Panoramic view of Amalfi and harbor, Italy. (Photo via Janoka82 / iStock / Getty Images Plus)
Luxury travelers are booking their dream trips this summer. After two years of staying home during the pandemic, travel advisors are seeing high demand for bucket-list destinations, multigenerational vacations and unique experiences.
Global Travel Collection (GTC) travel advisors have said that the United Kingdom is one of the most-booked destinations abroad. The top 15 include Italy, France, Israel, Spain, Switzerland, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Greece and Germany, followed by South Africa, Ireland, Australia, the Dominican Republic and Portugal.
Travel advisors noted that their clients are ready to spend and that some are even booking multiple trips.
“Europe is in high demand this summer, with destinations like Greece, Spain, Portugal and Italy the most booked,” said Tiffany Bowne, with All Star Travel Group, a brand within GTC. “My luxury travel clients do a combination of experiences, like cooking classes, hiking/biking excursions and immersive activities connecting them to the place, as well as making sure they have dining reservations at the top spots.”
Carolyn Consalvo of Andrew Harper, an agency that is part of GTC, noted that, in addition to Europe, beach vacations and Alaska cruises are popular with clients.
“I would say most people are looking for destinations where they can be outdoors a majority of the time,” said Consalvo.
Shayna Mizrahi, with In The Know Experiences, also part of GTC, pointed out that many people have turned their bucket lists into to-do lists.
Woman walking along a wooden jetty in the Maldives. (photo via iStock / Getty Images Plus / SHansche)
“Many of my clients want to travel to their dream locations,” said Mizrahi, noting that these include destinations such as the Maldives, southern Italy’s Amalfi coast, Australia and Hawaii.
Working remotely has also made travel to far-flung destinations more plausible for some.
“The demographics of my most active luxury travelers today are young professionals, who now can work remotely from anywhere and are choosing to combine this with unique luxury trips,” said Diana Castillo, with Protravel International of GTC.
Demand is high and that means that many people are having to pay a premium to get what they want, and today’s clients are willing to do that.
“The greatest challenge in selling luxury travel right now is the severely limited space and availability for flights and hotel rooms in the most desirable destinations,” said Leslie Tillem, with Tzell Travel Group of GTC. “We are seeing extraordinary demand in luxury travel across the spectrum, leading to a lack of availability at any price.”
Travelers are also finding value in travel advisors who can often find and book exclusive, sought-after destinations for them saving them time and finding the unique activities and accommodations that they are looking for.
“Your time is precious, and you want the assistance of an expert to help you plan your vacation,” said Angie Licea, president of GTC. “Our luxury travel advisors have years of experience putting together trips for their clients, as well as firsthand knowledge of the world’s most popular destinations. They stay on top of the trends in luxury travel and deliver concierge-level service. Plus, travelers have the comfort of knowing that there’s a human being they can call whenever they have a question or concern.”