Jordan peaks in wake of unrest
Intrepid's Eastern Mediterranean tours are going from strength to strength, with Jordan, Turkey and the Greek coastline expected to drive further gains in the coming months.
As the Australian dollar strengthens against the Euro, travel to the Mediterranean is in high demand as travellers look to make the most of the strong economy.
Intrepid Australia and New Zealand PR manager Jo Stewart said the past six months had seen strong bookings across all its Eastern Mediterranean itineraries, despite political uncertainty in some areas.
Forward bookings also remained stable as more tourists looked to Jordan as an alternative, Steward added.
“The perception [is] that Jordan is one of the safest and most stable countries to visit in the region,” she said, adding that bookings for Intrepid's Explore Jordan tour were up 81% on last year.
It’s a similar story in Greece and Croatia, where tourists have taken great interest in Intrepid’s newly-launched sail packages, which cover Greece’s Cyclades and Croatia’s stretch of coast between Dubrovnik and Primosten.
Meanwhile, across the Aegean, an old favourite, Turkey, had seen resurgence in interest for non-traditional tours, Stewart said.
“We are now seeing that Gallipoli, while still popular, isn’t the only drawcard that Turkey has to offer,” she said.
Active walking trips, cooking classes, cruises and cosmopolitan Istanbul are now enjoying their time in the sun too, with passenger numbers on Intrepid's Best of Turkey trip up 31% year on year.
Ms Stewart said this is a good indication of the destination’s "ongoing appeal".
Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au
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