It's no secret that the U.S destination is a huge success this year! The volume of demand is significant compared to the same period before the health crisis. At Toundrigo, for example, US 2022 sales exceeded 2019 sales over the summer.
💡 To understand this trend and its implications, we interviewed some of our Toundrigo experts Marie Ravier, Marie Colombel, Quentin Del Bergiolo, Josiane Bureau and Fanny Spanu.
Fellow travel professionals, enjoy reading!
The success of the United States
A solid history
Historically, the United States is a destination that has a volume of travelers 10 times greater than that of Canada. The destination has always fascinated. In the traveler's imagination, the United States is associated with vast spaces, iconic cities like New York or a free and proud way of life, the American dream!
💡 Note that the United States also represents the first destination for the French market, followed by Thailand and Canada, which always arrives in the top 5 or top 10 every year.
At this point the success of this mythical destination remains logical!
Local visitors in the equation
"Before the health crisis, the number of international travelers was decreasing. Local tourists picked up the slack when the borders closed and now international and local tourists are finding their way back to the U.S. This has always been a popular destination!" - Josiane Bureau, Director of Windigo Travel.
Already, in December 2021, Expedia explained in a "Travel Trends" report that 6 out of 10 American travelers were planning to travel to the United States rather than internationally. As you can see, the country therefore welcomes more local tourists and this partly explains the success of the United States this year 2022, but many countries are also in this situation.
💡 Note that the US Travel Association also revealed that American travel spending continues to increase since the beginning of the year.
An advantageous situation
"Beyond the fact that the United States is historically the first destination for the French and one of the favorite destinations in many countries, it is that it was particularly accessible after the crisis" says Marie Ravier, Director of Toundra Voyages.
Indeed, travelers have had access to the US sooner than to other continents. Today, 2 years after the beginning of the health crisis, it is still complicated to go to Asia (India, China or Japan).
A country-wide offer
It should also be noted that the depth of the offer is much greater in the United States than in Canada. This is true for accommodations, activities as well as for vehicle rentals.
For this reason, there is still availability for this summer and this fall in the United States. When Canada is saturated with accommodations for this summer, the United States are still able to accommodate many reservations for travelers.
Certainly, the country is facing, like many others, labor shortages and therefore related operational issues, but this reality is having a limited impact on the demand itself.
A larger travel budget to "go big”
There is another noticeable difference this year regarding travel to the United States. It is the average traveler's budget. It is undeniably larger than the previous years.
This can be explained in several ways:
travelers are staying longer
they book more activities
they upgrade their accommodations
or choose to go to more secrete destinations
We can therefore think that the travelers cash flow is being more flexible this year, thus the choice of a trip to the United States has become possible. This theory is supported by Expedia's 2022 Travel Trends Report. The company found that 65 percent of the 12,000 travelers surveyed plan to "go big" on their next 2022 trip and therefore consider enriched stays.
Trips postponed since 2020
As trips have been postponed twice (in 2020 and 2021), the total number of files is systematically higher. While in North America there is still a natural increase of 2-3% each year, this is only a small part of the increase in case prices.
💡 All of these reasons, among others, explain why the United States is therefore a full house for this summer!
Top destinations in the United States
After 2 years of health crisis and restrictions, individuals have a great desire to travel...and to travel far for many of them judging by the international demand! They are attracted by the great outdoors, and for this reason the United States (and even North America) is a perfect destination for them!
The West
At the top of the podium of the most popular destinations in the United States, we find a flagship and timeless destination: the American West!
That's right, the great West, the birthplace of the gold rush, accounts for nearly 80% of our U.S. sales at Toundrigo.
Our customers' favorite program? It's a recipe that never changes. We're back to the classic Los Angeles-San Francisco tour, which takes in the major parks in 17-18 days. "Beyond what sells the most, it's really what we're asked for the most." - Quentin Del Bergiolo, FIT salesman for Toundra Voyages.
New -York City
In second place on the podium, we find the Big Apple. Unlike the West, where trips are usually long (at least 15 days to enjoy), New York can be adapted to a big weekend or a week-long trip. At Toundrigo, we typically sell trips ranging from 5 to 7 days, mostly FIT.
"For a first trip to New York, travelers are always looking for the must-see, the great classics of the city. They are often accessible thanks to the City Pass" explains Quentin Del Bergiolo during his interview.
Travelers are also increasingly looking for differentiating activities and eco-responsible tourism. That's why the brand Toundra Voyages offers its ecofriendly citytrip to New York.
💡 Note that this unique destination is very popular for big weekends or small vacations like Halloween, Christmas or New Year's Eve.
Florida
On the 3rd place of the podium, we find Florida. With its dreamy beaches and ideal weather, it is a destination particularly appreciated by travelers. This is especially true during winter or during the Easter vacations in February/March, as this is when travelers are looking for warmth.
More and more atypical and sustainable trips
Heading to Wyoming?
Apart from these 3 most popular destinations, we also see more atypical requests emerging. Some travelers want to go to Wyoming, Montana, Alaska... or even Hawaii, which has been in high demand recently.
As far as the American West is concerned, it is difficult to get off the beaten track because for a first trip to this region, the big parks are a must-see. Even if it's often very crowded.
💡 Our expert on American destinations, Quentin Del Bergiolo, advises us to discover the Valley of Fire which is located between Las Vegas and Zion rather than Death Valley.
Valley of Fire is a small state park, which is often uncrowded and offers beautiful scenery. In the Death Valley, however, the temperatures are too high during the summer. The Valley of Fire is therefore a great alternative to Death Valley to discover another remarkable park in the United States.
Heading towards responsible tourism?
Responsible travel is in demand even if it is still a minority. The Booking.com "Sustainable Travel Report" (2022) reveals that
81% of international travelers surveyed confirm that responsible travel is important to them.
50% explained that recent information on climate change has prompted them to make a more sustainable travel choice.
71% said they would make a greater effort in the coming year to travel more sustainably. This statistic is up by 10% compared to 2021.
63% say they want to stay well away from crowded places of interest.
In the overall approach to responsible and sustainable tourism, travelers are looking for environment consciousness in their accommodations, means of transportation or activities. They also want to discover the local population and local experiences.
"Travelers today are looking for different experiences and it's Toundrigo's advantage to be able to offer them in both the U.S. and Canada." - Marie Ravier.
As we mentioned earlier in this article, for a traveler with eco-friendly values, a must-see destination like New York City can also be a good fit! While the city is certainly not 100% green, its incredible public transportation network and the fact that the city can be visited by foot are two solid arguments to share with travelers.
Development of the United States offer
Toundrigo's teams are determined to continue developing this destination as a North American destination. To do so, many actions have been put in place. Let's look at them!
Development of the United States offer
From June 4 to June 8, 2022, the teams participated in the IPW in Orlando! This major event brings together all American tourism suppliers in the United States. Buyers from all over the world are also present: receptives, travel agencies, etc. A great opportunity to meet new suppliers and new partners.
Toundrigo has several connectors in progress, so there's an opportunity to expand our offer. This connectivity combined with our human service will allow Toundrigo to grow at a rapid pace in this destination.
Team development
We hired the talented Laurence Despiegel in March 2022. Laurence is going to develop our offer on this destination and is based in Los Angeles.
Laurence is part of a new "offer and product" team being created, which will be exclusively dedicated to this destination. She will develop new programs and constantly seek out new products for the United States.
Also, our office in Las Vegas for our Windigo Adventure brand is growing every day. It is a site where we welcome our "between pros" but also our guides.
With all these changes, our short-term goal is to strengthen our bold and differentiated offer with real tools that will allow you, travel agents, to create great trips in the US.
💡 Please note that our brand Toundra Voyages is already affiliated with the U.S. Office of Tourism in the French market.
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In conclusion, the United States is still a great card to play for 2022. And to bring you the best offers and solutions, we are currently implementing a great strategy for the US by equipping ourselves with the best resources!
💡 Latest practical information:
As of May 26, 2022, ESTA has gone from $14 to $21!
As of June 13, the COVID-19 test requirement for travelers arriving by air is lifted.
It is now essential to make a reservation in advance to enjoy many American national parks. This applies, for example, to Glacier, Arches or Rocky Mountain National Park.
💡 Some examples of USA by Toundrigo programs:
The Wild West from Lodge to Lodge (Toundra Voyages)
Wyoming: National parks, ranches and US history (Toundra Voyages)
Trek in the Sonora Desert (Windigo Aventures)