What a year we have had! 2024 has been one for the record books, and we could not be happier! The Shared Adventures team has arranged more than 200 trips this year, to destinations that span the globe – from the Arctic Circle, to Antarctica, to New Zealand, the Maldives, and pretty much every corner of Europe and the Caribbean. We’ve planned honeymoons, anniversaries, proposals, birthdays, babymoons, family vacations, reunions, and more. And we’ve received amazing feedback from happy clients who’ve made memories to last a lifetime.
Top Destinations
As always, Italy was our most popular destination, but we saw clients branching out beyond the usual Rome/Florence/Amalfi Coast/Venice and wanting to explore places like Puglia, Sicily, Emilia-Romagna, and Sardinia, which we love!
It’s so much fun to help travelers get off the beaten track and see something new. We saw more interest in lesser-visited countries like Finland, Malta, and Argentina. And, we also saw what we think are the beginnings of a trend towards visiting cooler climates like northern Europe, Iceland, Alaska, and Canada.
[Photo Credit: Jill & Kevin via Shared Adventures. Read about their family adventure to Iceland here!]
How We Helped
One of the big hurdles we helped clients navigate this year were the restrictions meant to curb overtouristing.
We explained (and re-explained) the Venice entrance fees, and helped clients figure out exactly who needed to pay them, when, and how.
For next year, we expect that our biggest hurdle will be explaining the new logistics for obtaining ETAs (electronic travel authorizations) to enter the UK and Europe, since the media has everyone freaking out about needing “visas”, and we’re already getting asked how many months in advance you need to request those.
(spoiler alert: The UK requirement begins January 8th and the Europe ETIAS system does not have a firm start date yet; but both will take only a few days to process once you apply.)
[Photo Credit: J & C via Shared Adventures – Read about their Italy trip here!]
We will also be helping our Italy-bound clients plan for and navigate the “Jubilee Year” crowds in Rome in 2025.
2025 Trends
Looking into our crystal ball, some of the other trends we expect for next year include:
- More requests for small-group travel, including extended families, groups of friends, and special events like birthdays or anniversaries. This might be villa rentals, small yacht charters, or just a block of rooms at a resort.
- More people electing to fly Business Class / First Class, to make long-distance flights more tolerable, and to arrive refreshed and ready for the vacation
- A continued interest in less-crowded, less-touristed destinations. (Ann is making scouting trips to both Malta and Slovenia next year, so stay tuned!)
- Cruise clients moving towards smaller ships, on more upscale cruise lines, with more immersive, port-intensive itineraries. This includes river cruises, expedition cruises, and more.
[Photo Credit: McNicol Family via Shared Adventures – Read about the Mexican Villa Rental here!]
Whatever your travel plans for 2025 might be, one tried-and-true piece of advice still applies – plan ahead! Reach out sooner rather than later, and we’ll help you plan a fabulous adventure.
