YCTC groupConsulting company

Media

Learning Focus

• To practice skimming
• To design a print ad for a target audience
• To construct a bar graph and make comparisons
• To examine the opinions of sources

Article Summary

• This article explains why more Canadians will be visiting Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba this winter. The expected winter migration is the highest in the last six years.
• Canadians are heading south for the obvious break from the harsh winter, but the significant volume of Canadians doing so this year is a result of greater confidence in the economy.
• The affordability of the "all-inclusive" travel package-a deal which includes one up-front price to cover every expense-has also made areas in the Caribbean and Mexico a popular destination for Canadians. Consequently, tourism in these areas is booming; Mexico's tourism industry earned $8 billion last year.
• Canadians appear less interested in vacationing in Florida, but are still interested in holidays in the American Southwest.

Activities

Have students read the article and summarize in a few sentences the reasons why each of the following individuals chose to vacation in either Cuba, Mexico, or the Dominican Republic:

Assume you are the owner of a tourist resort in Mexico, Cuba, or the Dominican Republic. After reading the article, have students work in small groups to create travel advertisements for the following target audiences.

The completed print ad should include:

1. An attention-getting headline.
2. Strong, persuasive copy in the body of the ad.
3. Eye-catching visuals.
4. A good use of colour and varied type sizes.

Summary Of Other Activies Offered

• Students were asked to skim the article and locate specific information.
• Students were also asked to construct a bar graph based on written information.
• As well, students were asked to use the voice of Austin Mott in the accompanying article "Pining for lost Canadians", and write a letter to the state government requesting funds for a promotional campaign.