Custom itineraries among several new trends in tour travel
A recent Adventure Travel Trade Association study of 187 operators in 51 countries found changes in operators’ products and marketing approaches are planned for next year. The ATTA study increased interest in these areas:
• Custom itineraries: 84 percent (i.e., 84 percent of operators reported an increased interest)
• Shorter duration trips: 73 percent
• Closer-to-home, shorter haul trips: 55 percent
• Activity based adventures: 79 percent
• Cultural-interaction adventures: 70 percent
• Volunteering within travel: 40 percent
• Multigenerational travel: 55 percent
In line with traveler shifts, approximately half of the tour operators intend to offer more variety of inventory in 2010, with very few reporting a reduction in product offerings
“Meanwhile, operators also reported that travelers are booking trips closer to the actual time of departure,” the study found.
”Thirty-five percent of tour operators believe that travelers’ shorter booking windows are here to stay or that the period will be even shorter than it is now.”
Finally, one third of operators believe that the booking window in the future will be completely unpredictable.
By David Wilkening
David
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025
U.S.A. and Israel attacks on Iran impact air movements in the Gulf (Update 1.00pm CET)
Global tourism exceeds 1.5 billion travelers announces UN-Tourism