Amanda Docherty, national sales manager at Riviera Travel, commented: “Travel shows such as Race Across the World provide great inspiration and act as a great talking point for our team to introduce our fantastic tours to agents and customers.
“Our recent social media posts featuring China, India and Nepal have been really well received by agents who have proactively referenced the RATW programme highlights when they share offers via their own marketing.
“Many have advised they have seen an uplift in enquiries from customers who have been watching the show and inspired to find out more about opportunities to travel to these amazing destinations.”
Jennifer Lynch, general manager of ArrangeMY Escape in Worcester, commented in last week’s Travel Weekly that Race Across the World has prompted “a surge in enquiries” for India and China.
“It’s the perfect time to tap into this momentum – share related content on social media, post travel offers inspired by the show and tell the story behind the journeys featured,” she advised.
“Many tour operators are already leveraging the buzz around the series, so be a part of it.”
David Riley, chief executive of Great Rail Journeys, said the start of the show in April sparked a rise of almost 600% in China searches on its website, adding: “Bookings on our China tours are two-and-a-half times stronger than this time last year.
“China has one of the largest, fastest, and most modern rail networks in the world, making it the perfect way to experience the beauty of the country.”
Lynch and King both highlighted how other TV travel shows have had a similar effect.
“The surge mirrors similar results seen during past seasons of Race Across the World, where demand spiked to Japan and Southeast Asia, and aligns with a wider trend of TV-led travel inspiration,” said King, pointing to celebrity travelogues from Michael Portillo, Joanna Lumley and Alexander Armstrong.
Cathay Pacific said searches for “flights to China” have soared 1,124% versus last year while “things to do in China” has jumped 813% since the show’s return.
