The pandemic-driven trend of internationally focused tour operators adding domestic product will be sustained because they have been successful in the destination pivot, according to operators. The addition of U.S.-based tours also provides travel advisors with more options at a time when international travel remains limited. Many of the tours involve national parks but also include cities and less-visited destinations like historic trails and smaller towns and cities.
Terry Dale, CEO of the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA), said many members were innovative during the pandemic by creating brand new U.S. itineraries and adding new departure dates to accommodate stateside travel. In April 2021, he said, the association learned from a member survey that two-thirds (67%) of the responding USTOA tour operators were selling domestic itineraries, and nearly half of the tour operators that responded had added new trips for 2021.
It's unsurprising, said Dale, that members saw an increase in demand for U.S. travel in 2021 based on international travel restrictions. As of April 2021, he said, approximately two-thirds of USTOA tour operator bookings were international; the remaining third were domestic. Now, said Dale, "time will tell if this trend continues through 2022 as we hear of more international border re-openings and the easing of travel restrictions."
Tour operators believe they are in it for the long haul. Jenn Stevens, U.S. trade marketing manager for G Adventures, said it's clear that Americans "are rediscovering the incredible landscape, communities and cultures that are right here within our own borders," and the demand for the company's United States of Adventure trips has been steady. Even with international travel opening up more and more, she said, the operator is still seeing strong demand for domestic trips, partially because the logistics for domestic travel are much more straightforward, "but also because people are realizing that they had perhaps overlooked their own backyard in the past."
The response since first launching the United States of Adventure Collection in February 2020 has been "incredible," said Stevens. The operator quickly realized, she said, that it would be able to expand the collection to reach a wider audience because the demand was there. In response to that demand, said Stevens, G Adventures started working on itineraries with unique offerings that it knew "would fill some of the gaps in the market." There are now 28 trips in the collection.
Marco Evangelista, director of Journeys and FIT Division for Central Holidays, said the company, after adding an array of domestic travel programs, "will continue to offer these products." Considering that the demand continues growing for these programs, he said, "we will continue to offer domestic travel opportunities for both individuals and groups."
Adam Greis, director of group travel experiences for Central Holidays, said sales for domestic travel have reached the operator's top tier, becoming some of this year's best-selling travel programs within a short time.
Steve Born, chief marketing officer for the Globus family of brands, said domestic touring "has growth potential both now and in the future." That's certainly true in the coming year, he said, for travelers looking for options closer to home that still provide unique sights and experiences. Another area of that potential, said Born, "will be driven through nurturing," specifically with the introduction of new domestic touring products that go beyond traditional sights and sightseeing experiences and "present a new way to explore one of the most amazing destinations on the planet."
Domestic touring is here to stay, with opportunities for growth well into the future, said Born. First and foremost, he said, North America "is simply one of the most amazing destinations on the planet," with incredible pockets of epic scenery, amazing cities and unrivaled activity options for travelers. Then there's the enduring appeal to the ease of traveling domestically combined with the support of a tour, he said. In addition, offering new and innovative itineraries and styles within the U.S. and Canada, said Born, "means there's a wide opportunity to attract more travelers to parts of both countries they've not yet seen or experienced."
Differentiating Domestically
Now that they are competing more directly with operators who may have been in the U.S. market longer, international operators said they were able to bring something different to domestic travel. It is their long experience with international travel, they say, that enables them to bring a highly desirable product to domestic travel. "We've had 30 years to hone our itinerary-making skills," said Stevens, "so we are confident that we know how to build an itinerary that will stand out and deliver a truly 'wow' experience." Community tourism is very important to the company, she said, and the operator strives to ensure that the communities it visits benefit from it being there.
Globus has created two new types of domestic touring products for Globus and Cosmos, said Born, that "go beyond the traditional model and give travelers and their advisors something new to share with travelers." One is a new Choice Touring by Globus vacations. These itineraries take the ease and logistics benefits of touring and add personalization by inviting guests to choose from a range of included excursions throughout the tour. In a typical week's tour, travelers will have two or three "choice days" where they can pick from among curated excursions from active to local immersion to relaxation and pampering.
Additionally, said Born, a series of U.S. and North American tours that have been designed under its "Undiscovered" model, where the itinerary is built from the ground up, go beyond more traditional cities and attractions and into lesser-known pockets of the destination.
G Adventures, said Stevens, is able to gain access to often hard-to-book parks and sights and can also utilize local knowledge to bring groups to lesser-known areas. Domestic trips are fun to plan, she said, because "there are so many 'wow' moments we can add in." The operator, she said, works with local communities and local Indigenous guides who share their passion for the places they call home with travelers. The majority of meals on camping-based trips are included, said Stevens, as it can be difficult and expensive to find places to grab breakfast, lunch or dinner in many of the national parks.
There are also different styles of trips within the United States of Adventure collection, said Stevens: 18-To-Thirtysomething, which is more action-packed and fast-paced with basic accommodations; and Classic, which is a bit more leisurely, and includes upgraded accommodations and plenty of free time to explore.
Evangelista said it was Central Holidays' "meticulous style of product development" that has set it apart, and it's always thinking outside the box that has resulted in "an ultra-distinctive selection of unique programs brimming with special experiences."
Travel Advisor Advantages
Operators said the addition of all this domestic product provides more options for advisors who have been struggling during the crisis when they have been unable to sell international travel. The U.S. product, said Greis, was developed "with the ultimate goal of offering advisor partners and their clients a mix of popular programs as well as exclusive vacation experiences in the destinations that travelers wish to explore domestically." Of course, he said, the programs are commissionable to travel advisors. In addition, the travel advisor/group planner travels for free with 20 travelers booked on Central Holidays Group Travel Experiences departures.
Central Holidays' sales and marketing team, said Greis, has been working extensively with advisors to provide personalized training and presentations of its domestic product portfolio, helping increase their sales and keeping them updated on new programs and experiences.
Born said travel advisors "can use their superpower-the power of suggestion" to get these unique itineraries in front of their clients and to spark travel interest from those who might be hesitant at this time." And, he added, Globus makes it easy for them to get things started by offering the ability for advisors to email these itineraries directly to their clients through an online 'Spark' tool to get the conversation started. As travel re-opens, said Born, the idea of traveling domestically in a fun and exciting way "presents a powerful business tool for advisors."
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