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16 May, 2007 |
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| Travelzest report shows boom in special interest holidays |
| Comments: 3 |
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Online bookings for special interest holidays are booming, according to a report by Travelzest.
The report, in association with the Centre for Future Studies, reveals that from 2002 to 2006 holiday packages fell by 8.9% and this drop is set to continue.
Chris Mottershead, chief executive of Travelzest said: "We're moving away from a mass market culture to one of unlimited choice.
"Through the internet, reaching small and specialist markets is now economical, an example being that about a quarter of Amazon's book sales come from titles outside their top 100,000 sellers.
"It's a similar story in the travel industry, with the biggest growth sectors being in specialist breaks such as activity, health and spa, nature and wildlife trips and escorted tours such as opera, cycling trips, dance, cooking or wine-tasting."
Dr Frank Shaw, foresight director for the Centre of Future Studies, said: "People are spending more money than ever before on life-enriching experiences, such as luxury "small indulgencies" and travel trends reflect this.
"We are seeing much more sophisticated and confident travellers who care about the world around them and want authentic travel experiences.
"Both men and women are putting a high emphasis on 'me time' and are looking to blend hobbies with their holidaymaking. That might mean arranging a trip to Verona and booking tickets to an opera at the same time. Travel companies need to be much more focused on individualism."
The top 10 "niche" travel markets tipped to grow over the next five years are:
Learn-a-skill-in the-sun (eg cooking, surfing, painting, salsa dancing)
Inner self escapes (eg yoga, meditation, spa)
Hobbies abroad (eg art, gardens, cycling)
Festivals & Fiestas (dance, opera, food & wine)
Eco-lifestyle
Wildlife & nature tours
Sports tourism (following teams and playing sport)
The home-from-home hotel
Soft and extreme adventure
Nip/ Tuck tourism
By Bev Fearis
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Categories:
Tour Operator, Travel Agent
| | | USER COMMENTS | | |
Bespoke Luxury Shopping Experiences
Thisarticle replicates a conversation I had yesterday with an (over 60yr)client. She wanted to go SHOPPING and get connected to a city. Going alone was not an option, nor was package, pensioner or generic. Delighted instead at the thought of being aroundstylists, asmall group of other cashed-up shopping addicted women,andyounger ones too. Women who want to shop and go beyond the high street and mall crawls. Women who would praise hershopping prowess 'not scowl from the back of the bus, thinking 'shopping!'...hurry upwe are late for the next cathedral and the buffet starts at 6pm.'...
BRAVO:This article says WELCOME to 2007 and the future of travel. Living the future - finally doing what you love doing or have wanted to do, without having to ask for permission.
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We are experiencing the same results
For the past few years, as head of LeadGenerators, an online marketing agency specialising the travel sector here in the UK, we have seen this trend in our clients too. As a result, we spend more and more time trying to persuade our clients that, more importantly that simply running PPC and SEO campaigns, they should actually take a step back and get a better understanding of these trends. Once this occurs and resultant shift in product packaging has taken place, the resultant traditional online marketing avenues such as PPC and SEO make much more sense, deliver much better targeted traffic and convert site traffic into business at much lower costs. It's really a win-win situation and I wish I could trumpet this message to more people.
Thanks for a great article.
Frank
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Special interest holidays ideal for singles
When I'm asked for holiday advice by single travellers, I generally recommend an activity or special interest holiday as opposed to a singles holiday. I think the problem with singles
holidays is
all that you have in common with other participants is that you are
single. Whereas if you go on a holiday where the focus is on a topic or
hobby, whether
thats walking, painting, cycling, yoga or learning a language, then a
least you will not have to think about how to fill your days, you will
be doing something that is of interest to you. You will have
this
common bond with the other participants which will facilitate natural
conversation rather than topics such as the length of time for which
you have been single or why you broke up with your last partner.
There
may be some single people on this type of holiday but it will feel less
like a cattle market as you have come on this holiday to pursue an
interest or hobby rather than as a singleton, with the agenda (perceived
or real) of meeting a partner.
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