TORONTO — Trafalgar is aiming to re-inspire vacationers with the wonder of travel with the launch of its 2019 Europe & Britain Program.

Brett Tollman, Chief Executive of The Travel Corporation, hosted an industry lunch yesterday at The Guild Inn to kick off the program’s official debut in Canada, with a lineup that includes new guided vacations across seven continents.

The 2019 Europe & Britain program offers 116 handcrafted journeys to 220+ cities, with eight different trip styles: Country Explorer, Regional Explorer, Discoveries, City Explorer, Cruise or Rail, At Leisure, Family Experiences and Special Interest.

Part and parcel with Trafalgar’s mission to innovate, and bring clients real travel experiences, Trafalgar has released new research that uncovers what guests are truly seeking from their holidays – and what ‘The Good Life’ really means to them. More than 1,400 participants around the world took part in the independent third-party research.

The results were surprising – even a bit disconcerting, says Trafalgar. Rather than travel evoking wanderlust, the wonder of travel is getting lost.

A staggering 89% of respondents say travel is enjoyable but stressful and difficult to plan, and 49% of those surveyed claimed that ‘real’ travel experiences didn’t actually feel that real – that travel is in fact becoming a common tourist trail.

More than a third (37%) said they felt they didn’t see any ‘real culture’ on their last trip and almost half of participants said if they did, these experiences were not unique. And 61% of guests are feeling the negative effects of overtourism.

Good travel is an opportunity to step away from daily life and pressures, be surprised and challenged, learn, appreciate and experience something new, says Trafalgar.

These findings of ‘wonder-lost’ – combined with the research of what people are seeking when they travel – has driven Trafalgar’s innovation across the new Europe & Britain 2019 program, which provides loyal Canadian agents and their clients with:

REAL EASE

With 72 years of expertise encompassing seven continents, Trafalgar says it knows that good travel still exists – if it’s done right. The stress of planning is taken care of. The logistics of formulating the perfect itinerary such as quality accommodation, comfortable transport, plenty of meals, VIP admission to the sites and unique Trafalgar highlights are all included so clients don’t have to worry about a thing.

Trafalgar offers unique experiences clients couldn’t do independently, such as a visit to the Pope’s gardens at Castel Gandolfo via the shortest national railway system in the world – just 300 metres.

“What if clients were taken to get their iconic photo of the Eiffel tower, but also got to go somewhere else incredible without the crowd, such as the catacombs of Notre Dame and walk the spectacular Latin Quarter? This formula is what allows guests the freedom to just be; be in the moment, be happy and be inspired,” says the company.

REAL CONNECTIONS

No matter what trip clients choose, they know each carefully crafted itinerary is packed with real experiences “that will connect them to the soul of the places Trafalgar goes.” They’ll break bread with locals who are proud to bring them into their homes, share their cultures and tell their tales on Trafalgar’s exclusive ‘Be My Guest’ experiences, which also help sustain their communities.

Clients can also stay somewhere that’s more than just a bed for the night, on one of Trafalgar’s ‘Stays with Stories’ including the Schloss Leopoldskron in Salzburg dating back to 1736, where some of the most romantic scenes from the Sound of Music were filmed.

REAL JOY

When the elements of ease and connections come together, allowing guests to really be in the moment, really connect to each destination and help to sustain the people, places and planet along the way – that’s when real joy is experienced, perspective felt on what’s important and one’s core values are uncovered. “This is ‘The Good Life’ – what travel is all about,” says Trafalgar.

To learn more about Trafalgar, visit Trafalgar.com.

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