IRISH holidaymakers are swapping parasols for polar bears and demanding more immersive, unique holiday experiences.
There has been an incredible switch to more leftfield adventures over the past five years with Peru, Iceland, Vietnam and the Arctic all appearing in the list of popular holiday destinations for 2016.
While Spain is still the most popular holiday hotspot for the Irish (1.8 million are expected to choose Spain over troubled resort areas like Turkey and Tunisia) there’s no escaping a notable surge in travel to far reaching and off-the-beaten-track destinations.
Irish Travel agent GoHop.ie has seen the customer trend first hand.
“Today, our customers who may have spent a week on the Costa del Sol before are now booking cruises in the Arctic,” said CEO, Stephen McKenna.
“For €2,399 you can experience eight days of polar wilderness, taking in icebergs, seals, reindeer and of course polar bears.”
The change in habits is backed up by a recent American Express survey, that found 88 per cent of people putting travel as their number one bucket list item, ranking even higher than having a family and winning the lotto.
The more immersive holidays resonate on a deeper, emotional level. We now want our trips to excite, inspire and amaze.
Destinations once inaccessible are now within reach both financially and logistically. The global holiday marketplace has increased competition, in return driving down airline and luxury hotel prices. For example, Norwegian Airlines are now offering €69 New York to Dublin flights.
The growing trend for the more adventurous holiday may be partially down to social media and the ‘Instagram Effect’. There is a direct correlation between the trips your peers take and the ones you go on.
“Bora Bora was the most searched for honeymoon destination on Google last year,” McKenna says.
“Yet very few can afford its €1,000 a night resorts. Is it any surprise that this is where Kim Kardashian (95 million Instagram followers) went after her wedding?”
GoHop.ie are now evolving their brand in line with the new trend as can be seem with the launch of their new #TotesAmazeHols collection.
“We want to amaze clients,” McKenna explained. “We feature holidays where you can zip over jungle canopies, conquer mountains, explore ancient cultures, and see the world from a different perspective.
“Those totally, fantastic, one-of-a-kind, amazing, mind-blowing, unforgettable holidays.”
Some of the #TotesAmazeHols include mixing Bangkok with Beaches and Elephants in Thailand. Spend 12 nights taking in the bustle of Bangkok, a day in an elephant sanctuary followed by seven days of beach bliss from €2,945.
There’s also a Seychelles Island Escape offering seven nights in five star luxury on a private island in the Indian Ocean costing from €1,979 while a South Africa Cape Escape takes clients from cosmopolitan Cape Town and the picturesque Winelands to stunning desert scenery and big game viewing from €1,290.
International adventure holiday companies like G Adventures and Intrepid have become household names. They offer inspirational trips like Arctic Cruises, Himalayan Hikes and Thai Food Tours, all of which can be booked direct or through local travel agents.
See GoHop.ie’s #TotesAmazeHols for more.
