From Groupon to Living Social — online retailers are working to make discounted travel deals that really “take off” with customers.
"I literally when I wake up in the morning, turn off my alarm, the first thing I do is scout Living Social, Groupon, Amazon local and it really is just to have experiences with my family and friends," said online travel deals customer Debra Aker.
Aker is the type of digital traveler online marketplaces were built for. What's more, in the past year, her go-to sales website, Living Social is focusing on deals with a longer shelf life, that offers customers a memory that doesn't expire the same way the coupons do.
"There was a mixology class, making guacamole, making tortilla soup," Aker said. "It was such a good deal I just bought it on the spot."
Debra's recent all-inclusive Mexican hacienda vacation is a good example of how online travel deals are evolving. Groupon's offers are getting more and more enticing as well.
Available for booking through November 10th, an off-season 8-day tour of Israel with airfare, for as low as $999, marks the first time an entire country is marketing trips through the popular sales portal.
"It’s the first time a government entity has dealt with Groupon," said Israel Tourism Commissioner Uri Steinberg. "We've done it believing that it is an important step for us in order to really revive what Israel is all about and get to younger audiences that will really not necessarily go to travel agents and maybe would go to such an important travel brand."
So on the heels of 2015, which is forecast to be the best year Israel has ever seen in terms of U.S. visitors,there will be hundreds of American Groupon travelers in the mix of tourists.