DESTINATIONS AGE GROUPS TRENDS
stand-up paddleboarding and rafting,” he says. “With more and more newlyweds taking a minimoon (short post-wedding holiday) followed later by a maximoon (when time and funds permit), couples want more from their big trip.” In terms of destinations for
2019, Kuoni says the Maldives and Mauritius top the list, followed by Mexico, Tanzania and Saint Lucia.
WELLNESS BREAKS Wellness has been booming over the past few years, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. Generation Y is leading the way, with Abta’s 2018 consumer survey finding that 11% of respondents in the 18-34 bracket planned to take a wellness trip in the next 12 months. G Adventures has responded
by introducing a new range of Wellness itineraries for 2019, offering healthy eating, yoga sessions and various other activities on tours across the world – think purification baths in Bali, prayer ceremonies in Nepal and ashram stays in India. And resorts are adapting too – for those wanting a digital detox, Ibis Hotels has just introduced ‘social media sitters’ at its Geneva and Zurich locations to take charge of clients’ Instagram accounts.
w MATURE TRAVELLERS SOLO TRAVEL Solo travel is the phrase on everyone’s lips right now. Mintel’s
For a digital detox, Ibis Hotels’ ‘social media sitters’ take charge of clients’ Instagram accounts
RIGHT: Just You tour
in South Africa BELOW:
Colombo, Sri Lanka
2018 Solo Holidays Report found that 17% of UK adults had taken trips alone in the past five years, representing an increase on the five years to 2017, and leading the trend is the over-75s market, according to Abta. Operators are catering to the demand. Titan Travel and Wendy Wu Tours both introduced solo trips this year, offering rooms without single supplements, while Leger Holidays is expanding its Single Traveller tours for the year ahead. “2018 has seen significant
growth in solo touring, which will only grow more in 2019 and beyond,” says John Warr, global sales director for Wendy Wu. In terms of destination, India, Uganda and Madagascar are leading the pack for Titan, while Ecuador and the Galapagos take the crown for Just You.
PERSONALISED TOURS Solo is not the only touring trend to look out for in the year ahead – demand for flexible, tailor-made itineraries is soaring, according to Lee Evanson, UK central regions sales manager for Trafalgar’s Costsaver brand, whose tours provide the basic ‘building blocks’ and let clients customise the rest. Cosmos has launched Cosmos Lite for 2019, offering bare bones trips that exclude excursions, while Just You has introduced ‘Make Your Own Way’ options for those customers wanting to arrange their own transport rather than booking the normal flight-inclusive packages. Small group trips are also on the rise among the mature market, with APT introducing two new Luxury Small Group journeys in New Zealand for 2019, while Great Rail Journeys will add eight new Small Group tours next year. And it’s not just in the
touring market – river cruise is seeing similar trends. Demand for smaller ships is growing, according to Titan, and desire for more flexible itineraries is being seen by Avalon Waterways, which has enhanced its Avalon Choice programme for 2019 to cater for it. In terms of destination, Leger
Holidays says Iceland, wider Scandinavia and Sri Lanka are the ones to watch for 2019, while Cosmos points to Italy, Ireland and the US.
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travelweekly.co.uk20 December 2018
RAIL TRIPS Rail touring is set to surge, according to Rachel McMurdo, Travel 2 assistant product manager for Oceania. “It’s a real boom area for couples
Cruise River cruise looks set to
continue booming in 2019, according to Leger Holidays and Shearings Holidays. The latter has doubled its allocation for A-Rosa trips for the year ahead and will offer seven more itineraries.
Beyond river, adventure is the theme of the moment, according to Andy Harmer, Clia UK & Ireland director. “Northern Europe and the Caribbean are the most popular destinations for both millennials and families, while mature cruise customers are setting sail in increasingly adventurous destinations such as Asia. They’re also leading the way when it comes to taking exploration cruises,” he says.
PICTURES: LEGER HOLIDAYS; MARK BADER
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