Holidaymakers are looking for more personal fulfillment on their holidays and not just a two-week package in the sun.
The Kuoni 2009 Longhaul Report revealed the Maldives was its top-selling longhaul destination for the operator in 2008. The runner-up was Thailand, followed by other destinations in the top 10 including America, Sri Lanka, Dubai, China and Hong Kong, Kenya, Singapore and India.
Kuoni predicts New Zealand and St Lucia as new entrants into its top 20 for 2009 while it has also identified Kenyan safaris, high end five-star and three-star all inclusives in Mauritius and luxury beach and spa hotels in Thailand as the holidays to watch.
Kuoni’s managing director Nick Hughes said: “Travel is no longer just a holiday choice. It impacts our lifestyle, stimulates our wellbeing and influences our fashion, design and food choices.
“Kuoni customers really want to delve deeply under the skin of their destination, to explore further and experience more. We call this growing trend Explorism and we believe it is the new tourism.”
The company conducted research among 1,400 customers in December, asking them what they wanted from a holiday and canvassed their product managers.