Happy New Year! Maybe a little late, but you guys have kept us busy! January is normally the busiest month of the year, and this year that “wave” began in mid-December. This month is easily outpacing our best months of 2022. We’re so excited to get our clients back out on some incredible trips, and to work with many new clients through your referrals!
A Look Back
2022 was an exciting year that also came with its challenges. While many countries were opening up, we were still dealing with quarantines, testing, travel restrictions, cancellations, and more. Despite all of this, the demand for travel was still strong and we were able to send our clients to incredible destinations around the world. We had honeymooners in South Africa, families in Italy, cruisers all throughout the Caribbean and Alaska, and so much more! Mexico of course was our top destination of 2022 with their limited restrictions, warm hospitality, and beautiful resorts!
Some of our most requested trips of 2022.
A Look Ahead
Start Planning Now!
2023 has been off to a blazing hot start! The demand for travel has been record breaking and so far, shows no signs of letting up in the coming weeks. Requests are coming in for trips all over the world. Mexico continues to be in high demand, though inventory is becoming a challenge. Japan requests have so far been outpacing all other destinations, even Europe by a slight margin. This week alone our agency has seen five new Japan requests come in. As a small agency, five requests in a week for any single destination is a lot!
With strong demand comes new challenges. With most travel restrictions lifted, many families are now working to use up any remaining travel credits and others are booking those bucket list trips they have been putting off. #RevengeTravel is real and the tourism industry is feeling the pinch. While the strong demand for travel is a a great sign for the industry, it’s also an industry not currently prepared to handle the demand. As you may have seen with recent disruptions with the airlines, staffing still remains a challenge throughout the industry.
This year will be an incredible time to travel, but just remember to pack your patience. Many hotels and tour companies will be working with a reduced staff, and many of the staff they do have may be new. One of the benefits of working with an agency like ours is that we have the support of in-destination specialists who can keep us updated on which companies are fully staffed and which may be struggling to get there.
My advice for this year is to book as early as possible. We are seeing many cruises and resorts already completely sold out for certain weeks going into next year. 2023 is definitely the year to check out some of those off the beaten path destinations!
Agency Update
One of our goals for 2022 was to reestablish our blog and produce some travel content that we hoped our clients would enjoy. That goal however quickly became unrealistic between the strong demand for travel and the additional time spent managing the ever changing travel restrictions and requirements put in place by each country. We were however able to get some really good video content from our travels, and that is one thing we are hoping to be able to share with you soon. Our new YouTube channel should be launched by the end of this month where we will explore destinations and discuss different travel styles and suppliers.
My sister-in-law, Aleese Ashby, joined the team in 2022 and brings an incredible amount of experience. Both with her personal travel as well as her background as a manager for a mega corporate style travel agency. Aleese is currently on maternity leave as she welcomed her beautiful baby girl Piper into the world. We are so happy for Aleese and her family, and excited for her to be back selling travel very soon!
Aleese and Piper Ashby.
With the strong demand for travel and our desire to continue providing excellent service to our clients, we plan to add two additional agents in the coming months. These agents will bring along excellent experience in their respective specialities. More to come on that in the near future!
If you’re ready to start planning your trip, email us today or schedule your appointment directly on the scheduling page. We can’t wait to start planning your next trip!
