Travel companies never miss a chance to tap into some kind of cultural reference when there’s a marketing opportunity – even one that predicts the demise of the planet.
And so, therefore, Expedia is making the most the doomsday scenario some believe the Maya could foresee hundreds of years ago – that the world will end on the 21 December 2012.
Yeah, that’s ten weeks or so away.
Anyway, eager to help those who subscribe to the prophecy and who are planning to head to the former-Mayan heartland of Central America to, err, celebrate the end of the world, Expedia is slashing rates for a string of hotels in the region.
Vice president and general manager at Expedia, Joe Megibow, says, with tongue planted firmly in cheek:
“Given that this might be the last chance to see this great destination, we thought we would make it easier to get there, by introducing some amazing sale prices.
“We do realize you’re not going to have much use for the money you’ve saved if the world actually does end, but either way, those savings are yours to keep.”
Obviously Megibow will not be laughing as much if the doomsday fans (and the Maya) turn out to be accurate. But then again, presumably, none of us will be 
In the meantime, as we wait for the apocalypse, here’s a great song:
NB: Mayan doomsday image via Shutterstock.
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About Kevin May
Those Mayans, eh. By the 21st December I’m usually begging for it to be all over anyway, so that would be convenient, so it might as well be an end of Q3 Expedia ad campaign.
And more importantly here’s those REM lyrics.
That’s great, it starts with an earthquake, birds and snakes, an aeroplane -
Lenny Bruce is not afraid. Eye of a hurricane, listen to yourself churn -
world serves its own needs, regardless of your own needs. Feed it up a knock,
speed, grunt no, strength no. Ladder structure clatter with fear of height,
down height. Wire in a fire, represent the seven games in a government for
hire and a combat site. Left her, wasn’t coming in a hurry with the furies
breathing down your neck. Team by team reporters baffled, trump, tethered
crop. Look at that low plane! Fine then. Uh oh, overflow, population,
common group, but it’ll do. Save yourself, serve yourself. World serves its
own needs, listen to your heart bleed. Tell me with the rapture and the
reverent in the right – right. You vitriolic, patriotic, slam, fight, bright
light, feeling pretty psyched.
It’s the end of the world as we know it.
It’s the end of the world as we know it.
It’s the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine.
Six o’clock – TV hour. Don’t get caught in foreign tower. Slash and burn,
return, listen to yourself churn. Lock him in uniform and book burning,
blood letting. Every motive escalate. Automotive incinerate. Light a candle,
light a motive. Step down, step down. Watch a heel crush, crush. Uh oh,
this means no fear – cavalier. Renegade and steer clear! A tournament,
a tournament, a tournament of lies. Offer me solutions, offer me alternatives
and I decline.
It’s the end of the world as we know it.
It’s the end of the world as we know it.
It’s the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine.
The other night I tripped a nice continental drift divide. Mount St. Edelite.
Leonard Bernstein. Leonid Breshnev, Lenny Bruce and Lester Bangs.
Birthday party, cheesecake, jelly bean, boom! You symbiotic, patriotic,
slam, but neck, right? Right.
It’s the end of the world as we know it.
It’s the end of the world as we know it.
It’s the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine…fine…
(It’s time I had some time alone)
Up there with a Mayan prophesy in making absolutely making no sense whatsoever. I blame the fact that there’s no booze in Athens, Georgia so they’re all on the shrooms and over-strong coffee.
Good luck
Stu
@stuart – as random as the original post, sir
Hi Kevin, The end of the world supposedly occurs at 7:11 AM Mexico City time. That means I’d have to stay up all night. Do they serve beer at the Great Quetzalcoatl Pyramid? Robert Gleason, author of END OF DAYS
I am also trying to make a buck on the apocalypse. I built an app that counts down and provides fun facts of doom to share around the water cooler.
Promoting the end of the world has been a lot more fun than publicizing facts that say everything will be fine.