Authentic Vacations Sees Growing Demand for Custom and Small Guided Vacations

Image: The seafront in Llandudno, Wales (Photo Credit: Authentic Vacations)
Image: The seafront in Llandudno, Wales (Photo Credit: Authentic Vacations)
TravelPulse Staff
by TravelPulse Staff
Last updated: 8:00 PM ET, Fri November 10, 2023

Travel Advisors are experiencing growing demand from clients who want customized itineraries and experiences that meet their personal and changing travel tastes. Customized experiences that will give them a lifetime of memories and a few bragging rights at get-togethers with family and friends—that’s what they’re looking for.

Along with customization, they want greater ease of travel. Many clients, families, couples, and seniors don’t want to navigate driving in a foreign country and they’re requesting Small Guided Vacations. Working closely with our preferred Travel Advisor partnerships, we learned many advisors are challenged to keep up with demand and their clients are most often requesting highly custom itineraries. And they are also looking for luxury Guided Vacations that are distinctive and smaller in number of passengers to allow for more personalized attention and experiences. 

Seljalandsfoss waterfall, Iceland

Seljalandsfoss waterfall, Iceland (Photo Credit: Authentic Vacations)

For Authentic Vacations, that was an easy need to meet. We were able to reach out to our network of suppliers and create a portfolio of custom tours. As a member of the esteemed Tour Partner Group (TPG), Authentic Vacations is already the leading company for creating tailor-made, authentic travel experiences for destinations that include Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, Iceland, Scandinavia, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, and domestic USA. Specializing in creating customizable itineraries that feature a variety of inspirational experiences, paired with unique and boutique accommodations, hand-picked by our product team, ensures that every client experiences a distinctive adventure, whether through a custom personal vacation or a guided tour.

Our Small Guided Vacations are the very definition of ease. For 2024, we are excited to offer 21 unique Small Guided Vacations in Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, Italy, and the Nordic countries. With 18 people or fewer on each tour, all with guaranteed departures, travelers can expect personalized service, attention, and an insider’s view of the culture, cuisine, and the scenic wonders of their chosen destination. All accommodations are 4 and 5-star, the heart of elegant ease. 

Business development managers at Authentic Vacations

Business development managers at Authentic Vacations (Photo Credit: Authentic Vacations)

To support our agents and their growing demands, Authentic now has three seasoned Business Development Managers on board. These are Kate Heath, Michelle Bartlett, and Kristina Zito. This spectacular team supports travel advisors from every region of the United States and Canada. 

A custom vacation also includes Destination Experts who use their imaginations, and really want to make clients’ fantasies a reality. Do clients want to see baby polar bears? Research, reach out, and discover how to make this happen. 

Would clients enjoy making chocolate in a small kitchen, or dining with Norway’s indigenous Sami at a reindeer camp, and listening to their ancient music beneath a winter sky that’s ribboned with the electric colors of Northern Lights? We can give them that mystical winter experience. 

Your clients probably want to immerse themselves in a different culture for at least part of their trip. Offer them a Māori guide to the wildlife in New Zealand, a bush country experience in the land down under, making Aboriginal art, gold panning, or discovering little-known villages in Italy. 

Urquhart Castle, Loch Ness, Scotland

Urquhart Castle, Loch Ness, Scotland (Photo Credit: Authentic Vacations)

Small Guided Vacations are in demand because they offer personalized, immersive, and safe travel experiences. Travel advisors can capitalize on this trend by connecting clients with tours that align with their interests and preferences. Small group tours provide expertise, local insights, and the opportunity to avoid mass tourism. They cater to niche interests, offer flexibility, and often focus on sustainability. Travel advisors can leverage positive reviews and referrals to highlight the benefits of Small Guided Vacations.

Our Destination Experts revel in creating vacations that fit each tour operator’s needs to grow and sustain their business. We are here for our agents, and we support them, in their quest to customize the travel dreams of each client, because customized travel is now!


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Laurence Pinckney

CEO of Zenbiz Travel, LLC

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