Travel expert Cameron Holland, CEO of Luxury Escapes, discusses his top five booking hacks to take the stress out of planning your next holiday.
Book an all-inclusive package
● Booking a package, or even a tour, can seriously relieve the stress of switching between websites and vendors to book all aspects of your holiday. Luxury Escapes have just conducted research which reveals that over a quarter (28%) of Aussies admit they need a holiday just to calm down from the stress of booking one!
● Instead, I recommend looking into packages with flights, accommodation, experiences and even travel insurance all included. This saves a lot of time and a lot of stress, especially if you have a number of friends to plan for.
Explore your own backyard!
● International holidays is not on the cards at present except for New Zealand which is now opening up.
● While I completely endorse exploring all the world has to offer, sometimes the best option can be to explore the hidden gems of Australia like Cable Beach Broome, QT Canberra or Noosa.
Use filters to get exactly what you want from a holiday
● To cut down on time spent looking for a holiday, use filters when searching for different travel vendors. Whether you’re looking for ‘adults only’, ‘romantic’, ‘relaxed’, or ‘group’ holidays, the Luxury Escapes website has a range of filters which saves your time searching for them and brings all the options to you.
● The same also applies when you are planning for a group of friends or family. I recommend polling what everyone wants to get out of the holiday before you start deep diving into researching destinations and activities.
Be flexible with your travel dates (if possible)
● I know this one doesn’t quite work for everyone, but being flexible with your travel dates can let you make the most of those last-minute deals. Switching between hundreds of tabs to track down the best deals can be stressful, but if you’re flexible with dates, make sure you’re subscribed to deal notifications so you’re on top of the best times to travel. Sometimes spontaneous trips are the best ones, and it can save you thousands.
Don’t be scared to look for luxury deals
● People can be scared of the word ‘luxury’, but a luxury holiday is much more achievable than most people would think.
● If your budget can’t accommodate for a luxury holiday, look for packages which have luxury inclusions, like fine dining experiences, cocktails and massages, to make your holiday that little bit more special and add a relaxing touch while you’re away.
