One last greeting from Madeira!
It seems these days that chaos is now the rule and normalcy the exception, which makes it newsworthy then that something 'normal' has happened - travel with Wheel & Anchor is back!
We're just wrapping up what has been a spectacular month in Madeira, and I couldn't have asked for a much better first LiveAway and first post-pandemic travel experience. It was a bit challenging to get everyone here but it was completely worth it, and overall I am just deeply grateful to connect with our community in person again.
We've also got members cruising down the Nile right now, others on their way to the Azores, and others about to link up in Cyprus with myself and a handful of members continuing on from Madeira...it's safe to say the passion for travel amongst our community hasn't faded at all in spite of our long wait 🙂
Beyond our programs, the travel industry is surging in many parts of the globe, and I think there's many reasons to be optimistic going into the spring and summer in the northern hemisphere that things will continue to improve.
As I mentioned several weeks ago, however, the good news of travel's return brings with it a huge crunch for space, as demand and supply for flights and accommodation are still very much out of balance.
I've been trying to buy time to hold our hotel or ship space on a number of our programs, but unfortunately things have been non-negotiable for several trips. As a result we will regrettably have to postpone them until next year, or the year following.
Our trip to Peru, Germany & Benelux 5x5, Safari by Land & Sea, and Island-Hopping in Greece have all been removed from our 2022 roster; we will most certainly update you when we reschedule them in the future. Postponing things remains among my least favourite activities, but It's just the reality of the current day and age in travel.
I completely understand the desire to hold off on booking trips until the last minute given the constantly changing pandemic rules (and even moreso with all the added uncertainty of recent events in Ukraine), but unfortunately the realities of the industry will not cooperate very well with us on this one.
I have managed to extend things for several other programs, but I expect the grace period to likely be cut short as the spring draws nearer. For this reason, we'll be doing a 'Last Call' webinar on March 24 for a few programs coming up in the summer and fall, like Ireland, Scandinavia, and France. If you're thinking about travelling this summer or fall but haven't booked anything yet, do join us.
Lastly, we'll be releasing the 2023 version of our Madeira LiveAway very soon, as well as our 2023 Malta LiveAway, which is happening immediately after. As with our Bali & Samui LiveAways, we're setting things up to give you the option to do 4 weeks in Madeira and 2 in Malta (or even Cyprus) next year. So if Europe next winter appeals to you more than Southeast Asia, stay tuned...
Lots more to come! Thanks as always for being with us.
Cheers!
Gordon Dreger
Founder, Wheel & Anchor
Gordon Dreger is the founder of Wheel & Anchor and has been in the travel industry for over 30 years. Travel is a self-expression for him, and there is nothing he likes more than talking about travel and sharing all of the joys of it with others.
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