Perhaps we should deem 2015 "the year of experiences" when it comes to the tour operator landscape.
In fairness, the experience phenomenon isn't unique to 2015. The last few years (and likely the next several years to come) have seen local and authentic travel experiences play an increasingly important role in the tour operator product mix.
But heading into 2015, the obsession with integrating an ever more sophisticated roster of unique and meaningful encounters into tour itineraries and packages has reached a fever pitch.
Take, for example, Mayflower Tours, which is celebrating 35 years in the business this year and received a rebranding this month, with a new more global logo (reflecting the company's growing international business) and a new tagline: "Mayflower Tours: Life Enriching Experiences."
"We give them something they can't do on their own," Mary Stachnik, executive vice president and co-owner of Mayflower Tours, said in describing what the new slogan is meant to communicate to today's travelers.
In fact, that slogan could serve as the banner for the entire tour operator segment as it heads into 2015, because it has become clear to them that one of their biggest competitive differentiators is the ability to provide access to the kinds of people and interactions that travelers simply wouldn't have access to on their own.
Along those lines, Trafalgar announced it will introduce a new trip style for 2015 called Hidden Journeys, itineraries designed to take smaller groups (limited to 26 people) deeper into a destination.
The Hidden Journeys product is an extension of Trafalgar's Insider Highlights program, which launched in 2011 and inserted more local experiences into its tours. With Hidden Journeys, that concept is being expanded to encompass staying at smaller, more boutique properties, such as the 47-room Albergo dell'Agenzia in Italy's Piedmont region, and engaging in experiences that are even further off the grid, like taking a gulet cruise in Turkey, for example.
Another big trend for 2015 is going to be family travel, and more family-friendly itineraries will likely crop up across the spectrum.
Abercrombie & Kent increased its family departures by 45% for 2015 and introduced a family product line for its lower-priced Connections by A&K brand, for a total of 16 family-friendly departures across its two brands.
Additionally, G Adventures is adding a Teen Adventures product to its family travel mix in 2015, departures geared toward families traveling with kids ages 12 and older. G Adventures builds its family departures around school holidays.
The operator said its teen-centric trips were designed so that teens would be traveling with others their own age and would incorporate more age-appropriate activities.
Expect to see tour operators getting more tech savvy, too. From making sure their motorcoaches have reliable WiFi access to upping their social media strategies, the packaged-travel sector is likely going to focus more on social media marketing in line with the realization that the best and most effective advertisers they have are their passengers.
That strategy is also in line with the tour sector's ongoing efforts to better understand and court millennial travelers going forward, which was a major theme at the U.S. Tour Operators Association's (USTOA) annual conference that was held this month. While baby boomers still represent the biggest chunk of business for tour operators, millennials represent future growth.
Moreover, 2015 could finally bring tour operators into the TripAdvisor online review mix. There has been talk of getting TripAdvisor to add a tour category to its reviews, but how and whether the granddaddy of review sites will oblige remains to be seen. Until then, tour operators are looking at more and better ways to provide those customer reviews themselves so that travelers can get feedback from past passengers.
As for destinations topping the tour mix for 2015, Italy is the gift that keeps on giving and again is positioned as the most popular global destination for 2015, according to the USTOA's annual member survey, released this month.
Italy was followed by the U.K., China, Peru, France, Mexico, Australia, South Africa, Brazil and Vietnam among destinations that are getting the most traction next year.
As for emerging destinations, Myanmar topped the list for the third year in a row, followed by Cuba, Croatia, Iceland, India, Peru, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia and Panama.
Whether they're selling experiences or family travel, Italy or Myanmar, tour operators predict that 2015 will be another strong year.
The vast majority (95%) of USTOA member operators said they anticipate another increase in sales in 2015, the survey revealed. Of those, 62% forecasted growth of 10% or more, and 29% predicted that sales would increase in the 4% to 6% range.