So you’re the generous type… and that means you have decided to wow your relatives (and perhaps a few very close friends) by giving them family vacation packages as holiday presents.

As beautiful a sentiment as that can be, it’s important to exercise a little caution when engaging in this kind of gift-giving.

After all:

– Most people tend to enjoy choosing their own family vacation destinations; having someone else dictate where they should go could be irritating.

– Some folks like receiving “stuff”, not experiences. If your Auntie Betty fits that category, she might not feel that tickets to one of those gorgeous Delaware resorts fits her expectations.

– If you go overboard on your spending, recipients could wind up feeling as if you’re trying to “one up” them (e.g., throwing your money around) even if that isn’t your intention.

However, this doesn’t mean that giving family vacation packages for Hanukkah, Christmas or Kwanzaa is doomed. You just have to take the following precautionary measures:

– Though it spoils the “surprise” element, it’s probably a good idea to ask your cousin Joe if he has time to go on a vacation in 2008. Some people simply cannot take a week off; thus, your gift could go unused.

– Write a heartfelt letter to the person(s) you’d like to give your family vacation package present telling him, her or them your plans (but not setting any locations in stone.) Attach to your letter some vacation guides and wrap everything in a lovely box. That way, your friends and family can have some say about their actual trip.

– If you cannot stand the thought of telling your recipient about your family vacation spot gift, at least do enough legwork to find out where he or she (or they) would adore visiting. Ask best buddies, coworkers, neighbors, parents… anyone who is close to him/her/them.

Take these simple steps, and you’ll wind up putting genuine smiles on your loved ones’ faces this year!

(Look for more holiday tips from GuestQuest in the coming weeks!)