R
ESCORTED TOUR NEWS YOU CAN USE
NEWS IN BRIEF
Back-Roads Touring to host training for homeworkers
Back-Roads Touring is hosting eight one-hour training sessions on its 2018-19 Asia, Europe & UK small-group touring brochures for homeworkers. They will take place in Bath, Twickenham, Llangollen, Chipping Campden, Tunbridge Wells, Cambridge, Lincoln and York between June 21 and August 9. For more, email
l.kerr@
backroadstouring.com
Grand UK Holidays unveils Christmas and spring trips
Grand UK Holidays, a specialist in escorted coach tours for the over-55s, has launched its 2018-19 brochure. The operator, which also offers river cruises and European holidays, is featuring autumn and Christmas breaks for 2018, with spring 2019 itineraries also on sale. The brochure features ‘value’ and ‘luxury’ holidays with no single supplements.
grandukholidays.com
Contiki promotes Francis to UK and Europe sales head
Youth operator Contiki has promoted Becky Francis to head of sales for the UK and Europe. Francis, who replaces Laura Brown, had been sales manager for London and the southeast for a year and has previously worked for Thomas Cook youth brand Club 18-30 and as a Barrhead Travel agent in Newcastle.
contiki.com
Explore secures ‘Buy with Confidence’ accreditation
Adventure operator Explore has become the first to qualify for a Trading Standards ‘Buy with Confidence’ initiative. The scheme was set up in response to rogue traders and to give confidence to consumers. Explore had to pass a series of detailed checks to qualify.
explore.co.uk
Saga adds 11 tours and guarantees all departures
Ben Ireland
ben.ireland@
travelweekly.co.uk
Over-50s specialist Saga has unveiled its Escorted Tours brochure for 2018-19, and guaranteed departures on all itineraries.
As part of the launch, agents can win £50 in lifestyle vouchers in weekly prize draws. Eleven of the tours are new, including Gorillas of Uganda, Ionian Island-Hopping and The Great Indian Rail Journey. Iain Powell, Saga head of trade sales, said: “One of the pinch points for agents and customers alike is when operators cancel tours due to low numbers. We’re conscious this can have an impact on the relationship between the customer and the agent, and can also lead to both being more cautious about booking with that operator again.” Saga’s 11-night Gorillas of
Uganda tour features treks through Bwindi, Kibale and Queen Elizabeth national parks with the chance to spot chimpanzees and rare tree-
Mercury Holidays has discounts on 50 tours for bookings in June
Mercury Holidays is offering savings of up to £300 per couple on bookings of more than 50 escorted tours this month. One of the tours is the 16-day
Wonders of China, which includes Shanghai, Beijing, Xi’an, a visit to see the pandas in Chengdu, the Great Wall of China, the Terracotta Army and a four-night Yangtze river
28
travelweekly.co.uk 14 June 2018
OUT NOW: Kathmandu features in Saga’s new brochure
climbing lions, a Mount Rwenzori hike, six-hour scenic drive to Lake Mburo National Park and a cruise on the Kazinga Channel. Prices start from £3,799 departing Heathrow on selected 2019 dates. A 13-night Trekking in the
Himalayas tour marks 65 years since Edmund Hillary conquered Mount Everest. It includes a Buddhist llama blessing, and visits to Kathmandu and the valleys of the Annapurnas. Departures from Heathrow or Manchester run from October 2018 and November 2019, with prices from £2,499.
To mark the brochure launch,
agents making any holiday, cruise or river cruise booking by August 31 will be entered into a weekly prize draw to win £50 in lifestyle vouchers. Twelve winners will then be entered into a final draw to win a 10-night private tour of Sri Lanka for two, flying business class with Emirates. The winner does not have to be over 50. Powell said: “The touring
market is growing significantly and agents have been pivotal in
selling these products for Saga.”
travel.saga.co.uk/saga-trade
cruise. The tour is reduced from £2,459 to £2,309.
The offer also includes up to £200 per couple off selected walking tours. The 10-day Walking Rajasthan’s Cultural Paths tour takes in Delhi, villages in rural Rajasthan, historic monuments, grand forts, scenic country trails and a wildlife safari through Sariska Tiger Reserve. It is reduced from £1,499 to £1,399. To claim the savings for
WONDERSOF CHINA: Tour includes pandas in Chengdu
clients, agents should quote TOUR150 or WALKING100.
mercuryholidays.co.uk
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