Christmas season may be surprised to learn that a group of the nation’s richest residents, including the Chairman of Air France, have signed a petition asking that their personal taxes be raised in support of the challenges facing France and Europe.
Will our industry continue to tout outrageously expensive, over-the-top package pricing for the privileged few? Probably. But there is something stirring out there and it might just have to do with the notion of giving and, more to the point, giving back. It might just have to do with the real meaning of these Holidays.
Give the consumer review sites credit for emphasizing value over self-indulgent travel “experiences” that benefit no one but the participant. Bragging about such “exclusive” and expensive travel experiences can, backfire during cocktail party chit chat. It is a subtle and nuanced change in the current travel landscape.
And so a prediction. In the years to come, we are going to see unparalled growth in vacation options that include opportunities for our clients to give back a bit as they explore new worlds. I hope we will be ready to accommodate this trend.
Wishing you and yours a truly meaningful Holiday.
