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DESTINATIONS CORNWALL | UK & IRELAND
m
ost of us know the drill for small-group tours. You arrive at the
hotel, perhaps a little jet-lagged, there’s a welcome meeting, the tour leader talks through the itinerary, and you meet back in the lobby for that first meal. But you’re usually in Bangkok or Buenos Aires or Melbourne. This time we’re in Newquay. Newquay, Cornwall. Our tour leader, Matty Dyas, is also used to being a little farther from home, most recently eastern Europe, but since the pandemic he’s become something of a UK expert. Matty was the first to lead Intrepid Travel’s tours of Hadrian’s Wall, the Peak District and Cornwall – which he liked so much he moved here. “When you’re leading abroad, people have a natural sense of amazement,” Matty says, “but in the UK, you’re leading people who already live there.” One thing is clear, though: “People
are constantly surprised to discover how beautiful their own doorstep is. It’s taken a pandemic, but now people know they can enjoy a UK holiday. I feel that’s here to stay.”
As we head into summer 2022 amid a spate of flight cancellations, the staycations boom is showing no sign of slowing down. Sykes Holiday Cottages is anticipating its
“busiest summer on record”, while coach tour company Leger Holidays and river cruise operator Riviera Travel both recently boosted their UK offering for 2022.
DOMESTIC RETREATS Intrepid was quick to increase its UK escorted touring offering in 2020 and is still seeing healthy bookings for its domestic trips, with clients wanting to take both UK and foreign holidays this year. Walk the Cornish Coast is one of
several Intrepid Retreats in the UK (and the format is replicated abroad). Typically three to five days long, they are based in one location with trips to nearby places. “We were already developing these,
pre-pandemic, then Covid fast-forwarded it,” says Carrie Day, Intrepid Group EMEA’s industry sales manager. She’s also keen to emphasise price
parity. “We want to highlight to agents that trips are the same price whether customers book with you or direct. We want to support local businesses; agents are the backbone of the industry.” The Newquay trip is a first for us all:
a small-group, leader-led trip in the UK. Walking boots on, the first afternoon is spent getting familiar with this surfing mecca, walking into town, past the harbour, and along the South West
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travelweekly.co.uk 19 MAY 2022 33
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