What’s Trending in Booking ‘Rest of the World’ Destinations
Europe has always been on the wish lists of travelers, and rightfully so, given its diversity of culture, cuisine, history, attractions, and natural beauty, all in such close proximity. But for those who want to explore the rest of the world, certain destinations are taking off.
“Europe is definitely HOT this year, since airfare has come down considerably compared to the last few years. Besides Europe, we have been booking a lot of Hawaii (since demand has gone down after the wildfires in Maui, and therefore it is a great deal), Costa Rica, Asia, and Dubai/Maldives,” says Tom Varghese, chancellor of travel and owner, Travel Tom LLC.
And why do travelers want to go to these places? Is it for relaxation, adventure, culture, cuisine? “Most want something out of the ordinary,” notes Varghese. “Culinary and cultural experiences have really taken the lead on most of these trips.”
For Melissa Patane, vacation engineer at TripGuy Travel LLC, trending “rest of the world” destinations are “the UAE and Asia have been seeing a huge comeback, including Dubai, Maldives, Thailand, and Bali.” And “travelers all want different/unique experiences, including overwater bungalows in the Maldives or private pool villas in Bali!”
Luxury is key
The level of accommodation requested by travelers is decidedly moving into the luxury sphere. “Generally speaking, our clients are not budget clients, and we urge them not to book budget hotels for bucket list adventures,” explains Varghese. “Although we do not necessarily book 5-star accommodations for city/tourist destinations, we do focus on centrally located, clean, convenient, and safe lodgings.
“For multi-destination itineraries that typically involve a city and a beach (e.g., Dubai/Maldives, Bangkok/Phuket, etc.), we usually recommend they splurge on the beach/relaxation portion of their trip since they will tend to be at the resort and their room for a longer portion of their stay. We also try to custom curate experiences that they will never forget while in destination, like cooking classes, farm-to-table experiences, and community give-back opportunities.”
Patane typically books at least 4-star accommodations at the minimum, but her honeymooner clients are geared to 4.5- to 5-star accommodations. And she always recommends some high-end extras and experiences to them, such as the private pool villas, which are “always a WOW factor for our honeymooners. This exudes romance and once-in-a-lifetime experiences.”
Multi-stops reign
Booking multiple destinations/stops on one trip is also trending, and travel advisors are increasingly encouraging their clients to consider visiting more than one destination.
Varghese explains: “We LOVE and encourage clients to book multi-destination trips ─ especially if they have the time, budget, and inclination. For example, we get a lot of clients that want to spend ‘7-10 days on one island in Hawaii.’ But we encourage them to ‘island hop,’ since the cost of multi-island is usually similar to a roundtrip flight, and their experiences will be far greater and richer than if they just stayed at one island the entire time.”
When planning trips for her honeymooner clients, Patane often suggests more than one stop, but usually no more than three stops, otherwise “they will constantly be moving around, checking in/out of hotels, and not relaxing!”
Who’s going?
It is no surprise that the market segment that is particularly drawn to traveling to places beyond Europe are those who have already visited many of the tried-and-true places in Europe. They tend to be more well-traveled and are looking to diversify.
However, younger clients are also being influenced by social media (Instagram, TikTok, etc.), which is driving their interest in exploring these “rest of the world” vacations.
A few tips
We asked two accomplished travel advisors what their best tips were for other travel advisors looking to sell more “rest of the world” destinations.
Varghese offered: “When booking ‘the rest of the world,’ try to travel as much as possible so that you can gather first-hand experiences to share with your clients. If that is not possible, please research the destinations thoroughly and join Groups on social media, as well as reach out to other travel professionals to help you plan the ideal adventure for your clients. For most of your clients, these are usually bucket list trips ─ and you want to ensure the proper care and research has been done to plan these for them!”
He also recommends, “Don’t be scared to book [these destinations]! Plan and prepare to ensure a successful trip for your clients. It will be rewarding for them ─ and you.”
Patane agrees and says, “Go experience it for yourself. This is how you will really be able to sell the destination.”
What do your clients have on their dream lists for the rest of 2024 and beyond? Perhaps a multi-stop trip to a region beyond Europe will fit the bill perfectly. Travel advisors are they key to expanding the travel horizons for travelers around the world.
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