New Travel Trends: Bigger & Better Holidays

Are you ready to make up for lost time?

Why people are booking bigger and better holidays and the importance of having something to look forward to:

This certainly seems to be a big and I must say, welcome, trend in the industry. We are seeing a lot of enthusiasm due to the most extreme pent up demand that none of us would ever have wished for !! Many people have travel budgets, left over from the year of no travel, and on top of this, have had lots of time to think about their bucket list or once in a lifetime trips. We have all learned that we cannot take our right to travel freely for granted, so it makes sense to take advantage of our opportunities as soon as we can!

There is a massive interest in planning and booking extraordinary journeys and experiences to really make the most of our freedom as soon as we are let out to explore the world once again and we are getting frequent requests to combine destinations that previously may have been split into 2 holidays.

Some examples are, visiting The Galapagos and Machu Picchu, or adding a stop in Sri Lanka to a trip to the Maldives, or ticking off a Big Five Safari in South Africa and visiting Zambia for one of the great natural wonders of the world, Victoria Falls. So many exciting possibilities!

Historically it was quite normal to plan big trips months or even possibly as much as a year ahead, but now we are seeing that timeframe extended even further. People are thinking nothing of booking trips for 2022 and even 2023! This has many advantages, the first being the obvious and very healthy positive of having something planned to look forward to. After all, isn’t half the fun of a holiday looking forward to it and getting excited.

Just imagine that feeling of ticking off a bucket list item or transforming that vague desire to visit somewhere into an actual plan. The savvy travellers that are booking in advance are benefitting from the artificially low prices that are around right now. These low prices are in place to kick start the industry and as soon as lockdown is over and people start to book en masse, the airlines and hotels and suppliers around the world will be looking to re-coup some of their losses from last year and prices will most certainly rise.

They are also, easily and happily, getting their first choice of hotels, rooms and seats on flights. It is important to note that there will be less general availability in the industry, at least when we first all start travelling again, due to the fact that so many holidays were pushed back from 2020, leaving little room for new bookings, and also because it will take many airlines and hotels months to get back into the swing of things after so long being grounded or closed. Sadly there are also, airlines, hotels, restaurants and other services that were forced to cease trading during the travel ban, which will be another reason for reduced capacity.

Interestingly, having a holiday booked well in advance is not stopping people from going on last minute getaways when they can. It seems likely that this spontaneous approach is likely to stay around while there are so many unknowns. Of course, this makes for very happy travellers! Imagine having that trip of a lifetime booked, to think and dream about for months if not years and then adding in a little last minute treat when the opportunity presents itself!

Another huge, and very understandable demand at the moment is for holidays with extended family and friends. We have had time to reflect on what matters to us most and spending quality time together with our loved ones on holiday is a perfect remedy to the enforced time spent apart. Experiences that appeal to all ages, such as safaris, are proving very popular, as well as big groups taking exclusive use of villas, small hotels or yacht charters. Cruises are also in demand for groups as there is so much choice and literally something to keep everyone happy.

Taking a fabulous holiday together, with your wider group of relatives and friends, is an amazing way to strengthen family ties and bonds and in the end it’s all about relationships and making treasured memories. I speak from experience when I say that your children will certainly be talking about these big family trips for years to come.

On the subject of cruising. If you have never thought of taking a cruise or even if you are pretty convinced that taking a cruise is definitely not for you, you could do worse than have a little chat with your local friendly travel advisor to learn about the incredible array of options these days. Think luxury ships, gastronomic delights, special interest cruises such as family, golf, wellness or cultural, or expedition cruises to Antarctica or along the Amazon or Mekong Rivers? There are far too many to mention here so watch out for a future blog or get in touch in the meantime to see what you could be missing out on.

Finally, don’t forget that you will get bigger and better trips, more value for your money and peace of mind guaranteed by booking through your local travel consultant instead of online yourself.

Travel is definitely a buyers’ market right now and judging by the current trends, those in the know are merrily making the most of it. The question is, are you? 

 

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