Insight Vacations Celebrates 100 Years of The Travel Corporation with Anniversary Sale

Taste the sensational pastries of Pastéis de Belém in Lisbon on Insight Vacations’ “Amazing Spain and Portugal” tour © Dave E. Leiberman /goingplacesfarandnear.com.

New York, N.Y.– To celebrate The Travel Corporation’s (TTC) 100 years of being driven by service, Insight Vacations is offering travelers a special anniversary savings.

As a proud member of TTC, Insight Vacations is excited to welcome you into the TTC family and showcase why it is the leader in travel across the world—by catering to every taste, place and pace. Through our dedication to service and making travel personal, we cannot wait to welcome you on a magical journey.

“For 100 years, travel advisors have booked the companies of The Travel Corporation with supreme confidence, and Insight Vacations is no exception. The tradition of excellence in hospitality established long ago by the Tollman family influences everything we do,” says Jon Grutzner, president of Insight Vacations. “To honor that and celebrate with our loyal customers, we have created 100th Anniversary Celebration savings to give our guests the opportunity to experience our new itineraries and immersive experiences at the best value for 2020.”

On all Insight journeys, you’ll travel in relaxed style that experience the heart and soul of the destination–with small groups, premium hotels in the best locations, authentic dining and experiences with locals.

For TTC’s 100^th anniversary, you can save up to 20% on European Discovery, Spain, Portugal and Morocco trips for bookings between January 1, 2020- January 7, 2020 for the travel periods April 1, 2020 to October 31, 2020.

You can also take advantage of even more savings in 2020 with Insights’ extended air offer and early payment discount. From now until Feb. 27, you can save up to $300 per couple on economy air on departures to Europe, Eastern Mediterranean, Egypt and Morocco for travel during Oct. 1, 2019 to May 31, 2020, and September 1, 2020 to November 15, 2020.

By choosing flights with American Airlines, British Airways, Finnair and Iberia, you can save $150 off per person on Economy, $200 off per person on Premium Economy or $300 off per person on Business Class.

Also, if you book and pay in full by Feb. 27, you can receive a savings of 7.5% on trips to Europe and Britain, and the USA and Canada. This special offer is not combinable with the anniversary sale.

So, live your stylish life on a remarkable journey, venturing to some of the most iconic and remarkable destinations in Europe and beyond:

European Dream (11 Days); Leisurely paced with two-night stays in each destination and plenty of time to explore, this journey allows you to live your European Dream and come face-to-face with history through memorable local interactions. Enjoy VIP fast-track entry into the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, as well as exclusive access to the Bramante Staircase that is usually not open to the public. Meet a gondolier in Venice and learn how the tradition of gondola navigation is being passed on to future generations. In Orvieto, marvel at the skills of an Italian chef during a cooking demonstration where you’ll learn how to make homemade pasta. In Stanserhorn, join a Swiss ranger to learn about local fauna and flora in the area. While in Paris, join a local foodie to venture where Parisians go about their daily lives, explore small shops and sample local treats and delicacies.

Amazing Spain and Portugal (9 Days): Delve into the heart and soul of each destination on this 9-day journey through the Iberian Peninsula. Tour the celebrated Alhambra Palace with a Local Expert, taste authentic Pastéis de Belém in Lisbon, and see the ancient Roman arches across the river Tormes in Salamanca. Embark on a scenic drive to Seville to explore the maze of narrow lanes and shady squares of the Santa Cruz Quarter, and see the final resting place of Christopher Columbus, along with his tomb, at the grand 15th century Seville Cathedral. In the historic city of Toledo, visit the workshop of a master craftsman and see how Damascene swords are made. In Jabugo, taste the famous jamon Iberico (Iberian ham) and learn about its history and production.

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Where to Go in 2019: USTOA Reveals Top Destinations, Travel Trends

Venice, Italy. USTOA named Italy as the top destination for 2019, but also raised concern about the impact of overtourism in the most popular places, like Venice. © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Tour operator members of the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA) named Italy the most popular or “hot” destination for travelers in 2019, in a recent survey conducted by PriceWaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC).

The top 10 “hot” destinations for the coming year also included Iceland, which ranked second, followed by Japan, Vietnam, Australia, France, Spain, Colombia, Cambodia and Portugal.

USTOA tour operator members also identified their top 10 off-the-beaten path or emerging destinations that they see gaining popularity in 2019: Iceland ranked first, Cambodia ranked second, followed by Croatia, Colombia, Vietnam, Portugal, Bhutan, Bolivia, Myanmar, and Ethiopia.

“It’s interesting see five destinations – Iceland, Cambodia, Colombia, Vietnam and Portugal – appear on both the hot destinations and emerging destinations lists,” added Terry Dale, President and CEO of USTOA. “This tells us that off-the-beaten path travel experiences continue to grow in popularity among travelers.”

Demand for immersive, culturally rich travel programs continue to remain high. Roughly 82% of members offer art and culture travel experiences. The art and culture category was also the highest ranked experiential program for travelers in 2017, based on volume of sales. Two thirds of membership offer honeymoon and romance programs, 63% of members offer adventure programs, and more than half (56%) offer multi-generational family programs.

Economic Impact and Growth Ahead

According to the study, the tour operator members of USTOA project to close out 2018 with sales reaching $18.7 billion dollars, representing 9.8 million individual travelers.

Furthermore, member operators are extremely confident about business in the year ahead: 100% of responding tour operator members anticipate growth in sales in 2019.

“Since the first PwC study was commissioned in 2012, it’s the first time we’ve seen such a bullish response with our entire membership projecting growth ahead,” said Dale. “It’s even more encouraging that more than half of members (56%) forecast growth of sales ranging from seven to 10% or more in 2019, indicating a potential boom year.”

While the Active Members of USTOA view the upcoming year with optimism, they also addressed the global risks that could impact the industry over the next three years. Terrorism topped the list with 17% of members responding they are “extremely concerned.”  However, this level of concern is a considerable drop compared to the 2016 PwC study when more than half of member (59%) were “extremely concerned.”

Political instability and overtourism, a new category this year, were the next two global risks that members were “extremely concerned” about, as named by 13% of survey respondents.

In addition, tour operator members projected that roughly 63% of total packages sold in 2018 were through travel agencies, “Reinforcing the critical role of travel advisors in the continued success of members’ businesses,” Dale cited.

When asked whose traveling, tour operator members responded that about half (48%) of their customer base are 51 to 70 years of age. The next largest category was age 36 to 50 years representing 20% of customers. Gender is split evenly with 51% female and 49% male.  Within the escorted/guided and custom tour category, female passengers were represented slightly higher at 59%.

The research was released at USTOA’s 40^th Annual Conference & Marketplace, held at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge in Phoenix AZ, November 26-30, 2018.

U.S. Tour Operators Association members, representing nearly $19 billion in revenue, provide tours, packages and custom arrangements that allow 9.8 million travelers annually access, insider knowledge, peace-of-mind, value and freedom to enjoy destinations and experiences across the entire globe. Each member company has met the travel industry’s highest standards, including participation in the USTOA’s Travelers Assistance Program, which protects consumer payments up to $1 million if the company goes out of business.  As a voice for the tour operator industry for more than 40 years, USTOA also provides education and assistance for consumers and travel agents.

For more information on USTOA, visit www.ustoa.com, call 212-599-6599, or email information@ustoa.com.

 

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Go-today Holiday Season Sale Features Dublin Escape Package from $799 if Booked by Dec 31.

Ready for a post-holiday season vacation? Go-today, a leading provider of vacation packages world-wide, has just launched a holiday season sale featuring five European vacations priced from under $1000 per person, when booked by Dec. 31. Travelers can beat the blues and add some urban intrigue this winter by hopping across the pond to explore Dublin, London, Paris, Rome, or Barcelona.

“This holiday season we want to give travelers the extraordinary gift of a European vacation,” said Paula McKay, President of go-today. “For a limited time some of our most popular packages to Dublin, London, Paris, Rome and Barcelona are on sale for under $1,000 per person!”

The holiday season sale features the Dublin Escape from $799 per person. The package includes roundtrip airfare to Dublin, four nights of hotel accommodation, breakfast daily, and all taxes and fees. Travelers can explore the Irish’s capital’s deep traditions, lively music, and stellar beer.

Go-today is also offering the London Escape, Paris Escape, Rome Escape, and Barcelona At Its Best from $999 per person. These packages also include roundtrip airfare, four or six nights of hotel accommodation, breakfast daily, and all taxes and fees. From Big Ben to the beaches of Barcelona, travelers will discover the allure of some of Europe’s coolest capitals.

The sale prices, including the Dublin Escape package, are available until December 31, 2012.

For more information about the Holiday Season Sale, or to make a reservation, visit www.go-today.com or call a travel expert at 800-227-3235 (6am to 6pm PT Monday – Friday and 7:30am to 4pm PT Saturday and Sunday).

Go-today was established in 1997 with a vision of offering affordable independent travel to Europe. Over the years, the company expanded to offer vacation packages to destinations world-wide.  The company is a division of Europe Express.