The lands Down Under Australia and New Zealand are among tour
operators’ hot destinations this year, along with Ireland, Canada
and China. And in the U.S., travelers are heading to Alaska, the
canyon lands and national parks.
Operators are reporting two common themes as travelers make
vacation choices: They want to go where they feel safe and where
they will get a good value for their dollar.
For Tauck World Discovery, bookings for Australia and New
Zealand are up 75 percent over last year, said Randy Durband,
Tauck’s vice president.
That’s probably because those countries are perceived as “safe”
and a good value, said Durband, who noted Tauck’s prices for
Australia and New Zealand have been pulled back to 1997 levels.
Though Europe has been soft in general, the United Kingdom
remains a destination in demand. But this year Tauck, based in
Westport, Conn., is seeing more interest in Ireland, Durband
said.
The Emerald Isle is also a hot destination for Brendan Worldwide
Vacations, based in Chatsworth, Calif., said president Gary Murphy.
Ireland may be selling well in part because of pent-up demand after
an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease and the terrorist attacks of
Sept. 11 dampened travel worldwide.
Steve Born, director of marketing for Group Voyagers Inc., based
in Littleton, Colo., reports a renewed interest in classic
vacations in the U.K. and Italy.
Born said he is also seeing a jump in interest for eastern
Canada: bookings to Newfoundland increased 200 percent last year
over 2001.
China is the leading destination for Abercrombie & Kent
Inc., with bookings about 20 percent higher than in 2002, said
president George Morgan-Grenville.
But not far behind is South America, particularly Peru and the
Galapagos Islands. “We’ve seen a lot of growth in family travel
there,” Morgan-Grenville said. “For spring break, the Galapagos has
been very popular.”
In the United States, Born of Group Voyagers said “big natural
wonders” are the hot destinations, especially the canyon lands and
national parks in the West. And, for Tauck, Alaska is selling
well.
Bob Whitley, president of the U.S. Tour Operators Association,
said Las Vegas continues to be a favorite choice among
travelers.
Among travel agents polled in the ASTA/Fodor’s Winter Hot Spots
Survey, the top five international destinations kept their 2002
positions.
London was the winter season’s top destination with 19.3 percent
of total responses, followed by Cancun, 16.1 percent; Paris, 12.6
percent; Rome, 7.6 percent and Puerto Vallarta, 4.2.
Orlando, with 23.6 percent, took the number one slot for
domestic destinations, bumping last year’s leader, Las Vegas, to
number two with 20.3 percent. New York City, at 7.2 percent, is in
third place, followed by Miami, 5.4 percent and Honolulu, 4.9
percent.
