Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Once again, wishing you and your families a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.
During December every year, the press, social media, and our industry veterans, all gaze into their ‘Crystal balls’ for a glimpse of what each new year may bring and how best to prepare for it. This year, the outlook for 2025 seemed to be a mix of optimism and caution, and for me; well let’s just say I’m leaning more on the side of caution.
In my past letters, I have made mention of the pending impetus of skyrocketing prices driving travellers towards budgeting for a reasonable amount to spend on their travel. 2025 may see travellers looking for more bang for their buck, and although demand for luxury travel will continue, it might be sought after at a more affordable level. For us, it’ll be just another usual day at the office! Over the past few months, preparations have been well underway to secure more personalized products to suit individual client preferences. There’s much talk about authentic, out-of-the-box travel experiences, and, not forgotten is the importance of sustainable and responsibly planned and managed travel practices.
This brings to mind one such exacting travel challenge that I had the privilege of being involved with organizing back in the early 90s. I was on a sales trip across Canada and during a chance meeting with a boutique travel agency owner in British Columbia, we discussed his idea of creating a full on-site course semester in Africa for students attending UBC and Simon Fraser University, to study Botany and Marine Biology.
We explored several options and finally settled on a suitable programme that would work best in Kenya, East Africa. With his persuasive nature, the agent convinced the universities that holding a 59-day semester in the national parks and game reserves of Kenya and on the shores of the Indian Ocean in and around Mombasa would not only be cost-efficient projects but would offer a unique and most memorable experience for the students. I and my team worked very hard on the logistics and ultimately had the privilege of hosting 94 students and a rotation of 11 professors. We had to organize on-location classrooms for their specific subjects, separating students into smaller groups as per their class needs and setting them up in separate areas so as not to overcrowd the parks. Just the thought of having them experience first-hand the fragility of the eco-systems and learning about the care needed to protect the environment was, in itself, a perfect study in future sustainability. Indeed I was, and still am, very proud of my team’s achievements in helping create this very special learning opportunity.
The travel business in 2025 will be no different, in the sense that every year we encounter new challenges as we overcome old ones. Geopolitical scenarios around the world always have and always will, determine paths for leisure travel. This year’s projected forecasts predict a dip in leisure travel due to instability and hostilities in various regions of the world. But this opens the possibilities of exploring less frequented and lesser-known areas of the world. In fact, getting away from mainstream overtourism has its advantages and many countries are fostering local collaboration and adopting innovative strategies to reduce congestion. One such prediction is that the entire Asia-Pacific region is about to enjoy a big resurgence in travel. If that becomes a trend, I already have a portfolio of several exotic destinations having luxury hotels at comparatively lower costs due to a weaker currency and will be able to offer your clients a holiday experience to remember. I’m always intrigued at receiving calls from travel advisors requesting remote destinations and love the challenge of creating itineraries that can simply be described as uniquely different.
I also wish to again express my deepest gratitude for the business that was sent our way in 2024. Your continued support and your loyalty have always commanded great appreciation and respect. A very big THANK YOU to one and all for the trust that you placed in our ability to look after your clients in such far away lands as Africa, Asia, Europe, Central and South America. Rest assured, with industry-leading insight, I and my team at MyEscapades will endeavour to continue to provide your clients our best services throughout 2025 and beyond.
Until next time,
Firdosh
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