Bon Voyage: A Valid Proposal to Boost Neo-Tourism

- Presenting the Problem

Imagine this: In the middle of what seems to be yet another long and chilly winter, you and your family yearn to escape your Neohome on Terror Mountain to visit another, warmer land for an indefinite amount of time (or at least, until the hardened snow in front of your home disappears).

Let’s say you and your Neopets mutually decide to travel to Roo Island: it is seemingly peaceful and quaint at first sight, but simultaneously offers many opportunities to have fun with the family. Upon arrival and after familiarizing yourselves with the area, two of your ‘Pets naturally head to the Games Room, while the third one accompanies you to the Coffee Cave (because it was that cold back at home). Several hours later, all three ‘Pets are exhausted after one too many rides on the Roo Island Merry Go Round (and you are worn out yourself, from watching them spin around and around, both hands inside your empty pockets…

Several hours pass. Eventually, with stars and the moon providing the only light in the darkened sky, you need a place to rest. You would hate to disturb any of the residents living on the now-quiet island, but at the same time you and your companions do not have the energy or NP to promptly fly back home, or even to Neopia Central’s Neolodge. (Sure, taking a nap under a Roo Island tree is an option too, but after a while, the non-stop tune of the Merry Go Round music nearby can drive one mad).

What would you do then?

The Neolodge proudly advertises itself as “Neopia’s No. 1 Holiday Accommodation”, and that may undoubtedly be the case…if you happen to be in Neopia Central. With 18 other lands around Neopia (and 17 of them being fully active), it would only make sense to have some – if not all – of the other lands provide visitors and tourists with shelter, a temporary “home away from home”. The only existing Neolodge (for the time being, I hope) offers ten different hotels for a given Neopian guest, with fares ranging from 5 NP (the One-Star Cockroach Towers) to 500 NP (Five-Star AstroVilla) per night. This does not include the extras each of the Neolodge hotels offer, such as Tennis Courts and the ever-essential Restaurant (Please feed your Neopets; it seems like common sense, but there have been days when I feared my own ‘Pets would begin eating non-fooditems from my inventory, such as a bottle of Snot Lotion. No owner should ever have to go through the same ordeal).

The economies of the various lands throughout Neopia are mostly dependent on tourist volume and the regional activity. Lands can utilize a portion of their space (given, there is enough of it) as a means to reflect what their land is "all about".

- -Applying the Proposed Solution (i.e. Providing An Example to the Idea)

Using Mystery Island (arguably the most popular tropical destination) as an example and a contrast to the Neolodge at Neopia Central, picture a spacious island lodge with huts situated somewhere along the main Beach. For 5 NP a night per Neopet, you can stay at the Sandy Hut, rated one star. In contrast, the richest of Neopians can indulge themselves with Mystery Island’s Five-Star hotel, Jthe huidah Fortress., at 500 NP a day. The Mystery Island Lodge could serve dining ‘Pets food coming directly from the renowned local Cooking Pot. Otherwise, your beloved ‘Pets could enhance their lodging experience with limitless games of Mynci Beach Volleyball, or dive into the island’s warm and crystal-clear waters to exercise those muscles!

The possibilities are endless, and lodging options would not end with the islands, either. Cliff diving off the Shenkuu waterfalls, guided workshops to learn how to carve Negg-shaped potatoes in Meridell? With more conveniently located Neolodges, the fun does not have to end as soon as the sun sets! (Granted, Lutari Island may be an exception to this proposal…for now. Great things take time, after all).

- Conclusion/Final Remarks

With lots of other beautiful lands in Neopia, having more housing accommodations, through hotels dispersed throughout the map, would make it easier for Neopians everywhere to get away from the monotony of daily life in one’s homeland. Having a place to stay over could additionally be used as an added opportunity for Neopian lands to further highlight their charm and appeal as a whole.

Every Neopet (and owner, and Petpet…) deserves a nice getaway, and even the most content locals can benefit from boost in tourist activity and the economic and cultural gains it brings to the local area, especially in regard to local tourist attractions and businesses. My modest suggestion involves both of these factors. Neopets offers plenty of ways and ideas to be delighted in the long run, but I have found over time, that the happiest Neopians around tend to partake in adventures and immerse themselves in the cultures of worlds beyond their own Neohome. There may be a few flaws and erroneous generalizations that accompany my proposition (and I do somewhat disregard the important idea that there are residents who like staying within their local area), but I think the idea of multiple or more temporary housing locations is a legitimate and sensible one. Furthermore, I am aware that there are some kind locals who would be willing to offer you a spare room in their Neohome for the night. I am not suggesting you disregard any friends’ invitation to stay over at their fully furnished home in Faerieland, either (Go ahead and pay them a visit the next time you find yourself with nothing to do in between trips to the Healing Springs).

There is a tinge of melancholia that comes with the notion that “All good things must come to an end”. However, if my suggestion were enforced, this does not have to be the case if one were to set off to any of the several wondrous Neopian lands – each one distinct from one another in terms of climate, geographical features, and things to do, but virtual equals in terms of local hospitality.

Cheers to happy (or happier) locals and tourists everywhere!