1. What notable trends are you seeing in both domestic and international travel?
We’re seeing a general uptick in domestic tours, due in part to the national parks celebrating their centennial anniversary and media surrounding trending cities in the United States, such as San Antonio, New York and San Francisco. However, parts of Europe (in particular Ireland and Iceland) have been our hottest-selling tours over the past year, so we’re certainly seeing that as a trend right now.
2. Collette has several new tours this year, can you tell our readers about them?
We have 17 brand-new tours for the coming year in destinations such as Sri Lanka, Germany, France, Japan and Vietnam. Each tour incorporates a blend of cultural inclusions, meals in local restaurants and stays in four-star accommodations. I helped to design our new Vietnam tour, which really immerses you in the local history, culture and culinary aspects that make it a great destination.
3. How are your tours designed?
Tours are designed by our product team, who spend a great deal of time out on the road visiting sites, hotels and restaurants to create the perfect immersive tour. We hire people who are passionate about sharing their own love of travel and pride ourselves on being able to plan immersive experiences in iconic locations, such as a dinner atop the Eiffel Tower in Paris or a home-hosted meal and stay with a New Zealand family.
4. What impact has the evolving threat of terrorism had on the travel industry?
It has had an impact, however … revenue has been trending [up] over the past two months. People are still traveling in great numbers and will continue to travel over the coming months to fulfill their lifetime dreams.
5. Why should people consider traveling with Collette, as opposed to using one of the many do-it-yourself online services?
As touring has evolved, so has creating great product. To create great, immersive experiences, you have to know the destination and that’s why it’s so important for our team to create these tours with that knowledge. Traveling with Collette is stress-free, but more importantly it makes the best use of your time, offers you the chance to explore independently with an expert by your side, provides a tremendous value and gives you the chance to meet new people. •
