Cruise Planners (No. 18 on Travel Weekly's 2022 Power List) closed out 2022 with sales up 15% from 2019, and the agency franchisor looks to build on that momentum for 2023.
"We know 2023 is the 'year of travel' just by looking at the incredible number of sales we have on the books and it is not even a month into the new year," said Cruise Planners CEO Michelle Fee. "Luxury is at the top of the list and clients want to make memories and are sparing no expense to create them with loved ones."
Clients taking luxury cruises are interested in a number of destinations, according to Cruise Planners, including European river cruises, the Mediterranean, the Baltic, Antarctica, Africa, the Middle East and India.
Alaska cruising is up 32% from 2019, as is Europe cruising. Caribbean cruising is up 12%.
In the year ahead, Cruise Planners also pointed to several trends:
• Sustainability and more eco-friendly vacations will likely be on travelers' minds.
• Domestic travel could increase with high air fares unlikely to abate.
• People will continue to work remotely, which could mean bringing their job on the road as they travel.
• Multigenerational travel remains a popular choice, as are customized vacation packages and wellness-based vacations.