New Travel Experiences
The last few years have been very challenging for the travel industry. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 and throughout much of 2021, revenue for the travel industry declined by 70-90%. Many travel agencies cut back their operations drastically or went out of business altogether. As the largest leisure travel agency, AAA went through significant reductions as well. However, even during the most challenging times, we maintained our core team to ensure we were available to assist our loyal travel customers with cancellations and rebookings, persisting through extreme delays from various airlines and tour operators.
Our persistence has paid off, as we are returning to a sense of normalcy. We have seen a flood of customers coming toAAA that are ready to travel; many are first-time AAA customers. However, our plan is not only to continue with our reliable and trusted travel services—we are also expanding our travel portfolio to provide new and exciting experiences to AAAMinneapolis travel customers. I am happy to announce two new programs that launched this fall:
1. SOLO TRAVELER’S CLUB
AAA’s Solo Traveler tours will feel like traveling with a group of friends. Share a room with a friend, or take advantage of reduced single supplement rates while you experience outstanding service and unbeatable fun. Enjoy the freedom and security of traveling in an organized hosted group, while experiencing the perfect balance of exploration and relaxation. If you are new to traveling solo and not sure where to begin, our newly formed Solo TravelerClub informational meetings are a great way to learn more. Join us and see the world with other like-minded solo travelers.
2. UNIQUE & CUSTOMIZED GROUP TRAVEL
Our newly curated group travel tours will explore trending destinations and bucket-list favorites in small group journeys. Creating a blend of unique and memorable experiences, paired with delicious meals and superior accommodations at global destinations from Iceland and Greece, to domestic favorites like Door County and Branson. In these tours, you can be assured of the combination of all of the above, alongside our personal touches, which will ensure your enjoyment of the entire experience.
We are entering the new age of travel, where the travel customers want to look beyond “travel packages” to travel experiences that are unique and personalized for them. AAA will continue to listen and work hard with our travel experts and partners to bring these experiences to life at the best value for our members. We invite you to begin your next travel adventure with one of our travel experts or attend one of our upcoming informative travel events.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
Tae K. Kim
President & CEO, AAA Minneapolis