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Can you name the top destinations that are selling outside of the summer season? Have a guess at the number one hotspot for a honeymoon? Or will you be surprised at which cruise routes are flying off your fellow agents’ shelves?
Find out all this and more in TTG’s latest Insight Report, where 120 agents share with us their destination hotspots and the more off-the-beaten-track requests they get.
Up to £2,000pp:
Spain (35%)
Up to £7,000pp:
Thailand (23%)
Up to £10,000pp:
the Maldives (21%)
More than £10,000:
Australia (15%)
The risk of clients falling ill because of hotels’ poor hygiene standards is putting off a number of consumers when it comes to booking destinations such as Cape Verde – where medical infrastructure is already lacking. In the US, the high costs associated with hotels, taxis, service charges and tips weigh heavily on clients’ pockets, while the country’s gun culture can also dissuade clients from booking. President Trump is not doing any favours for the US tourism industry, with agents fearing his fast-moving style of political manoeuvring could leave clients exposed. It seems Sri Lanka has more to do to reassure agents that the destination is stable and welcoming, while female safety of solo travellers in Turkey and Saudi Arabia was a particular concern.
Upgrading clients whose initial enquiry was for a European destination to a holiday in Mauritius was the most common theme. Meanwhile, swapping Mauritius for the Maldives was also a natural progression. With Thailand and Dubai also referenced for upselling, perceived value is certainly a factor in the switch away from Mediterranean destinations, while the negative publicity of wildfires (Greece) and anti-tourism protests (Spain) could also be fuelling the swing towards longer-haul travel.
There’s no doubt tourist boards have been doing more to promote the appeal of the off-season in their respective destinations – to help avoid over-crowded high season peaks and disperse tourists more evenly throughout the year. The clear winners extending their seasons for the Brits are Greece (25%) and Spain – the Canaries (19%) in particular put in a star showing. Agents have also been selling Dubai (15%) and Turkey (13%) for the shoulder seasons, counted as May and October, outside of school holiday periods.
While Greece, Spain and the Indian Ocean end up being many agents’ bread and butter, our respondents shared examples of more off-beat bookings they’ve worked on. Less-commonly requested destinations, which have nevertheless piqued clients’ interests, include Uzbekistan, South Korea, Antarctica, Albania, Georgia, China, Madagascar and Bhutan.
Some agents have got their teeth into really interesting bookings – from Nicaragua and Transylvania to Tajikistan and Cebu Island in the Philippines, when clients crave adventure, agents are booking it.
Shout out to the agent who arranged for their clients to stay with the Mentawai Tribe in Indonesia and the one who got their clients out to Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island, one of the most remote inhabited islands in the world.
Good weather is the biggest driver for clients in terms of choosing a destination, said 82% of our agent respondents. Next came good value for money, mentioned by 68% of agents. Sightseeing and access to attractions were also important (50%), closely followed by ticking off a perceived ‘bucket list’ experience. Decent dining options also carried weight (45%), while access to beaches, avoiding crowds and enjoying the wilderness were also given as reasons that influence clients’ destination choices.
More than half our survey respondents had sold a holiday to an LGBTQ+ client in the last two years, with just under half of that group saying their clients’ sexuality had not influenced the destination choice. However, they acknowledged most LGBTQ+ clients had done their own research and will have a clear idea where they want to travel. Instead, these clients sought agents’ help to research specific hotels and experiences that would be deemed LGBTQ+ friendly. The biggest concern for LGBTQ+ clients was the reaction from locals to public displays of affection, and falling foul of local laws. As such the Middle East was cited as a place to avoid, while Mykonos and cruising are seen as safer bets. A less-experienced LGBTQ+ traveller would be more ‘terrified’ of getting it wrong.
We asked agents selling cruise (86% of respondents) which were the top-selling regions for cruise holidays, and the original Coolcation, the Norwegian Fjords (46%), was the clear winner. Next came the Caribbean (35%), and the Western Mediterranean (31%) proved more popular than the Eastern Med (18%). The Far East and Alaska will both be destinations to watch (6%) bearing in mind the cruise lines that are expanding their programmes in both regions.
Fam trips were highlighted as an excellent way to gain product knowledge and therefore increase sales, but agents – particularly homeworkers – are not always getting equal opportunities when it comes to invites. Strong examples of success included the fam to Botswana and South Africa, which led to six high-value safari trips.
A Maldives fam with Carrier inspired a £40,000 booking, a Latin Routes Academy trip to Peru has led to multiple South American bookings for the agent concerned, and a St Petersburg fam trip in Florida prompted a £10k family booking. Props to the agent who converted 15 luxury bookings for the destination after a fam trip to Tanzania.
Cyprus emerged the trade favourite for destination weddings (27%), among the 78% of respondents who had booked a wedding and/or honeymoon in the last couple of years. For honeymooners, the Maldives was the clear leader, with three-quarters of agent respondents telling us clients were prepared to spend between £2,000-£7,000pp on their ‘holiday of a lifetime’. Just 20% of agents told us they had clients who spent more than £7,000pp on a honeymoon.
We value the expertise and insight from our travel agents, and we want to hear more from you in return for payment for your time. TTG's Insights Panel is now open to join - register now to get paid for sharing your honest, anonymous views in tailored surveys throughout the year.
