which questions to ask and what to do once you have the answers. We quiz the experts to find out.
l WHEN AND WHERE Forget the constraints of school summer holidays or time off work. Money permitting, older customers can travel whenever they fancy, whether holidaying little and often or escaping to the countryside for a lengthy stay. Beverley Scarr, general manager of short-haul product at Premier Holidays, says of the operator’s Channel Islands bookings: “We tend to see seven-night durations, particularly with retirees – they don’t need to worry about taking leave from work, and are generally looking to get the best value.
Weekends and shorter breaks tend to be most popular with the 50s and 60s age group – they visit for a midweek break from work or just a long weekend.”
Off-peak or shoulder season
travel suits those keen to avoid school holidays, so Prestige Holidays’ general manager David Skillicorn suggests advertising tour operator or hotel deals at these times to persuade customers to book a bargain.
The same applies on the water: Hoseasons finds houseboat bookings take off during the shoulder months, with June the most popular month for bookings by over-50s, making up nearly a third of all off-peak business. Likewise, midweek offers
better value-for-money than weekends for those with the flexibility to take advantage of deals. Hoseasons cottages lead in at £207 for four nights in October, while caravan parks such as Tan Rallt in Wales start from £99. Warner Leisure Hotels runs midweek breaks with live bands, cabaret and themed parties aimed at its core 55-plus market. Irish Ferries head of passenger sales Dermot Murrigan adds: “Don’t think about a short break to Ireland in terms of a Friday night flight and dash back Sunday. This market has time to travel, and they enjoy the whole process.” He suggests looking beyond Dublin to vibrant cities such as Wexford or Waterford, or
theming a break around hobbies such as golf and horse-racing in Kildare.
l GROUP TOURS Escorted tours combine the convenience of organised accommodation, excursions and transport with the social factor of travelling in a group – plus there’s usually someone to carry the bags. Scottish operator Rabbie’s Small
Group Tours offers a discount to over-60s, while Dublin-based CIE Tours finds more relaxed itineraries, such as its slower-paced British and Irish Focus nine-day tour, are popular with older clients (from £1,148). Train travel is certainly a strong seller. Great Rail Journeys national sales manager Tony Byrne says: “We’ve noticed a renaissance in heritage railways, which continues
“We have 80-year-olds who travel with us regularly to ski, and those who prefer some of our less active itineraries”
42 •
travelweekly.co.uk — 26 June 2014
Anyone for cake?: Attraction World’s aernoon tea is a hit with older clients
Uniform choice: private
tours of Buckingham Palace sell well for SuperBreak
Special K: golf at the K Club, Kildare
TOP TIP
Ffestiniog Travel can tailor-make rail
itineraries for groups, clubs and societies
with a special interest ffestiniogtravel. com
to capture people’s love affair with the golden age of steam. With older clientele, they depart from their local station and get to stretch their legs on the journey – something you can’t do by coach.” Best-selling itineraries include Edinburgh, the Highlands & Islands (nine days, £1,170) and sister brand Treyn’s Yorkshire by Steam (five days, £295). Ffestiniog Travel likewise offers Railways of the North (Skipton to Whitby, from £850) and North Wales for Rail Enthusiasts, from £625. Guided tours are also an ideal
way to explore the countryside without worrying about getting lost in the middle of nowhere. Shearings’ Pitlochry & Highland Safari includes a Land Rover safari through rural Perthshire (from £394), while Newmarket Holidays’ Cream of the Cotswolds combines rolling countryside with picturesque Stratford-upon-Avon (from £219, both five days). For one key market – those
travelling alone, perhaps because
Rovers Return: walk those famous cobbles on Grand UK’s Corrie Special tour
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68