travel

Pacific Delight Tours (www.PacificDelightTours.com) knew it was tapping into a rapidly growing market with significant pent-up demand when the leading operator launched a new gluten-free tour series earlier this year. Executives at Pacific Delight did not anticipate how quickly the company’s May 2017 China tour would sell out and are now working to add additional capacity, beginning with a Gluten-Free China & Yangtze River departure on Oct. 7, 2017. Pacific Delight will also debut a Gluten-Free Italy program on Oct. 15, 2017—featuring a deluxe river cruise on the picturesque Po River in cooperation with Europe’s river cruise leader, Uniworld—and will return to India’s Golden Circle with a departure on Dec. 5, 2017.

Pacific Delight’s Oct. 7 China & Yangtze River departure—escorted by gluten-free food and China travel guru Bernadette Sheridan—will feature unique sightseeing and activities such as a gluten-free Chinese cooking class at the Linden Centre in Dali, winner of the 2016 TripAdvisor Reader’s Choice Award. The tour will incorporate a luxury river sailing aboard Victoria Cruises’ five-star Victoria Jenna in addition to fascinating experiences in Beijing, Xi’an, Chongqing and Shanghai. Luxurious hotels of the Shangri-La Group will be featured for the program. The departure is priced at $6,995 per person, based on double occupancy, incl. all taxes and gratuities, and includes round-trip airfare from NYC via Cathay Pacific Airways.

The Oct. 15 departure for Pacific Delight’s new gluten-free Italy features Uniworld’s recently remodeled, 130-passenger River Countess for a deluxe river cruise along Italy’s Po River, visiting Padua, Bologna, Murano Island and three days in Venice. Guests enjoy sumptuous gluten-free dining on board prepared by Uniworld’s award-winning culinary team. Guests will also receive unlimited beverages, all gratuities, complimentary Wi-Fi, on-board entertainment and lectures, shore excursions and airport transfers on sailing days. The single supplement will be waived for a limited number of cabins, and all passengers will receive a $100 shipboard credit. Past Uniworld travelers will also enjoy additional savings. For reservations received by April 30th, Pacific Delight is also offering an extended introductory discount of $400 per person. The program will be led by respected dietitian Pam Cureton, RDN, of the Center for Celiac Research (CFCR) at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Italy rates start at $3,749 per person, based on double occupancy (reduced to $3,349 per person when booked by April 30th), and vary based on stateroom category selected. The tour cost includes a tax-deductible donation to CFCR. International airfare is not included.

Pacific Delight is also accepting bookings for its second gluten-free tour of India’s Golden Circle, visiting cosmopolitan Mumbai, romantic Jaipur, the exotic tiger reserve in Ranthambore, colorful New Delhi and must-see Agra—home of the Taj Mahal and other UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Deluxe hotels and resorts of the Oberoi Group will be feature in the program, which will be escorted by Dr. Simran Saini (pictured right), chief dietitian of India’s foremost celiac support organization. She is a registered nutritional therapist in Ireland and England, and affiliated with India’s Fortis Group of Hospitals. The tour is priced at $5,788 per person, double occupancy, and includes local intra-India flights, sightseeing by air-conditioned coach and 4×4 vehicles for game drives, and all taxes and gratuities. International airfare is not included.

“We are excited to introduce a world of gluten-free travel opportunities and are actively working to accommodate the growing demand for gluten-free experiences,” said Charmaine Lau, operations manager of Pacific Delight Tours.

Consult your travel agent or contact Pacific Delight Tours at 800-221-7179 for more information. Visit Pacific Delight Tours at www.PacificDelightTours.com.

Pacific Delight Tours

For 46 years, Pacific Delight Tours has been America’s leading tour operator to China and Asia. Among numerous industry awards, the luxury tour operator is a proud winner of the TravelAge West WAVE Award from 2008–2016, the 2009 Travel Weekly Readers’ Choice Award, and the Travvy Award from travAlliancemedia for Best Vacation Packager, Asia for 2016 and 2017. The company is also a proud member of the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA).

Pacific Delight remains dedicated to providing unparalleled luxury vacation experiences for its discerning clientele. Its long-standing reputation within the travel agent community is a testament to its unrivaled quality assurance, extensive expertise and top-notch customer service.

Much like the gluten-free diet itself, finding the top gluten-free travel destinations requires research and planning. Thankfully, gluten-free travel has become “trendy,” just like the gluten-free diet, creating an opportunity for companies such as TravelSupermarket.com to help do the research for you.

TravelSupermarket.com pulled restaurant reviews from 250 cities around the world to create a list of the top 10 destinations based on their gluten-free dining offerings. It began by compiling restaurant and bakery reviews by city from TripAdvisor, using the dietary restrictions filter to find only the gluten-free options. It arrived at the top cities by looking at the total number of reviews, percentage of reviews rated four or five stars, and the average rating to create the rankings.

Where to go in the U.S.

Chicago comes in as the top U.S. city with a whopping 240 establishments, followed by Portland, Oregon (181); Denver, Colorado (150); Maui (132); and San Francisco (138).

Unfortunately, the list doesn’t mention the names of the establishments for each city or how they were compiled. (I only found out by contacting TravelSupermarket.com directly.) Since it only used one travel site for research, any reviews from other sites were left out. Their findings, while intriguing, aren’t as helpful or useful as they could have been with a larger set of data. We appreciate the effort, but the site left out several U.S. cities that are “must-visit” destinations.

Some of our favorite cities for gluten-free travel include Boulder, Colorado; Las Vegas; Austin, Texas; New York City; and Asheville, North Carolina. These destinations are known in the gluten-free community for accommodating those following a gluten-free diet, as well as other allergens.

Gluten-Free Worldwide

In addition to the five U.S. cities determined by TravelSupermarket.com, the top 10 gluten-free travel destinations included Prague in the Czech Republic, with 102 establishments for those following a gluten-free diet; Auckland, New Zealand (180); Amsterdam in the Netherlands (210); Barcelona, Spain (270); and Dublin, Ireland, with 330 gluten-free-friendly locations.

Be prepared

When it comes down to having a successful trip, research and planning are the keys, but they don’t have to be as time consuming as they once were. Start by searching for local support groups and bloggers in the area and tap into their resources when looking for safe places to eat and shop. The hotel or bread and breakfast in which you are staying is another great resource. Let your fingers do the walking and use apps from Find Me Gluten Free, Gluten-Free World or Gluten Free Passport to read reviews on cuisine and service.

The top travel destinations in the U.S. are, in the end, subjective and what you make of the experience. With some planning and research, you can enjoy a stress-free, yummy vacation.