DESTINATIONS — ESCORTED TOURS
l GROUP TOURS: PRICE PROMISE It goes without saying that splitting the costs of transport, guides and excursions among a group is more cost- effective than a private tour, but the reality is more nuanced than that. Certainly,
with greater numbers comes better buying power: high-volume operators such as Riviera Travel secure more competitive rates compared with tailor-made trips, and 18-39s operator Topdeck says group tours work out 15%-20% cheaper than going it alone. But according to Cox & Kings, the situation varies by region, so it’s always worth pricing up a private tour for comparison. A 13-night trip to northern India, for example, starts at £2,295 for a group or £2,545 if taken privately – just £250 more for the benefits of a private departure. Yet in Japan, where the cost of private guides and vehicles is considerably more, a private tour would be nearly twice the price of a group option.
l GROUP TOURS: ACCESS ALL AREAS Fancy learning to cook in a family home, or seeing the Sistine Chapel without the crowds? Behind- the-scenes tours and exclusive activities often feature on group
itineraries, yet can be difficult to recreate on an individual basis. The perks range from saving time at popular attractions – Funway always books queue jumps for tour groups – to accessing areas off-limits to the public such as the unusual Bramante Staircase at the Vatican, included on Insight
Vacations’ Best
of Italy trip, or the private estates which
form part of Collette’s Royal
Horticultural Society garden tours. It also extends to the local experiences that bring a trip to life: whether it’s Leger Holidays drafting in historians for expert insight on battlefield tours, or Trafalgar organising Be My Guest dining so passengers can try local specialities. Similarly, guests of Insider Journeys (formerly Travel Indochina) highlight its signature ‘Insider Experiences’ – think eating with a family in Laos or at a nunnery in Burma – as the highlights of the trip.
l PRIVATE TOURS: ALONE TIME For honeymooners seeking seclusion, families who want quality time together, or couples who just don’t fancy sharing holiday memories with others, some clients want the structure of an escorted tour but hate the idea of travelling in a group. Pitching itself between the
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travelweekly.co.uk — 12 March 2015
two extremes, Intrepid launched Independent Journeys last year, a 21-strong collection with the upsides of a group tour – transport, accommodation and local guides at each location – but a small vehicle and the flexibility of choosing a departure date. Explore’s Private Journeys offer a similar level of freedom, with either a driver and local guides, or a guide throughout, but Explore also added Self-Guided trips late last year for those who want more independence. Aimed largely at first-time tourers, these provide accommoda- tion, luggage transfers and (if applicable) a bike, and are expected to account for at least a tenth of the operator’s cycling and walking trips within the next two years. Nonetheless, the expertise
offered by a professional guide should not be overlooked:
Anatolian Sky finds private tours outsell group trips, with 75% of clients taking up the option of a private guide and tailor-making a route to suit their own interests.
l PRIVATE TOURS: STRENGTH IN NUMBERS Of course, a private tour doesn’t just have to be for two. Exodus has seen strong sales from small groups – a family climbing Mount Toubkal to celebrate a 40th birthday, or a fitness club training together in the UK to climb to Everest base camp, for example – who want their own departures. With sufficient numbers, these can be arranged for a similar price to standard tours. G Adventures
reports similar success in sailing trips, with groups chartering
their own boats in Greece, Croatia, Cuba and the British Virgin Islands, and is starting to work more with school and
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PICTURES: G ADVENTURES; TRAFALGAR
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