Category Archives: Travel Contests

Days Inn By Wyndham Contest Seeks Solar Sun-terns

Days Inn by Wyndham is holding a Solar Eclipse-related contest involving you and a friend! Photo courtesy of Days Inn by Wyndham

The 2024 Solar Eclipse has become not only an astronomical anticipation but also a cool tourism promotion. The eclipse is to happen on April 8, with its path to be visible within parts of Mexico and Canada and certain states across the continental U.S. They include Texas, Indiana, New York, Ohio and Maine.

My work inbox has been receiving a lot of Solar Eclipse related pitches and this one involves a cool contest for you and a buddy.

Days Inn by Wyndham is seeking two adventurous BFFs to embark on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to capture the 2024 total solar eclipse from a private helicopter—and receive $10,000 cash.

The hotel brand is said to have more than 260 Days Inn properties in the path of totality from Niagara Falls to San Antonio. A PR pitch on the contest said that the “chosen Sun & Moon duo will experience a best-seat-in-the-house, 360-degree view of the peak total solar eclipse from a helicopter and share their experience on social media.”

Days Inn by Wyndham has a number of properties along the path of the 2024 Solar Eclipse. Photo courtesy of Days Inn by Wyndham

In return, as fully described in this pitch, they’ll receive:

$10,000 cash payday ($5,000 per Sun-tern).
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to watch a total solar eclipse from a private helicopter.
Paid hotel room for two guests.
Photography course with an expert.
Travel stipend to cover airfare, ground transportation and meals.
Wyndham Rewards® Diamond level membership.
A suitcase full of Days Inn swag.
A glowing recommendation from a Days Inn by Wyndham executive upon successful completion of the internship.

Here’s how to enter. You have to be a duo to do so.

Applicant pairs can visit DaysInn.com/suntern by March 5, 2024; the portal closes on this date. Here, they have to submit the following criteria: a 200-word written entry, an original sun-filled photo, and photo of their duo. Submissions are open now through March 5, 2024. One entry per pair is permitted.

Are you going to be watching the Solar Eclipse? Making a trip out of it? Let me know in the comments below.

Apply for Visit Finland’s ‘Masterclass of Happiness’

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Participants in Visit Finland’s “Masterclass of Happiness” will stay at the Kuru Resort.

Hi all. Yes, it’s been awfully quiet on here but I wanted to share with you this cool contest from Visit Finland.

Visit Finland, the country’s tourism board, is putting on a contest involving a “Masterclass of Happiness,” which coincides with Finland’s continuous stance as being the world’s happiest country by the World Happiness Report. Apparently, Finland has been awarded this title for five consecutive years!

I’m super late on posting this contest but the deadline for applying for a slot for the “Masterclass of Happiness” is Sunday, April 2, 2023. I’m sorry; I had a lot going on in March.

While staying at Kuru Resort, participants will work with expert coaches.

Here’s more about the contest. The offering will consist of a four-day masterclass, which will be held at the luxe Kuru Resort, in the Finnish Lakeland region of Finland, in June 2023. Ten chosen participants from around the world will arrive in Finland on June 11 and depart on June 16.

The masterclass will be entirely free of charge for the chosen participants. They will be advised by coaches of the Masterclass that are leading experts in their various fields. They will help guide the participants towards a balanced way of life that promotes happiness the Finnish way.

Also, Visit Finland will also cover the participants’ travel expenses to and from Finland.

Apply online at www.visitfinland.com/en/find-your-inner-finn. Applicants can apply individually or with one other person by visiting. Don’t wait!

The contest is also a neat way to learn more about Finland. I have been to Helsinki before and will be heading back there soon.

Norwegian Cruise Line Campaign to Reward Teachers with Free Cruise

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Credit: Norwegian Cruise Line

Hey teachers: this Norwegian Cruise Line campaign is all about you!

In advance of Teacher Appreciation Week (May 6-10, 2019), Norwegian Cruise Line recently unveiled the “Norwegian Cruise Line Giving Joy”campaign, developed to recognize and reward educators in the United States and Canada.

According to a media release from the cruise line, Norwegian Joy was created to acknowledge and celebrate the intersection of travel and education by honoring deserving teachers “that are doing the most to bring joy to their students.”

Running now through April 12, 2019, the campaign will award 15 teachers who inspire joy in the classroom with an all-expenses-paid seven-day cruise for two on Norwegian Joy and the chance to win $15,000 for their school.

The company is asking for nominations of certified or accredited teachers in the U.S. and Canada who are inspiring joy in the classroom.

The 15 teachers with the most votes will win a seven-day cruise for two. They will also be provided airfare and accommodations for an award ceremony taking place in Seattle on May 3, 2019, where they will have the chance to win $15,000 for their school.

To nominate a favorite teacher, to vote and for terms and conditions, visit nclgivingjoy.com. Tell me who you would nominate.

WOW air Seeks Inspiring Women via Social Media Campaign

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WOW air WOWwoman

Hey, ladies, is there an amazing woman in your life that you look up to? Show her some love on social media and maybe she might be rewarded with a trip.

In honor of International Women’s Day on March 8, Wow air is encouraging Americans to nominate an inspiring woman they known for a chance to win a free trip.

For their contest, this Icelandic low-cost airline is encouraging females across the United Sates to share stories about important women in their lives on Facebook or Instagram using the hashtag #wowwoman and tagging @wowair between now and March 7, 2019.

On March 8, WOW air will repost the most inspirational stories and give the winner two tickets to a destination of her choice within the airline’s global WOW air network.

To distinguish relevant entries apart from other posts that may use #wowwoman, Facebook and Instagram entries must also include the airline’s handle, @wowair.

For more information about this WOWwoman contest, visit this link. See here for its terms and conditions. Now tell me below, who would you nominate?

Take Time Off in Tahiti Travel Contest

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Credit: Tahiti Tourisme

From the e-mail bag: United Airlines is holding a “Time Off in Tahiti” contest to recognize “the hardest working person in the U.S. with the trip of their dreams.” And that trip will be to Tahiti.

Apparently, the contest is inspired by data released by Project: Time Off, which finds that American workers are more likely to “lose” their vacation days that to use them. (That’s not good, people.)

According to Project: Time Off, 700-plus million vacation days go unused annually in the United States, with 52 percent of employees reporting unused vacation time at year’s end. All told, nearly one-quarter of American workers say they used none of their time off to travel – and that’s a whole lot of happiness waiting in the wings.

So United’s “Time Off in Tahiti” contest probably is helping to fix that problem, at least for one lucky individual. The selected winner will be flown from San Francisco direct to Papeete, Tahiti (PPT), along United’s new route beginning October 30, 2018, to bask in the island’s timeless beauty.

However, he or she has to get someone’s nomination. In 300 words or less, a colleague, good friend or even maybe relative can put in a good word for any hard working, deserving person known personally or admired from afar at united.com/timeofftahiti.

Submissions are due by September 25, 2018; the winner will be notified on or around October 11, 2018. Project: Time Off will aid in the judging of submissions.

Hangzhou MetroCard Contest

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Some lucky New York City commuters will soon have the chance to trade their city subway rides for free rides on the metro in Hangzhou, China!

Here’s a little something I’ve gotten from my email bag. To help promote this city to American visitors, Hangzhou Tourism Commission is holding a contest with the change to win round-trip flights for two between New York City and Hangzhou.

To further publicize this contest, the commission has branded 20,000 NYC MetroCards, which will be sold at 42nd Street–Grand Central Terminal and Fulton Street – World Trade Center subway stations.

To register for the contest, visit www.hzgoldenticket.com. The first 100 people to register will have the opportunity to receive a “golden ticket” by mail. The “golden ticket” provides them two free NYC subway rides but can also be exchanged for a Hangzhou MetroCard good for free rides on the subway in Hangzhou. The contest ends midnight May 31, 2018.

JetBlue Card’s Flip the Forecast Contest

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From the email bag…. if you’re in a wintry part of the United States, you know how much weather can screw up your flight plans. Apparently, JetBlue is making the most out of this current East Coast scenario with a “Flip the Forecast” contest.

Taken from the message I received:

JetBlue Card parked branded Airstream trailers in two drastically different locales, Boston and San Diego, connecting customers at each destination through a livestream video experience. Participants on both ends had the chance to win a pair of roundtrip tickets to the opposite location if they were able to convince and agree to swap locations with the other. We captured the challenge Bostonians and San Diegans faced on film to inspire other forecast flips across the JetBlue network: https://youtu.be/0nwSemuicaA

Apparently you can join in the fun too through “Flip the Forecast.” Starting today (March 6) through Saturday (March 10), JetBlue customers can submit a short video pleading their case for why they should flip their forecast through a national Instagram contest for the chance to win a pair of roundtrip JetBlue flight certificates.

Here’s how it works:

Ensure you have a public Instagram account (of course)
Create and upload a video telling us what city you live in and why you need to travel to a different one with a different climate
The city you reference must be in the United States and a city that JetBlue currently serves
The video post must include @jetblue, #FlipTheForecast and #Contest, and comply with Instagram community guidelines.

For more information on how to enter the “Flip the Forecast” contest, see the official contest rules.

At the conclusion of the contest on March 10, 2018 at 11:59 PM ET, JetBlue will judge and score each eligible entry based on creativity, storytelling and desperation. The 10 people with the highest scores will be notified via Instagram.

G Adventures Unfiltered Contest Giveaway

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In November 2015, I took a G Adventures escorted tour of Japan and enjoyed my experience (I booked and paid for my spot). So, when I received a notice about their latest contest giveaway, I wanted to share it with you. It’s also has a fun way to enter – by showing a side of traveling that might not be so picture perfect.

G Adventures is asking you to share your best #AdventureUnfiltered photo or video for your chance to win a G Adventures tour of your choice (valued at $12,000 USD) for you and a friend. As their employees have put it:

Here is more of a description:

“We’ve all seen those typical, beautiful travel photos all over social media. But now we’re looking for something different. We want to see the photos that are anything but perfect – the messy, ugly, honest moments you hardly see online.”

There are two ways to enter. Click on this link to learn more and directly submit. Also, be sure to follow contest rules; in particular, their do’s and dont’s. Entries must be received no later than 11:59PM EST (time) EST on July 26, 2017.

Westin Hotels & Resorts Introduces Sleep Well Menu

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Here’s some news from my inbox…. Westin Hotels & Resorts has been busy promoting their “Well-Being Movement,” a new travel wellness brand, with a messaging campaign and a FitStar by FitBit partnership introducing a set of exercise programs at their properties worldwide. Its latest addition to this branding initiative takes an edible approach to getting a good night’s sleep.

Said to be available 24/7, the Westin Sleep Well Menu offers superfood options specially designed to promote rest and recovery. According to a press release from Westin, this specialty menu was designed to help guests “ease into sound slumber so that they can easily adjust to a new time zone, recover from a hectic day of travel or prepare for an active day ahead.” With input from SuperFoodsRx, the meals on this menu contain amino acids, vitamins, and minerals including magnesium, potassium, folate, serotonin, and thiamin to prevent insomnia and reset sleep cycles.

Choices include:

Grilled wild salmon with walnut quinoa;
A micro chopped turkey salad;
Poached eggs on asparagus with snap peas and shitake mushrooms;
Oatmeal tabouleh, among others.

If guests prefer more of a bedtime snack, they can opt for whole grain crackers with peanut butter; non-fat yogurt with granola; edamame and whole wheat pretzels; or cherry walnut oat muffins. There’s tea too. Find herbals with a calming effect such lavender, peppermint, cinnamon, passionflower, lemon balm, ginger, chamomile or valerian root.

To celebrate their new Sleep Well menu, Westin Hotels & Resorts is giving away a five-night stay at any Westin hotel or resort, a Westin Heavenly® Bed, and other Westin items. Enter by April 30, 2016 by visiting this link.

ROBOCOPP Sound Grenade Giveaway

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I’m happy to announce my first prize giveaway: the ROBOCOPP Sound Grenade! The ROBOCOPP Sound Grenade is a personal wearable siren from ROBOCOPP that is designed to give off an effective alarm when activated. The siren is said to be 120 db (as loud as an ambulance’s) that can startle an assailant or an animal. To turn on the alarm, simply pull out the pin found on the top of the device. And to turn it off, just place the top firmly back on.

The ROBOCOPP Sound Grenade’s small size (less than one ounce) makes it incredibly portable. I’ve been told by a ROBOCOPP rep that the ROBOCOPP Sound Grenade is TSA friendly, so you can bring it on board with you. Plus I applaud the design team for including a lanyard so you can slip the ROBOCOPP Sound Grenade through and attach it to perhaps a key chain or belt buckle. Even more ingenious, the lanyard is what seals up the packaging. Just remove it and you’re all set – no hunting for scissors required!

I did a test on this alarm so you can see it, and hear it, in action. Take a look (and please excuse my shabby appearance).

Enter by clicking on, and following the requirements for entering a Rafflecopter giveaway.

Participants must fully complete entries to be qualified. The contest begins Saturday, January 30, at 12 a.m. and ends Monday, February 15 at 12 a.m. Sorry but only U.S. residents can enter. Good luck.

Disclosure: I was invited by ROBOCOPP to review and hold a giveaway for the ROBOCOPP Sound Grenade. My description and accompanying video demo of this product is based entirely on my opinion.