New York City (Nov. 19, 2013) — The annual appearance of fruitcake on our nation’s supermarket shelves can mean only one thing: the holidays are upon us. And with that comes the creeping panic over what to give hard-to-buy-for friends and family members. The perfect solution: CityPASS® ticket booklets. Not only do they save you up to half off admission to the top attractions in 11 North American destinations, they beat fruitcake hands down in five important ways:

1. You always know what’s inside: Are those chewy shriveled things candied cherries? Cranberries? Currants? And is that a hint of rum or brandy? Fruitcake ingredients can be a bit of a mystery. But you’ll never wonder what’s inside a CityPASS ticket booklet, which always contains deeply discounted admission to the very best marquee attractions in a given destination: places like the Empire State Building in New York City, Disneyland in Southern California, Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, and Seattle's iconic Space Needle.

2. They’re time savers: You can try buttering up an attraction’s ticket taker with a slice of fruitcake, but the only way you’re guaranteed to skip the queue at many attractions is with your trusty CityPASS ticket, which lets holders save time and bypass the main-entrance ticket line like a VIP.

3. They’re waistline and budget-friendly: What better way to avoid holiday calories than by cutting out the fruitcake and getting a little exercise strolling through museums, aquariums, zoos and historical sites? CityPASS ticket booklets can make that happen. And as good as the booklets are for your waistline, they’re even better for your wallet, saving you up to half off the combined cost of the included admission tickets.

4. People actually like them: Okay, some fruitcakes are bearable, but most are met with a forced smile and an “Oh, you shouldn’t have. No, I mean it. Really! You shouldn’t have.” But the gift of travel is always appreciated. Imagine the memories you’ll help create for your nieces, nephews, siblings, children, coworkers and friends when you give a CityPASS ticket booklet.

5. They’re an antidote for challenging holiday houseguests: An extra large bite of fruitcake may keep Uncle George from regaling you with his peculiar brand of politics for a minute or two, but a CityPASS ticket booklet can keep him out of your hair for days. He’ll be off enjoying the sights and having a ball while you savor some much-needed downtime that you can use for baking, wrapping gifts, decorating, or even just a nap.

Once activated (first used), CityPASS ticket booklets are valid for nine consecutive days (14 days for the Southern California CityPASS admission card). They can be purchased online at CityPASS.com or at any of the participating attractions.

For more than 15 years, CityPASS ticket booklets have been a premier product for travelers who want to visit a destination’s top attractions while enjoying significant savings of up to 50%. CityPASS ticket booklets, which have a 95% customer recommendation rating, are available for New York City, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Southern California and Toronto. For more information, visit CityPASS.com.

CityPASS® and City Pass® are registered trademarks of City Pass, Inc., and the exclusive property of City Pass, Inc.