Jamie Biesiada
Have your clients squared away their holiday travel plans yet?
If the answer is no, you’re far from alone. Several agencies are reporting that festive-season sales are a little soft compared to previous years, but they’re not too worried as this summer’s trend of close-in bookings has continued.
Of the holiday trips that are on the books, it’s a mixed bag of destinations.
Brownell chief development officer Kerry Dyer said the host agency’s advisors are booking a lot of the usual suspects: the Caribbean and Mexico.
After all, who doesn’t love a warm-weather getaway in the winter?
Popular holiday travel destinations
Some Brownell clients are headed to some farther-flung destinations, too, including Antarctica and the Galapagos. It points to the trend of expedition cruises.
“It’s wildly popular right now,” Dyer said.
Europe is the name of the holiday-travel game at KHM Travel Group, said vice president of agent engagement Bill Coyle.
Clients are interested in destinations like Austria, Hungary and Germany, especially for Christmas markets, Coyle said. This year he’s also seen an increased focus on Portugal, Italy’s small markets and Spain.
If your clients aren’t among those who have booked yet, there’s good news in that there is still inventory for the holiday season. That hasn’t been the case in recent years.
Coyle said depending on a client’s amount of time available and budget, KHM’s advisors often send them on shorter domestic trips, like to New York or New Orleans.
“Let’s just say you’re looking at the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans, which has an amazing teatime for the youth and the parents,” he said. “You can actually find space there. There’s always something for everyone.”
There is still availability on some river cruise lines that have Christmas market-focused cruises, he said, like Avalon Waterways, AmaWaterways or Riviera Travel.
“We are still seeing some cabins that are available,” he said, “but we’re also seeing hotels that are available in those markets, like in Budapest and Vienna.”
