A Travel Advisor Guide to Planning Extended-Stay Travel

Optimal vacation length has been a point of contention for more than a century.

Former U.S. President William Howard Taft identified the ideal amount of time off to be between two and three months per year. That length of time, he noted in a 1910 article for The New York Times, is “necessary to continue work the next year with that energy and effectiveness which it ought to have.”

Meanwhile, a 2013 study from The Journal of Happiness Studies, a peer-reviewed scientific forum covering the state of happiness and well-being, reported that long-term vacationers (those who spend an average of 23 days away) experience optimal levels of health and wellness on the eighth day of their time off.

Presidential opinion and empirical evidence aside, however, there’s no question that longer breaks do wonders for weary bodies and stressed-out minds. But, despite this, Americans are opting for shorter jaunts. Trips lasting 14 days or more comprise fewer than 20% of all trips taken, and three-night getaways have remained the most popular trip length since 2010, according to travel research firm Phocuswright. (Note: Phocuswright is owned by Northstar Travel Group, the parent company of TravelAge West).

Yet plenty of travel advisors and suppliers are touting the benefits of long-term, extended-stay travel — from world cruises to multicountry land tours — and they have the client testimonials (and commission checks) to back up their claims.

The Long-Term Landscape

Perhaps corporate America is to blame for our vacation-starved landscape.

Last year, a record 768 million vacation days went unused. And, compared to about four weeks of paid time off (PTO) per year given to working Australians, full-time U.S. employees who work in private industry receive an average annual PTO of 10 days after one year of employment.

“In Australia, having several weeks off allows us to travel long-haul more often,” said Tamara McDonald, an Aussie expat living in the U.S. and a travel advisor for Kunkletown, Penn.-based VacationKids. “We are positioned so far from everything that when we do travel, we tend to have a ‘go big or go home’ mentality. If you are going to fly eight hours to get to Asia, another long-haul destination beyond that isn’t such a big deal.”

Now, McDonald says she’s encouraging her U.S. clients (especially families, her agency’s specialization) to bypass short getaways and standard beach vacations in favor of extended time away in exotic locales. Currently, she’s working on a four-month, around-the-world trip for a family taking a sabbatical in 2020.

“Here in the U.S., the access to extended leave or paid vacation is a huge hindrance to traveling families, and I recognize that pulling kids out of schools can be difficult,” she said. “In this case, the youngest child is homeschooled, and the family has had to cobble together a bunch of annual leave in order to be able to do it.”

But there’s definite interest in these types of trips, and it’s up to an advisor to work with each family’s unique situation. McDonald estimates that 15-20% of her business comes from long-term travel (two weeks or longer); families often schedule travel for two weeks in the summer, bookended by weekends.

Sometimes, families are more likely to increase their time away when they realize that the world is essentially one big classroom, says Samantha McClure, owner of Small World Travel in Austin, Texas.

“It’s a great opportunity for families to bond and to get them out of their comfort zone and protective bubbles they live in at home, and for their kids to meet other children around the world,” she said.

Stacy Fischer-Rosenthal, president of Fischer Travel, planned an extended-stay trip for a family with four children ranging in age from 5 to 13 years old.

“They traveled throughout Southeast Asia and other destinations for more than three months,” she said. “They brought teachers for their children, and we arranged for classroom-style setups to provide a structured program.”

This type of travel isn’t just limited to families, though. Long-term travel can appeal to a variety of age groups and demographics — even folks who are still in the workforce, according to Angie Rice, co-founder of Paradise Valley, Ariz.-based Boutique Travel Advisors.

“Young adults are seeking trips lasting several weeks or longer, as they recognize the next phase of their life may impede their ability to travel,” Rice said. “And younger professionals — including medical residents and law students in between semesters — are great candidates, too. A lot of our clients are also either entrepreneurs or virtual employees who have the flexibility to travel and work simultaneously.”

And let’s not forget about active retirees, who make up the majority of travelers booking these types of trips, according to Phocuswright analyst Mark Blutstein, who notes that longer vacations often appeal to those who have less commitments at home and work.

“We are growing our clientele of active senior clients who are more likely to invest in first-class and business-class airfare; they want maximize the value of these tickets by stretching out their travels as much as possible,” Rice said. “It also takes some seniors longer to adjust from jet lag, and they typically prefer to travel more leisurely as opposed to feeling rushed to maximize every day of their trip.”

From World Cruises To “Hummingbird Itineraries”

Jesse Morris, a travel advisor with We Book Travel, an independent agency in the Avoya Network based in Richmond, Va., has been selling long-term travel for about two years. It’s a component of his business that has continued to grow as his clients realize the value — and increased options and experiences — that longer trips provide.

In fact, he just sold a 30-day sailing with Oceania Cruises (with a three-day post-safari) that departs from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and ends in Cape Town, South Africa.

“When it comes to cruises, rarely are trips of seven to 10 days inclusive of the more unique and intriguing destinations,” Morris said. “World cruises and world cruise segments tend to be what my clients are most drawn to. The value of not having to pack and unpack so often — especially on a longer itinerary — is very appealing to them.”

Steve Shulem, president of Strictly Vacations in Santa Barbara, Calif., has been selling world cruises since 1992, when he closed on a $27,000 Holland America Line booking for a solo female client. It was one of only a few world cruise itineraries available at that time.

Since then, he says, nearly all the luxury lines have jumped onboard.

“World cruises are a big hit, and you can count on them being sold out every time,” Shulem said. “It’s getting harder to find unique itineraries, but every year, somehow, clients find a segment of the world cruise that stands out as a highlight.”

Viking currently holds the record for the longest cruise — its 245-day Ultimate World Cruise takes about eight months and visits 113 ports — while Silversea Cruises is set to launch the first-ever expedition world cruise for 2021 onboard Silver Cloud, featuring a 167-day itinerary that visits 107 destinations.

“Many of our guests are ‘port collectors’ — folks who want to amass a series of experiences in as many places as possible,” said Brad Ball, director of corporate communications for Silversea. “On a weeklong cruise, there is a lot of pressure to see and do it all, and that can be exhausting. Longer voyages give guests that all-important element: time, and plenty of it.”

However, there are many options for intrepid clients looking to keep their feet planted firmly on the ground.

Mathy Wasserman, an “Incredible Journeys Specialist” in the Los Angeles-based branch of Flying Giraffe Travel, plans “hummingbird itineraries” for her stir-crazy clients who prefer extended periods of time away, but don’t want to stay longer than two days in one place.

“Over a period of about 21 days, they want to pop in, see the important stuff, eat good food, and be on their way,” she said.

Others may prefer a deep dive in one spot. For example, Rice of Boutique Travel Advisors often books her clients an accommodation in a centralized location — a villa in Tuscany, Italy, for example — but will organize day trips and weekend getaways to other nearby destinations, such as Cinque Terre and Florence.

“Extended travels like this can be less stressful, offer more time for relaxation and require less day-by-day planning,” she said. “You also get to incorporate smaller towns and activities that clients most likely would not have seen or done on a shorter vacation.”

And, fear not: These long-haul trips don’t have to be a logistical nightmare.

“Reserving a rental car for 30 days will take no longer to book than a reservation for half that amount of time,” Rice said. “And while the commission on trip insurance will most likely be higher, the steps to quote a policy are not any different. Clients are also more receptive to paying planning fees for a longer trip, so for this reason, I highly encourage other travel advisors to charge a fee for arranging extended vacations even if they are not accustomed to doing so.”

Tour operators, too, have stepped up their offerings to aid advisors during this process. McDonald of VacationKids is a fan of G Adventures’ new line of National Geographic Journeys; in fact, she’s booking it for the South America component of her clients’ four-month sabbatical. And Railbookers recently unveiled a new Around the World By Rail vacation, a 57-day journey that incorporates 15 countries, more than 20 cities and four U.S. national parks.

The train itinerary is unique not just for its featured destinations, but also for its customization options, according to Frank Marini, president of Yankee Leisure Group, the parent company of Railbookers.

Personalization makes the trip “even more appealing for those who want to visit a few other cities, or take out ones they have visited in the past,” he said.

This approach is central to Abercrombie & Kent’s Tailor Made department, as well. Advisors booking with the luxury operator still have access to a number of longer, preset Small Group Journeys, but the Tailor Made branch can customize an entire around-the-world vacation for clients according to their specific needs.

And, as with any booking, be sure to take the time to qualify the client, says Wasserman of Flying Giraffe Travel. After all, your dream long-haul trip may not be the same as your client’s.

“Like with most travel consulting, success comes from learning about your clients, listening to them and responding with experience,” she said. “When I am listening to a client share their goals, I frame my listening to remember that this is not a trip I am planning for myself.”