Travelers Can Avoid a ‘Walley World’ Vacation Experience

Part of a traveler’s vacation memories are complete with stories of things “they did” while traveling, not just focused on the destination or the resort. A traveler’s tale might express how they went swimming with dolphins, or participated in an adventurous zip line tour, retraced Carrie and gang’s steps in a Sex and the City tour, or even how they became James Bond for a day. Vacation activities can be cost-effective or can be uber luxury in terms of custom experiences, depending on a tour operator used.

Regardless of the type of activity selected, nothing would be worse than showing up to Walley World and finding it’s closed as experienced in Chevy Chase’s National Lampoon Vacation movie. Some simple research and pre-planning can ensure a vacation moment is not missed and can even result in saved money.

Online activities, events and tour specialist Viator.com advises travelers to plan ahead to save money and time, and avoid costly last-minute vacation mishaps. Rod Cuthbert, founder and CEO of Viator.com, says “Unless you’re a gambler, we’re advising travelers take the time to secure activities before they leave home. A little time upfront can help save time on vacation for excitement and exploration versus waiting in long lines or being disappointed by sell-outs.”

A recent Viator.com survey features the following findings:

• One-third of vacation travelers say they are now more likely to purchase activities in advance than they were three years ago with 76 percent reporting they already do so
• Nearly 40 percent of vacation travelers (39 percent) have been forced to change plans because their activity was sold out
• Nearly 3 out of 4 tour operators around the globe report increase in advance bookings has limited availability for walk-up sales

“The good news is people are learning from these hard lessons,” according to Viator.com. “Of those travelers who previously missed out, 42 percent are now more likely to book their trip activities in advance of travel than they were three years ago, more so than those who haven’t experienced the same disappointment (25 percent).”

Reasons travelers spend time researching available excursions and pre-book their activities include time-savings and cost-savings, according to the Viator.com survey. Other reasons, as revealed by the survey, include:

• “so I can budget accordingly” (52 percent)
• “so I don’t miss out on interesting activities that I otherwise may not find out about at the destination” (48 percent)
• “so I know my itinerary before I go” (46 percent)
• “to avoid waiting in long lines for tickets or admission at the destination” (45 percent)

“Perhaps even more important in light of rising travel and fuel costs, planning ahead online can save travelers money by allowing them to quickly compare options,” Cuthbert adds.

Photos Supplied by Viator.com