OPERATOR NEWS YOU CAN USE
Backwaters breaks feature trips on French waterways
Juliet Dennis
juliet.dennis@
travelweekly.co.uk
A new specialist operator is courting the trade with holidays that include daily trips on France’s inland waterways.
Backwaters, which owns a
boat designed as a comfortable “observation lounge” to fit down the narrow canals in the heartlands of France, was set up a year ago and started offering trips several weeks ago. It is working with Saga Holidays and Titan Travel, which have already reserved a quarter of the 2019 tour and cruise programme for their own exclusive sailings, but also hopes to work directly with agents who have clients interested in this style of holiday. The company offers coach
transport from Folkestone to France, where clients typically stay in one hotel for six nights and cruise on board Natalia for most days or go on coach excursions. Holidays start from £950, with no single supplement, for a week’s
Kirker adds music and battlefield tours to autumn programme
Kirker Holidays has added four autumn itineraries to its Cultural Tours & Music Holidays programme. The October departures include three music-themed trips in the UK and a battlefields itinerary departing weeks before the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War. The four-night Kirker
NEWS IN BRIEF
Southern Africa 360’s new website has 100 new tours
Southern Africa 360 has revamped its website with about 100 new tours. There are 250 sample packages on the operator’s new-look website, which aims to offer better search on desktop and mobile. Some of the new tours are aimed specifically at disabled and solo travellers.
southernafrica360.com
Stephen Mulhern performs at Butlin’s over the summer
CANAL: Backwaters ship Natalia navigates the Canal du Nivernais
all-inclusive cruise and stay exploring the Canal du Nivernais in Burgundy. Accommodation is in the two-star Logis St Francois in the village of Vermenton. Chief executive Lynn Woods,
who set up the company after being inspired by his own trips on France’s waterways, said the boat offered sofas and lounge chairs rather than traditional rows of hard seats. He said: “We are a bit of a curiosity on the edge of the cruise industry because people do not
stay on board, but we hope to work with agents as they understand what it is we offer.” Woods said commission would
be at least 10% and is open to individual and group bookings. He said: “It could be an agency is plugged into the local University of the Third Age and wants to book for a party of people.” A 2019 brochure is due out in the autumn. The operator hopes to carry up to 1,600 passengers
next year.
backwaters.tours
Cornwall Music Festival takes guests to Fowey for three private performances by the Piatti Quartet and a visit to historic house and gardens Boconnoc. It departs on October 1 and is priced from £1,498 based on two sharing on a B&B basis at The Fowey Hotel. Two opera performances
GLYNDEBOURNE: Kirker guests will see two operas on new trip
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travelweekly.co.uk 26 July 2018
are featured in the three-night Autumn at Glyndebourne itinerary in Sussex, which departs on October 11 and is priced from £998 on a B&B basis at The Grand in Eastbourne. The three-night Benjamin
Butlin’s is offering breaks featuring magician and presenter Stephen Mulhern this summer. Mulhern, a former Redcoat, will perform on selected dates at all three parks. A three-night August bank holiday package at Minehead is priced from £127.
bourneleisuresales.co.uk
Funway Holidays offers Black Friday packages
Funway Holidays has put together a range of US breaks around discount shopping date Black Friday, which falls on November 23. Three nights at the Millennium Hilton in New York with return United Airlines flights from Heathrow starts from £589.
funway4agents.co.uk
Britten Weekend at Snape Maltings in Suffolk includes a performance of Britten’s three string quartets. Departing on October 19, prices start at £947 including B&B accommodation at Brudenell Hotel. Kirker’s five-night The
Western Front – The Road to Victory with lecturer Hugh Macdonald-Buchanan visits battlefields from Ypres Salient to Amiens and museums. Prices start at £1,498, including Eurostar tickets and B&B accommodation.
kirkerholidays.com
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