Scrippsnews.com:
A ride through the countryside on a magical train, an elaborate banquet and a visit to an ancient castle that doubles as the site of a school for witchcraft and wizardry. A scavenger hunt through France and England that involves solving clues, cracking codes and deciphering symbols embedded in art. A ‘laser weaponry’ tournament, a space mission and an alien soiree.
Sounds like the stuff of books and movies. Actually, it is.
Beyond Boundaries Travel, based in Colorado Springs, Colo., is at the forefront of a growing vacation trend, offering themed trips focused on popular books and movies such as the Harry Potter series, The Da Vinci Code and science-fiction favorites such as Star Wars. The trips are helping Beyond Boundaries carve a niche in the rapidly consolidating travel industry, where it’s getting tougher for small agencies to survive.
Themed trips certainly are not new, but they are becoming more popular as consumers increasingly look for one-of-a-kind vacations that offer more than just plane tickets and a place to stay, experts say. ‘I think the travel-agent community is getting more focused and developing new niches, and the companies doing that are the ones prospering,’ said Gary Fee, president of Outside Sales Support Network, a trade association for travel agents. ‘Agents want to be more of an expert in what they are trying to promote or sell, whether it’s Harry Potter or eco-tourism or ballet tours.’ More.
Subscribe 
