UK 3-4 9/2/10 13:29 Page 46
knowledge uk & Ireland
ttglive.com
Touring holidays
Get a move on
and explore
If clients choose to stay in the UK this year, they don’t
have to limit themselves to one destination. Dave
Richardson assesses the range of touring options
COACH TOURING. RAIL TOURING.
Most coach tours are based This is a fairly new product
at a single centre with for agents to sell. Great Rail
lots of excursions, but Journeys started paying
operators are introducing commission last year and
more tours, especially to has significantly expanded
places featured in TV its range of UK tours for
documentaries. 2010.
Matthew Herbert, Marketing manager
UK holidays manager Richard Adams says: “The
for Shearings, says: Shearings’ Lord of the Isles itinerary takes UK has some of the best Great Rail Journeys features the Jacobite train in Scotland
“Programmes such as in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis rail heritage in the world
John Sergeant on the Tourist and superbly scenic routes, Its seven-night Ireland at a Glance tour,
Trail, Martin Clunes: Islands of Britain so we have reacted to customer demand. aimed at first-time visitors, covers Dublin,
and Alexander Armstrong’s Very British “We have seen regular customers taking Galway and Killarney. Prices start at £317.
Holiday have reignited people’s love of a UK break in addition to their normal Stena Line Holidays can combine any of
Britain.” European or worldwide holiday,” he says. the hotels in its programme, including
The operator has added 30 UK tours this A nine-day Edinburgh, Highlands & Islands character properties. For example, a five-
year, including a two-week Best of Beautiful tour (from £875) visits Inverness, Oban and night self-drive tour around the west of
Britain itinerary (from £829), which visits Ballachulish. It includes journeys on the Ireland, costing from £305, visits the Carlton
“must-see” places in England, Scotland and Jacobite steam train, Kyle of Lochalsh line Atlantic Coast Hotel in Westport, which has
Wales such as Edinburgh, Cardiff and the and the West Highland line, voted the been converted from an 18th-century mill.
Lake District. world’s top rail journey by readers of The Abbeyglen Castle Hotel in Connemara
Coverage of Ireland has also been Wanderlust magazine. and modern spa resort Radisson Blu in
expanded, including the introduction of Some coach operators also offer rail Galway are also included.
an eight-day Bundoran and Fermanagh options. Grand UK’s new South West and Superbreak can combine any hotels in its
Lakeland tour, which starts at £589. Scillies holiday, which costs £599 for six vast UK programme.
Shearings has recently launched an days, features train journeys in Cornwall Sales director Ian Mounser says: “If the
“Ireland in a Box” marketing initiative and an excursion to the Isles of Scilly. holiday is five nights-plus, people are more
to help agents sell the destination. The likely to split between two hotels. This is
campaign comprises press adverts, database CAR TOURING. especially in areas such as Scotland and the
mailouts and point-of-sale material for use The most popular type of touring holiday is West Country, where the distances between
in February and March. simply to drive yourself, but agents can still places of interest are greater.”
Twin-centre holidays are also on offer, get in on this market by pre-booking hotels
with five itineraries including Oxford and or offering accommodation vouchers. BOATING.
Cambridge (five-day tours from £439). Irish Ferries offers flexible touring based For the ultimate scenery-changing holiday,
Over-55s specialist Grand UK Holidays has on ferry travel and either hotel or bed and why not take your accommodation with you
added 27 tours. They include an eight-day breakfast accommodation. It can book the and take to the rivers or canals?
Great National Parks itinerary, which takes Irish Country House Hotel group, which has You captain your own craft, but steering is
in Snowdonia, the Peak District, North more than 30 properties, and sells vouchers fairly easy and mastered by most people
Yorkshire Moors, Yorkshire Dales and Lake for hundreds of properties in the Town & after a short introductory lesson.
District. Prices start at £449. Country Homes and Farmhouses consortium. Hoseasons claims the largest fleet of holi-
46 12.02.2010
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