Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

As we approach the busy summer travel season, one trend is holding strong, at least according to top luxury hotel brands: People are traveling more, often for longer periods of time, with extended families, friends, and children.  They want their hard-earned time away to be worth it, with money going towards both value-added and exclusive experiences.

“As the economy continues to rebound, we’re seeing strong growth in the Consumer Confidence and Traveler Sentiment indexes, which translates into guests taking longer and more frequent vacations across all channels,” says Jennifer Fox, President of Fairmont Hotels Resorts.

Other top luxury brands like Ritz-Carlton, Mandarin Oriental, Orient-Express, and the Regent Seven Seas cruise line are seeing similar growth, while top travel agents have a hand in planning these requests for an exceptional experience.  Stacy Small, president of L.A.-based Elite Travel International, designs high-end itineraries for clients around the world and is seeing requests roll in for exotic getaways, but also from those wanting to recharge domestically.

Most of these trends aren’t groundbreaking, but are still at the forefront for luxury travel demand in Summer 2012.

Multi-Generational Family Travel: Cruising is possibly the best way to avoid family arguments, because each person can design their own day while still connecting with their family on board.  But luxury travelers don’t want to be nickel-and-dimed, and want the ease of travel while cruising.  Regent Seven Seas proves that all-inclusive doesn’t mean cheap, and provides gourmet dining, fine wines spirits, a selection of shore excursions in all ports, onboard tips, and a complimentary overnight stay in a luxury hotel prior to the cruise.  Mark Conroy, President of Regent Seven Seas Cruises, says, “Families as small as six as and as many as 35 are taking advantage of the all-inclusive, elegant, destination-focused, hassle-free cruises.”   Conroy’s favorite itineraries include a 7-night itinerary from Athens to Venice if you’re pressed for time or a cruise through the Best of the Dalmatian Coast, Italy, and the French Riviera.

Regent Seven Seas Cruise

Hotels are seeing the same trend of larger family groups traveling together.  Emily Snyder, Vice President of Sales Marketing for the Americas with Mandarin Oriental, says they are “seeing increased lengths of stay and multiple room bookings to accommodate multi-generational travel.”

High-end villa rentals are also a popular choice for families celebrating big anniversaries or birthdays, with Stacy Small saying she’s booking villas “everywhere from Hawaii to Mexico to St. Barts to the South of France for the upcoming summer season.” Extra-large villas can accommodate multiple families and provide a great base for celebrations.

Active Vacations: Luxury travelers are seeking out ways to stay active and healthy on the road, carving out time for bike rides, hiking, and water sports.  Small says that clients “want to go to places where they have plenty of options to take day trips and enjoy active excursions from trekking and diving in Vietnam to fly fishing and white water rafting in Park City, Utah and Colorado.”

Bespoke Itineraries With a Sense of Place: Travel should be personalized.  That’s nothing newsworthy.  But hotels are learning to blend experiences that are tailored to personal desires along with truly special options that reflect the destination.  Orient-Express has a knack for taking historic, priceless properties and turning them into some of the finest hotels in the world.  Flip Boyen, Chief Operating Officer for Orient-Express Hotels Resorts, says that “All of our properties are gearing up for summer travel with a selection of customized offerings, which blend authentic destination experience with the luxurious Orient-Express style.”  Their Maroma Resort Spa in Riviera Spa features a roster of health and wellness treatments that weaves together ancient Mayan traditions.

Seeking Out What’s Next New: Stacy Small says, “Clients are asking us to book them to places they haven’t been before.  We’ve booked one family to Peru inclusive of a few days aboard the ultra-luxe Aqua Expeditions through the Peruvian Amazon, and another family is taking the kids to Turkey for a few days prior to their Greek island cruise.” While certain destinations like London, Paris, and Rome never go out of style, Fairmont Hotels Resorts says their properties in Shanghai, Singapore, Dubai and Kenya are experiencing “ever increasing popularity” which bodes well for their new hotel openings in Kiev, Baku, and Jaipur this year.

Increase In Brazil China Travelers to United States: Emily Snyder with Mandarin Oriental mentions the U.S. Travel Tourism’s new Brand USA Campaign as a key factor in helping to drive international tourism, particularly from Brazil and China.  And Snyder says they’re taking extra care of these guests and says that “mainland Chinese guests, for example, receive tailored amenities to enhance their comfort, such as tea kettles in room, and special Chinese menu items.”

Travel + Leisure’s wine editor travels to China to find the maker of one of China’s legendary teas inspired by a cup of tea he drank in one of America’s premier teahouses.

Tucson, AZ (PRWEB) April 25, 2012

Travel + Leisure’s tea fanatic and wine editor, Bruce Schoenfeld, first tasted da hong pao, a rare Chinese oolong tea, at Seven Cups Teahouse in Tucson, where Austin Hodge serves teas he sources in remote regions of China.

That was the start of Schoenfeld’s long journey to meet the man who grows this tea at a single source – the stony slopes of Wu Yi Mountains in Fujian, China.

He writes of this journey in the May 2012 edition of Travel + Leisure where he names Seven Cups among six Best Places to Drink Tea in America. He recommends Liu Guo Ying’s da hong pao and notes “Hodge, the only American with a license to export tea from China, sources the best of the best from Wuyishan, Yunnan, Qimen, Anxi and beyond.”

When Schoenfeld tasted this tea at Seven Cups Teahouse it “altered my tea-drinking life,” he wrote. This tea is “rare, expensive, and frequently counterfeited, but this one was authentic. And it kept getting better – richer and rounder with every cup.”

Schoenfeld admits he is tea obsessive. After he tasted da hong pao in Tucson he flew around the world, guided by Austin Hodge who introduced him to Master Liu who consented to lead them to his mountain-top tea garden that few outsiders have ever seen. “Liu is a rock star in the Chinese tea world, the only grower to be awarded a citation by the government for innovation in a traditional art,” Schoenfeld wrote.

“I was there in search of the terroir of my favorite teas – just as I’ve flown around the world to see the vineyards and meet the winemakers so I can better understand my favorite wines.”

The character of tea is largely determined by where and how it is grown. However, the taste of tea also has as much to do with the skill of who’s brewing it, Schoenfeld noted.

At Seven Cups Teahouse the exotic da hong pao could well be prepared by Zhuping Hodge, a certified Chinese Tea Master and native of China. She’s Austin’s wife and currently is leading a tour in China. She often demonstrates a traditional tea ceremony and on most Friday afternoons offers complimentary tea tastings at a rare and intricate wooden tea table carved from a single root. The Tucson teahouse is located at 2516 E. 6th St. in the historic Village of Sam Hughes.

Many of the teas available through Seven Cups have only been available to the Western world in the last 10 years. During that time, Hodge, founder and president of Seven Cups, traveled throughout China and cultivated relationships with tea farmers who use traditional methods passed down through the centuries. Seven Cups currently source teas from 30 producers in 10 different regions of China, homeland of the world’s first and finest teas, Hodge said.

Seven Cups has solid relationships in China with tea producers, tea masters and government officials. This is the only American tea company to obtain a license to export tea directly from China with no middleman.

“From our beginnings, Seven Cups has been dedicated to open sourcing and establishing a direct connection between the artists who make the tea and the people who drink it. I hope that Bruce’s article will spur the tea industry to be more open about who makes their tea,” Hodge said.

Tea aficionados don’t have to travel to Tucson to discover da hong pao. Seven Cups sells Chinese tea online to connoisseurs in more than 90 countries. The company also supplies tea to other exclusive tea business in Denmark, Brazil, Canada and the United States. They also host two tea tours every year for tea professionals and enthusiasts.

Seven Cups was founded in 2002 to sell Chinese teas to aficionados worldwide and opened its first teahouse in Tucson in 2004. Last year the company launched an international brokerage service offering small tea companies access to its extensive network of connoisseur-quality teas direct from farmers in China at an affordable price and in manageable quantities.

Hodge writes a widely read blog and has been extensively published within China. In 2011 Hodge became the only foreigner given “The Top Ten Outstanding Persons of China” award. presented by the Chinese tea community for his contributions in promoting Fine Chinese Teas. For more information, visit http://www.sevencups.com.

To read Schoenfeld’s full tea report, visit http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/a-global-guide-to-the-best-tea.html.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2012/4/prweb9433860.htm