Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Europe in 2010
In 2010, visitors will flock to the Bavarian village of Oberammergau to see the renowned Passion Play, held once every 10 years
While most tour operators haven’t finalized their Europe programs for 2010 yet, recent booking trends are changing the way people will travel across the pond next year.
On the Rise?
The biggest emerging trend, operators agree, is waiting till the last minute to book trips. “People used to book six months in advance, then four months…Now they book three weeks in advance,” says Ady Gelber, president and CEO of IsramWorld. “It’s a very impressive booking trend, but it drives me crazy because the figures look different from month to month.”
“Even as we see more last-minute bookings to Europe for 2009, we are also seeing an upswing in 2010 bookings,” says Trafalgar Tours President Paul Wiseman, adding that the company is currently up almost 10 percent for future bookings compared with last year. “Many travelers who chose not to travel in 2008 or 2009 will be traveling in 2010 as the overall economic situation improves globally.” Wiseman believes that the company will see growth from 10 to 20 percent next year—“if not more.”
Gelber agrees, adding, “The first half of the year will be same, and we’ll see some improvement of 10 or 15 percent in the second half of the year.” Steve Born, vice president of marketing, Globus, sees an even brighter future. “Early indicators are already showing a gain of over 25 percent in year-over-year advance sales and deposits. Great pricing, good offers and—best of all—a resurgence in use of a travel agent to guide the way will put Europe back on the upswing in 2010,” he says.
Oberammergau’s Passion Play
For almost 400 years, the Bavarian village of Oberammergau has presented a medieval-style Passion Play once every decade. Every 10 years, from mid-May to early October, pilgrims arrive to witness the performance (about 2,000 townspeople take part in the play)—but with the recent trend of last-minute bookings, many tour operators still have space available on tours that include Oberammergau. Acknowledging that sales are slower than they were in 2000, the official Passion Play Office has extended tour operators’ payment-in-full deadline from September 30 to January 31 and relaxed cancellation charges.
“The market for Oberammergau has been severely affected by the global financial crisis and the subsequent crisis of consumer confidence,” acknowledges Trafalgar’s Wiseman. “As with the main European market, late bookings are the norm; so what we will see with Oberammergau is a very late booking pattern, which, for a product normally with an 18-month window, now means six to 10 months. So, sales will be hot in the months to come.” Trafalgar has 14 tours featuring one- or two-night stays in the village and tickets to the Passion Play.
While most tour operators haven’t finalized their Europe programs for 2010 yet, recent booking trends are changing the way people will travel across the pond next year.
On the Rise?
The biggest emerging trend, operators agree, is waiting till the last minute to book trips. “People used to book six months in advance, then four months…Now they book three weeks in advance,” says Ady Gelber, president and CEO of IsramWorld. “It’s a very impressive booking trend, but it drives me crazy because the figures look different from month to month.”
“Even as we see more last-minute bookings to Europe for 2009, we are also seeing an upswing in 2010 bookings,” says Trafalgar Tours President Paul Wiseman, adding that the company is currently up almost 10 percent for future bookings compared with last year. “Many travelers who chose not to travel in 2008 or 2009 will be traveling in 2010 as the overall economic situation improves globally.” Wiseman believes that the company will see growth from 10 to 20 percent next year—“if not more.”
Gelber agrees, adding, “The first half of the year will be same, and we’ll see some improvement of 10 or 15 percent in the second half of the year.” Steve Born, vice president of marketing, Globus, sees an even brighter future. “Early indicators are already showing a gain of over 25 percent in year-over-year advance sales and deposits. Great pricing, good offers and—best of all—a resurgence in use of a travel agent to guide the way will put Europe back on the upswing in 2010,” he says.
Oberammergau’s Passion Play
For almost 400 years, the Bavarian village of Oberammergau has presented a medieval-style Passion Play once every decade. Every 10 years, from mid-May to early October, pilgrims arrive to witness the performance (about 2,000 townspeople take part in the play)—but with the recent trend of last-minute bookings, many tour operators still have space available on tours that include Oberammergau. Acknowledging that sales are slower than they were in 2000, the official Passion Play Office has extended tour operators’ payment-in-full deadline from September 30 to January 31 and relaxed cancellation charges.
“The market for Oberammergau has been severely affected by the global financial crisis and the subsequent crisis of consumer confidence,” acknowledges Trafalgar’s Wiseman. “As with the main European market, late bookings are the norm; so what we will see with Oberammergau is a very late booking pattern, which, for a product normally with an 18-month window, now means six to 10 months. So, sales will be hot in the months to come.” Trafalgar has 14 tours featuring one- or two-night stays in the village and tickets to the Passion Play.
