OK, not literally. Gawkers, stay calm. But nude travel has tripled in the last decade with nude cruises, nude resorts, and an increasing number of clothing-optional travelers flocking to areas where they can bare all. Here's what the American Association for Nude Recreation has to say:
As any kid who breaks loose from you at bath time to go romping through the house can tell you, it's just fun to enjoy your birthday suit once in a while.
When you're nude you're the way you were meant to be: completely natural. Many who enjoy clothes-free recreation and living refer to themselves as naturists and with good reason. Being naked, especially in the great outdoors within appropriate settings, draws one inherently closer to nature.
Yahoo reports on the growing trend, and how Florida's Pasco County (south of Tampa) is turning into a "nudist Mecca" in the United States.
Three of Pasco County's six nudist resorts are taking off the gloves and everything else as they attempt to attract more of the worldwide clothing-optional market, which has tripled in size since 1992.
The American Association of Nude Recreation estimates nudists pump about $400 million into the global tourism economy, up from $120 million in 1992. The association says its ranks have grown 75 percent to 50,000 members in that time.
Nudists can choose from 270 clubs, resorts and campgrounds in the United States.
Why the growing trend in nude travel? Your guess is as good as mine. I've heard about European topless or nude beaches and wonder if the increase in American nude travel is a result of relaxed moral standards from our puritan past or just groovy attitudes toward being more au naturale. I'm curious if the baby boomer hippies from the 60s, now retiring after being in the work force, are fueling this trend. You know, the generation that invented "free love" and peaked at Woodstock? But with rising trends in natural recreational activities such as spa travel and ecotourism as well, I tend to think that for many, it is not a fascination with being surrounded by naked bods, but a draw of being natural and real. Spa industry has boomed over the last decade as well, and spa appeal has long been self-pampering, often in the nude (while scantily clothed in sheets) for ultimate relaxation. Any other ideas on why the trend is growing? (Keep your comments clean or they'll get deleted.)
I highly doubt you'd find me at the flashy new Florida nudist resort and spa called Caliente. I'm more likely to hit a rustic hot springs in a galaxy far, far away from civilization and other people. Hat's off (er, clothes off) to an industry for innovation, though.
Nude Travel Resources
- Bare Necessities Cruises, a tour operator claiming it is the "only company in the world offering clothes-free vacations on major cruise ships." They've been doing so for 14 years.
- American Association of Nude Recreation regional clubs
- List of all nude resorts in Florida
- Natural hot springs in the U.S. for rustic naturists
Hi,
My name is Tom Mulhall. My wife and I are the owners of The Terra Cotta Inn clothing Optional Resort and Spa in Palm Springs, CA. I agree nude travelers are everywhere. In my opinion, until the last decade most nudist facilities in the U.S. were rustic campgrounds. They only catered to card carrying nudists. They were members only clubs. If an American wanted to go to an upscale nude resort or hotel, they usually had to go to the Caribbean or Europe. Entreprenuers such as ourselves and some in Florida realized that there was a large untapped market. Lots of people would like to try nude recreation in the U.S., they just did not want to rough it camping.
When we opened our naturist resort 11 years ago, we were the first clothing optional resort in the western U.S. that catered to vacationers instead of local families. Our repeat guests come from around the world. So nude recreation is like any other business, if you have a nice place, in a nice location, guests will come. Palm Springs is the sunniest city in the U.S. and the most popular with nudists. Vist our city site at http://palmsprings.com
Posted by: Tom Mulhall | June 24, 2006 at 03:34 PM