Vietnam is fastest growing destination – over two-thirds of bookings are multi-centre; Africa is surprise success – significant growth reported for all destinations; New York and Las Vegas go head to head for bestsellers top spot
Britons travelling long haul are beginning to forsake traditional seven-night beach holidays in favour of packing different experiences into one trip. That is the conclusion drawn by Hayes and Jarvis in its latest Long Haul Trend Report, which reveals that the destinations making waves in 2013 are ones which lend themselves to a combination of city, beach and culture or heritage tours.
Leading the charge is Vietnam, which has shown the strongest growth worldwide this year and where over two-thirds of bookings are now for multi-centre trips. Hayes and Jarvis reports that Africa has also benefited from growing demand for holidays that combine contrasting elements, while its bestselling destinations – New York and Las Vegas – have both seen sizeable increases in bookings where a second city or beach stay is added to the package.
Sean Dowd, Hayes and Jarvis Head of Commercial, said “While off-the-peg beach packages are still popular – especially four and five-star All Inclusive ones, there is no doubting the steady decline in demand for traditional fly-and-flop beach holidays. In sharp contrast, our multi-centre trip bookings have doubled over the past two years because growing numbers of people are keen to see more of what a country – or a region of the world – has to offer when they travel further afield. Multi-centre trips now account for over a third of our business and this growth trend is one which we expect to accelerate.”
The trend is illustrated by the success of Vietnam since direct flights from the UK were introduced in late 2011. After a significant sales surge during 2012, Vietnam bookings have mushroomed by 98 per cent this year and Sean Dowd says that the country is the perfect example of a destination where holidaymakers are thinking beyond the beach. Less than a third of Hayes and Jarvis customers choose packages based only on a beach stay because, he says, “there is a real fascination with the culture of Vietnam and Indochina more generally, so people want to add historic cities to their trip and take tours as well.”
The same principle applies to Africa, one of the year’s surprise successes. Kenya has recorded the continent’s highest levels of growth – 51 per cent year-on-year – but the real driver has been a renewed enthusiasm for safaris, fuelled by the BBC Africa programme earlier in 2013. Safari bookings are up 286 per cent and have made Kenya one of the leading multi-centre holiday choices, now in fourth place behind Thailand, California and Las Vegas (the latter twinned with New York and other US cities).
Elsewhere in East Africa, bookings for Tanzania have grown by 37 per cent, making this Hayes and Jarvis’ fourth fastest growing destination in 2013. South Africa is one place behind after recording a 35 per cent sales surge and Sean Dowd says 63 per cent of its bookings are for two or more centres – with 20 per cent of clients combining four or more centres in one tailor-made trip, twice as many as a year ago. Other tailor-made destinations that are performing well include India (+18%) and China (+17%).
Hayes & Jarvis Top Ten Destinations Worldwide 2013 (Sales: Jan-May 2013)
|
Bestselling Destination 2013 |
Fastest Growing Destination 2013 |
% Growth |
|
1. New York |
1. Vietnam |
98% |
|
2. Las Vegas |
2. Brazil |
55% |
|
3. Thailand |
3. Kenya |
51% |
|
4. The Maldives |
4. Tanzania |
37% |
|
5. Mexico |
5. South Africa |
35% |
|
6. Mauritius |
6. Egypt |
26% |
|
7. Dubai |
7. New York |
20% |
|
8. California |
8. Dominican Republic |
14% |
|
9. Kenya |
9. Las Vegas |
13% |
|
10. St Lucia |
10. Mauritius |
11% |
With a 55 per cent growth in bookings this year compared to last, Brazil is second only to Vietnam in Hayes and Jarvis’ Fastest Growing Destinations chart and is now experiencing the pre-World Cup boom previously predicted. “Most customers are taking the opportunity to see as much of the country as possible and are combining a stay in Rio with a tour that takes in highlights like Iguassu Falls, Salvador and the Amazon Jungle,” said Sean Dowd.
Meanwhile, Hayes and Jarvis reports that New York and Las Vegas have outsold all competitors this year to head its Bestselling Destinations list. However, while hotel demand is strong across the board in New York, the operator reports that Las Vegas bookings are polarised between five-star resorts led by Bellagio and budget options like the three-star Luxor and Excalibur.
It is not all good news as the Long Haul Trend Report reveals that destinations which have historically been Hayes and Jarvis favourites are struggling to compete this year. Tough market conditions including increased land costs and poor exchange rates have impacted on the Maldives and bookings have fallen by 35 per cent. By contrast, Mauritius has registered an 11 per cent rise overall so far in 2013 and sales were 60 per cent ahead of the previous year for the winter sun season just ended.
Sean Dowd said: “Mauritius may yet prove to be the new Maldives. Strong airfare and hotel offers, high quality All Inclusive resorts and the opportunity to twin with Dubai and other cities have all helped to fuel demand.”
The drop-off in demand experienced by the Maldives has been even more marked in the major Caribbean Islands, continuing a trend first noted by Hayes and Jarvis in its February Trend Report. Barbados (-51%), and Antigua (-58%) have seen the biggest drops but their pain has been Tobago and the Dominican Republic’s gain.
Tobago has seen a healthy increase in bookings – up 16 per cent for the year to date but with forward summer bookings looking even better. The Dominican Republic has continued to be a success story for Hayes and Jarvis, building on last year’s phenomenal growth with 14 per cent more bookings so far in 2013. The affordability of five-star All Inclusive resorts has been a decisive factor in the destination’s continuing success – proving that the beach holiday is not yet dead.
Tatiana is the news coordinator for TravelDailyNews Media Network (traveldailynews.gr, traveldailynews.com and traveldailynews.asia). Her role includes monitoring the hundreds of news sources of TravelDailyNews Media Network and skimming the most important according to our strategy.
She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.
