Recommend December 2013 - (Page 74)

Budapest's architecture is mesmerizing. Europe feature. As Simion Alb from the Romanian National Tourist Office noted in that article, "Romania is much better known today in North America than it was 20 years ago, but it still preserves an aura of mystery and uniqueness. It's authentic." When speaking about Croatia, Alan Mandic, director of programs for Secret Dalmatia, said in that same article that, "People have been to Italy, France, Spain, Greece...and now are looking for something similar, but different." And speaking of something different, Turkey is also being sought out by visitors looking for a unique destination. According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey (goturkey.com), "More than 36.7 million tourists visited Turkey in this past year compared to 15.2 million 10 years ago." Helping accommodate those visitors are new hotels such as the Wyndham Izmir Ozdilek (wyndhamizmir.com) in Izmir and the Radisson Blu Hotel, Istanbul Pera (radissonblu.com/hotel-istanbul-pera). the experience Visiting all of these destinations is all well and good, but it's how your clients experience these destinations that really makes all the difference. The buzz phrase all around is "experiential travel" and enjoying a destination like a local. In 2013, it became even more of a mainstay-gone are the days of zipping through a destination just to say you've been there. So Butterfield & Robinson (butterfield.com), as well as a host of other like-minded tour operators, are telling travelers to get on two wheels to truly take in European destinations. According to Kathy Stewart, director of PR for Butterfield & Robinson, "Our biking numbers are definitely up. We continue to see a diversity of client-young and old who want an active and culturally engaging experience. Through our diversity of trips, self-guided, guided, private and bespoke, we can accommodate different types of travelers and their needs." She adds that, "France and Italy continue to be our top sellers, with France outselling Italy last year for the first time in many years. Spain has also seen an increase in recent years with the addition of two new trips, Rioja and Andalucia. We will be adding to our portfolio in Spain as a result." In the July 2013 issue, in the Tour Talk column, we quoted Andy Levine, DuVine Cycling + Adventure Co.'s president and founder as saying, "Access to many small galleries, exclusive 74 december 2013 wineries, and a local family's dining table are often only possible with a smaller number of guests. This is why a DuVine group never exceeds 14 guests." Although of course there's no denying that in 2013 (and beyond), one of the most popular and most experiential ways to visit Europe is by staying in a villa, as Barbara Le Pome of European Escapes Villa Rentals noted in the October 2013 feature, It Takes a Villa. "Travelers today have a strong desire to fully discover their destinations; to truly experience the destination. The beauty of villa vacations is that travelers enjoy all the comforts of home abroad, while soaking up the rhythm of living like a local, or at least being part of local life." And it is here where Italy truly is unmatched. According to that same article, the most sought-after regions for Villas of Distinction are Tuscany, the Amalfi Coast and the Lake Como district. "One of our expanding niches in Italy is hosting villa weddings," noted Maya Amderelli, product manager for the villa company- take note, destination wedding-savvy travel agents. Spain, too, has its authentic accommodations, paradores, which are ideal for clients making their way along the country's many routes. This was a type of tourism that Tourist Office of Spain (spain.info) promoted heavily this year as these routes explore the country's myriad historical, cultural, natural and gastronomical roots, as well its myriad religious heritage. As we leave 2013 and head into 2014, new and exciting product is already emerging such as TourCrafters' (tourcrafters.com) 7-night self-drive tour of Northern Spain that includes accommodations in seven of Spain's paradores, including a 16th century monastery-hospital, a Gothic-style former convent and a renaissance palace. "We've seen a lot of demand for folks going to Europe," says Tauck's (tauck.com) Jeremy Palmer, v.p., general manager, land division & new ventures. "Europe has been very strong over the last 12 to 18 months, both with land and with river boating." And if Viking Cruises' Torstein Hagen's promise of having 100 ships on the water by 2020 and VisitBritain's goal of having 40 million visitors by the year 2020 do become reality, then 2013 is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of bookings. ● recommend.com PALOMA VILLAVERDE DE RICO http://www.goturkey.com http://www.wyndhamizmir.com http://www.radissonblu.com/hotel-istanbul-pera http://www.spain.info http://www.butterfield.com http://www.tourcrafters.com http://www.tauck.com http://www.recommend.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

Recommend December 2013

https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/UndiscoveredFlorida2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/visitflorida2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/UndiscoveredFlorida2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/visitflorida2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/UndiscoveredFlorida2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/visitflorida2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/2016deltaeuropemiddleeastandafricatravelguide
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/visitflorida
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/deltacaribbeanguide2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/martinique2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/delateurope2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/colombia2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/martinique
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/theislandsoftahiti
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/greatbritain
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/ClubMed2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/recommend/december2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/anguilla
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/stlucia
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/guadeloupeisland
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/hamburg2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/2013DeltaTravelGuide
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/VisitFlorida2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/panama2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/india2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/visitflorida_2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/asia_2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/Delta_2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/aruba_dec_11
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/Thailand_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/stockholm
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/Flanders
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/mex_may_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/prevue_fl_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/caribbean_april_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/2011guidetolatinamerica
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/RECOMMEND_JAN_2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/Asia
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/Taiwan
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/Israel
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/CA
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/RivieraNayarit
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/BRAZIL
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/MEXICO
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/India
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com