Open Jaw asked a couple of well-known Canadian advisors for their take on this growing problem.
Brenda Slater from Beyond the Beach said a “huge” number of clients are asking for Spain and Portugal, as well as Croatia, Italy and Poland.
“I have a group travelling at the end of October on the 11-night Emerald Sakara ship from Rome to Barcelona, but we are travelling in a quieter time period, with much more reasonable temperatures.
“My recommendation to clients? Head to Sicily or Malta in the fall, or even some of the smaller or lesser-known Greek Islands. I'm also loving the smaller ship/port offerings from Emerald, as well as Scenic, Azamara and Seabourn cruise lines.
“My long-time clients are looking for more authentic experiences and smaller ports, but with the lovely vibe and service of a smaller mega-yacht or super-yacht," said Slater, co-founder of ACITA.
Wendy Davis, owner of luxury travel agency Zebrano Travel and a member of Virtuoso, said clients want to book a lot of events, such as Wimbledon, the Paris Olympics and Taylor Swift concerts abroad. But those are in great demand, and they need to be booked well ahead of time.
“We explain to our clients they have to book well in advance. We need time to do our research and provide options for accommodations, rather than scrambling to find what will work. For example, booking hotels in Italy with pools during the peak summer months.”
Davis said her suppliers are reworking trips to avoid peak times and visitor limitations.
“Kyoto, for example, is limiting crowds so the geisha can move through the historical areas peacefully. Amsterdam is implementing crowd control measures. Venice, the same thing.
“This is just the beginning.”
One way an advisor can help is by booking “fast track entrances” to the most popular sites, such as the Louvre, The Uffizi and The Tower of London.
“Clients need us more than ever,” she said.
