Misty Belles, Virtuoso Vice President of Global Public Relations, discusses 2024 summer travel trends, the demographic shift to the cruise industry, and World Travel Advisor Day.
As the summer travel season heats up, a travel expert has revealed the destinations vacationers are flocking to.
“Well, we're seeing a lot of interest in Europe, as always,” Virtuoso's Misty Belles said Wednesday on the show.Mornings with MariaHowever, “this time we see them heading towards Northern Europe.”
The expert pointed out that travelers are opting for countries with cooler climates.
“Make no mistake, people still love Western Europe and they will still Paris for the Olympics,“, she said. “We are seeing much stronger demand for countries like Scandinavia, which is up 77% compared to last summer.”
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Sweden also saw a 145% increase in demand compared to last summer, as did Denmark and the Netherlands, she said.
“We're seeing people wanting to escape the heat waves they experienced last summer.”
And despite inflation, demand is “extremely strong”, because prices remain relatively unchanged.
Virtuoso conducted a survey showing the increase in demand for summer travel, demonstrating strong demand in Scandinavia and the Netherlands. (Fox News / Fox News)
“We don't see (travel) fares increasing that much this summer, with the exception of the Paris Olympics, because fares were very expensive last year. So they're really on par with what they were last summer. ”
Belles admitted, however, that “overall, everything else is more expensive,” but that travelers are “not letting go of their luxury experiences.”
The travel expert also discussed the changing demographics of cruises.
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“We're seeing that cruises are no longer a mature baby boomer and retiree type of clientele,” she said.
In 2023, cruises are expected to collectively see a passenger volume of 31.5 million worldwide, according to a report of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), a trade association that counts Carnival, Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean and other companies among its members. The association also predicts that ocean cruises will welcome 36 million passengers in 2024.
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Belle said the industry and its perception has changed, with ships staying in port longer allowing passengers to be more adventurous.
“The beautiful thing about cruises is that at this point there is a line or an itinerary for any type of traveler.”
Aislinn Murphy of FOX Business contributed to this report
