The universal language: In case shoppers at Gurnee Mills were wondering about the strings of foreign flags there over the Memorial Day weekend, the banners were welcoming about 100 foreign tourists who were dropped off for five hours of shopping. But they were not just any ordinary tourist group. The visitors were among thousands of travel professionals who had descended on Chicago from all parts of the world for the Travel Industry of America’s International POW WOW ’98 convention. Gurnee Mills was the only shopping center on the convention’s tour agenda.
“Not enough time. We need another day,” Barcelona travel agent Ana Galceran said. She had spent most of her time at the J.C. Penney Outlet.
Why put a mall on list of things to do? Bogota, Colombia, travel agent Eva Hahn De Telle said, “A lot of our clients come over for a shopping spree. They’re on holiday, but they want to shop.”
So did the agents. Clothes and shoes topped their lists.
Rudolf Kaestele of Munich, Germany, had the definitive answer to how to tote the goods home. He was pulling a $99 suitcase stuffed with men’s clothes. “Shopping was great,” he said.
Wonder if Spanish, German and other languages have idioms for shop till you drop.