“People who liked to plan their trips and explore the unknown approach the journey a little less adventurous,†said Melissa Wu, owner of Woodlyn Trip, a travel agency in Pasadena, California. “The Covid numbers are unpredictable; countries keep changing their entry conditions. And people are just tired: they worry about their health, their children, their work; they are exhausted from juggling.
So it’s no surprise that all-inclusive packages are booming. Reservations from September and October to Complex sandals, which has 15 all-inclusive packages in the Caribbean, is up 151% from 2019. Club Med, a pioneering all-inclusive brand with 70 resorts worldwide and plans to debuts in Canada, in the Le Massif de Québec ski area, in December, recorded record sales this year, with several weeks this summer showing double-digit growth in bookings compared to 2019.
Even the uninitiated are listening: in the past six months, over 80% of total bookings at Club Med Sandpiper Bay, in Port St. Lucie, Florida, were made by first-time customers, who also accounted for over 70 percent of bookings at Club Med hotels in Mexico and the Caribbean.
“We know that many of these clients have decided to book all-inclusive vacations with us in order to avoid the hassle of coordinating do-it-yourself vacations, especially after such a difficult year,†said Carolyne Doyon, President and chief Executive Officer. Executive of Club Med North America and the Caribbean.
Mary Johnson, 42, has taken her 8 and 10-year-old children to European capitals, Caribbean beaches and on cruises in equal measure. In August, she and her family traveled to Sandpiper Bay because it met her top three criteria: all-inclusive, in the US, and full of kid-friendly activities, like talent shows, trapeze lessons, and games. outdoor movies.
