Richard Turen
We recently passed the midpoint of a year that may have historians searching for strong adjectives to describe it accurately. And we are still months away from an election that will further divide us, unless Dolly Parton somehow secures the nomination.
Advisors are now being asked for their best guess as to the number of these or those political followers who will be in attendance on any program. Some cruise consumers have figured out that when they book a five-star cruise line, they will never have to sit at an assigned table. Getting into a political argument over dinner is something that can easily sabotage a vacation; for some, that may be justification enough to pay the higher price.
Several executives have privately told me that they are considering demographics on any particular tour or sailing by carefully manipulating the guest speakers and guest hosts. Certain sailings will be "themed" in less-than-subtle ways. I doubt that will work; it will more likely result in product boycotts.
While I do anticipate that we will start to hear stories of unanticipated political discussions as, for instance, Europeans reassess their feelings about American voters, I don't see this issue as anything that will severely impact our industry.
It is far more likely that issues of overtourism and climate change will begin to take center stage as this year progresses and summer videos of tourists crowding one another off the sides of the Rialto Bridge start to hit social media. That surge of overcrowding videos has already begun. (Did I just admit I sometimes scroll through TikTok?)
The smart traveler is doing two things, and the smart advisor had better be quick to keep up with these changes. The seasons are changing. July is too hot and too crowded in much of southern Europe, and Italy and France are increasingly emptying out for the vacation month of August. October is the new July.
Windstar is keeping a ship based in Europe throughout the winter. Others will, I think, soon follow. Demand is high. So what if there is thunder and lightning as you stroll the shops along the Ponte Vecchio in Florence? The jewelry inside each tiny shop on the bridge is still the same, the prices will be somewhat lower, and you may actually be able to score a table at Enoteca Pinchiorri that night. I'd wear a raincoat for that.
The second change involves adaptations of bucket lists to accommodate secondary cities. By next summer, most of our clients will be seeking the road less traveled. Every travel advisor had better brush up on secondary destinations. Never mind Barcelona -- know San Sebastian like the back of your hand. Tuscany was nice when you could calmly walk its streets in divine contemplation. But now Umbria and Puglia are center stage, and every advisor needs to be prepared for major changes in destination desires produced by screaming headlines and videos of too many humans crammed into small, scenic spaces. Given preferred selfie angles, they are all elbowing their way to stand on the same small piece of hallowed ground.
Finally, let's be honest: We may re-elect a president who describes our country as a "third-world country." That won't do much for inbound tourism, but it may lead me, and perhaps our clients, to add a few more "out-of-country" travel days to our schedules.