After two long years of closed-down borders, quarantines, and restrictions, travel is coming back with a vengeance for the summer of 2022—that is, if you can find a place to go that isn’t fully booked. The term is called “revenge travel” with travellers totally determined that they are going to go somewhere regardless of health fears, budget concerns or timelines. Not surprising, travelers trying to make plans to visit some of the most sought-after destinations, such as Italy, are finding limited flight options and no-vacancy hotels. So much for getting away.
Start-up travel planning company Origin see this flurry of travel demand as a perfect opportunity to expand their app-base travel company and come to the rescue of frustrated travellers coming up short on their preferred destination. To use Origin, a potential traveller creates a user profile then submits a trip request with a desired destination, itinerary, and preferred budget. An expert Origin travel curator will then be in touch via the app’s chat to start planning your trip. Origin is a membership travel company that creates completely individual, personalized trips. Origin sees an opportunity to slide in between the self-service book your trip crowd and the full service travel agent do-everything crowd with a mission to deepen the traveler’s experience through boundless personalization and unique connections. Origin uses the knowledge of human travel experts and then superpowers their trip curation with machine learning – all in one app.
So, if you were dreaming of making a last-minute trip through the Italian countryside or to some other in-demand destination but are coming up short on finding that perfect hotel, don’t fret. Origin travel curators have compiled a list of the five countries they recommend for a phenomenal holiday that as of today isn’t totally overbooked.
Instead of Tuscany, try the Douro Valley, Portugal
If sipping on wine surrounded by rolling hills of vineyards sounds like your kind of vacation, look no further than the Douro Valley of northern Portugal. The namesake river weaves through the mountains, making this not only one of Europe’s best wine regions but also one of its most picturesque.
Instead of the Dolomites, explore the Vestland, Norway
Summertime in the mountains means cooler temperatures, hiking to panoramic viewpoints, and flowing rivers for taking a dip, and you’d be hard-pressed to find somewhere more breathtaking than Western Norway.
Instead of Rome, go for Rio
Get big city vibes but without high season crowds and scorching temperatures in Rio de Janeiro. The months of June, July, and August are the middle of winter in the Southern Hemisphere, but it never truly gets cold thanks to Brazil’s tropical climate and winter is also the dry season, so even laying out on the beach can be a part of your plan.
Instead of the Amalfi Coast, visit Costa del Sol, Spain
The Costa del Sol of southern Spain sets a high expectation with a name that translates to “Sunshine Coast,” although with about 320 days of sunny weather a year, it fits.
Instead of Sicily, travel to Crete
The stories of Greek mythology are tangible on Crete, where you can walk through the cave where Zeus was born or visit the ruins that housed the legendary Minotaur. Every beach is somehow more breathtaking than the last on over 600 miles of Mediterranean coastline but move inland and it becomes dramatic mountains and gorges.
Worried about the long lines at the airport?
Origin recommends traveling (super) light, keeping to carry-on only and if needed, Origin can help ship travel equipment or clothing to a next destination so you don’t have to worry about checking in or baggage drop. Booking with Origin this summer also means automatic VIP greeting on landing – meaning you’ll be greeted at the airplane door and assisted with customs by airport personnel via priority lanes, skipping the long lines altogether (this service has not been established on the destination).
Happy travels!
(all images courtesy of each destination’s official Instagram page, except Norway, photo courtesy Melody Thomson)