Jamie Bisiyada
Travel over the holidays went well, but bookings started a little late this year.
Holiday season bookings have only picked up in the past two weeks, said Jeremy Sulek, chief operating officer and partner at Jetset World Travel in Atlanta. Earlier this summer, things were looking a little calmer.
period Master Travel Week In August, Sulek recalled talking to other agents and vendors about the festival.
“People do feel, at least in talking to hotels, that we’re still seeing a lot of vacancies,” Sulek said. “The minimum prices are not as stringent as they usually are during that period. Prices are a little soft relative to what we feel like in the summer.”
But he said Jetset had seen a “surge in demand” for festival travel over the past two weeks.
Normally, this would be stressful, but Sulek said advisors are still finding free time for their clients.
The Caribbean and Mexico are popular destinations
The Caribbean and Mexico are top destinations for Jetset customers, he said. Momentum is also building in South America and Asia.
While Europe has been very popular this summer, he said travel to the region by Jetset customers dropped slightly over the festive period.
Margie Hand, a subsidiary of Andavo Travel in Birmingham, Alabama, is still processing some holiday travel requests and recent inquiries. She estimates bookings are now about the same as last year, but more appear to be on the way.
Some of Hand’s customers did make reservations earlier this year. These tend to be high-end customers. She said Hand found himself approached by yacht charters and luxury Caribbean hotels on their behalf before 2023 was even over.
While she has some requests for skiing and Europe, most of her clients choose to travel to the Caribbean.
However, pricing comes into play this year.
Pricing is a factor
“I still get a lot of requests but find that many of my clients are choosing to live closer to home due to the significant increase in costs,” Hand said.
Some customers choose to change their itineraries to avoid the higher-priced holiday period.
Hand was having trouble finding remaining available time for clients. While some minimum stay requirements have been relaxed from a minimum of 10 nights to a minimum of 7 or 8 nights, supply remains low.
“Those who book now are having to compromise on the type of room and facilities they want,” she said.
This year, several of Hand’s clients embarked on a generational trip to the Caribbean, renting villas or chartering yachts. Villas in St. Maarten, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica are popular.
