Travel Trends (Get to know your own backyard)
As we anticipate countries starting to re-open and travel restrictions lifting, we are all eagerly awaiting the day when we’ll be able to take a proper holiday again – and that day is fast approaching! While we’re all waiting with bated breath to travel overseas again, there’s no reason to let the delay limit you.
Now more than ever, travellers will be looking to travel advisors for guidance in this new complex travel landscape, and there are a variety of creative and innovative ways you can help!
GET THE SCOOP ON SINGLE TRAVELLER EXPERIENCES
With social distancing regulations still in place, your travellers may not be keen on group tours or packed tourist attractions. Instead, cultivate an experience for your travellers that enables them to enjoy local food, architecture, and culture without the hassle of a crowd.
Look for out-of-the-way attractions to recommend to your travellers. For your more independent customers, book them an outdoor exercise class in a local park, like the yoga domes offered by Lmnts Outdoor Studio in Toronto, or send your clients a list of local eateries offering take-out and a map of nearby spots to sit! For your clients looking for a more exclusive experience, book them a private tour with a local guide, giving them a personalized, once-in-a-lifetime look into their destination!
EXPLORE THE LOCAL SCENE
Until travel restrictions have been completely lifted, your travellers also may not yet be ready to take longer trips or travel internationally – so shift your focus to local! We often find ourselves stuck in the same patterns in our cities, going from work to the gym to our homes, it can be easy to forget that we live in incredibly vibrant cities with rich cultures.
Think you’ve seen everything your city has to offer? Download a virtual walking tour app and see for yourself just how much you’ve been missing!
Get your clients out of the house by booking a short-term vacation home closeby – travel advisors are seeing signs that travellers prefer to stay in places with less volume and turnover, with a 6% increase in vacation-unit rentals from last year.
ROAD TRIPS & NATIONAL PARKS
The wide open skies of our own backyards also offer the opportunity for a perfect getaway. Road tripping allows travellers to get away for a few days at a time (or even a few weeks) without breaking travel guidelines. The benefits of taking a trip from the comfort of your own vehicle also means less up-close interaction, the chance to bring your own snacks, and zero-distractions from singing along to your favourite playlists!
Many campgrounds have also opened back up as of recently! In Alberta and British Columbia, campgrounds opened June 1, with the exception of shared facilities. Check out statuses for all other Canadian national parks here; the American National Park Service is also doing a fantastic job of keeping eager campers privy to the spots for backcountry camping and hiking!
Want to learn more about how to serve your clients during this period? Schedule a 1-on-1 with a member of our Customer Success team where you can ask questions, voice your feedback, and get some useful tips for the Trip Publisher!
If you haven’t already signed up, our Working Smart series running this July is designed to help advisors build their Umapped collection of Trips, Templates, and content, as well as enhance your Vendor profiles. This webinar series focuses on creating domestic travel content as well as all of the best practices for how advisors can use Umapped to engage with customers and deliver exciting trip planning ideas. We’re already halfway through, but you still have time to register to receive a full set of recordings, instructions, and takeaways from all of our sessions!
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