A new trend is developing as more vacationers plan for short weekend trips to break up their routine. Mini-vacations are no longer limited to a traveler's local area. Research and the experience of tour operators point to destinations as distant as the other side of the continent or three-night packages to the resort areas of Cancun and Mazatlan.

There is something adventurous about traveling to a far-away place and returning within a weekend. Package prices now geared to this market make the concept affordable. An ad for a $199 all-inclusive hotel and entertainment package can be irresistible to many.

Southwest Fun Pack Vacations, (800) 423-5683, offers packages to 22 destinations including Los Angeles, San Antonio, New Orleans and Las Vegas. Sun Pack also offers ski packages to Park City, Deer Valley and Snowbird.

MLT Vacations, available from your local Travel Agent, say their three-night packages to Mexico as well as Orlando (a family destination), and many other cities including Boston and Minneapolis, are extremely popular and are patterned after the standard, longer-stay vacations. Traveling from New York to Las Vegas for a three-night weekend has exactly the appeal today's vacation adventurers seek. This package is one of MLT's best-sellers.

Other operators with similar packages are City Escape Holidays (800) 222-0022 and Northwest World Vacations.

This trend is not limited to singles and couples. The growth in families opting for the short-term vacation is one of the largest of all the groups. Because of this growth market, some of the best travel deals can be found in these short-stay packages that allow everyone to travel more often throughout the year.

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