IN FOCUS Kyoto, Japan
Santorini is set to cap cruise passenger visitor numbers at 8,000 a day next year
but also to ensure they are not exacerbating the negative impacts of overtourism on local communities and the environment. Fortunately for the luxury sector, affluent clients appear to be keenly aware of the problem and, in some cases, are willing to alter their travel plans. According to Virtuoso’s 2024 Impact Report, 79% of advisors say their clients are open to off-season travel to avoid hot climates and overcrowding. Additionally, 87% say their clients are willing to explore alternative destinations, and 69% are already doing so. “The typical luxury traveller has the privilege to travel many times throughout the year so therefore has more flexibility and open-mindedness to when and where they travel,” adds Arredondo. Luxury travel brand Black Tomato can
attest to this. Head of product Carolyn Addison says that while top-performing destinations remain consistent with previous years – Italy and Japan being the most popular – there has been a shift in clients’ behaviour, with bookings for Italy up 50% in May and October compared with last year. “We have also seen clients’ willingness
There’s an ongoing obligation not only to keep exploring alternative
destinations but also to find new ways to experience the same destinations
to explore destinations that maybe weren’t on their radar before,” she adds, citing New Zealand, Norway and Peru as popular alternatives. “As agents and operators, it’s about consistently exploring where to spread tourism. There’s an ongoing obligation not only to keep exploring alternative destinations but also to find new ways to experience the same destinations.” This has also been a focus for B Corp-
certified operator Inside Travel Group, particularly for its brands InsideJapan and InsideAsia. With tourist numbers in Japan expected to exceed a record- breaking 35 million this year, avoiding overcrowded cultural attractions seems nearly impossible. The company’s team of specialists, who have all lived or worked in Japan, hope to offer a solution, providing insider advice on how to avoid peak times and which lesser-known spots to visit. In response to the impact of overtourism
in Japan, which has seen tourists banned from private streets in Kyoto and restrictions placed on climbing trails up Mount Fuji, Inside Travel Group is set to publish an overtourism strategy next year.
32
ASPIRE NOVEMBER 2024
aspiretravelclub.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129
