PHOTO: Iconic destinations, such as Venice Italy, are still a sellout for tour operators.

Time marches on, and as we march through 2014 toward the middle of the second decade of the 21st century, the packaged travel industry continues to evolve. Travelers continue to expand their horizons. They want to go farther, do and see more things they’ve never seen, dig deeper into local culture and get to know local people. “Authenticity” is a buzzword in marketing packaged travel these days.

Packages themselves are more varied than ever. Under the U.S. Tour Operators Association definition, a package is any combination of two or more travel components and a variety of alternative travel packages are being offered, from budget travel to the ultimate high end of luxury, from pampered to roughing it. Travelers also have their choice of destinations in practically every part of the world — they can also choose the level of regimentation, from guided to independent, from structured to free.

Here are some of the trends in the marketplace combined with selling tips from some of the top packaged travel experts.

Milestone Events

An increasing number of travel bookings are for families or groups of friends celebrating a major event, such as a birthday, an anniversary or a wedding. Dan Austin, president of Austin Adventures, says that one of the biggest trends is “milestone celebrations attached to iconic bucket-list destinations. In other words celebrating a 60th Birthday watching Old Faithful erupt or a 25th anniversary celebration at Machu Picchu.”

Pamela Lassers, director of media relations for Abercrombie & Kent USA, says more than 42 million Americans, 20 percent of adults, say they have taken at least one trip in the past year for a wedding, honeymoon or anniversary. A significant percentage of Abercrombie & Kent’s reservations are tagged with a “reservation celebration” note. Lassers says people celebrating a milestone event are twice as likely to book as other prospects.

“Sophisticated travelers are looking for a different kind of celebration,” says Lassers, “one that satisfies their desire for space and privacy with a distinctive sense of place; gracious, personalized service; authentic interactions with local people; more challenging physical activities; and healthful and satisfying cuisine. They need ‘experience agents,’ not just travel agents, who understand their passions and can seamlessly orchestrate a holiday designed with them in mind.”

Multigenerational Family Travel

Family travel has been on a sustained growth curve since the beginning of the 21st century with no sign of abating. “Multigenerational family vacations are really taking off,” says Austin. “Grandparents round up the kids and grandkids for a week together in one of our amazing National Parks or go to Costa Rica. We’re working closely with trip developers to see that there is truly something for everyone.”

Influence of Social Media

Word of mouth may still be the strongest influence on purchasing decisions, but social media has given word of mouth a megaphone. Albert Snedeker, public relations manager for MLT Vacations, suggests that travel agents use this resource to good advantage. “A great way for agents to increase their sales is to network with their clients through social media. Anytime agents acquire a new client they should ask that client to follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or any other social media channels that they may use. This way a client’s friends and family will be able to see the expertise and value an agent brings to the table in action before, during and after a client’s vacation.”

Iconic Places

According to Jen Halboth, director of channel marketing for Globus, “Iconic spots are in. Think Britain or Italy, and think about booking now. Space is going fast as these tried-and-true destinations are top of mind with travelers for 2014. And speaking of iconic spots, Italy is back in the spotlight. Italy is always popular because it makes sense for first-timers, repeaters and families alike.”

Organized Independence

Travelers today don’t want to be herded around in large groups like sheep. On the other hand many have experienced complete independence and have learned that a little support and guidance in a destination can bring out some of the 80 percent or so of the destination you would never know was there without an experienced guide to point it out to you. According to John Stachnik, president of Mayflower Tours, “Organized independence is a concept operators are building into tours whereby travelers choose the activity that best suits them. We are building room in our tours for this. There are some similarities to optional excursions on cruises, but it is not the same.”

Exotic Destinations

You can’t keep travelers down. They continue to push into new and unfamiliar territory, and tour operators have to pay close attention to keep up on the demand for new, exotic destinations. G Adventures reports that it is seeing increased interest in trips to Northern Europe, Indonesia, China, Africa and Ecuador. The company is responding to the trend with new programs for travel to Estonia, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Mozambique and Rwanda in 2014.

Food, Food, Food

The foodie trend shows no sign of abating. According to Melissa McKee, a marketing specialist for G Adventures, “We have seen a definite rise in travelers interested in the cuisine of a destination. In fact, we think you can learn more about a place by dining with someone who lives there than you ever could from a museum. Our clients want to shop local markets and assist in preparing local cuisine, which is why in 2014 we have expanded our Local Living trips to include more regions of Italy and even a Burgundy Canal tour through France – destinations known for their culinary experiences. This increased demand for center-based experiences — tours that stay in one place, allowing travelers to truly immerse themselves in a region’s culture and environment — provide a more raw, honest approach to the destination.”

Gardening

Closely related to the growing interest in food is an interest in gardening. Collette reports that sales for its gardening tours, created in partnership with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), have doubled in sales for 2014. The series includes a range of horticultural-themed travel packages to various destinations, including visits to exclusive gardens as well as private, expert-guided tours of major public and botanical gardens. The tours take travelers to some of the world’s best-known and most spectacular gardens. Using gardens as a theme, the tours follow a sightseeing track to expose a multitude of facets of the destinations.

Flexibility

People still need help in booking travel and in navigating the destination, but they also need guidance with flexibility. They don’t want to be tied down to too much rigid structure. Itineraries must have some freedom of movement.

According to Harry Dalgaard of Avanti Destinations, “The trend in travel today focuses on providing maximum flexibility. Therefore, as appropriate for select destinations and as a specialist in FIT, we offer a cluster of suggested components — but also offer the opportunity for the traveler to ‘unpackage’ those components. We don’t lock them in. In this way, the vacation will reflect the traveler’s individual interests with compelling travel options.”

Value

In the age of the Internet and transparent pricing, everyone wants to get the best price. However, Jim Tedesco, director of marketing for GOGO Vacations, says, “Don’t just sell the value of the vacation itself but also your value for arranging it. Take all the components of the vacation you would love to see included, such as air, land, sightseeing and insurance, and think of all the reasons why these should be included, especially the reasons that they may not be aware of.”

For example, says Tedesco, in Mexico, GOGO can sell Olympus FunBucks, which are essentially vouchers in $25 increments that can be used for sightseeing but redeemed on site with the Olympus rep. “This gives you an opportunity to make added commission and the client the opportunity to pay their sightseeing over time without having to decide what they want to do and when,” he says.

Oh yes, and one to grow on. Don’t forget the importance of Wi-Fi access. “Globus was the first to introduce free Wi-Fi access on motorcoaches in Europe and North America,” says Halboth. “Now, travelers are figuring out that free Wi-Fi is not only cool but it also avoids expensive Internet charges. Plus, smart travel agents have figured out that getting your clients to post to social media while on tour is one of the best ways to secure new clients.”