Confirmed: Classic Journeys Walking Adventures Are Ahead Of The Curve

Focus on culture puts international walking tours at forefront of industry

La Jolla, CA (February 2010) – It's the kind of affirmation that adventure travel companies love to receive. Newly released data from ATTA (the Adventure Travel Trade Association) has revealed that a whopping 70% of tour operators are reporting increased interest in "cultural interaction" adventures.

Classic Journeys launched its first cultural walking adventures in 1995, featuring carefully crafted itineraries that blend easy-going walking with extraordinary opportunities for guests to meet and mingle with the people of each region they visit.

In the process of polling nearly 300 tour operators in 51 countries to determine what clients are looking for most in an adventure travel tour, ATTA proved what Classic Journeys has believed since Day One: given the opportunity, most people will jump at the chance to become not a tourist but a traveler, to whom authenticity is key.

So just what is a cultural interaction, as Classic Journeys identified them 15 years ago? It’s sipping an excellent red with the family of the first privately owned winery in Croatia to resume operations after the fall of Communism…savoring a simple lunch served on handmade corkwood plates by a shepherd in the hills of Sardinia…concocting a local specialty under the watchful eye of a friendly chef in a Tuscan farmhouse kitchen…and tagging along with an expert truffle hunter as he plies his trade in the Dordogne.

"A colleague of mine recently coined a great phrase: planned spontaneity," observes Edward Piegza, president and co-founder of Classic Journeys. "It's precisely what guests experience on a Classic Journey. The quick thinking of our native guides enables them to take advantage of once-in-a-lifetime interactions as they arise, like the recent opera rehearsal attended by only a handful of lucky villagers – and us – in the Czech Republic."

The same ATTA survey gives Classic Journeys more reason to preen. Private Journeys – on which guests can customize published itineraries in order to fulfill their personal "wish lists" – now comprise more than 30% of the company’s business. Thirteen years after Classic Journeys launched its first private tours, 84% of tour operators surveyed indicate their clients are showing an increased interest in custom itineraries. The summer months are particularly strong for Private Journeys, with the Amalfi Coast & Capri leading the pack among destinations.

Finally, in line with yet another trend, 55% of tour operators agree that their customers are increasingly interested in closer-to-home, shorter-haul trips. Classic Journeys has recognized it for years…which is why the company offers 15 walking tours in North America and six in Central America that in many cases involve just a few hours of flying time each way. The most popular trip without crossing an ocean is Quebec & Charlevoix, comprising 36% of bookings in North America, while Costa Rica remains the company’s overall most popular destination.

The facts and figures confirm: when it comes to maximizing the guest experience, Classic Journeys walking adventures are definitely ahead of the curve. Readers who want to learn more about the company’s signature style of small-group luxury travel can speak directly with a Guest Services Coordinator at (800) 200-3887 or click on www.classicjourneys.com/walkingtours for detailed itineraries, departure dates and pricing.


About Classic Journeys:

Classic Journeys offers cultural walking tours, culinary tours and family vacations in North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa, Asia and the South Pacific. Guests enjoy luxury accommodations and gourmet meals that reflect the best of each region, coupled with soft adventure activities, daily interactions with locals, and native guides who make countries and cultures come alive. Tours are six to 12 days long with two to four hours of easy-going walking per day. Land-only tour prices range from $2495 to $7995 per person (with discounts for small groups and children traveling with parents). Average tour size is 10, limited to a maximum of 18 guests per departure.

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