For the first time in three years, Largay Travel held its company-wide retreat, this time in Newport, R.I. The best few days in travel saw Largay and affiliate advisors reunite with our favorite suppliers for updates after a crazy year of restarting the travel industry. The Slumber Showcase featured hoteliers and their representatives donning their finest and most comfortable pajamas to tell us all about the wonderful amenities and adventures to be had at their hotels and resorts, and we capped off the event with a Roaring 20s-themed party at The Breakers, one of Newport’s famed Gilded Age mansions.
It wasn’t all fun and games, though, and a lot of networking was packed into the days as well. We learned a great deal about the travel outlook for 2023 and how the industry has adjusted to a huge surge after the pandemic-induced doldrums.
Cruising was particularly affected by Covid regulations, and an enormous backlog of demand built up in the meantime. As a result, many lines have very little availability for next year. There are some dates and itineraries that have some space 2023, so if you’re interested, reach out to your travel advisor for specifics. Otherwise, you’ll want to grab what space you can for 2024 and beyond as soon as it opens if you want to sail the seven seas.
As busy as European travel has been in 2022, next year and especially next summer are on pace to be even more buzzing, and travelers are already booking their summer vacations. Major airports like London Heathrow and Amsterdam Schiphol could see staffing issues continue, so plan accordingly. Those who aren’t going to Europe are delivering strong business to South America, South Africa, Morocco, Egypt, Jordan and other destinations in the Global South.
Prices in general continue to rise, though they don’t seem to be doing much to curtail demand. There are areas of Asia that have not seen the great surge of demand, and destinations such as Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia and India have good pricing and availability, making them attractive options.
After reducing staffing when travel largely shut down in 2020, then scrambling to hire and train new people to meet overwhelming demand in 2022, most of our partners now have staffing and training levels where they would like them to be to handle the volume of business coming their way.
We always strive to make every journey a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but understandably after the shock of the pandemic, travelers have a strong desire to make every trip count. We are here to deliver that for you, and we know just the right suppliers to partner with for your trip of a lifetime.