DESTINATIONS FESTIVE BREAKS | SOLO TRAVEL


CLOCKWISE FROM RIGHT: Stratford-upon-Avon; Taj Mahal; Christmas market stall, Bath; Lake Bled, Slovenia PICTURES: Shutterstock/1000 Words, canadastock, Alexey Federenko, leonov.o


ASK THE EXPERTS


“September and October are key months for selling festive holidays, so you want to ensure clients are aware of what’s on offer. My top tip for agents would be to focus on sharing festive-related content on social media.” Rachel Mould, head of UK trade sales, Just You


“Travel during the festive period can be frantic with busy airports and public transport disrupted by the holidays, so agents can suggest that it’s easier and more reliable to take a coach trip from a local joining point.” Ashley Dellow, head of retail sales, Leger Holidays


“The festive season can be a wonderful time for solo travellers to join an escorted tour, as it offers ready-made companionship and a chance to share memorable moments with like-minded people.” Hayley Morris, head of trade sales, Newmarket Holidays


“Our guides ensure solo travellers have a very social and special time. Imagine spending Christmas Day seeing rhinos or cycling through Waterberg Plateau National Park.” Ben Colbridge, commercial and product director, Exodus Adventure Travels


travelweekly.co.uk


has introduced seven six-day festive tours in Europe, and has also substantially revamped its seven-night Christmas in Prague – Going Solo itinerary this year. After arriving in the Czech capital in comfort on a new JG Explorer coach, clients can stretch their legs on a Christmas Eve walking tour, with stops by twinkling pine trees, open-air skating rinks and festive light shows. Christmas Day brings lunch


served Czech-style in a local restaurant, then a dinner boat trip on the Vltava River. Keen to book? Zoe Tasker, Just


Go’s group product director, says: “There is still limited availability for this Christmas, but we encourage agents to act quickly because places are expected to fill fast.” If clients are craving those


chocolate-box Christmas markets or snow-capped mountains, Newmarket Holidays is also launching Christmas in the


Slovenian Alps, a new Exclusively Solos itinerary. Beginning in the baroque Slovenian capital Ljubljana – laced with fairy lights and with the aroma of mulled wine wafting on the breeze – solo travellers will explore the delightful Christmas markets along the river. A trip to beautiful Lake Bled is included on Christmas Eve, where they can wander in and out of picturesque churches and bite into sweet, spiced potica cake – a traditional treat – before heading to the snowy ski resort of Kranjska Gora in time for midnight mass. Christmas Day is spent at leisure, with spas, snowy


walks and saunas on the cards. Book it: Newmarket Holidays sells the five-night Christmas in the Slovenian Alps from £2,555 per person. Includes half-board accommodation, listed tours and excursions, plus flights from Gatwick departing on December 22. newmarketholidays.co.uk


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