Thirty years ago a Hollywood film, "If it's Tuesday, this must be Belgium", hit movie theaters nationwide, virtually defining the way Americans toured Europe. Since then, the phrase, "If it's Tuesday This Must be Belgium," has become synonymous with the concept -- and misconception -- that touring and vacation packages mean boarding a bus and seeing ten cities in ten days at a frenetic pace.

While the multicountry -- or multidestination -- tour may have been the way most Americans visited a foreign destination thirty years ago, many things have changed as we enter a new millennium, observes Robert E. Whitley, president, United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA). Whitley acknowledges that the multidestination tour continues to be popular; but, in general today's travel styles are vastly different from what they were in 1969.

The organization recently interviewed some of its veteran tour operator members to find out how travel patterns and trends have changed in the last 30 years. Major findings were:

• People today are taking shorter and more frequent vacations
• Escorted tours are far more flexible and less regimented today
• Average age of escorted tour participants is decreasing
• Tours and packages now emphasize "doing" rather than "seeing"
• Independent travelers are buying vacation packages today
• Escorted tours are still popular with first-time travelers and to out-of-the-way destinations
• Hotels and motorcoaches are of higher quality
• People used to plan their vacations farther in advance
• Tours today are more likely to concentrate on a single country or region
• Today travelers can choose from far more variety in vacation packages and tours

A Changing Market

Today's traveling public is far more sophisticated. Thirty years ago, 95% of U.S. vacation passengers to overseas destinations were first-time passport holders. Today tour operators see that ratio reversed, with about 95% repeat travelers, and only 5% first-time passport holders. And, today 80% of packaged travel sold is in the form of independent packages, according to USTOA tour operators interviewed. Escorted tour itineraries too, have changed. Eighty percent of tours sold 30 years ago were multicountry itineraries; while today, 80% are regional, concentrating on a single area or country.

Changing Tour Styles

According to John Stachnik, a past USTOA chairman and president of Mayflower Tours, tours were far more regimented 30 years ago. "People today know that they will come back for a second visit, so the intense pressure of seeing everything at once is off. Now touring is more like organized independence. People want to travel with people, but they also want to do their own thing. Thirty years ago people on tour were all likely to do the same thing. Today there is a choice. For instance, one of our tours visits Shenandoah Park, where tour guests can choose from horseback riding, golf, or plain relaxing on the day we spend there."

Tour operators are also finding that travelers want a choice of dining experiences. "Years ago the trend was to include all meals on tour, while today we provide a selection of meals and menu to provide passengers with more variety," says Nigel Osborne, president Insight International Tours. And while yesterday's escorted tour spent only a single night at a destination, today's tours may spend multiple nights at a given destination, using it as a base for day excursions.

The Travel Experience

Doing, as opposed to seeing, is important for travelers today. "The biggest change is from sightseeing to sightdoing," says Stachnik. "Today you don't just look out the window on tour. We've incorporated visits to farmer's markets, home visits, and more into the experience."

Tours today are also more adventurous. Travelers can take a walking tour of Ireland, heli-hike in the Rockies, or hike into Copper Canyon. Tours for younger travelers may also incorporate adventures such as four-wheel drive excursions and bungee jumping. And vacation packages allow travelers to virtually create their own independent holidays.

Not only the quality of roads and motorcoaches has improved, but the quality of hotels available for escorted tour passengers and travelers on independent packages has changed. Consider that 30 years a country like China, which today boasts a number of deluxe hotels, had virtually no hotel infrastructure. And, today's traveler can choose from fully escorted tours, locally hosted tours, or independent vacation packages from budget to deluxe categories.

Changing Demographics

Thirty years ago travel competed with household goods like refrigerators for Americans' disposable income. However, today travel is viewed as an integral part of most households' expenditures. Fred Berardo, president of Central Holidays, notes that in the past travel was for the few. Today travel has become democratized and popular priced. He also observes that travelers are trading up, asking more for first class accommodations.

The average age of travelers taking tours and vacation packages has decreased over the past few years. According to James Murphy, a USTOA founder and president of Brendan Tours, the average age for tours is now closer to 50 than 60. "We are also seeing family groups traveling together, and parents with teenage kids. Thirty years ago parents used to leave the kids at home, but today the whole family is likely to travel together," he says.

Francis Luk, president of Pacific Delight Tours, notes that 30 years ago travelers to Asia were older and wealthier. Today the market has changed, still retaining the mature base, but extending to a younger traveler and even families with children .

Alexander Harris, a travel industry veteran and pioneer notes that today's older traveler is also more active and adventurous than 30 years ago. "While the older market remains stable, we are seeing that today's younger generation is more affluent at an earlier age, marrying and having children later. That means they are free to travel at an earlier age," he says.

Prices

Times have changed, but prices for tours and vacation packages have held firm, and in many instances have decreased. In 1969 Brendan Tours offered a three-week tour of Ireland for $599 including air fare from Los Angeles, first class hotel with bath, daily breakfast and most dinners. Adjusted for inflation, that price today would be $2,660. According to Murphy, a similar tour today sells for $2,360.

In 1980, a 14-day escorted, first class tour to China from the west coast, including air fare, sightseeing, and three meals daily cost $1,782. Adjusted for inflation that figure would be $3,524. A similar 15-day tour today is $2,390.

What Hasn't Changed

While much has changed in the last thirty years, some things remain the same. Tour operators interviewed all agree that, as in the past, today's traveler wants value, quality, companionship, and security. And, one way of assuring today's traveler that he or she is buying a quality experience is to look for the USTOA logo on a company's brochure. Active membership in USTOA means that a company has met the travel industry's strictest standards in terms of integrity and financial security. Every USTOA-member company must subscribe to the USTOA $1 Million Consumer Protection Plan, which protects travelers' deposits and payments in case the company goes out of business.