TAMPA -- It's called "Zoominations -- A Chinese Lantern Festival of Lights," which had its official opening at Tampa's Lowery Park Zoo on Saturday. Scores of Chinese artisans from the Sichuan Province have spent months constructing this 26-acre fantasyland of light and magic. The result is dazzling, as visitors experience the ancient art of Chinese lantern making, as well as food, onsite artisans and acrobats. Persons attending the Friday night preview party were greeted with giant lighted temples, multi-colored walkways, dragons, dinosaurs and neon-colored plants and animals, including of course pandas and tigers. The exhibit will be at the Zoo through May 31. Don't miss it. You may not have another chance unless you journey to China. You can find out more by visiting the zoo's website or the event's Facebook page. -- Gerry and Pam
There's an interesting item on Business Insider that talks about how the cruise lines are trying to cultivate the China market, with good reason. They quote an analyst who expects "the number of cruise passengers in the Asia-Pacific region could shoot up to 5.5 million by 2020 from just 2 million in 2010, assuming the Asian market grows as quickly as the European market did between 2000 and 2010." The article also notes "cruise vacations are much better established in North America and Europe than in Asia . . .There are about 3.3 cruise passengers for every 100 people in North America and 1.1 in Europe. Asia, on the other hand, has only 0.2 cruise passengers per 100 people." So far, Carnival and Royal Caribbean have been "early adopters" in China, but like any new venture, there's always a learning curve. Quoting again from the article: "The cruises Chinese customers have traditionally been accustomed to are often little more than gambling junkets . . .Getting consumers to think of a cruise as a family-friendly vacation option, or a high-end indulgence, is a critical part of growing the luxury cruise market." I'm betting the cruise lines will figure it out. -- Gerry
