Willy Wonka Would be Proud

For me, chocolate and vacation go together like bread and butter. In fact, some days the mere act of eating chocolate can feel like a mini-vacay. Fellow chocolate lovers are finding new, interesting ways to experience this delicious treat. From chocolate spa treatments to chocolate tours and attractions to chocolate harvests, a new travel niche is born!

Doreen Pendgracs, author of the award-winning book Chocolatour: A Quest for the World's Best Chocolate, shares my fascination with the decadent cocoa bean. She reports that an increasing number of travelers are wondering where they can find the best chocolate, how cocoa is grown and processed and how hand crafted chocolates are made.

These travelers aren't just eating the chocolate-they are getting chocolate facials, scrubs and body wraps! Chocolate spa treatments, now that has girls' trip written all over it.

Switzerland, an area known for its rich chocolate, is now becoming known for its chocolate tours. Your travelers can take a first class ride aboard the country's Swiss Chocolate Train, which will take them to the legendary Maison Cailler in Broc. There they will learn about how chocolate is made and will enjoy a flavor-filled tasting session.

Suggest that your group travelers jump on the figurative (and literal) chocolate train—and book some chocolate-related experiences today!

Click here to read Doreen Pendgracs article Chocolate Tourism, A Decadent New Niche, in its entirety in the May/June 2015 issue of Groups Today magazine.

Photo courtesy of Doreen Pendgracs.