Reflecting on 2020: New Beginnings and Reconnecting With Cultures in 2021

As 2020 comes to an end, TMR invited a number of travel advisors and suppliers from all over the world to pen their own letter to the industry, reflecting on the year that was and looking to 2021.

2020 gave us the time to reflect, adapt and readjust what travel will mean in the future. With this, we have created new services and travel options to give clients a rightful peace of mind on their next vacation. This includes our industry-leading and new well-being directors, our new small private groups for 12 or more guests, our regular trips limited to no more than 24 guests, expansion of our custom group options, our flexible $99 deposit, and our new partnership with Uplift for a “buy now, pay later” option.

As weeks turned into months, we realized this was not a simple short-term crisis but would have more of a fundamental impact on how we provided incredible travel experiences to our guests.  The disruption to our lives, the lives of our guests and our business became an opportunity to reassess our life changing tours. We continue to offer the best travel experiences in the guided vacation space and the additional time this year provided us the chance to continue to innovate and curate experiences that have evolved with the desires and demands of today’s well-traveled discerning guests.

In 2021, travel will mean cherishing each moment with friends and family, and we have seen that with a dramatic uptick in demand for multigenerational travel in 2021 and 2022. We know travelers are yearning to reconnect again with their loved ones, extended family members and friends.

Our frequent guests have said they are looking for flexibility and want to travel with a company that they have confidence in -- that will be smart with their in-destination experiences. Under The Travel Corporation, Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold are creating this trust (in addition to our new well-being directors, small private groups and flexible payments) with outstanding health protocols, deposit flexibility and exclusivity of experiences.

Next year exclusivity will be key for guided vacations, such as getting those Un-Googeable experiences that you cannot get anywhere else. Examples of this include going sailing with oyster farmer Tomislav Croatia with Insight Vacations or meeting the Duchess of Northumberland at Alnwick Castle with Luxury Gold. Luxury Gold and Insight Vacations also offer VIP access to popular attractions such as The Vatican and Book of Kells, so you get the exclusivity that our guests desire.

For those seeking where to go in 2021, Europe and the United Kingdom are currently on many traveler’s go-to lists -- especially Italy, Ireland, Great Britain, Greece and Spain. We recommend travelers book their trip now as space will fill up fast next year for our guided vacations. There are also areas in the U.S. that are in high demand because of the desire to travel to National Parks with outdoor experiences, such as Arizona, Wyoming, South Dakota, Colorado and New Mexico.

Overall, we are looking forward to a positive and exciting 2021 as travel begins to reemerge and transforms into a “new normal”. We can’t wait for our guests to once again enjoy connecting with new cultures