Barrhead Travel has reported a “fantastic” month of sales for touring and adventure trips, with bookings so far this year up by 150% compared with 2023.
The agency, which set up a touring and adventure division at the start of last year, allocated April as its focus month for the sector.
The company organised training, consumer events and market campaigns to help boost awareness and sales.
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Celebrating the success of the approach, sales and marketing director Nicki Tempest-Mitchell (pictured) said: “There’s a strong desire to tick off bucket-list destinations and enjoy immersive destination experiences. I think, initially, this demand was a hangover from the pandemic but it is clearly an upward trend that’s here to stay.”
Both European and long-haul itineraries have been in demand, with the most sought-after destinations including Spain, Italy, Vietnam, Japan, the Deep South and Canada.
Bookings to China have also made a comeback this year for land tours and cruises, Barrhead reported.
The group’s remote-working touring and adventure division led to sales growth of more than 80% in its first year, Barrhead said.
Tempest-Mitchell added: “People want to push the boundaries when it comes to travel which is why touring and adventure has become so popular.
“Social media is driving interest for authentic experiences – nothing makes people want to go somewhere more than seeing truly inspirational content.
“Training is a big focus for us to make sure we’re up to speed with the latest trends and new product.
“We’ve also expanded our fam trip programme for touring and adventure to get as many of our experts out to resort as possible.
“From Sri Lanka to the Canadian Rockies and from Japan to Italy, we’ve had trips spanning every corner of the world so far this year.
“Customers really value the insight from an expert who has been there personally, particularly for this type of product which can be complex.”
In addition to the specialist division, Barrhead also has experts across its branch network. The group’s Brilliant Travel brand has also reported higher demand for tailormade touring trips this year.