february 2015 5 – dedicated to those who love selling travel –


INDUSTRY COMMENT “We want to make sure agents are fully briefed on the growth of our luxury portfolio at our Network Namibia roadshow, planned for March.” Samuel Hancock, Senior Sales and Marketing Manager, Namibia Tourism Board


“In Louisiana family matters and the attractions, musical and historical points of


interest, restaurants and hotels are all geared up to receive the family sector." Jody Hanson, Sales and Marketing Director, New Orleans CVB and Louisiana Office of Tourism


WITH THIS ISSUE... Florida Official Travel Guide 2015


Your bang up-to-date guide to the Sunshine State, with information on everything from shopping to festivals.


Steve Hartridge Editor


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From the lush Amazon rainforest to the snow-capped peaks of the Andes, Peru and Ecuador offer visitors an array of natural and cultural experiences, says Lauren Jarvis


L


ocated on the Pacifi c west coast of South America, Peru and its northerly neighbour Ecuador are


perfect destinations for those looking for an authentic cultural encounter, exciting eco-adventure or enriching luxury escape. Both countries have their roots in the planet’s largest and most biodiverse tropical rainforest, the Amazon, with its wide range of eco-tours and lodges, while their heady heights rise to the Andes – the world’s longest continental mountain range – offering breathtaking panoramas and excellent hiking, biking and horse-riding opportunities. Visitors to Ecuador can explore colonial monasteries, mansions and plazas in the UNESCO World Heritage cities of Quito and Cuenca, browse colourful markets in the north or scale the peaks along the Avenue of the Volcanoes, including Cotopaxi, the world’s highest active volcano. In Peru, they can the discover secrets of the Inca Empire in the Sacred Valley, sand-board the desert dunes of the coast, fl y big above the mysterious Nazca lines or visit the islands of Lake Titicaca.


“Peru and Ecuador make a great combination


for a Latin American trip, as access between them is relatively easy,” says Nick Wilson, Destination Manager for Hayes and Jarvis “These countries also offer a great mix


of history and nature. Peru is home to the world-famous Machu Picchu, whilst Ecuador is known for its huge biodiversity, especially on the Galápagos Islands.” A report last year by the World Travel & Tourism


Council revealed that, while US$3.6 trillion will be invested in the Americas over the next decade, the poor infrastructure of some countries could fail to meet the needs of an industry that anticipates 3.7% growth per annum. Not so Ecuador. The Ministry of Tourism is investing heavily in improving infrastructure, with a new international airport in its second phase of development, better road connections, and the renovation of the Tren Crucero tourist


train (see what’s new). Private investment has also seen a host of


hotels spring up along the coast, new high-end yachts and lodges operating in the Galápagos (including the beach-facing, sustainably-operated Finch Bay Eco Hotel), boutique properties opening in Quito such as the restored neo- classical mansion hotel Casa Gangotena, and improved accommodation in the Amazon. With the continued increase in disposable income across Latin America, demand for quality tourist facilities and experiences is growing, which also benefi ts visitors from further afi eld. Peru is now winning attention as a culinary destination while hotel groups including Marriott are opening new properties around the country. Luxury group Belmond now has fi ve hotels in Peru and offers the chance to travel to


Machu Picchu in style on its Hiram Bingham train. The hotels also run a programme of activities that include a chef-led tour of San Pedro market and cooking classes (Belmond Hotel Monasterio, Cusco); horse riding,


river rafting and a ‘pachamanca’, traditional Peruvian


ritual that sees meats cooked using heated stones in a pit – (Belmond Hotel Rio Sagrado, Valle Sagrado) and renewing vows with a shaman (Belmond Sanctuary Lodge, Machu Picchu). While Perus ‘Lost City’ is its biggest draw (the UNESCO World Heritage Site pulled in $500 million in 2013), there’s defi nitely more to explore in the Sacred Valley and the historic heart of the Inca Empire, Cusco. “With traditional Quechua villages just


a stone’s throw from major attractions, it’s easy to fi nd truly authentic experiences off the beaten track in Peru,” says Justin Francis, Managing Director of Responsible Travel.


What’s new  Accommodation: Pikaia Lodge


(pikaialodgegalapagos.com) opened last October 2014 on Santa Cruz Island in the Galápagos. The luxury eco-hotel offers guests guided land and marine-based tours. Peruvian eco-hotel group, Inkaterra (inkaterra.com), will open a new hotel in Urubamba in the Sacred Valley in 2015. Following the opening of the Wyndham Guayaquil (wyndham.com) in 2013, the Wyndham Quito Airport Gran Condor opens in late 2015. The luxury Mashpi Lodge opened a couple of


years ago in the Ecuadorian Andes overlooking the forest, three hours west of Quito, with the latest techniques in sustainable building (and employing hydroelectric power). (mashpilodge.com) The Anakonda Amazon River Cruise


(anakondaamazoncruises.com) is the fi rst luxury cruise in the Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest, with accommodation in 18 suites with private balconies. Marriott Hotels (marriott. co.uk) will open a new Peruvian property, Courtyard Lima Mirafl ores, in August 2015. Metropolitan Touring pioneered expeditions


to the Galápagos Islands in the 1960s, and now operates the 90-passenger Santa Cruz, the recently rejuvenated Yacht Isabella II and the newest boat,Yacht La Pinta which boasts the largest cabins of any Galapagos vessel and fl oor-to-ceiling windows. (Metropolitan-touring.com) Last year (casa-andina.com) Casa Andina opened a new Private


welcome I


peru & ecuador 67


“Many visitors to the Galápagos stay on a boat. Those who suffer from seasickness should consider cruising during the day and


overnighting in hotels” SPENCER NEAL, HEAD OF UK TRADE SALES, INTREPID GROUP


Collection hotel in Trujillo city, Peru, starting point for the pre-Incan Moche Route archaeological tour.


 Attractions: Tren Crucero (trenecuador.com/ crucero/en), the tourist-only vintage train linking Quito to Guayaquil on Ecuador’s Pacifi c coast, will add more departures this year, taking passengers on three-night, four-day journeys through spectacular landscapes. The new Quito Tour Bus (quitotourbus.com) runs a Hop On-Hop Off service, visiting 12 stops around the historical capital. Metropolitan Touring has launched two new cultural tours. ‘Live Quito like a local’ is a day-long tour into Quito’s old town while the two-day Journey to the source of Chocolate offers guests the chance to experience the authentic art of chocolate-making on a journey into the Ecuadorian Amazon. (Metropolitan-touring.com).


HEAD IN THE CLOUDS BY LAUREN JARVIS


This page: The stunning Cotopaxi is one of Ecuador’s most active volcanoes. It has an inner crater inside the outer crater. Next page: San Rafael waterfall, close to Tena City, is one of the iconic images of the Ecuadorian rainforest; Machu Picchu,


 Airlines and airports: Baltra Island in the Galápagos opened the ‘world’s fi rst ecological airport’ in 2013. Peru’s LAN Airlines (lan.com) has opened local routes to Talara (northern beaches) and Ayacucho (south central Andes).


sellingtravel.co.uk


“Stumbling into the shower at 4am, my sleep-deprived brain slowly registered the reason I was awake at silly o’clock: this morning I was making the climb to Machu Picchu. As a kid, Peru’s ‘Lost City of the Incas’ took on almost mythical significance. Like Atlantis or Shangri-La, it was a place of legend, hovering hazily between fact and fiction. At some point in my pre-teens I learned this city in the clouds was real, yet still it seemed impossibly out of reach. But now, after a long vertical climb, as much older and fitter locals scampered past while I wished I’d caught the bus, here I was: sitting on the edge of the world. The dawn mist lifted revealing Machu Picchu’s temples and terraces below, cradled by the peaks of the Andes. For once, reality more than lived up to the legend.”


t’s that time of the year when several organisations release their list of ‘hot’ destinations for the coming months. Often, when compiled by tour operators, these ‘smoking’ choices mostly reflect their own products, particularly new-to-programme destinations, but they nevertheless offer a window of sorts on likely consumer preferences. Consider the latest Post Office Holiday Money Report, which suggests that destinations across Europe are set to benefit from the euro and other European currencies looking increasingly fragile against sterling. According to the report, UK tourists now have more cash to spend everywhere in Europe (except Turkey) compared with a year ago, with the Czech capital Prague offering the lowest prices for UK tourists with Sunny Beach (Bulgaria) and Costa del Sol close behind. Turn to page 14 to read why you should be selling Bulgaria. Europe is also the preferred choice of respondents in a poll conducted by recent trade convert Saga Travel, with four-fifths naming the continent as their intended destination in 2015. And with the devaulation of the rouble making Russia particularly good value, Explore has introduced a five-day Kaliningrad short break. Elsewhere, long haul operator Travel 2 reports an encouraging growth of package holiday sales, with a 39% increase in year on year sales to date for 2015. Top performing destinations include USA, up 40%; Dubai, up 51%; South Africa, up 31% and the Indian Ocean, up 300%. Read about all four in this issue.


Published by BMI Publishing Ltd 2015 Suffolk House, George St, Croydon, Surrey, CR9 1SR, UK


T 020 8649 7233 F 020 8649 7234 E enquiries@bmipublishing.co.uk W bmipublishing.co.uk; sellingtravel.co.uk


Publishing Director/Managing Editor: Alan Orbell Publisher: Sally Parker Editor: Steve Hartridge Group Editor: Jo Austin Journalists: Andy Hoskins, Julie Baxter & Laura Gelder Associate Publisher: Steve Thompson Advertisement Manager: Lisa Merrigan Business Development Manager: Craig McQuinn Creative Director: Matt Bonner Art Director: Dan Franklin Senior Designer: Tina-Lee McDougall Junior Designer: Louisa Horton Production Manager: Clare Hunter Circulation Manager: Cheryl Staniforth Managing Director: Martin Steady. Members of the CTO, Visit USA Association, LATA, PATA, MENATA, SATOA, the Foreign Airlines Association and the Institute of Travel & Tourism. Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy, BMI Publishing cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. © 2015. ISSN: 2056-9319. Front cover: The view from an eco-chic villa at Saruni Samburu, Kenya.


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Official Travel Guide 2015


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