As 2018 draws to a close our focus is firmly fixed on the hottest travel trends for 2019. To get the low down on this we asked Wendy Wu which destinations had strong momentum building for 2019.
Use this heads up on what’s hot to impress your clients who are seeking 2019 travel inspiration.
Japan
Bookings to Japan have skyrocketed, and in this region, Wendy Wu is up more than 50% year on year. Australians have well and truly caught “Cherry Blossom fever” with Wendy Wu’s Jewels of Japan tour seeing extraordinary growth.
In 2019, Japan will host the Rugby World Cup, attracting visitors from all over the world.
Cruising The Yangtze and Provincial China
According to Wendy Wu, forward bookings to China are up 40% year on year, with tours like Yangtze River cruises seeing huge growth.
Equally, tours that go further off-the-beaten path into some of the more remote provinces of China are seeing a growth in popularity, with both their Silk Road Explorer and Tibetan Wonders tours more than doubling in bookings.
Enquiries about the Yunnan and Sichuan provinces are strong, as people are wanting to return to this huge country for a second or third time, to see beyond the trinity of Walls, Warriors and Pandas.
Sri Lanka
The tiny island nation is still experiencing enormous growth, with Wendy Wu’s Highlights of Sri Lanka tour tripling in popularity.
Interestingly, in India, they are seeing people who want to go for a two week period, to allow them to take in an itinerary beyond the Taj.
While Rajasthan remains popular, particularly Jaipur and Udaipur, people are wanting to explore Pushkar and/or Jodhpur while they are in the region.
Southeast Asia
In Indochina, Wendy Wu is seeing travellers wanting to go further, exploring Cambodia; bookings have increased significantly on the Around Cambodia tour.
Mekong River Cruising is still very popular, and they expect this to remain strong. They are also seeing strong growth for Private Touring and Tailormade travel in Southeast Asia, as the ease of the destination means that families feel comfortable travelling here without the group, and many combine a bit of exploration with a bit of flop and drop.
Riding Solo
Solo tours are seeing huge growth. Already, they are around 65% of Wendy Wu’s business and they have seen demand for bespoke touring to this segment.
For this reason, they have just released a new style of touring specifically created for Solo travellers, with six tours already included in the range that offers options to Japan, China, Vietnam, Cambodia and India.
The product was made available to book in early October, and already bookings are very strong.
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