Abercrombie & Kent clients are looking to splurge: Travel Weekly
CHICAGO — After losing two years of travel to the pandemic, Abercrombie & Kent executives say that pent-up demand is translating into big spending on bucket-list trips.
Be it private jet charters that include dozens of destinations, custom-designed travel experiences for individuals and small groups, or chartering private yachts in Alaskan waters or the Sicilian coastline, splurging was a top trend identified at the luxury tour operator’s meeting of its top-producing travel advisors, the A&K 100 Club.
“Groups of family and friends are up 25%, trips are longer and guests are splurging,” said Keith Baron, president of Abercrombie & Kent. “There truly is pent-up demand, which is tremendous for so many places around the world. These big trips require big plans. People want help navigating where to go.”
Coming out of the pandemic, that includes bucket-list destinations such as the African safaris that remain the bread and butter of A&K’s luxury tour offerings and among its most popular destinations booked, especially for multigenerational families and small-group travelers.
“Our luxury small-group journeys to Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, East Africa and across Europe are as popular as ever, and we’re continuously adding new departures to meet 2022 demand,” said Stefanie Schmudde, A&K’s vice president of product development and operations, who specializes in small-group travel and tailor-made experiences.
- Related: Despite war in Ukraine, travel agents report strong Europe demand
Europe is another highly in-demand destination, A&K executives said, even as the Russia-Ukraine war continues in Ukraine. However, they did note that while Western Europe bookings remain strong, bookings to Central European destinations — including Budapest, Vienna and Prague — have slowed.
Slow travel, which includes European canal barge cruises, is also gaining traction this year, along with what it calls vintage travel — voyages aboard luxury trains such as the Venice-Simplon Orient Express and renting vintage cars in a destination.
A&K’s biennial conference returned after four years; its previous meeting was scheduled for 2020 but was canceled due to the pandemic. This year, 100 top-selling advisors who sell at least $350,000 in A&K travel products per year were invited to the two-day event, held April 4-6.
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