Travel Advisor Guide: The Latest in Tour Operator Trends

Move over, mass tourism. The days of group touring through Italy with a rigid itinerary are over. Whether it’s a glamping experience in remote Colombia, high tea with the former chef of the royal family or ice fishing in Finnish Lapland, today’s travelers want their trips to be as unique as their interests are.

And as consumer desires continue to shift, tour operators are tweaking their offerings to meet these changing demands. While distinctive trends will always emerge, over the last few years, the industry has seen the solidification of what can no longer be described as “trends” so much as bona fide market segments — family, adventure, and authentic, immersive travel, in particular. 

Beyond the trends, however, is one of the key elements of the evolution of touring: the role that travel advisors play.

“Our focus is always on the value of a luxury advisor and why it’s so important to use them when booking a tour operator,” said Cece Drummond, managing director of destinations and experiences for Virtuoso. “They know these companies; they know the nuances of booking with them; and they’ve developed relationships with these tour partners.”

Here, we look at how these three niches are growing and altogether changing the definitions of their categories.

Mighty-Morphing Family Travel
One of the more interesting movements in the travel industry has been the blending of established segments. For example, while “family travel” once mostly referred to theme park visits and Disney cruises, the segment is broadening by incorporating other travel types, such as adventure and wellness.

G Adventures, for one, is “ready and raring to become a go-to for families seeking that next, shared travel experience beyond the familiar all-inclusive resort or mega cruise,” according to Ben Perlo, managing director for the U.S. and Latin America.

Perlo, who also serves on the board of the Family Travel Association, was a key member in the development of G Adventures’ new National Geographic Family Journeys, which debuted in April. With departures beginning in 2020, the product features 12 trips for ages 7 and up that encourage both children and adults to connect with the world around them.

“I’m so excited by how much learning, bonding, adventure and enjoyment is included for every member of the family at such an accessible price,” Perlo said. “It’s one of the single best investments you can make in firming the bonds between your family, while exposing your kids to the amazing world and planting the seeds for them to become global citizens.”

According to Perlo, Family Journeys was developed in part because of explicit consumer demand. A 2018 survey from G Adventures and National Geographic revealed that 61% of parents would be “very” to “extremely” interested in a multiday, guided small-group tour with their children in the next three years. And 48% of grandparents said they felt the same. 

Family Journeys was built with this in mind, visiting destinations such as Southern and East Africa, Morocco, Southeast Asia, Iceland, France, Japan, Costa Rica, Peru and U.S. national parks, and incorporating interactive and educational activities. 

“Families can spot wildlife in Alaska’s national parks, where children can earn a junior ranger badge,” Perlo said. “They can try pasta-making together and participate in gladiator school in Italy. Or, they can learn about traditional sumo wrestling and samurai swordplay in Japan. It’s hands-on adventure for the young and the young at heart.”

And as G Adventures anticipates more multigenerational and skip-gen travel in the coming years (the 50-plus market is its fastest-growing demographic in the U.S.), Perlo notes that it will refresh its classic Family Adventures in 2020 to offer more variety and price points. 

Adventure Travel Goes Darwin
Just as the definition of family travel is expanding, the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) reports the blurring of lines between adventure travel and “traditional” segments.

“The trend of moving from the material to the experiential is a fact across many industries — not just ours — but it is making an impact on what kinds of trips and holidays people prefer,” said Milena Nikolova, director of knowledge and AdventureEDU for the ATTA.

As travelers look for more engagement with the destinations they visit, mass-tourism operators are increasingly offering customization opportunities and experiential activities, according to Nikolova. Think: biking, kayaking and culinary tours that combine nature, culture and experiential engagement.

Additionally, consumer desire to “travel green” continues to grow. In the ATTA’s Adventure Travel Trends Snapshot, published in April, green/sustainable itineraries rank No. 3 in “hot” trending trip types. These vacations — carefully designed to be environmentally sustainable (e.g., zero-waste, plastic-free and/or carbon-negative or -neutral) — are becoming the norm within adventure travel, Nikolova says. 

“In some forward-thinking countries, institutions are starting to cut long-haul business trips because the high footprint is becoming politically and socially unacceptable,” she said. “This will change travel patterns and make some of the destinations relying on long-haul markets adapt to new realities. Tourism operators working with distant destinations will feel this, too, and will have to find creative ways to adapt, going beyond programs offsetting emissions and impact.”

Immersion Blending 
Tour companies of all sizes are working to meet consumer demand for authentic and immersive travel. Globus Family of Brands is one of them: In response to customer interest in revisiting familiar destinations in a new way, as well as custom, local experiences, the company has evolved its offerings, says Cory McGillvray, channel marketing manager for Globus Family of Brands.

McGillvray highlights Globus’ Undiscovered product, which take travelers to off-the-beaten-path locales in popular destinations such as Italy, the U.K. and, new for 2020, the Mediterranean.

“An Undiscovered tour gets clients to the untouched corners of the world, where the beauty of less traveled areas can offer more picturesque scenery, more intact ancient architecture and more wide-open views and local experiences,” he said.

Take, for example, Undiscovered Britain’s Scottish Highlands & Islands itinerary. Throughout the two-week tour, guests hit highlights such as Edinburgh and Glasgow, but they also travel to remote spots like the tiny Isle of Iona, considered one of the quietest places in the world, and the quaint fishing port of Ullapool.

Many Globus tours also include options to add on “Local Favorites” experiences, such as swimming with whale sharks or humpback whales in Exmouth, Western Australia; taking a four-wheel drive through Jordan’s Wadi Rum desert; and tasting whiskey at Gretna Green’s Whiskey House in Scotland.

FIT operator Avanti Destinations, too, is helping clients see favorite locales with new eyes, discover remote places and immerse in local culture.

“Rather than traveling to Italy, France and the U.K., clients who love Europe are going to places like Greece, Iceland, Croatia, Portugal and Scandinavia,” said Paul Barry, CEO of Avanti. “We have also partnered with Finland, South Korea, Wales and the Setouchi region of Japan.”

Due to specific requests from advisors, Avanti has also added Morocco, Mongolia and St. Petersburg, Russia, to its offerings. By mid-2020, Barry says the company will introduce a complete range of itineraries, accommodations and experiences in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific, too — a completely new region for the operator. 

“Because Avanti specializes in complex and multi-destination itineraries, we actively work to expand travelers’ horizons by promoting less touristed destinations,” Barry said.

The operator’s unique experiences include stargazing in Chile’s Atacama Desert; a private boat tour and oyster farm visit in Portovenere, Italy (an alternative to the country’s Cinque Terre region); glamping on Thailand’s Khwae Noi River; and sleeping in a translucent dome in Suesca, Colombia.

And through “Meet the Locals” experiences, guests can engage in activities such as cooking classes taught by Italian locals in their homes; visits with a farmer in Bali, Khmer villagers in Cambodia or a family in Morocco; and overnights in a Misminay village in Peru’s Sacred Valley.  

“Part of getting to know any destination deeply is having truly authentic experiences and encounters with the people who live there, and learning to appreciate their food, wine, beer and spirits,” Barry said.

The Details
Adventure Travel Trade Association
www.adventuretravel.biz

Avanti Destinations
www.avantidestinations.com

G Adventures
www.gadventures.com

Globus Family of Brands
www.globusandcosmos.com

Virtuoso
www.virtuoso.com