This article originally appeared in AGENTatHOME magazine. Subscribe here to receive your free copy each month.
To date, 2023 has been a record-breaking year for travel, with many advisors hard pressed to keep up with surging demand. That momentum is continuing into the 2023/24 winter season, albeit to varying degrees, according to advisors interviewed by AGENTatHOME.
“I just hit $1 million for 2023 and expect to continue that momentum though the end of the year,” said Lainey Melnick of Dream Vacations – Lainey Melnick & Associates. “I have some key partnerships in place for groups that will withstand any downshift in the economy, plus my Internet presence is extremely strong, giving me daily new business.”
“I am already at about the same number of sales for my winter 2023/24 season as I had for winter 2022/23, although the mix was different last year,” she added. “I had more luxury cruises and Disney making up the majority of the travel with some exotic destinations and more land.
“Last year, by the end of June, I had only booked 13 percent of my winter bookings so I expect my 23/24 numbers to be very good this winter – it could be five times what I booked last winter if the trends continue.”
Cruise Vacations
“Winter 2023/24 is definitely busier than 2022/2023,” said Chris Caulfield, owner of a CruiseOne franchise. “While most protocols ended in the middle of last year this is really the first full year with a normal booking cycle. People are confident in being on a cruise now.
“Many summer cruises were sold out early or had higherthan-normal price points so those with flexibility will travel through the winter where deals can still be found.”
“As always, the holiday season is an extremely popular time to cruise, ” Caulfield added. “I have many clients with multiple cruises booked. I have some clients going on extended cruises; one doing a 31-night itinerary in South America and another cruising from the U.S. to Australia on multiple back-to-backs.”
Exotic Itineraries
In addition to traditional Caribbean cruises, Claire Schoeder of Elevations Travel said her clients are opting for more far-flung itineraries, such as Dubai-Singapore sailings. “They’re looking for something a little bit different,” she said.
Her clients are also booking luxury resort vacations. “Many clients are looking at higher-end five-star resorts, including all inclusives, where they can just get there and relax,” she said.
And those customers are spending more. “They’re giving themselves a little bit more, such as booking swimup suites versus rooms by the pool,” Schoeder said.
Some clients are opting for vacations to European cities in the off season. “That way they’ll be able to see and do things without competing with tourists from all over the world,”she said. “For instance, I’ve got several families going to London for Christmas who are looking to avoid heavy crowds.”
Off-Season Vacations
Like Schoeder, Samantha LeBold of Find Your Why Travel is also garnering bookings for off-season Europe vacations.
“In terms of the volume of bookings, I think the desire to travel this winter is just as high as it was in 2022/23,” she said.“In terms of destinations, I live in a place where we have cold winters so warm-weather cruises and all-inclusive resorts are always requested.
“Unfortunately, the price of airline tickets seems to be a huge deterrent to booking travel for the upcoming winter season which means actual bookings may be down from last year,” LeBold said.
Off to a Slow Start
“For the winter travel season, we are just now seeing a push to get Thanksgiving and Christmas vacations booked,” said Kim Cook of Love to Travel. “This is later than usual. We are still finding space available even for the busiest holiday weeks.
“Last year, when travel was ramping up after COVID, we had most of our holiday bookings done by this time. I think fears about the economy and higher prices might be holding clients back from booking. June has been very busy and most of the new bookings are for November-December 2023.”
Multigenerational Groups
“We are seeing an increase in multigenerational family travel. Most of the new bookings for the holidays include large family groups,” Cook said. “We are also seeing an increase in groups of friends that want to travel together while their kids are out of school.
“Their preferred destinations have been Mexico and the Caribbean. All of the family groups are choosing all-inclusive resorts.
“In Kansas City, with the completion of our new airport, we have added additional non-stop flights for the winter to Mexico and Jamaica, which is driving demand for those areas.”
LeBold believes the current booking momentum has the potential to carry over to the 2023/24 winter season – but with a caveat. “The rising cost of airline tickets seems to be hindering that momentum so it’s difficult to predict what 2023/24 winter travel will actually look like,” she said.
Regional Ports And Group Business
“With the new big ships sailing out of Texas, the majority of my 2023/24 winter bookings are for those great new ships out of Galveston, specifically on Norwegian Prima and Regal Princess,” said Lainey Melnick of Dream Vacations – Lainey Melnick & Associates.
“My group business is also contributing to a large share of winter travel on Holland America Line’s Rotterdam through the Panama Canal.
“Interestingly, this winter I’m almost only booking cruises to the Southern Caribbean, Mexico, South and Central America, the Bahamas and expedition cruises to Antarctica -- instead of land, which is normally a little over half of my business.
“So, cruises are the hot ticket this winter.”
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