Recommend December 2013 - (Page 21)
lane nieset
With a globe filled with destinations to choose from-ranging from
well-trodden Italy and Spain to more-off-the-beaten-path Bhutan-
travelers have the world at their fingertips. So what is it about North
America that seems to be calling their attention, begging them to
explore their own backyard?
Travelers are exploring the region one park, river cruise and city
at a time, slowly discovering the natural beauty and culture North
America has to offer.
"Overall, 2013 was a good year for North America," says Jeremy
Palmer, v.p., land-based products, Tauck (tauck.com). "The longer
duration, more robust and higher cost-point trips continue to outperform
the shorter ones. As people become more seasoned and
travel the world, they really are demanding in terms of experiences
that leave a mark on them. We find that in America, the more indepth,
special experiences did better [than shorter trips]."
exploring the national parks
Despite this year's government shutdown, the tour operators I've
spoken to all seem to agree: National parks are in demand.
"We definitely saw that the national parks and Canada had a
comeback. They've always been strong for us, but in 2012 they
slipped for a little bit. In 2013 they were back. I would say it was
a movement toward green trees and snowcapped mountains,"
Palmer says.
While North Americans seem to be interested in exploring the
natural beauty of parks like Yellowstone and Yosemite, as well as
experience America's heartland (demand for destinations like New
Orleans and Mississippi river cruises were high), destinations like
New England and California dropped off for Tauck.
Tauck's themed experiences, meanwhile, such as the itineraries
featuring filmmaker Ken Burns, played very well with travelers, both
in and outside of the parks.
"People are drawn to the natural beauty of the parks, and
outside of the parks it's more cultural. Anything we can do to keep
that content fresh and cutting-edge we continue to see a demand
for," Palmer says.
One trip that combines these elements is Tauck's 9-day Wonderland:
Yellowstone in Winter trip, a Ken Burns-themed itinerary
that takes travelers through the park exploring geological features,
boiling springs and mud volcanoes.
alaska & hawaii on the upswing
In the March 2013 issue, we highlighted the many things Alaska
celebrated this year-the "100th anniversary of the first ascent
of Mount McKinley, the 50th anniversary of the Alaska Marine
Highway System, the 30th running of the Yukon Quest sled dog
race, and the 25th anniversary of the 'Friendship Flight' from Nome
to Provideniya, Siberia." New products on land and sea are also
worth celebrating, especially since North American travelers are
quickly jumping on board.
As Paloma Villaverde de Rico mentioned in that article-Alaska is
Celebrating in 2013-"New accommodations, new product-both
on land and at sea-and a landscape of ancient volcanoes, snowcapped
mountains and towering glaciers that utterly amaze no
matter how many times one visits...there's no denying Alaska has
reason to look at 2013 as a banner year."
And Alaska has the numbers to prove it. Tauck's Alaska bookings
were robust in 2013, and as Mary M. Novak-Beatty, v.p. of marketing
& call center sales, Mayflower Tours (mayflowertours.com),
says, "The Alaska Grand Tour showcasing Denali and the Kenai
Fjords national parks sold out quickly."
Mayflower's tour takes travelers on a 9-day whirlwind trip through
the highlights of Alaska, cruising the Chena River, riding the Alaska
Railroad (alaskarailroad.com), touring the Denali National Park,
and spending time in Anchorage and Fairbanks.
While travelers are flocking to North America's natural wonders,
travel to Hawaii was on the rise for tour operators in 2013, too.
"For us, this is the best year we've had in Hawaii and in 2014,
we're looking at a 20 to 25 percent increase again," says Marc
Kazlauskas, president of Insight Vacations.
Trafalgar (trafalgar.com) has also seen an increase, with a 20.3
percent uptick in Hawaii bookings this year, due, in part no doubt,
to its 13-day Hawaii Four Island Adventure trip, which visits Oahu,
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Maui and Kauai.
The destination has become even more accessible with the addition
of Allegiant Airlines' first nonstop flight from Los Angeles
to Honolulu (allegiantairlines.com); new flights from Vancouver to
Kona, Hawaii Island and Lihue, Kauai on Canada's West Jet
(westjet.com); and Mokulele Airlines (mokuleleairlines.com) offering
interisland service between Kona and Kapalua, Maui.
destination florida
In the April 2013 issue, I highlighted Florida's islands-Amelia
Island, Sanibel and Captiva-for their captivating island atmospheres.
As Nancy Hamilton, communications director for the Lee
County Visitor & Convention Bureau (leevcb.com), said about
Lee County in that feature, "It's a very peaceful, quiet side of Florida
known for its nature. It's really an area that has been preserved and
conserved over time because that's what people who come here
love, and that's the attraction to the islands."
Tamara Pigott, executive director, Lee County VCB, says the area
has a high repeat visitor rate, with most travelers saying they'll be
back the following year.
"We have a very high satisfaction rate with the consumers who
visit our area. We definitely have more couples than families visiting
the area, but one thing we really deliver is a great multigenerational
experience," Pigott says.
Winter bookings are already breaking records, and hoteliers are
saying they've never seen bookings this early.
"We've had a really positive year in 2013; I think we're seeing
consumer spending coming back a bit. We're seeing really positive
numbers across the board," she says.
Another destination in Florida that never ceases to attract visitors
is Walt Disney World (disneyworld.disney.go.com), especially after
the New Fantasyland expansion-the largest expansion to date at
Magic Kingdom. I experienced the Disney magic firsthand at the
premiere in December 2012, but the land continues to grow with
the opening of Princess Fairytale Hall in September, and will be
complete in the spring when the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train familystyle
rollercoaster opens.
december 2013 21
http://www.mayflowertours.com
http://www.alaskarailroad.com
http://www.tauck.com
http://www.trafalgar.com
http://www.allegiantairlines.com
http://www.westjet.com
http://www.mokuleleairlines.com
http://www.leevcb.com
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend December 2013
Editor's Notes
Hotel Desk: Canyon Ranch
Tour Talk: Insight Vacations
17th Annual Recommend Readers' Choice Awards Winners
Cruising 2013
Discovering North America
Caribbean Trends
Anguilla Travel Agent Specialist Program
Asia & The South Pacific in the Rearview Mirror
Mexico 2013
Latin America in 2013 and Beyond
Africa + The Middle East Continue to Make Stides
Nostalgic for Europe
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