Wanted by travelers: more exotic locales
Despite the economy, luxury travel remained strong this month but travelers are more inclined than ever to look for non-traditional and more exotic areas, according to a recent ALTOUR Index.
“The total level spent on vacations and travel remained constant in nearly every category” in ALTOUR’s November Index, reported Marketwire.
But more exotic destinations such as South and Southeast Asia, including Vietnam and India, saw the largest demand increase, according to the survey of hundreds of leisure travel agents.
“Most exotic destinations are warm and humid, so the visiting window is small,” said David McWaters, a Newport Beach agent.
Exotic travelers trend to be “empty nesters,” McWaters says, so they are generally looking for “bucket list” destinations with little concern about traditional “family style” schedule realities.
“Many are more upscale clients looking for something different after traveling to the traditional spots,” said Bobbie Plotkin, an agent in California.
One result of the survey: River cruises continue an upward trend.
"People are always looking for the new, and for these types of clients, they've already done the big ships or didn't have any interest to begin with. They want a more personal experience,” said agent Marion Van Ingen.
ALTOUR is one of the world's leading independent travel and services organizations with a workforce of over 1,200 professionals in sixty-eight offices on three continents.
By David Wilkening
David
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