Backroads Names Top Trending Destinations for 2017 - Alaska, Iceland, New Zealand, Italy's Dolomites and Puglia; Active River Cruises and Family Trips also Booming

Holiday Gift Cards for a Travel Experience Increasingly Popular This Season

With a new year approaching, many people are looking for new adventures and Backroads, the world’s leading active travel company, is ready to help as today it announced its top trending trips for 2017 active travel.  The coming year is poised to be the 8^th consecutive record-breaking year – post Great Recession – for Backroads and the top trending destinations already booked include the Dalmatian Coast, Iceland, Ireland, New Zealand, and the US National Parks.  Additionally, the Active River Cruise category continues to expand and grow in popularity.

Backroads Family Adventures – one of the company’s fastest-growing segments – is seeing tremendous interest with families booking travel to top selling destinations such as Alaska; Bryce, Zion and the Grand Canyon; and Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. Iceland and the Dalmatian Coast continue to trend strongly as perennial family favorite tour destinations.

Backroads Top-Selling 2017 Trips

• Iceland Multisport Adventure Tour

Exploration at the Edge of the Arctic Circle 

• Danube Cycling Sensation River Cruise Bike Tour

Prague to Budapest – Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Slovakia & Hungary

• New Zealand Bike Tour and New Zealand Walking & Hiking Tour

  South Island Splendor

• Costa Rica Multisport Adventure Tour

From Highlands & Rain Forests to the Nicoya Peninsula Beaches 

• Vietnam & Cambodia Bike Tour

Old Indochina from Hanoi to Angkor Wat

“Now is the time to make a New Year’s resolution to get out and explore the world actively,” said Backroads Founder and President, Tom Hale. “2017 is shaping up to be another record-breaking year for Backroads.  We’re seeing strong growth in our family business—on both Family Adventures for families with teens and kids of all ages, and on Family Breakaway Trips for families with older teens and 20-somethings.  Greater Europe is also still strong and our Private and North America trips are selling better than ever.”

The Perfect Holiday Gift of Travel

As gift cards have become increasingly popular in retail and restaurants, Backroads has seen an uptick in the number of people choosing to give experiential gifts of travel to their family or friends. Gift certificates are available in any amount and can be applied by the recipient toward any Backroads vacation, pending availability. To purchase gift certificates for active travelers, contact 800-GO-ACTIVE (800-462-2848).

Private Trip Bookings on the Rise 

Guests wanting to travel on an exclusive Backroads tour with just their friends or family can book a private trip anywhere Backroads travels worldwide. When 10 or more guests book a private trip, they lock in the lowest price and save an average of $300 each compared to signing up individually on a scheduled departure.  In addition, the more guests who sign up, the bigger the savings for the entire group. In 2017, Backroads Taste of Camino de Santiago Walking & Hiking Tour in Spain and Portugal is trending at the top for private trip guests.

No Place like Home 

Traveling close to home has always been popular but in 2017, guest bookings for the United States and Canada are already proving to be top vacation choices.  New Backroads trips in 2017 include a heli-hiking adventure in the Canadian Rockies, biking in New York’s Hudson Valley, Adirondacks Multisport, Arizona Walking & Hiking or a Biking tour, and a leisurely Napa Valley Bike tour. Canada will prove to be an exciting destination in 2017 as the country celebrates 150 years of Confederation with festivities planned throughout the year.

ABOUT BACKROADS

Backroads (www.backroads.com) was founded in 1979 by Tom Hale and has been in business for more than 37 years. The company hosts thousands of guests, 80% of whom are repeat guests or referrals from past guests, in hundreds of locations across the globe. Backroads was named one of the Top 100 Places to Work by Outside Magazine, and is a founding member of the Adventure Collection. For more information, please visit www.backroads.com or call 800-462-2848 daily, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Pacific time.