“Things are looking really positive. From our enquiries we can see that people absolutely want to go on holiday in 2022,” says Brendan Breen, managing director of Oroko Travel.
The luxury holiday business, which is based in Ireland, offers exclusive travel experiences to worldwide destinations. Its success comes from custom-designing itineraries for each client, be they solos, couples, families or friends.
Tailored to you
An Oroko holiday doesn’t even exist until it is created for a customer, put together by travel specialists with first-hand experience of each destination they recommend.
Once you’ve selected your dream holiday every detail is looked after, so all you have to do is go and enjoy yourself.
This year more of us than ever will want to do just that believes Breen, who says interest in luxury travel has grown steadily since last summer.
Book, sit back, and relax
The rise in demand has been helped by innovations in the travel insurance market which mean that, for a nominal amount, travellers are covered for Covid-related changes to their plans. “That has been a huge hit and has worked out very well,” he says.
On top of that is Oroko’s flexible approach to booking, which includes fee-free postponements and destination changes along with a simple, full refund policy for trips cancelled up to 30 days before departure. It means clients can feel fully relaxed about planning their holiday.
And, because the firm has partnerships with some of the finest hotels and resorts in the world, clients can rest assured that excellent safety protocols are being adhered to too.
Your dream holiday
The whole point of Oroko Travel is to make sure you are looked after every step of the way.
“At the enquiry stage we establish exactly what kind of experience a client is looking for. We take very detailed information in relation to their requirements because often they may have an impression of a country, or a destination, that is not quite correct - perception and reality can be very different,” explains Breen.
Oroko’s travel specialists identify the best possible options and itineraries and, once a decision is made, the company looks after every detail, from passenger location forms to PCR documentation, if required.
“We have developed a really slick customer service app detailing their itinerary, uploading departure documentation and boarding passes. It includes everything from live flight information to restaurant recommendations,” he adds. “Clients love it because it works a treat and makes everything as simple as possible for them.”
That matters. Three quarters of his clients are families and “in 99 per cent of families there are two parents working, so life is busy,” he explains.
Seek out the sun
Demand for summer sun is more pronounced among Oroko clients this year, with Europe the preferred destination. “Greece is going to be very popular, as are Italy and Croatia. Some people are opting for a slightly longer holiday too. We’re seeing people who have booked for two weeks coming back and adding on another few days, or even a week, to make the most of it,” he says.
Prior to the pandemic, 60 per cent of his bookings were for long-haul destinations. This year he believes 85 per cent of bookings will be for Europe.
That’s good because “some of the top resorts in the world are in Europe,” he says. These include top-notch resorts such as Sani in Greece, Forte Village in Sardinia and Sun Gardens in Dubrovnik.
“Families seem happy to go the extra mile for places like these where their kids can be busy enjoying sports or in the water, which have extra facilities and offer a well-managed, good and safe experience,” says Breen.
Grandparents go too
A trend also evident this year is for multigenerational family holidays. “People have missed out on doing something meaningful with their grandparents,” he says.
Where clients opt for longer haul travel, they are being super selective about the destinations they choose, with particular demand for places that offer guaranteed sun, such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Oman.
“People see Dubai as a very safe option where the weather is nailed on, so you are not going to miss out,” he explains.
Island life
Enquiries for the Maldives are also up. “Each island is like its own resort and all acted very early in the pandemic to make sure staff were vaccinated. The level of service, the luxury and the overall experience there is very high and we organise great diving, snorkelling and surfing experiences for people to enjoy while they are there. It’s also a great add-on to Dubai, being just a four-hour flight from it,” he explains.
Demand for sailing holidays looks set to increase too. “These work really well, particularly as part of a combined stay where you spend one week on a resort and one week on the water,” says Breen.
Oroko arranges the yacht hire, skipper and host, with Greece being a particularly popular choice.
“In July and August the waters near Athens are flat and the weather is fantastic,” says Breen. “We look after the provisioning of the boat so you don’t have to worry about anything, you just pull in somewhere new every evening. It’s a really lovely holiday.”
Five luxury holiday options for 2022
Resorts
The five-star Eagles Palace in Halkidiki, Northern Greece, is a stylish yet unpretentious resort with great kids' club activities.
Yachts
From the Athens Riviera to the white and blue gems of the Cycladic islands, it’s plain sailing all the way.
Road trips
Enjoy the freedom of Tuscany, stopping for immersive experiences such as mountain walks, wine tastings or a privately guided tour of the Uffizi.
Private villas
From the peace of Lake Como to the turquoise waters of the Dalmatian Coast, a private villa is the perfect way for multigenerational families to holiday together in a luxury home from home.
Winter sun
If you just can’t wait till summer, Oroko Travel has access to exclusive family resorts such as Niyama Private Islands Resort and Anantara Dhigu which, for luxury, can’t be beaten atoll atoll.
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