Posted:22-February-2023
Bookings for "milestone" holidays are soaring
Bucket list holidays have turned into regular “milestone holidays” and are sending holiday sales soaring as consumer confidence booms, says multi-award winning travel franchise The Travel Franchise. Franchisees are eagerly booking high-value holidays to celebrate wedding anniversaries, babymoons and landmark birthdays are becoming the norm as consumers are eager to invest in unforgettable shared experiences.
Paul Harrison, co-founder of The Travel Franchise says: “Bucket list holidays used to be a rarity for consumers; they were big purchases you’d save for and do once. Today the trend is ‘milestone’ holidays which are happening more and more frequently. After covid, people changed priorities and realised travel and doing the things they want are more important than ever. Bucket lists used to account for about 10% of our members' sales and would happen occasionally. Today, milestone holidays account for an estimated 35% of sales as people are booking them as often as once a year or once every few years.”
In recent weeks, franchisee Suzy Blyth booked a £62k Caribbean trip to a private island off the coast of Antigua for a couple’s 40th birthday, member Katie Welch booked a £47k holiday to the Galapagos and Turks & Caicos with a stopover in Miami; and franchisee Nikki Peachy recently put together a South Africa package for family totalling £40k.
Another member, Reshma Aggarwal says: “I’ve recently booked a £61k family South America trip spanning 7 countries over 6 weeks, a £51,000 bucket list trip to Antarctica, a £35k luxury trip to Turkey and a £31k family luxury safari in the Serengeti.”
Ben Casey has had to recruit rapidly to meet rising demand for luxury holidays. Ben’s business was 724% up in December and, in January, he sold £324k-worth of holidays – a 30% increase on the same month in 2022. Casey says his average booking value for January 2023 is up 57% on January 2022, from £6,252 to £9,818. He says his luxury concierge service is in high demand, as people are booking high-ticket luxury and “milestone” and want Champagne on arrival, lounge passes and fast-track security. For one luxury couple who travelled to north Thailand for their honeymoon, he even commissioned an artist to paint different scenes from the holiday and delivered them in-person.
Sarah-Louise Jolliff has just booked a client, Lisa Stock on a ten-night, business class, twin centre holiday to Mauritius; staying at the beautiful 5* Lux* Le Morne followed by adults-only Paradise Cove Boutique Hotel & spa on the island's north coast.
Ross Johnson has recently booked a £15k holiday for client Nicole Lee to Italy who says: "You’re here for a short time and need to make the most of life. You never know what’s around the corner. Quality rather than quantity is my motto.”
The cruise market has also seen incredible growth. During Covid’s travel restrictions, hundreds of thousands of people tried “seacations” for the first time (where the cruise ship stayed in British waters). They enjoyed the experience and so many people have been converted into cruise lovers - a highly lucrative market. Since The TRavel Franchise launched its first ever Seminar At Sea training trip in September on NCL’s luxury ship Prima, sales with NCL are up 100%.
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