Latest news with #landtours
Travel Weekly
07-06-2025
- Business
- Travel Weekly
Cruise guests increasingly seek private, premier shore excursions
Amid record-high spending for onboard and shoreside experiences since the pandemic, demand for premier and private shore excursions has reached new heights. Guests are increasingly seeking to spend time on land in a comfortable setting with only their immediate travel companions. That often means a private car rather than a tour bus and an itinerary tailored to their particular needs and cravings. Shore Excursions Group CEO Paul Kiritsy said that trend is growing in Europe in particular. It doesn't matter the ship size or whether it's contemporary or luxury, said Rinat Glinert of Venture Ashore, another third-party shore excursion provider. But there are two groups she's noticed who are particularly drawn to private experiences: travelers with accessibility challenges and families. Those groups find the convenience of a private driver and a tailored itinerary to be worth the extra expense, Glinert said. Tim Harwood, owner of MyExcursions, which specializes in higher-end, personalized experiences, said last year was the company's best ever. "A lot of people are still just looking for the personal experience to cover some of the main sites, but they don't want to step on a coach or they may be a little less mobile, and they want to have that comfort of knowing they can proceed at their own pace," he said. Cruise lines are seeing similar shore excursion trends. Christine Manjencic, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings' vice president of destination services operations, said the company has noticed a shift over the past few years in its guests' shore excursion patterns. "We are seeing them interested in small-group tours and more immersive excursions such as Go Local experiences where they can truly dive into the culture and history of the destination they are visiting," she said. "Our classic shore excursions where guests can see highlights of the destination with a large group are still popular among first-time visitors, but we are also seeing an increase in guests who prefer a more intimate and exclusive experience that enables them to get that perfect picture for their social media." Cruise excursions with culinary elements are popular, such as this visit to a vineyard in France. Photo Credit: Venture Ashore Culinary tours in high demand One particular type of experience appears to be gaining popularity: anything related to food. Whether it's cooking classes or a stop at a restaurant with a particularly scenic vista, guests are looking to taste the flavor of a destination on their brief stop off of the ship, said Glinert of Venture Ashore and Harwood of MyExcursions. "I think that's one of the things that really connects you to a destination," Glinert said. "You have those core memories of something that you did that was speaking to more than just your sense of sight, so I think there's a lot there that's building in the culinary space. We've got requests for people who want to go truffle hunting. All kinds of stuff." Guests spending more on excursions The interest in more premium excursions, and excursions overall, coincides with continued increased spending. Sometimes guests spend more on excursions than the cruise itself, Glinert said. "They're really looking for something that is going to elevate their cruise experience, and they're willing to pay for that," she said. Shore Excursions Group, which recently sold its 5 millionth tour, has seen the average order value increase by nearly 40% since the pandemic, Kiritsy said. The company pays commissions and has tracked an increase in travel advisor sales after integrating its own marketing into popular booking platforms advisors use like Odysseus, Revelex and VacationPort. The group's sales are up 50% from such platforms, thanks to a 200% increase in advisors activating Shore Excursions Group offers, Kiritsy said. All of this means excursions are selling out more quickly and bookings are happening earlier, Kiritsy said. For Caribbean excursions, guests are booking an average of 10 weeks prior to sailing, and in destinations like Alaska and Europe, it's 14 weeks prior, he said. In Europe, new restrictions on vehicle sizes for accessing certain sites have also caused excursions to book up because they simply can't accommodate as many people as they previously could, Glinert said. Shore Excursions Group is suggesting that advisors book excursions early to ensure clients have the experiences they want, Kiritsy said. "Once the cruise is booked and you know where you're going, we definitely recommend securing the excursions," he said. "They definitely will sell out, and you don't want to miss out on the best excursions in each of those ports."
Travel Weekly
29-05-2025
- Business
- Travel Weekly
Tauck will offer glamping in the American West in 2026
Tauck will expand its North American land tours next year with a new collection of itineraries in the West, offering glamping for the first time. Guests booking Paradise Valley, Yellowstone & the Tetons will spend two nights glamping at Under Canvas West Yellowstone, which features safari-like tents near Yellowstone's west entrance. The eight-day trip starts in Paradise Valley in Montana and ends in Grand Teton National Park. The eight-day Wild, Wild West Family Adventure, which is part of Tauck's collection of itineraries for families, will include a three-night stay at ULUM Moab, an outdoor resort with suite-style tents that have king-size beds outfitted with heated mattress pads and Parachute brand linens. Western Horizons: Mesa Verde to Moab includes one night at Far View Lodge inside Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado. The new trip marks Tauck's return to Mesa Verde for the first time in more than 10 years. Highlights include riding the historic Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and visiting Durango's hot springs over the course of nine days. Tauck CEO Jennifer Tombaugh said, "For 2026, we're thrilled to raise the bar and feature some truly fun and unique accommodations to help our guests connect more deeply to the places we visit." Tauck will offer stays at Under Canvas Yellowstone in 2026. Photo Credit: Tauck New tours in Mexico and Nova Scotia Tauck also is introducing Mexico City and Oaxaca, an eight-day trip that explores Mexico's history, art and cuisine. Itinerary highlights include a private visit at Frida Kahlo's Casa Azul, a trip to Teotihuacan's pyramids and visiting Xochimilco's floating gardens. A Week In … Nova Scotia will take travelers on an eight-day journey of the seaside Canadian province, including visits to Lunenburg and Baddeck and a whale-watching cruise on the Bay of Fundy. Tauck will operate 29 itineraries in North America next year, including four designed for families. The brand is expanding its Small Group journeys, which average 24 guests, and Even Smaller Group trips, which average 15 guests.
