Holiday exotica

Forget Japan, London and New York.

From Antarctica to Zimbabwe, more people are looking to the road less travelled for holiday destinations.

Mr Khoo Boo Liat, managing director of Universal Travel which specialises in exotic destinations, tells The New Paper that he saw a 20 per cent increase from 2011 to last year.

While he couldn't give exact figures, he estimates about 3,000 customers last year. The agency offers itineraries to Iran, Bhutan and even North Korea.

Not many can claim that they have been to the reclusive state but civil servant Solomon Seah, 52, is one of them.

After a challenge with his friends, Mr Seah set a target of visiting 100 countries by the time he is 60.

Having visited 70 countries so far, including popular destinations such as the US and UK, he is looking for something new and exciting. And Mr Seah is not the only one.

Ms Eileen Oh, the head of marketing and communications at ASA Holidays, says that there has been a higher demand for new and exotic destinations because many people have already visited the typical go-to destinations like Korea and Japan numerous times.

ASA Holidays mainly provides tour packages to mainstream vacation spots, but has come up with various itineraries for exotic destinations like a 17-day Alaska package.

The agency has also seen a year-on-year increase of at least 20 per cent in the number of bookings for longer-haul and more exotic destinations.

She says: "Almost half of our customers take more than one vacation each year. Thus, the demand for new destinations and itineraries has been growing rapidly. Most of the time, these destinations offer unspoiled, breathtaking scenery, exotic cultures and various experiences."

That's what Mr Seah, who is single, is looking for when he travels alone to these destinations.

Just this year, he took on a South America package, where he went to Brazil, Argentina and Peru.

"South America is quaint and charming. Not to forget extremely beautiful," he says. "The Iguazu Falls that straddle Brazil and Argentina made me feel like I was in heaven."

Mr Seah spent almost $10,000 for the 13-day tour. He says: "Lucky I'm single. If not, I wouldn't be able to afford to travel so much."

Families may not be able to afford such destinations unless they are of a higher income bracket, say agencies.

Agencies like Lightfoot Travel say that most of their clientele are high net-worth individuals working in recruitment, finance or law.

A Tanzania itinerary can cost $13,166, excluding flights, for two people. It is a 14-night safari and beach holiday that includes the Serengeti Safari Camp.

Miss Oh says: "Those who opt for such trips would probably have a higher disposable income than an average salaried employee, since the average cost of such a trip for a family of four is easily around $15,000."

Mr Sanjay Chowdhry, a 48-year-old banker, recently took his wife and two children, aged 21 and 16, on a safari holiday organised by tour group Asia To Africa Safaris.

They headed to Kenya and Tanzania for a nine-day holiday that cost about $46,000 in total.

Says Mr Chowdhry: "We went there because we didn't want to visit the same old big cities like New York or London. We were looking for something different that we could all appreciate."

His family was excited to experience wildlife up close, and witnessed the migration of wildebeests from Kenya to Tanzania.

"You would think everyone has been to the zoo and it's no big deal to see animals. But when you're on a jeep and lions are roaming just metres away from you, it's a totally different experience," he says.

So if the demand for exotic destinations has gone up, does that mean the demand for regular tours has fallen? No, say agencies.

Says Miss Oh: "With a growing population and rising income levels, more people are travelling. Those who may have previously been able to afford to travel to only regional destinations are now travelling further, to places such as Japan, Korea, and Australia.

"These places have also become more affordable with the growing number of low-cost carriers plying these routes."

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