Holiday Gift Cards for a Travel Experience Increasingly Popular This Season
With a new year approaching, many people are looking for new adventures and Backroads, the world’s leading active travel company, is ready to help as today it announced its top trending trips for 2017 active travel. The coming year is poised to be the 8th consecutive record-breaking year – post Great Recession – for Backroads and the top trending destinations already booked include the Dalmatian Coast, Iceland, Ireland, New Zealand, and the US National Parks. Additionally, the Active River Cruise category continues to expand and grow in popularity.
Backroads Family Adventures – one of the company’s fastest-growing segments – is seeing tremendous interest with families booking travel to top selling destinations such as Alaska; Bryce, Zion and the Grand Canyon; and Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. Iceland and the Dalmatian Coast continue to trend strongly as perennial family favorite tour destinations.
Backroads Top-Selling 2017 Trips
* Iceland Multisport Adventure Tour
Exploration at the Edge of the Arctic Circle
* Danube Cycling Sensation River Cruise Bike Tour
Prague to Budapest – Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Slovakia & Hungary
* New Zealand Bike Tour and New Zealand Walking & Hiking Tour
South Island Splendor
* Costa Rica Multisport Adventure Tour
From Highlands & Rain Forests to the Nicoya Peninsula Beaches
* Vietnam & Cambodia Bike Tour
Old Indochina from Hanoi to Angkor Wat
“Now is the time to make a New Year’s resolution to get out and explore the world actively,” said Backroads Founder and President, Tom Hale. “2017 is shaping up to be another record-breaking year for Backroads. We’re seeing strong growth in our family business—on both Family Adventures for families with teens and kids of all ages, and on Family Breakaway Trips for families with older teens and 20-somethings. Greater Europe is also still strong and our Private and North America trips are selling better than ever.”
The Perfect Holiday Gift of Travel
As gift cards have become increasingly popular in retail and restaurants, Backroads has seen an uptick in the number of people choosing to give experiential gifts of travel to their family or friends. Gift certificates are available in any amount and can be applied by the recipient toward any Backroads vacation, pending availability.
Private Trip Bookings on the Rise
Guests wanting to travel on an exclusive Backroads tour with just their friends or family can book a private trip anywhere Backroads travels worldwide. When 10 or more guests book a private trip, they lock in the lowest price and save an average of $300 each compared to signing up individually on a scheduled departure. In addition, the more guests who sign up, the bigger the savings for the entire group. In 2017, Backroads Taste of Camino de Santiago Walking & Hiking Tour in Spain and Portugal is trending at the top for private trip guests.
No Place like Home
Traveling close to home has always been popular but in 2017, guest bookings for the United States and Canada are already proving to be top vacation choices. New Backroads trips in 2017 include a heli-hiking adventure in the Canadian Rockies, biking in New York’s Hudson Valley, Adirondacks Multisport, Arizona Walking & Hiking or a Biking tour, and a leisurely Napa Valley Bike tour. Canada will prove to be an exciting destination in 2017 as the country celebrates 150 years of Confederation with festivities planned throughout the year.