WENDY Wu Tours founder Wendy Wu believes there is huge opportunity for her business, which has dramatically expanded its range of destinations over the last two years of the pandemic.
Visiting Australia this week, Wu told TD the company has introduced new products such as tours of Portugal, the Eastern Mediterranean and even Scotland which are resonating strongly.
Out of the local market there are good bookings on trips to Jordan, Israel and Egypt, she said, attributing persistent engagement with the trade during COVID-19 for strong awareness of the Wendy Wu product.
“We never stopped taking bookings – although of course the volume was much smaller – and we held lots of online events and made sure agents whose clients had credits were always presented with new opportunities to redeem them as destinations opened up,” she said.
There continues to also be strong interest in Japan, with Wu very positive that the country will reopen to tourists in the next couple of months.
A benefit of the downturn has also been that the experience in destinations such as Vietnam is “back to what it was 30 years ago,” she said.
“There are no crowds, and the people haven’t seen tourists for two years so they are very welcoming,” she said.
In addition, the Victoria Mekong river ship which Wendy Wu Tours had planned to debut in 2020 (TD 06 Jul 2018) is “still brand new,” with the ship boasting a host of environmental innovations including solar power, water recycling, no plastics and a unique off-the-beaten track itinerary.
Wu said business was strong in the company’s key UK market, where the launch of European destinations had been Wendy Wu Tours’ “most successful ever”.
In addition South America, introduced in 2019, is selling well, with the “Chile Top To Toe” itinerary proving very popular.
She also said she was highly encouraged by the company’s Australian team, paying tribute to their “exceptional capability and proactivity” during the pandemic.
And while most WWT destinations are gradually opening up, Wu is not expecting any recovery in outbound travel to China this year, with the country’s zero-COVID policy putting paid to any easing of restrictions.
“My prediction is China will be back in 2023,” she added.
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Source: traveldaily