Once Again, It’s Time for Europe

Europe will make a comeback this year as the top international travel destination for mature travelers, according to leading tour operators catering to the mature traveler. Perhaps they had their eyes raised to heaven in supplication and their fingers crossed to ward off recurring terrorism and the declining value of the dollar.

Having learned the hard way the mistake of having too many European eggs in their travel baskets, the same tour operators, however, are also ready with alternate destinations, far more of them than last year.

John Peckham, president of Insight International Tours’ North American operations, could have been speaking for the travel industry in general when he said, “God bless Paul Hogan.”

The easygoing Australian actor/spokesman has helped make the land Down Under one of the hot destinations for the mature traveler (and others) in the last six months. New Zealand, Fiji and other South Pacific areas have shared the benefits of Hogan’s beguiling pleas.

Still, Australia can only absorb so much of the big mature travel market. If travel is to have a great year, it must come from European travel.

Looks Favorable

From all appearances right now, it looks favorable to the folks who run the travel operation for the nation’s largest mature organization, the American Assn. of Retired Persons, 25 million strong.

“We’ve noted a pent-up demand from members, especially those older and retired,” says Richard Hefler, creative director for AARP Travel Service in Culver City.

“It appears that these people are not going to be distracted too much by the dipping dollar value or overall political environment,” he adds. “Most of them have lived through the Depression, two World Wars and other conflicts. They don’t see threats as other age groups do.”

This far into 1987 the extensive tour program to Europe offered to members by AARP is selling well compared to last year, which, like travel for all ages, was way down.

“This year won’t be as good as two or three years ago,” Hefler predicts, “but it’s just as much a market cycle as it is dependent on the declining dollar and political scene.”

One segment leading the trend back to Europe is AARP’s extensive Hosted Holidays program; two weeks or longer package plans centered around apartment-hotel accommodations in one place rather than touring.

“Actually, our Hosted Holiday program bucked the trend in European travel last year with an increase over the previous year when the numbers of tour groups were falling way off,” Hefler pointed out. “We expect an even bigger year in 1987.”

Apartment Stays

AARP’s Hosted Holidays in Europe for 1987 are available in London and the Costa del Sol, like many other offerings from companies serving the mature traveler. But AARP also adds apartment stays in Paris, Vienna, Portugal’s Algarve, Majorca in the Canary Islands and, heading for a big year according to early bookings, Nice and Cannes.

“The French Riviera is outselling Paris right now,” Hefler notes. “Mature travelers seem to enjoy southern France and find the people more gregarious and friendlier than in Paris.”

All of the Hosted Holiday programs to Europe, which average about $100 a day (per person, double) for apartment accommodations, air fare and fine social programs, are selling very well.

(In addition to Europe, AARP’s Hosted Holidays are also available in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Taipei, Bangkok, Seoul and Singapore, plus AARP has one of the industry’s most extensive international tour offerings for the mature traveler who is a member of AARP.)

Grand Circle Travel, the large, classy direct marketer to the mature traveler, also sees the long-stay vacation very strong in Europe as well as elsewhere. It calls its apartment/hotel stays Extended Stay Vacations.

“These Extended Vacations, from two- to 25-week stays in apartments rather than touring, will boom this year as the traditional ‘If-it’s-Tuesday-this-must-be-Belgium’ tours and European Grand Capital tours become relics of the past,” says Alan E. Lewis, chairman of Grand Circle. (Not all tour operators agree, but more on that later.)

Grand Circle’s Extended Stay programs for 1987 include London, Gstaad in the Swiss Alps, Seefeld in the Austrian Alps, Locarno, Baden, near Vienna in the Vienna Woods, Portugal’s Algarve, Yugoslavia, Canary Islands, Torremolinos and Majorca.

Outside of Europe, Grand Circle also has Extended Stay programs in French Polynesia (Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora), Hong Kong, Bermuda, Mexican and U.S. resort destinations.

Overall, Grand Circle’s Lewis sees 1987 as an excellent year for the mature traveler for touring as well as extended stays, with many areas, even parts of Europe, having record travel years.

“Exotic destinations like the Orient, South Pacific and Australia, which did extremely well in 1986,” adds Lewis, “will see even more growth in 1987.

“Modern senior travelers are extremely sophisticated, showing week-to-week knowledge of tourist exchange rates,” he adds. “Quality and value for the dollar will continue to outweigh low-budget tour prices for 1987.”

Passages Unlimited Inc., another big tour wholesaler specializing in the mature market, sees Europe on the rebound because “true opportunities for outstanding service and general courtesy are extraordinary this year. Europe really has the welcome mat out,” says Bill Goodspeed, director of sales development.

But Passages Unlimited, unlike Grand Circle, sells through travel agents for the “over 55s” and “mature singles” (35 years and up) and views the overall mature market differently from Grand Circle.

“We try to offer a full range of European tour programs with a wide range of options that make the tour suitable for either fast or leisurely paced travel,” says John Byers, president.

“Not all seniors want to relax on their way through Europe. Many would feel cheated if they didn’t cover as much ground as possible,” Byers explained. “So we have tour programs to suit every taste and we also make sure the travel agent is aware of what energy level is required for each, so the agent can counsel the mature traveler.”

Passages Unlimited has its own overseas apartment-stay programs called At Home Vacation. Reasonably priced one- to eight-week stays are available in London, Paris Majorca, Rome, Florence, Costa del Sol, the French Riviera and Israel.

Insight International Tours Inc. is also banking heavily on a return to normalcy in Europe and the Middle East, as it has a schedule of 44 tours planned there this year.

“Right now the United Kingdom, site for many of our tours since we’re based there, is looking strong, very strong,” says John Peckham, president. “We’re already 30% ahead of last year.

“Scandinavia is right up there as well and, somewhat surprisingly, a 22-day Arctic Explorer tour to Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway is one of our best sellers. We keep learning how adventurous and sophisticated mature travelers are.

“And we are delighted with our new program to the South Pacific and Australia in particular,” Peckham goes on.

Insight, which had an intense separate program and brochure for the mature market two years ago, has somewhat softened its approach this year, judging by the looks of its 1987 brochure. But it still stresses features on tours that the average mature and senior traveler like: more two- and three-night stops on tours than almost any other tour company, central hotels and generous meal plans.

Australia popped up again for the mature traveler as the dream vacation spot in a recent survey by Saga International Holidays, a British-based company with a strong presence in the United States for the 60 years and over crowd. The Far East and China, United Kingdom, Scandinavia and South America filled out the other spots on the top five dream vacation choices that most seniors would like to visit.

Now, it can’t be just a coincidence that those same five destinations are all featured in Saga’s new spring brochure. But, said Saga’s sales manager Pat Connor, “Australia and South America are, without question, the hottest-selling vacations for 1987.

For more information:

AARP Travel Service, Dept. 104, P.O. Box 92964, Los Angeles 90009.

Grand Circle Travel, 347 Congress St., Boston, Mass. 02210. Phone (800) 221-2610 (Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST).

Passages Unlimited, from any travel agent or direct to 48 Union St., Stamford, Conn. 06906, phone (800) 472-7724.

Insight International Tours, from your travel agent or 17310 Redhill Ave., Suite 330, Irvine, Calif. 92714, phone (714) 261-5373.

Saga International Holidays Inc., 120 Boylston St., Boston, Mass. 02116, phone (800) 343-0273.