Selling Travel March/April 2022

MARCH/APRIL 2022 • SELLINGTRAVEL.CO.UK

INSPIRING THOSE WHO LOVE TRAVEL

HIGH HOPES Interest in trekking, hiking and mountaineering holidays is soaring to new heights

how to sell...

Latin America Escorted touring Luxury cruising

STANDING

BY TRAVEL AGENTS

European beaches

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Contents /

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All around the world

inside this issue Trend watching

latin america

08 Trekking Holidays: Epic adventures for outdoorsy clients 11 On-Location: Maldives

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Globe hopping 14 Top ten: Community tourism in Latin America 16 How to sell: British Colombia 20 European Beaches: Why short haul flights will dominate this summer 23 48 hours in: Lisbon, Portugal 24 Spotlight on: Alberta's indigenous experiences 25 Luxury Cruising: How to offer a high-end experience on the seas 29 Six of the best: Eco-friendly Florida Keys 30 Introducing: Alula, Saudi Arabia 32 My Journey: Alabama

maldives

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european beaches

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luxury cruising

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Be inspired

women's tours

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trekking holidays

escorted touring

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34 Escorted Touring: Why touring is better in smaller groups 37 Take 5: Women's-only tours 38 Bright Ideas: Small group tours 40 Six of the best: Escorted touring UK and Ireland

Trade talk 43 The review: Industry update plus Five Countries event and AlUla webinar

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4 / Welcome EDITORIAL EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Steve Hartridge

ASSISTANT EDITOR Jessica Pook

March /April

Options are (almost) endless

WRITERS Lauren Jarvis, Jane Archer, Debbie Ward, Adam Coulter, Charlotte Flach, Andy Facer

PUBLISHING PUBLISHERS Steve Thompson steven.thompson@sellingtravel.co.uk Sally Parker sally.parker@sellingtravel.co.uk

ADVERTISING MANAGER Lisa Merrigan lisa.merrigan@sellingtravel.co.uk

CIRCULATION MANAGER Shani Kunar

MANAGING DIRECTOR Matt Bonner

CEO Martin Steady

DESIGN & PRODUCTION DESIGNER Caitlan Francis & Emma Norton

PRODUCTION & STUDIO MANAGER Clare Hunter

PRODUCTION ADMINISTRATOR Steve Hunter

COVER IMAGE

Couple resting on the Everest Base Camp trekking route near Dughla 4620m. istockphoto.com/Solovyova

(PRINT) ISSN 2056-9319. © BMI PUBLISHING LTD 2021.

SELLING TRAVEL IS PUBLISHED BY BMI PUBLISHING

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ith spring around the corner and Covid restrictions lifting, perhaps we can look forward to a summer of unobstructed travel (for those that are fully vaccinated anyway) and a healthy influx of bookings.

The relaxation of testing requirements has many of us dusting off suitcases and finally seeking sunnier shores, something our columnists celebrate on page 13.

Agents shared this new sense of optimism at the recent inJessica Pook ASSISTANT EDITOR person Five Countries event in London, sponsored by Selling Travel, at which they discovered more about various Nordic countries. Renewed enthusiasm for travel's opportunities were evident as we all listened to Visit Finland, Visit Iceland, Visit Greenland, Visit Estonia and Visit Faroe Islands talk passionately about bucket list experiences that ranged from viewing the Northern Lights in a glass igloo to homestays surrounded by fjords. Read our coverage on page 46.

Later that same evening, an agent told me how she was booking clients to visit friends and family in Australia, now that the country's borders have finally reopened.

If Australia is somewhere you're interested in learning more about, don’t miss the chance to catch up with Tourism Australia and various regional tourist boards at one of the Australia on Tour events across the country in March we are partnering on.

And on the subject of long-haul travel, look to our top ten community-driven experiences in Latin America to encourage your clients to make a difference in the countries that need it most post-pandemic. Getting to know local cultures and traditions often make for the best holiday memories. Read the round-up on page 14.

Change for the better can also be seen in our Escorted Touring extended section, which highlights how tour operators have adapted to offer small group tours for both health reasons but also to reduce their environmental footprint (more on page 34).

With travel easier now than it has been for two years, we hope this issue inspires you to create some exciting itineraries, whether clients are looking for sun-soaked beaches or epic adventures.

LTD: 501 THE RESIDENCE, NO. 1 ALEXANDRA TERRACE, GUILDFORD, GU1 3DA, UK. T: 020 8649 7233 E: ENQUIRIES@BMIPUBLISHING.CO.UK BMIPUBLISHING.CO.UK • SELLINGTRAVEL.CO.UK WE ARE MEMBERS OF THE CARIBBEAN TOURISM ORGANIZATION, VISIT USA ASSOCIATION, LATA, PATA, MENATA, SATOA, THE FOREIGN AIRLINES ASSOCIATION AND THE INSTITUTE OF TRAVEL & TOURISM. WHILE EVERY EFFORT IS MADE TO ENSURE ACCURACY, BMI PUBLISHING LTD CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS OR OMISSIONS. COVER IMAGE CREDIT: ISTOCK.COM/SOLOVYOVA This publication is printed on Revivew 100 Media and Revive recycled coated, recycled paper grades that are FSC® Recycled certified and Carbon Balanced.

Please note that Selling Travel, owned and published by BMI Publishing Ltd., is not connected in any way to Selling Travel e-magazine published

by SMP Training Co. and based in British Columbia, Canada. The latter online publication focuses exclusively on sales skills and all aspects of professional selling within the travel and tourism sectors. To benefit from this travel industry sales training resource visit sellingtravel.net

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Trend watching

6 / New beginnings

Australia

Ready and waiting Australia opened its borders to fully vaccinated international tourists in February for the first time in almost two years. To celebrate, Tourism Australia has launched a new international campaign that showcases the destination as the ideal choice for a post-covid “epic adventure”. The Don’t Go Small. Go Australia initiative is being rolled out in the UK and features a range of iconic destinations and experiences across Australia, as well as lesser known but equally spectacular experiences. australia.com

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Trend watching New beginnings /

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USA,California

Ranch to table Surrounded by a 700-acre private ranch at the gateway to the Napa and Sonoma wine countries is the newly-opened Stanly Ranch in Napa Valley, California. Described as ‘farmhouse comfort’, the 78 standalone cottages all have fire pits and outdoor showers against a backdrop of sweeping vineyards. Guests will sample produce from the working ranch and even have the chance to soar over Napa’s vineyards in a vintage WWII aircraft. visitcalifornia.com

South Africa

Off the rails!

Forget tented safari camps, Mantis Founders Lodge in Gqeberha in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province is inviting guests to stay in the Founders Railway Carriage. The restored carriage sleeps five guests, has both indoor and outdoor dining and an expansive deck with private swimming pool. There is also a ‘Ticket Office’ acting as an outdoor bathroom facility.

Guests can enjoy spectacular views of the surroundings, early morning nature walks, big five game drives, picnic brunches and nightly campfires. mantiscollection.com

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Trend watching

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River Deep,

Mountain High A reinvigorated affection for the Great Outdoors, and a host of exciting new adventure films, is seeing bookings of trekking, hiking and mountaineering holidays soar to new peaks, says Lauren Jarvis

the alpinist is available now on netFlix

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Trend watching Trekking /

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traddling the border of Nepal and Tibet, Chomolungma – or Goddess Mother of the Earth, as Mount Everest is known to the Tibetan people – rises a (literally) breathtaking 8,848 metres (29,029 feet) above sea level.

This mightiest of mountains has long captivated adventurers, and fascinated kids like my younger self, marvelling at pictures of frost-bitten explorers on the pages of National Geographic.

After years of dreaming, I finally find myself following in their Himalayan footsteps on a 15-day round trip with G Adventures, and am discovering just how tough – and how intoxicating – trekking at altitude could be.

Higher than most of the world’s mountains, Everest Base Camp sits at 5,364 metres, and to reach it is both a physical and mental challenge. “Believe you can do it, or you won’t,” says my Yoda-esque guide, Shanker Bhattrai, as we cross vertiginous suspension bridges fringed with fluttering Buddhist prayer flags, surrounded by humbling, snow-capped peaks.

Under a bright sun, tinkling yak bells and rumbling glacial rivers buoy me along, but as we climb higher, muscles scream, the air grows thin and doubts descend after dark. Arrival at Base Camp unleashes tears of elation, pain and relief. The mountains called and, seeking freedom and adventure, I went. Somewhere down the line, I hope you’ll hear them, too.

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Once, the summit of the world’s highest mountain, or even Everest Base Camp, were mythical realms reserved for super-human explorers. But fabulous travel companies, incredible porters and guides, and an avalanche of exciting new documentary films, are bringing those soaring pinnacles closer than ever.

The Alpinist, featuring Canadian climber Marc-André Leclerc; the upcoming Sir Ranulph Fiennes life-story, Explorer; and 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible, which follows Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja on his mission to summit all 14 of the world’s 8,000-metre peaks in seven months, are igniting sparks of adventure.

“I’m very proud that 14 Peaks is inspiring and motivating people to explore the world, dream big, and achieve their new possible,” the film’s protagonist, Nirmal Purja, told Selling Travel. On the week of the documentary’s release, Intrepid saw a 115% increase on visits to the website’s Everest Base Camp tour page compared to the previous week, highlighting its influence on viewers seeking a challenge.

Purja is the co-founder of Elite Exped, which runs expeditions across the Seven Summits, the highest mountains on each continent. He’s also established the Nimsdai Foundation and the Big Mountain Cleanup to help promote responsible trekking and climbing. “I believe the Big Mountains are for everyone, but we must protect and restore these fragile environments,” he says.

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Trend watching

james draven

Trailblazing in Bhutan

experience travel group

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Lauren at Everest Base Camp

Mike James, Operations Director at Exodus Travels, has noted the rise in demand.

“After two years with minimal travel, our customers are looking for trips that challenge, but also reward them,” he says.

“They’re choosing more active holidays, such as climbing Morocco’s Mount Toubkal, and we’re booking more walking trips than any other programme. In particular, our Europe trips are very popular.”

Trekking and mountaineering holidays are ticking many of our post-Covid travel boxes, offering the chance to escape the crowds, increase fitness levels, and get closer to nature.

“We’re now receiving strong demand for our Covid-friendly, camping-style expeditions in more remote regions of Nepal,” says Roland Hunter, Managing Director of The Mountain Company, which runs expeditions to the Himalaya and Karakoram.

For the local trekking crews who have been severely impacted by travel bans, the desire to run to the hills is welcome news.

“Trekking in Bhutan has been badly affected by Covid-19,” explains Founder of Bhutanese tour company, Blue Poppy Tours & Treks, Choki Dorji. The Himalayan Kingdom is open, but entry requires a 14-day quarantine. Dorji is hopeful that the spring reopening of the Trans Bhutan Trail will encourage trekkers to return.

“We use local horsemen on all our treks, which supports the local community.”

Mixing with the locals in Gold Harbour, South Georgia

What’s new

Top experiences

This ancient pilgrimage road, one of the best trekking routes in the world, will reopen in spring 2022 after being closed for six decades. The trail will support educational, cultural and environmental projects, with one tree planted for every international visitor. transbhutantrail.com Exodus Travels: Exodus has a new six-day guided walking holiday, in partnership with Rewilding Europe. The Rewilding the Apennines tour visits rewilding projects in and around Italy’s Abruzzo National Park, with profits helping to create wildlife corridors and support biodiversity restoration. exodus.co.uk Charitable Travel: With news that New Zealand could welcome back international travellers in July, Charitable Travel is offering a guided, four-day tour on the South Island, trekking the Queen Charlotte Track. The tour explores remote beaches, native forests and Maori culture. All bookings include a £40 donation to a charity of choice. charitable.travel Seven Travel: New, positive-impact luxury travel company SevenTravel has included an exciting trek across Argentina’s Perito Moreno Glacier on its 13-day Journey through Southern Patagonia, Argentina and Chile trip. Starting in Buenos Aires, the adventure also takes in an expedition cruise from Ushuaia and private trekking in Torres del Paine National Park. seventravel.co.uk

The Lost City pilgrimage: A seven-day trek with G Adventures leads travellers from Cusco along ancient Incan trails, through the Andes Mountains of Peru, to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Machu Picchu, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. gadventures.com Meet the mountain gorillas: A trek to see endangered mountain gorillas in Uganda or Rwanda is a true bucket-list experience. After an arduous trek through mountainous terrain in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, visitors are rewarded with a magical hour observing these great apes. windowsonthewild.com Walk the wilds of Scotland: The rugged Scottish island of Arran is made for a spirit-soaring, multi-day hike.

Arran is considered ‘Scotland in Miniature’, and a five-day guided tour with Wilderness Scotland reveals empty beaches, dramatic mountains, and Celtic cultural treasures. wildernessscotland.com

The Trans Bhutan Trail:

Where to book it The MOUNTAIN COMPANY A 25-day Saribung Pass and Summit Expedition, slated for October 2022, starts in Kathmandu and visits the remote Phu valley and Saribung La pass, with the option to summit Saribung Peak. The expedition costs from £4,150pp. For every booking made, 35 trees will be planted in Nepal. themountaincompany.co.uk •

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Four ways in the

Maldives Emma Diamond, a Gold Travel Counsellor, tours four Sun Siyam properties in the Maldives, enjoying barefoot luxury, reef snorkelling and much more

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t’s often the case that heavily photographed places don’t live up to expectations in real life. However, the Maldives truly took my breath away.

From my first glimpse through the seaplane window, seeing white-sand beaches nestled in crystal clear waters, I was struck by the world’s natural beauty.

Upon arrival at Sun Siyam Iru Veli we were instantly encouraged to embrace the Maldivian way of life. With sand between our toes, a cold towel and a drink in hand, the staff welcomed us with song and dance.

It was barefoot luxury and indulgence from the moment we stepped off the seaplane.

I’d best describe Iru Veli as intimate, Instagramable luxury. The island is small enough to stroll from one end to the other with ease and the staff know your cocktail of choice. Each modern villa has its own private pool with sweeping sea views.

Our stay was enhanced by an afternoon at a nearby sandbank, snorkelling on the most spectacular reef which was brimming with marine life. Both the hotel and its

surroundings are picture perfect.

The next stop was Sun Siyam Iru Fushi, such a contrast to Iru Veli. I came to realise that each island is distinct and offers something unique and different. Iru Fushi, traditional and tropical, is bigger and buzzing with nature. It feels like you’re in the jungle, outlined by beautiful beaches. Families would feel at home at Iru Fushi, and couples would be completely content knowing that the service, food and facilities are outstanding. I went scuba diving as a birthday treat and all I can say is that Iru Fushi is unforgettable.

It was a short hop via speedboat on to Siyam World, a brand-new resort on one of the Maldives’ largest islands, Dhigurah. It’s a combination of the lush surroundings at Iru Fushi and the fresh, modern feel at Iru Veli. What sets it apart is that from most

of the villas you can slide straight into the turquoise waters below. My inner child could not stop smiling and it became clear that “fun” was the focus here. A paradise playground for all ages.

Our final and my favourite stay was at Sun Siyam Olhuveli on South Malé Atoll. Consisting of three islands connected via bridges, it offers something for everyone and features the very best of the other resorts all rolled into one. Watching the rich marine life from my water villa was a personal highlight, alongside the delicious food, attentive staff, great entertainment and stunning views. An excursion to swim with nurse sharks and turtles topped off the week. My only complaint? That I couldn’t stay forever.

MALDIVES

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12 / Four-sight

The world is opening up Our columnists are full of optimism as we are released fom all Covid restrictions and worldwide travel is in demand once more

February started well with a surge of enquiries and, as the month went on, people actually went on to book! More importantly, clients who had originally planned to travel in March/April 2020 were rebooked to 2022 and asked to make final balance payments – and all my clients paid up! Flights and rail are booked and if all goes to plan I’ll have some happy clients!

The new problem agents face is the waiting time to get through to tour operators and flight consolidators as so many are now short of trained reservation staff. Good people on the phones to help convert enquiries are vital – website bookings only go so far. Company

Sandy can’t wait to get Real people on back to Crete the phones are vital – website bookings only go so far Liz has booked Corfu for June

Directors need to make this a priority above all else – forget conferences, awards, fancy fams and answer your phones!

However, just as things start to look more positive, it’s frustrating to hear of some leading tour operators deciding to reduce their agent partners to a bare minimum as they decide to ‘go direct”.

In happier news I’m off to the Nile for a week-long cruise. I have had a few clients go there over the last six weeks and hope to have more big-spending clients.

New bookings for worldwide destinations are becoming more frequent At very long last it seems like business is getting back to where I would like it to be.

I have an almost full team, customers are happy to pay their balances, (despite some postponing since March 2020) and new bookings are coming in every day.

But then there is Putin, who has just done something very stupid. It looks like us agents are going to have to cope with some more disruptions!

New bookings for worldwide destinations are becoming more frequent too, with popular destinations being Canada, USA an, Dubai .

And this week we have booked a couple of trips to Australia, now that borders have reopened, and have also taken a booking for Sri Lanka too.

Customers are appreciating the additional support we can give them with their online forms, testing and paperwork preparation before travel.

Long may this appreciation last!

I’m looking forward to a trip with Explore Holidays to Jordan in mid-March and I have also booked to go to Krakow in April and Corfu in June. I’ve even renewed my annual travel insurance policy – things must be looking up!

THE CRUISE SPECIALIST

THE HIGH STREET AGENCY

Go Cruise, Cruise specialist, Worcestershire

The Travel Team Brampton, Cumbria

James Hill

Liz Beaty

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` Customers are happy to commit and pay the final balance ´ I must admit that I have just about stopped watching the news – no one seems to know what they are talking about and travel is hardly mentioned these days.

I find the daily emails from ABTA very informative. They have kept our industry updated throughout the pandemic.

I was particularly interested in ABTA’s new guidance to help agents incorporate sustainability in their business practices.

ABTA want members to think about three things when it comes to sustainability: (1) What we can do in our own business operations (2) Exploring sustainability in our supply chain and (3) engage our customers. The guidance also includes case studies on what the industry is doing, including agents, tour operators and other suppliers. I know many of my clients think being sustainable in travel is more important now (as I do). We have to show our customers how they can make a difference on holiday.

Things certainly seem much more positive, especially as more countries are opening their doors again. I’ve just booked my neighbour to go to Australia for a month and I can’t wait to go back to Crete.

Many clients think being sustainable in 2022 is important

James is off on a Nile cruise

Liz will visit Jordan on an Explore fam trip in March

Sandy and Liz have both booked Australia

Krakow town centre is the city break of choice for Liz Next issue: Will fly-andflop be king this summer or are clients seeking more adventurous trips?

THE HOME WORKER

Sandy Murray

Sandy's Travel Escapes

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14 / Top ten...

Community tourism in

Latin America JAMIE LAFFERTY, GUYANA TOURISM AUTHORITY

Incorporating a visit to indigenous communities can provide an authentic travel experience whilst making a positive difference, says Jessica Pook

Peru: On the shores of Peru’s Lake Titicaca is Titilaka, a luxury lodge with social sustainability at its heart. A percentage of the property’s revenue is earmarked for social projects that benefit the local community. It places particular importance on youth empowerment and education, offering free English lessons and paid internships for local students. Profits also go towards supporting local Taquile families. Guests are encouraged to visit the local communities and artisans. andean-experience.com Ecuador: Masphi Lodge, a centre for conservation in the heart of the Ecuadorian cloud forest, has partnered with Rainforest Connection to introduce ten ‘Forest Guardians’ – solar-powered mobile recording systems – to monitor endangered species in the reserve and detect sounds of illegal deforestation and poaching. From

spring 2022, guests will have the chance to join Mashpi’s team of local conservationists in the lab and head out on nature walks . metropolitan-touring.com Argentina: A new seven-night Estancia Los Potreros’ tour from The Ultimate Travel Company offers an insight into the traditional gaucho culture ingrained within Argentine history. Clients will learn the ways of a gaucho horseman, from cooking lessons to perfecting the lasso.

They will ride under wide-open Argentine skies before retreating to a family owned and run working estancia (cattle ranch). theultimatetravelcompany.co.uk.

Guyana: The local Makushi community in Surama, a village in the North Rupununi area of Guyana, offers activities for guests that includes multi-day hikes and camping expeditions, river canoe trips, wildlife-watching, visits to community

school centres and traditional celebrations.

The Surama eco-lodge provides comfortable accommodation built by local craftsmen while the Makushi tribe also has two camps on the Burro Burro River, offering a base for expeditions. Roughly 60% of the community’s income is sustainably generated through tourism-related activities. suramaecolodge.com Costa Rica: Guests staying at Nayara Gardens in the Costa Rican rainforest can support the local community with an organised visit to browse the handmade arts and crafts of the Maleko indigenous population. Foodies can get a taste of the country’s locally-grown produce with a trip to a coffee plantation combined with visiting a family-run chocolate farm. There’s also an option to visit the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge to see crocodiles, toucans and iguana. nayaragardens.com

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JAMIE LAFFERTY, GUYANA TOURISM AUTHORITY

ROBERTO CARLOS ROMAN DON

Top ten... /

Ecuadorian Amazon: Guests looking for a really unique experience can live amongst the indigenous Kichwa Anangu community deep in the Ecuadorian Amazon.

Set within the Yasuni National Park, the Napo Cultural Centre is a community-run lodge built on a sustainable eco-tourism model with all profits reinvested in renewable energy, education and health care for the local community. There is also an interpretative centre, where visitors can spend time with the women of the community, learning about customs, rituals and traditions including dance and cooking. rainbowtours.co.uk Mexico: Get to know the indigenous people who work and live in Puebla whilst enjoying some authentic Mexican cooking on this traditional Puebla Street food tour by Tours by Locals. Guided by Alejandra, a Puebla state local and

accredited guide, groups will make their way through numerous local eats and family-run restaurants, sampling the food that put the city on the map – such as Taco Arabe, Cemita and Molote. Every mouthful comes with a history lesson and each group leaves with a secret recipe to make the best mole and chiles en nogada. toursbylocals.com Colombia: Colombian-based Wiwa tours invites travellers to explore The Lost City of Teyuna, the archaeological ruins of a sacred civilisation in Colombia’s Sierra Nevada region. The four-day trek is led by an indigenous guide. Guests learn about the flora and fauna and are offered insights into the native people’s roles as custodians of the earth, as well as learning local community practices such as energy cleansing. wiwatour.com Costa Rica: The 14-day Ultimate Osa Peninsula trip from Pura Adventura

invites visitors to join the conservationists, farmers, naturalists and native Ticos of Costa Rica, staying at the remote La Sirena Ranger station in the Corcavado National Park. The tour contributes to the Peninsula’s conservation efforts by joining a team at Matapalo, a vitally important breeding ground for sea turtles. pura-aventura.com Chile: Located on an organic farm in southern Chile’s Lake District – which is the heart of the Mapuche people’s indigenous homeland – andBeyond Vira Vira supports the nearby Quelhue Elementary School by providing essential supplies and hosting conservation classes for the children. Guests visit a traditional Ruka house for a home-cooked meal, followed by the opportunity to learn about the region’s unique methods of weaving on a wooden loom. staybeyondgreen.com •

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Venture outside in

British Columbia British Columbia is packed with breathtaking scenery and wildlife, but also packs a punch with its heritage and apres ski offerings, says Charlotte Flach Why sell it With its vast landscapes dotted with verdant greenery, imposing mountain ranges and fringed by the dramatic Pacific coastline, British Columbia, Canada’s westernmost province, champions the concept of the great outdoors year-round.

With a growing trend for open spaces and peace and quiet on holiday, travellers will be drawn to the region’s unrivalled nature escapes. But those who enjoy dipping their toes into a destination’s rich history and culture scene, won’t be left disappointed either.

Not only is British Columbia very safe for tourists, it offers a transformational experience, says Lisa Cooper, Account Director at Destination British Columbia.

“Visitors will experience The ‘BC Effect’; that is what we call what happens to us when we experience the awe-inspiring power of British Columbia’s nature and unique culture.”

Who to sell to Cooper recommends the destination for couples, especially those who are in the over-45 age group.

“It’s also ideal for families with older children, for example, as a last family holiday before children move out of home

Whistler in bloom

Paddling in the Kootenay Rockies

or go away to university,” she says. Whilst outdoor enthusiasts looking for adventure will love the range of hikes, water activities and wintersport options.

Cooper advises agents to work with specialist tour operators for these kinds of trips as they will have a variety of sample itineraries and can pre-book activities and wildlife tours. “Play the long game – it may take time to convert a booking with itinerary changes, but it will be worth it.”

Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park

What to sell With its ten distinct mountain ranges, over 25,000km of rugged Pacific coastline and with close to 25% of the world’s temperate rainforest, Mother Nature is in full force in British Columbia.

“Mountain experiences range from the Coastal Mountains, where the Pacific is overlooked by towering cliffs, to the eastern alpine playgrounds of the Canadian Rockies and beyond,” says Cooper. “Even urban areas are flanked by snow-capped mountains, providing a sublime backdrop to a city break.”

Chic boutique hotel The Larix recently opened in downtown Kimberley, between the Purcell and Rocky mountains, and with easy access to craft brewery Grist & Mash, it makes for a great base.

Travellers can visit the Great Bear Rainforest or explore a multitude of rare and unique wildlife experiences and encounters. Orca, whales, seals, sea lions, and porpoises call the oceans home here,

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When to sell As always, it’s important to book early, as availability at Bear Lodges often sell out, says Cooper. “For better availability, encourage clients to travel in June for posthibernation bear viewing with their cubs.

September is the peak season for bear viewing to coincide with the salmon run.”

The ski season runs from late November to April, with early booking offers often available between June and August.

The ‘Powder Highway’- a circular route through the Kootenay Rockies - has a huge concentration of ski resorts and apres ski.

Winter enthusiasts can wind down in the new Apres Apres cocktail bar in Whistler whilst adrenalin-seekers will love the new heli-ski destination CMH Purcel.

What’s new?

Resident bear Fishing for salmon in Ucluelet

while bears including the White Kermode ‘Spirit’ Bear, Grizzlies, and Black Bears roam the forested areas.

An array of popular sporting and leisure activities includes golf and fishing, while niche activities such as ranching can also be booked.

How to sell

Vancouver at sunset

An RV makes for a great road trip

“British Columbia is predominantly a road trip destination – either by car or RV,” advises Cooper. Options include the Sea-to-Sky Highway along the coast from Vancouver to Whistler and the famous Route 97, North America’s longest continuous north-south highway, stretching through British Columbia’s orchard and wine region – the Okanagan Valley – and on to Alaska.

“I also recommend Trans-Canada Highway 1 for big mountains, high octane views and outdoor adventures,” she adds.

This can all be combined with other modes of transport, such as a rail trip or Alaskan cruise along the Inside Passage.

“VIA Rail offers two routes from the coast to the Canadian Rockies, one starting in Vancouver, the other in Prince Rupert. And Rocky Mountaineer offers three scenic routes from Vancouver to Jasper and Banff in the Canadian Rockies,” says Cooper.

Indigenous experiences also abound.

“Indigenous heritage and culture are an innate part of the province and many customs have carried on through history and remain a huge part of British Columbia,” says Cooper.

Klahoose Wilderness Resort is a new allinclusive eco-resort, and British Columbia’s newest Indigenous cultural experience.

Or there’s a new Talking Trees tour at the Squamish Lil’Wat Cultural Centre in Whistler, guided by Lil’wat Elderand Plant Specialist Lucille Joseph. The tour focuses on Indigenous wellness practices that have been used for thousands of years.

Those in need of a tipple can visit The Okanagan’s newest winery, Crown & Thieves, serving charcuterie and cocktails and also offering the Salt & Thieves restaurant plus a self-guided tour and delectable tasting experience.

For wildlife at its best, Homalco Wildlife & Cultural Tours has launched a Whales, Wildlife and Culture Tour, which combines wildlife sightseeing – including humpback whales, orcas, dolphins, sea lions and bald eagles – alongside an Indigenous storytelling and exploration of culturally significant sites. • Book it with... Premier Holidays Premier Holidays offers a 12-night Rockies & Wildlife of British Columbia self-drive itinerary from £2,899pp. The trip includes flights to Vancouver with Air Canada, accommodation throughout and 11 days compact car hire with GPS. premierholidays.co.uk

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The beaches of

Gran Canaria Vibe with the locals or retreat from the hustle and bustle on one of Gran Canaria’s many, and varied, beaches.

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olcanic rock pools and hidden coves only accessible by boat, dot the Gran Canaria landscape. One of the island’s most outstanding features however is its golden sandy beaches. If it’s for sunbathing or a dip in the ocean, here are the best spots to recommend.

Covering 400 hectares, Maslomas Dunes, with it’s oasis and fresh water lagoon, is also flecked with the eponymous sand dunes. Visitors will be spoilt for choice, as the UNESCO protected nature reserve features some of the best beaches on Gran Canaria, including Playa del Ingles.

Masplomas Dunes

Meloneras

On the island’s southernmost tip, sand blown from the sea bed during the ice age now forms the desert that lies there today.

To the west of Masplomas Lighthouse, the bustling and newly developed Meloneras promenade stretches for two kilometres. It’s luxurious four and five star hotels are complemented by bars,cafes and restaurants offering a plethora of global cuisines.

The highlight is its two beaches at each end of the promenade, Masplomas and Meloneras, both favourites with discerning locals. Brave a dip in the Atlantic or slap on the suncream for a sunbathing session on the tranquil sands.

At night, Meloneras bursts into life, with live music which can be enjoyed with a cool glass of wine whilst watching the sunset over the ocean.

Anfi del Mar

Fringed with fronds of coconut palms and carpeted with 11,000 tons of sand as pristine as snow, Anfi Beach serves a slice of inspiration from more tropical lands.

Originally known as Playa de la Verga, this resort was built in the 1990s by a Norwegian businessman who wanted to recreate the Caribbean in the Canaries.

Located in a protected lagoon, flanked by a pier on one side and a heart-shaped island and marina on the other, its calm waters are ideal for snorkelling. Kayaks, paddleboards, jet skis and small boats can all be rented and the depths of the sea can be explored on a glass bottom boat.

Amadores

Even further west, Amadores Beach sits in a curved bay, overlooked by imposing cliffs.

Created in 2002, this resort is a welcome respite from the busier Puerto Rico.

Its position in a cove means waters are tranquil, protected from the rolling Atlantic waves, and excellent for paddling and swimming while the coral sands allow for

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sunbathing. This is the spot for peace and quiet, with a ban on loud music and beach games, plus its one kilometre length means it never gets overcrowded. An oceanfront walk along the cliff between Amadores and Puerto Rico offers stunning coastal views.

Puerto de Mogan

The mouth of a steep valley reveals the seaside village of Puerto de Mogan, its charming white buildings nestled into the mountain landscape of the southern coast. A network of canals and bridges with vibrant subtropical flowers form its own Little Venice.

A fishing port and yacht marina are joined by a sandy beach, protected by the port and breakwater. Families can swim and sunbathe in safety, or try snorkelling in the shallow sea. Larger marine life, including whale watching, can be experienced by taking a yellow submarine or a boat trip from the marina. There are also deep-sea fishing expeditions for keen anglers, plus nearby isolated coves and rock pools to explore.

Güi Güi

Grab your hiking boots or sweet talk a local fisherman to transport you to the remote, deserted beaches of Güi Güi Grande and Güi Güii Chico. Situated on the west coast, the tough two-hour hike is rewarded with crystalline waters and some of the best sunsets in Gran Canaria.

Güi Güi Grande is only 350 metres long, named after the size of the barranco or canyon, rather than the beach. Güi Güii Chico, almost twice as big, is just south of its little neighbour and is reached by scrambling over the rocks.

Changing with the seasons, the beaches are sandiest in the summer months, and fade from existence during winter.

Agaete Natural Pools

North of Güi is the tiny fishing village of Puerto de Las Nieves, a cluster of blue and white Canarian houses. The harbour, Paseo de los Poetas, is lined with restaurants, craft shops and galleries, up to the natural pools of Las Salinas.

For centuries, they were used to harvest

salt, but are now popular with swimmers.

The nearby Maipés Archaeological Park, situated on a great lava flow at the foot of the Pinar de Tamadaba, is where the Guanches, Gran Canaria’s original inhabitants, chose to honour their dead.

There are over 700 tombs, including huge burial mounds constructed with volcanic stones, dating from around 1,300 years ago.

Las Canteras

The capital, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is home to Las Canteras, one of the best urban beaches in Europe. Starting in the north at La Puntilla, the beach is populated by fishing boats, with surfers riding the waves at La Cicer, its southern end. A natural offshore lava reef acts as a wave break, protecting the marine life that makes Las Canteras a top snorkelling spot.

It’s also packed with shops, openair restaurants, ice cream parlours, with street entertainers providing ambience.

Only the bravest will join the locals for a leap of faith, diving into the sea from the Peña La Vieja rock. •

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beach is back With beach holidays topping the wish list of many in 2022, Europe’s easily accessible and family-friendly coastal spots are in demand, says Charlotte Flach

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s the waves roar and throw themselves against the ancient boulders, I balance precariously on a rock that juts out above the roiling surf. The seaspray flecks my face as I gaze out at a dark sky, which mirrors the fine grains of ebony sand of the surrounding stretch of volcanic beach.

As I look out, I feel like I am completely alone in this sublime landscape, subject to the elements which churn ominously around me. I’m standing on a deserted beach, on the remote northern reaches of

Secluded cove in ALCUDIA, Majorca

Lanzarote. There isn’t another soul around and the scene in front of me is a far cry from most beaches I’ve visited before. Granted this might not be everyone’s idea of an amazing beach experience, but I find it totally thrilling.

Clients might prefer to switch moody beachscapes for sun-soaked sands and calm shallows for deep sea diving, but the good news is that agents can cater to just about any request when it comes to a beach break in Europe.

Strong contenders For many clients, “sun, sea and sand” will be the criteria for this year and Europe delivers this in abundance. Malta is a sure sell for year-round sunshine, Greece offers island-hopping appeal for variety, Croatia has glassy-clear waters and the Spanish isles remain a familiar favourite for Brits.

Unlike further-flung destinations such as the Caribbean or the Indian Ocean, shorthaul flights make sandy beaches more accessible, especially for family or multigenerational trips.

There’s an influx of grandparents booking breaks with their children and grandchildren, mostly to the Mediterranean for summer 2022, according to ABTA’s latest travel trends report.

Research from Accor Hotels suggests that fly-and-flop holidays are in high demand with beach holidays topping the wish list for 2022. The survey found that 31% of respondents are planning sun and sand getaways for this year and over half (51%) of those surveyed said they intend to keep their travels within Europe.

“Europe is always a great spot for a beach holiday because it’s easily accessible, particularly for families. For example, Malta has year-round sunshine, and can be reached by plane in just over three hours,” says Natalie Swinburne, Trade Marketing Manager, UK & Ireland for Visit Malta.

“Customers are booking holidays in their numbers, with both the Balearics and the Canaries performing very well,” adds Alan Cross, Head of Trade Sales at Jet2holidays.

“Short flight times and the wide variety of accommodation on offer to suit families,

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black sand of Benijo beach, Tenerife

clients are looking to fly and flop this summer

couples or groups means they are among the top-selling beach resorts in Europe.”

Greece With stretches of pristine sandy coastline, whitewashed seaside towns and harbourside tavernas, Greece and its neighbouring islands tick all the boxes for a beach holiday in Europe.

Aside from pent-up demand following numerous lockdowns and restrictions, travellers are opting for high-end breaks, meaning there is good commission to be made and great upselling opportunities.

“We’re finding that the big four- and fivestar properties are selling really well at the moment, and it’s the family rooms that are disappearing fast,” says Michael Vinales, MD at Olympic Holidays. “With the easing of testing and restrictions, people know demand is high and are confident to book ahead of time and they’re also upgrading.”

Whilst Santorini and Mykonos have become known for attracting luxury lovers, there’s plenty of opportunity to escape the tourist traps.

Golden sands on Gozo

“Smaller, lesser-known islands like Symi and Halki have some of the clearest waters around with superb small and deserted beaches. Shipwreck Beach on Zante is always popular and the Greek island of Alonissos sits in a marine park – a great add on to a beach break,” adds Vinales.

Sell it: Olympic Holidays is offering a ninenight island hopping holiday from £1,155pp based on two people travelling. Includes B&B accommodation, return flights to London-Gatwick airport, baggage and all connecting transfers. Departs May 8, 2022 olympicholidays.com

Spanish islands The Canaries and the Balearic islands continue to be firm favourites while Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, Tenerife and Gran Canaria in the Canaries cater well to families with a wide selection of accommodation options on a variety of board basis. These rugged volcanic isles are known for their black- and white-sand beaches, with rock pools and hidden coves perfect for young explorers. Gran Canaria

Overlooking the walled city of Dubrovnik in croatia

“Customers are really looking to indulge themselves this year. As such, there has been a rise in sales for all all-inclusive package holidays to Majorca” Alan Cross, Head of Trade Sales, Jet2holidays

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Discover more on Europe at sellingtravel.co.uk/articles

hilltop views on Ios, Greece

zante, greece, is home to shipwreck beach

even has an 18-hole beachfront golf course, Maspalomas, which is surrounded by the dunes nature reserve.

Many clients are seeking more tranquil settings across the Balearic Islands. “It’s clear that customers are looking to get away from it all as we are also seeing strong growth in typically quieter resorts such as Cala Llonga, Cala Gracio and Cala Millor in Ibiza, despite it being known as a party island,” says Jet2holidays’ Cross.

Package holidays are also currently doing well, he adds. “Customers are really looking to indulge themselves this year. As such, there has been a rise in sales for all-inclusive package holidays to Majorca.

“Agents should recommend one of over 40 new properties we have introduced across the Balearics for summer 2022, including a range of adult-only resorts and properties that are part of our Luxe Collection and VIBE

by Jet2holidays portfolio.”

Sell it: Jet2holidays is offering seven nights half board, staying at the four-star Dreams Calvia Resort, departing from Manchester on May 13, 2022. Priced from £689pp, the deal includes a 22kg baggage allowance and return transfers. jet2holidays.com

Jumping into the Coral Lagoon, Malta

Croatia There are beaches on the banks of many of mainland Croatia’s cities. Although most are pebble, for sandy shores agents can recommend Paradise Beach on the island of Rab, Bačvice Beach in Split, Saharun Beach on Dugi Otok, Lumbarda on Korčula, and Kukljica on the island of Ugljan.

Clients will find a secluded stretch at Cape Kamenjak, in the south of Istria. It has many hidden coves and islets with sandy and stone beaches, while Lubenice Beach is situated in a hidden cove and surrounded by the steep cliffs of the island of Cres.

For exceptional levels of privacy, Stiniva Cove on the island of Vis is by far the most famous secluded Croatian beach. “It is very difficult to reach by land, but sailors often come here to enjoy the silence and the calm sea,” says Darija Reić, Director at the Croatian National Tourist Office.

Clients should visit the ‘European Great Wall of China’ in Ston, one of the longest defensive walls in the world, and sample local delicacies including oysters and mussels from Malostonski bay, and wines from Dingač and Postup.

Sell it: TruTravels offers an eight-day island-

hopping ‘Croatia Sailing Adventure’ priced from £766.50pp, starting and ending in Split. trutravels.com

Malta Malta, Gozo and Comino offer islandhopping opportunities and a holiday that combines beach lounging with other activities. “More people are looking to enjoy their hobbies on holiday, and they can have the best of both worlds when it comes to exploring the destination and also relaxing,” says Visit Malta’s Swinburne.

With shipwrecks and clear waters, Malta is one of Europe’s best spots for diving. It’s also home to the Blue Lagoon on Comino, with its azure waters. Tell clients to visit in the early morning to beat the crowds.

Along with diving and history, the island is known for its food. Visitors can test out the new Beefbar at The Phoenicia hotel, or visit Michelin-starred Bahia at The Corinthia Palace hotel, when it opens in April.

Top tip: Recommend a visit to Gozo, and watch the world go by in Victoria Square.

Intrepid Travel has introduced a Highlights of Malta and Gozo tour, from £976pp. intrepidtravel.com •

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Culture-rich

Lisbon With charismatic streets and a laid-back approach to life, Portugal’s hilly capital makes for an effortlessly cool city break, says Jessica Pook Day 1: Take the tram Morning: The best way to see the city and get your bearings is by taking the 28 tram from Praça Martim Moniz. Grab a coffee and enjoy the narrow hilly streets and colourful neighbourhoods. On the return journey, hop off in Alfama and head towards the lookout point at Portas do Sol for a picture-perfect view of Lisbon. Keen historians can explore Castelo de São Jorge, a fortress dating back to the Fifth century.

Afternoon: Head towards Praça do Comércio, the central harbour-facing plaza, and enjoy a glass of the Douro’s finest wine whilst indulging in some peoplewatching. When hunger strikes venture to the Time Out Market in Cais do Sodré. Here

you’ll find a variety of food outlets and market vendors serving everything from sushi to burgers. Visitors can also take part in cooking classes and catch live music.

Evening: Do as the locals do and chat over a shot of ginjinha (a sour cherry liqueur) from one of the tiny hole-in-the-wall bars. A Ginjinha Espinheira in Rossio claims to be one of the first to sell the local tipple.

Arrive hungry for a seafood feast at Cervejaria Ramiro, a favourite with locals and TV chefs including Rick Stein and the sadly departed Anthony Bourdain. Enjoy buttersoft langoustine and giant tiger prawns. End the evening with a cocktail overlooking the twinkling city at Entretanto Rooftop Bar.

Canary yellow tram 28

Book it with... easyJet Holidays easyJet Holidays offers a two-night stay at the four-star Memmo Alfama including breakfast from £213pp. The package includes return flights from Gatwick. Guests will enjoy the outdoor pool and central location. easyjet.com

lively Pink Street

Day 2: Local eats flaky pastiche de nata

A hilly city makes for great views

Morning: It’s time to indulge in Portugal’s most famous sweet treat – the pastiche de nata. These golden egg custard tarts can be found in every bakery across the city, but if you are on the hunt for the perfect pastiche then take the 28 tram to Campo de Ourique and seek out Aloma.

This quaint cafe has won the award for best pastiche de nata in Lisbon three times!

Afternoon: Whilst in Campo de Ourique, make time to wander the streets and admire the mesmerising tiled buildings, a feature that can be seen across Lisbon on its houses, shops and restaurants. These polished ceramics were introduced by the Moors and still decorate

many of Portugal’s cities including Lisbon, Porto, and Lagos. Stop at the Campo de Ourique Market for lunch and browse the food hall, snacking on freshly baked bread and tinned fish - a Portuguese staple.

Evening: Hop back on the tram and head to Taberna Tosca for a feast of Portuguese tapas. Gorge on the burnt chorizo and Portugal’s signature codfish pancakes whilst listening to live traditional Fado music. For a nightcap, head to lively Pink Street for quirky bars and seating spilling out into the street.

If you have more time in Lisbon, take a day trip to Sintra to see colourful palaces in the hills of the Serra de Sintra.•

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Indigenous cultures

in Alberta Alberta is home to a multitude of Indigenous peoples. Here are some of the most authentic ways to learn about their cultures

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he diversity of Alberta is mirrored in its Indigenous peoples who have lived on its lands for time immemorial. Each Indigenous group has its own history, culture and traditions, its own knowledge keepers and sacred places.

Métis Crossing The unique culture of the Métis people is celebrated and shared through hands-on activities, crafts and food at Métis Crossing, northeast of Edmonton. Follow costumed interpreters through a traditional harvesting camp, and experience a river lot farmyard with homesteads and gardens. Then visit the museum, enjoy craft and skills demonstrations and take a voyageur canoe experience. Clients can choose to stay overnight in a replica Métis Trapper Tent or brand-new boutique-style lodge. From autumn 2022, spend the night in a year-round star-watching pod.

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arriors ranch ted W

Exploring the rock art at Writing on stone

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump

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The Blackfoot name for Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park is “Áísínai´pi,” which means “it is pictured/written.” The UNESCO World Heritage Site has the largest collection of First Nation petroglyphs (rock carvings) and pictographs (rock paintings) on the great plains of North America. The Blackfoot people believe the hoodoo landscape at Áísínai´pi is home to powerful spirits that write their truths on the rocks, and in the past young warriors came here to fast and pray on vision quests.

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Writing-on-Stone

It may not have the most romantic name, but Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump in southwest Alberta is an important archaeological site. It is one of the world’s oldest and best-preserved buffalo jumps, and also has UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

For nearly 6,000 years, Indigenous hunters used their knowledge of the land and bison behaviour to chase them over the precipice.

There’s an onsite museum to explore, too.

Painted Warriors Ranch There are three recognised Indigenous groups in Canada: Metis are of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry, Inuit originate from the Arctic region and First Nations peoples were the original inhabitants of Canada.

Interpreter Leader at Metis Crossing

Located outside Sundre, in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies, Painted Warriors Ranch offers a variety of outdoor adventures rooted in Indigenous ways of knowing, learning and experiencing the wilderness. The 82-acre ranch offers animal tracking, showshoeing, horseback riding, forest walks and archery, as well as multi-day outdoor training programmes and equine training. Spend the night glamping in an authentic Métis Trapper Tent and wake up to views of the Rocky Mountains. •

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Silver

service From culinary excellence to exclusive shore excursions, luxury cruising is all about elevating the guest experience, says Jane Archer

lunCh on the terraCe with SilverSea

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nd still the dishes keep coming!

I reckon we’ve munched our way through seven courses and the waitress piling food on the table assures us there is more to come.

I’d say stop, except the food is so delicious and the experience so authentic, I don’t want it to. Authentic is exactly what Silversea promised when it launched SALT (Sea and Land Taste), a programme that showcases local cultures to passengers through food and wine experiences on board and ashore. Our Cyprus tour, with wine-tasting and the mezza feast at Ampelothea Tavern in Omodos village, fits the bill perfectly.

The line is so proud of SALT it even designed its newest cruise ship, Silver Moon, around it. Lucky me! I’m on one of its first cruises, a sailing in Greece

and Cyprus, to sample it all – literally!

I’ve dined in the SALT Kitchen – a restaurant serving up dishes local to the places you’re visiting – and prepared tasty lamb kleftikos in the SALT Lab, a kitchen where passengers sharpen up their cooking skills and learn the origins of the dishes they are making.

My mixing, stirring and browning was spiced up with a story of invading Ottomans and Greek freedom fighters (klephts). Naturally I also frequented the SALT Bar to try local cocktails shaken by the resident mixologists.

The SALT experience also includes foodrelated talks and cooking demos (and tastings!), but of course it’s all optional. If you prefer, feel free to skip the SALT stuff and relax instead by the pool with a glass of fizz. After all, it’s included in the price.

Understanding luxury Agents looking to succeed in the luxury sector need to understand that ‘luxury’ means different things to people. It’s a combination of factors, explains

MCS at oCean Cayy Marine reServe

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Argostoli, Greece

Seize Your Chance to Save on a New Exploration!

Here is a special offer to inspire your next adventure. Save up to 15%* and receive $500 Onboard Credit* on a wide variety of voyages sailing from 7th January 2022 to 5th May 2023. That’s of course on top of our inclusive amenities such as included gratuities, select beverages, exclusive cultural events and more.

Glide along the deep turquoise waters of Melissani Lake inside the rocky caves of Argostoli, Greece. Wander through a secluded art gallery in Tallinn, Estonia, tucked into cellars below a medieval monastery. Or enjoy a round of drinks at the Swedish bar built from ice and kept at a bracing -7 degrees Celsius 365 days a year.

Take advantage and save when you book by 31st March 2022.

For further details, visit: ClubAzamara.co.uk and Azamara.co.uk/Save15

Explore Further

SM

*Savings and Onboard Credit are available on select voyages only. Offer available on selected 2022 & 2023 voyages until 31st March 2022. See website for full details and Terms & Conditions.

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MSC’s spa with a view

“Space, attentive service, all-inclusive prices and the ability to really immerse yourself in the destination are the drivers of real luxury” Peter Shanks, UK Managing Director Silversea

A SALT Wine tasting experience

Peter Shanks, Silversea’s UK Managing Director. He says: “Space, attentive service, all-inclusive prices and the ability to really immerse yourself in the destination are the drivers of real luxury.”

The sector – February’s demise of Crystal Cruises, which unceremoniously shuttered its doors, not withstanding – has expanded enormously in recent years. This spring alone, Silversea, Celebrity Cruises, Azamara and Seabourn are adding to the luxury fleet; in 2023, there’s more from Silversea, Scenic and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, while MSC enters the sector with Explora I, the first ship in its new Explora Journeys brand.

On the rivers, APT’s new Mekong Serenity launches in Asia in July 2022.

Increased competition has forced cruise lines to elevate the luxury experience.

Passengers now enjoy butlers, larger suites, two-storey villas, private dining and more included in the price. Starting this year, Silversea includes flights and tours; Celebrity Cruises’ new Always Included Scenic Eclipse offers helicopter rides and submarine tours

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day trip swimming in the shallows

prices take care of drinks, Wi-Fi and tips.

A Mundy Cruising survey among luxury customers found many plan to book higher-grade cabins than before the pandemic. “After so many missed moments, we’ve come to realise how powerful and meaningful travel is,” says Celebrity Vice-president and Managing Director EMEA Jo Rzymowska.

Scenic, which offers river and ocean cruises, is among several lines that use exclusive tours and events to elevate the experience. “[We take] guests on a deeper cultural immersion, offering unforgettable once-in-a-lifetime memories,” says Director, Global Brand and Marketing, Nichola Absalom.

With so much competition and so much included, agents can confidently sell luxury cruises as great value compared to high-end land-based resorts. Shanks advises them to sell the dual attraction of seeing lots of places on one holiday with everything included and none of the travel hassle.

What’s new

Product: AquaClass SkySuites that come with free and unlimited access to a thermal suite, complimentary fitness classes and a restaurant called Blu devoted to healthy eating, make their debut on Celebrity Cruises’ new ship Celebrity Beyond, which launches in April with a focus on the mind, body and soul.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises is promoting relaxation, with a new sunroom-style conservatory complete with two chaise longues in the massive Regent Suite on Seven Seas Grandeur, launching in 2023.

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top six sailings Regent Seven Seas cruises provide plenty of space onboard

Vista, Oceania Cruises’ first new ship for more than a decade, will have three Owner’s Suites furnished by Ralph Lauren Home that span the width of the vessel. Two new restaurants serve dining classics and healthy dishes.

SALT-themed food experiences and wellness the indulgent Otium way feature on Silver Nova, Silversea’s new ship launching July 2023.

Trade Incentives: Oceania Cruises’ OLife Choice Rewards gives travel partners points based on bookings that can be swapped for Amazon, John Lewis, Waitrose, Buyagift or Yumbles vouchers. oceaniarewards.com Scenic is giving away points with every ocean or river cruise booking in March and April that can be exchanged for Mulberry Handbags, Fortnum and Mason hampers and more. riverrewards.cruises Entertainment: Cunard has partnered with the Royal Shakespeare Company to bring the works of the Bard to life in Queen Mary 2’s theatre and host workshops for passengers who fancy a future on the

Silversea SALT Tasting menu

new luxury superyacht Emerald Azzura

stage. Seabourn’s new Latin Quarter show on Seabourn Ovation brings to life the dances and music of Latin America. New classical deck concert Serenade will play during sailaways.

Excursions: Scenic has added an exclusive after-hours trip to Les Bassins de Lumières in Bordeaux, to its 11-day Beautiful Bordeaux river cruise. The attraction, in World War Two submarine pens, wows visitors with major works of art reflected onto the walls of four enormous basins.

Evening canal cruises in Amsterdam and a private reception at Cochem Castle are among five new ‘Nights Out’ excursions from Uniworld River Cruises on the Danube, Po, Rhine and Moselle Rivers.

Where to book it Scenic – 0161 236 2444 Scenic’s six-star discovery yacht, Scenic Eclipse, will sail a 14-day cruise from Punta Arenas in Costa Rica to Callao in Peru departing October 10, 2022.

Prices from £9,440pp. scenic.co.uk •

Yacht Club Exterior Dining onboard scenic sapphire

Coastal cruising: Riviera Travel has new one-week cruises exploring Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast round-trip from Split on 30-passenger yacht Mendula and include e-bike tours and ATV trips. rivieratravel.co.uk Over the top: Seabourn will sail an epic 26-day expedition through the Northeast Passage from Tromso to Anchorage in Alaska on Seabourn Venture departing July 29, 2023. seabourn.com Play it again: Live evening concerts are among the highlights as musicians from the Royal Academy of Music join a Rhine river cruise on over-50s specialist Saga’s Spirit of the Rhine. The cruise departs September 3, 2022. saga.co.uk Time to tee: Keen golfers can practise their shots on a golf-themed cruise in the Arabian Gulf with Azamara which is in Doha for three days during the World Cup. The cruise is roundtrip from Dubai departing November 15, 2022. azamara.co.uk Down Mexico Way: See in the New Year whalewatching and scuba diving in the Mexican Riviera on a Holland America Line cruise from San Diego, departing December 29, 2022. hollandamerica.com Discover yourself: A new series of AmaWaterways’ cruises in partnership with family history firm Ancestry has launched. The seven-night Rhine cruise, from Amsterdam to Basel, departs July 30, 2022. amawaterways.co.uk •

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Natural experiences in the

Florida Keys

Kayak the Lower Keys backcountry The Lower Keys are home to two national wildlife refuges, national marine sanctuary waters and a state park, all of which are filled with abundant marine wildlife. Recommend a kayak tour through the ‘backcountry’, a vast area of unspoiled shallows and mangroves teeming with plant and animal life. Lucky paddlers might catch a glimpse of the elusive Key deer. keyskayaktours.com

Enjoy an Islamorada sunset Head out from Robbie’s Marina with Captain Sam Zeher of KeyZ Charters on an Islamorada sunset cruise.

Explore mystical mangrove mazes, search for local wildlife before they go to rest for the night, and enjoy the spectacular last few minutes of the sun – cocktail in hand – before it sinks into the waters around the picturesque Upper Keys.

Keyzcharters.com

Take an eco-friendly boat tour Hop on a Dolphin Watch and Snorkel tour with Honest Eco onboard SQUID, Key West’s first electric-powered charter boat. Equipped with Sunflare solar panels, SQUID provides an up-close wildlife experience while having little impact on the environment and marine life. The chance to observe the natural behaviour of wild dolphins is an unmissable, unique experience. honesteco.org

BOB CARE FLORIDA KEYS NEWS BUREAU

Key Largo-based Coral Restoration Foundation (CRF) is one of several bodies dedicated to preserving the Florida Reef. CRF’s educational programmes enable visitors and divers to get involved in coral restoration alongside marine scientists.

Other organisations playing their part in coral protection include I.CARE in Islamorada and MOTE Marine in the Lower Keys. coralrestoration.org

ROB O’NEAL FLORIDA KEYS NEWS BUREAU

Help preserve the reef

Visit the Turtle Hospital Since opening its doors in 1986, the Turtle Hospital in Marathon has helped to rescue and rehabilitate more than 2,000 sick and injured sea turtles from around the Florida Keys. Visitors can go behind-thescenes on a 90-minute tour to learn about five species of endangered sea turtles and join a feeding session. Whenever possible, rehabilitated turtles are released back into the wild. turtlehospital.org

Tour on two wheels Explore the lowimpact way, using pedal power! In Key West, Key Lime Bike Tours give riders a chance to discover the historic Old Town; further up the Keys, bike the newlyreopened 2.2-mile stretch of the Old Seven Mile Bridge, originally part of the Florida Keys Over-Sea Railroad. Or pedal the whole way from Key Largo to Key West using the 90-plus-mile paved Overseas Heritage Trail. keylimebiketours.com

ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/ BERTL123

ROB O’NEAL FLORIDA KEYS NEWS BUREAU

TIM GROLLIMUND, FLORIDA KEYS NEWS BUREAU

The Florida Keys are famed for their natural beauty, open spaces and abundant wildlife. Here are six ‘low-impact’ ways clients can travel sustainably and help to preserve the island chain’s unique marine environment

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Globe hopping

30 / Introducing...

Unspoilt

AlUla As Saudi Arabia begins to open up to mainstream tourists, AlUla will appeal to seasoned travellers looking for unique culture and ancient heritage, says Adam Coulter

A

best place for...

Music: A concert at Maraya adventure: The Adventure Trail Nature: Oasis Heritage Trail Arts & Culture: Madrasat AdDeera History: 4 heritage sites - Hegra, Dadan, Jabal Ikmah & AlUla Old Town Shopping & Dining: AlUla Old Town & Al Jaddidah Tomb of Lihyan son of kuza, Hegra

s our plane begins its descent into AlUla International Airport, I look out of the window and see an endless desert that, at first glance, seems featureless and barren.

But then I spot a splash of green, the leaf of a palm; ochre and rose pink, the colour of the cliffs, or straight lines – the tell-tale signs of a human hand.

From the newly constructed airport – almost everything in Saudi seems ‘newlyconstructed’ – we head towards Hegra, which along with Mecca and Medina is arguably Saudi Arabia’s top cultural site.

I say “top” rather than most famous, because ask most people to name something cultural in Saudi, apart from those two religious sites, and they will likely struggle. But not for much longer.

I stand looking at the towering structures of Hegra, as tall as three-storey houses, marvelling at the intricate designs so undamaged after 500 years of enduring desert winds and heat.

When so much of the world has been charted, mapped, written about and photographed, there is something incredibly special about visiting a site that few people have ever heard of let alone visited – and that is a good hook on which to sell AlUla.

Open for tourism Elephant rock

Alula Oasis view trail

Maraya has hosted musicians such as Alicia Keys and Seal

If you visited World Travel Market last year you can’t fail to have noticed Saudi Arabia was the main sponsor – and as part of this tourism pus, AlUla was officially launched to the wider tourism sector.

All this activity forms part of Vision2030, the rulers’ acknowledgment that its oil is going to run out at some point and a desire to shift the country towards tourism.

To this end, if you travel to Saudi Arabia or send your clients you will visit a country that has been effectively closed to the world for the past 12 years or so, opening up.

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Desert adventure awaits

AlUla has plenty of green spaces

Hegra, Saudi’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of four key heritage sites, is set to become one of the country’s most visited tourism attractions.

Located some 1,000 kilometres from Riyadh in the northwest of the kingdom and covering some 22,000 square kilometres (roughly the size of Wales), AlUla comprises an oasis valley, a vast desert studded with craggy sandstone mountains and four heritage sites: Dadan, home to more than a dozen Lion Tombs cut into the red-rock; Jabal Ikmah, a site famed for its thousands of pre-Arabic inscriptions; AlUla Old Town which contains remnants of original stone and mudbrick buildings dating back approximately to the 10th century, and Hegra, an ancient jewel in this crown.

There’s another unexpected gem – the Hijaz Railway station was built in 1900 and spanned 1,600km from Syria to Medina.

Visitors can still see abandoned stations and rusted locomotives.

The 52-acre ancient region marked the southernmost point of the Nabataean kingdom, which stretched from here, across the Red Sea to Petra, which was constructed around 1,000 BC and marks the highpoint both culturally and architecturally for the Nabataeans, whose time and influence soon waned as the Roman Empire rose.

Hegra was built earlier, in the fourth to sixth centuries BC, and displays over 110 tombs. Inscriptions can be found that reveal

Rock art and inscriptions in Jabal Ikmah

the origins of the Arabic language.

There are striking similarities to its sister city, Petra, with astonishingly well-preserved tombs carved out of the huge rocks that lie in the middle of this desert. Many were family tombs, built by rich merchants with an eye on a comfortable afterlife.

Banyan Tree will open a 82-villa resort in the spring and Aman will be opening three new properties over the next three years.

Perhaps the most extraordinary new development will be Sharaan Nature Reserve, which, with a nod to Hegra, will be cut into a sandstone hill.

Modern marvels

A tricky but a rewarding sell

Fast forward a few thousand years and stray a few kilometres from Hegra and you’ll find another equally astonishing man-made structure, completed three years ago – Maraya, a concert hall and the largest mirrored building in the world.

Maraya, which means ‘mirror’, has hosted the likes of Alicia Keys, Seal and Bocelli.

It’s a truly dazzling site, both literally and metaphorically; I have never seen anything like it (we are told that the architects opted to cover it in mirrors as they felt they could not improve on the landscape which surrounded them, so decided to reflect it).

Luxury hotel operators are moving in fast – Habitas opened its breathtakingly beautiful AlUla property last year, a sustainable gem in middle of the desert valley, surrounded by towering cliffs; a

There’s no getting away from the fact that Saudi is a dry country (both in terms of desert and no alcohol). However, the country, and AlUla in particular, is quickly opening up to tourism and if you have adventurous or history-loving clients that are looking for something unique and ‘offthe-beaten-track’ or, if you feel that tourism is a force for good (as I do), then now is the time to sell Saudi and discover AlUla. •

Book it with... Windows on the Wild Windows on the Wild offers a five-night Discover AlUla tour from £2880pp. The tour visits all four heritage sites, includes return flights, transfers, five nights bed and breakfast, sightseeing tours with English speaking guides, plus four dinners. windowsonthewild.com

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Globe hopping

32 / My journey

Bang to rights in

Alabama Andy Facer enjoys a tour of Civil Rights sites in Alabama, a state at the heart of events that sparked the end of racial segregation in the USA

“W

hat happened here changed the World,” says our guide and my colleague Rosemary as we cross the Mississippi border into Alabama.

We are three hours into our motorcoach drive from New Orleans to Selma, where we will begin our tour of some of the pivotal moments in the American Civil Rights story.

First stop, Selma Our first stop is the Tabernacle Baptist Church in Selma, Alabama, a town infamous for the march to Montgomery in 1965.

As we sit down in the basement of the church to a lunch of fried chicken, collard greens and black-eyed peas, we are introduced to JoAnne Bland – and when JoAnne speaks you listen!

Born and raised in Selma, JoAnne shares her experiences of how racism and segregation created huge divides in the town and across the nation.

By the time she was 11 she had been arrested 13 times and was a participant in 'Bloody Sunday', marching with 600 others across Edmund Pettus Bridge – where they were met by tear gas and police beatings.

We walk across the bridge, trying to imagine those events in 1965.

I look back and notice the recently reopened and refurbished St James Hotel, part of Hilton’s Tapestry collection. This downtown property should be a game changer for Selma.

Jake Williams of Montgomery

Tours keeps us entertained on the 54-mile trip to Montgomery – a route he walked nearly half a century earlier.

Instead of heading straight for the hotel, we follow the same route the march took in Montgomery, around Court Square Fountain and up Dexter Avenue to the State Capitol Building.

Influential Montgomery Leaving Montgomery’s Embassy Suites Hotel, we are greeted by Michelle Browder, our city guide. A larger-than-life character, she is wearing red glasses and gives us all a pair to mimic her look.

Our tour starts on Montgomery’s Riverfront. Home to a paddle steamer, amphitheatre and baseball stadium, this is now a fun area – but it has a dark past.

In the seventeenth and eighteenth century, slaves from Africa would arrive by boat and, in chains, walk up Commerce Street where they were sold in the auction houses around Court Square Fountain.

We arrive at Dexter Avenue, one of the most historically important streets in the USA. To my right is the Winter House, from where the telegram that started the American Civil war was sent; opposite is the bus stop where Rosa Parks boarded her bus; and at the top of the road is the State Capitol building, where Martin Luther King Jr. made his ‘How Long, Not Long’ speech.

In the shadow of the State Capitol Building is Dexter Avenue King Baptist Memorial Church, the only Church the Baptist minister and activist ever pastored at.

For visitors, compact Montgomery is a

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Globe hopping My journey /

We arrive at Deyxteorne Avenue, probablically of the most historets in important stre the USA

very walkable city. A historical and cultural gem, it is one of the most important cities on the US Civil Rights Trail.

'From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration' are the words that greet visitors at the entrance to the new Legacy Museum.

The facility opened in 2018 but quickly became so popular that it had to move to bigger premises five times the size of the original property.

A world-class museum, it combines interactive modern technology, historical research and art to explain how slavery and its impact continue to influence the nation. Viewing the exhibits is a humbling experience and I could easily stay all day.

A short distance away is the National Memorial for Peace and Justice. “The nation’s first memorial dedicated to the legacy of enslaved black people; people terrorized by lynching, African Americans humiliated by racial segregation and Jim Crow (a series of rigid anti-black laws).

The Memorial uses sculpture and art to symbolise racial terror. Our day also takes us to the Freedom Rides Museum, Rosa Park Museum and Dr. King's parsonage – a fascinating but overwhelming immersion in Civil Rights history. Then it is on to Birmingham, the 'Magic City'.

Bravery in Birmingham Birmingham’s newest venue ‘The Fennec,’ with fantastic food and live music, provides us with an entertaining first evening before we retire to The Redmont hotel.

33

Next morning we experience a Sunday gospel service at the 16th Street Baptist church – what an uplifting experience!

Barry McNealy, our guide for the day, explains the church's painful history.

On September 15, 1963, the building become known around the world when a bomb planted by the Ku Klux Klan exploded, killing four young girls and injuring many more. The incident's worldwide attention helped raise more than $300,000 for the church's restoration fund.

A short walk away is the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, another brilliantly interactive museum showcasing the American Civil rights struggles.

On the way there we stare in awe at Vulcan, the world's largest cast iron statuecum-monument at 56-foot tall, named after the Roman God of Fire and Forge, which sits on Red Mountain Park, overlooking Birmingham.

Our final morning sees us at the Barber Motorsports Park and Museum, close to downtown and the airport. Owned by a private collector, the museum has over 1600 vintage and modern motorcycles, with over 950 on display, as well as the largest collection of Lotus cars. It is an ideal final stop before heading to the airport and the flight home. alabama.travel • Book it with...America As You Like It The operator has a 14-night RV package with Cruise America to Alabama, priced from £1,249pp, based on four people sharing and including return flights from Heathrow to Nashville with BA. americaasyoulikeit.com

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Be Inspired

34 / Escorted Touring

When less

is more The pandemic forced tour operators to adapt and reduce group sizes, resulting in more immersive experiences and deeper connections, says Debbie Ward

W

ith some clients still nervous about larger gatherings, small group tours can be a reassuring option. While adventure operators like Exodus, Explore, Intrepid and G Adventures are small group experts, the market is widening, with several traditionally coach-based escorted touring companies now offering programmes for 25 passengers or fewer.

Riviera accelerated plans to launch smaller tours, adding them alongside each Classic tour in its European range. It also debuted an entirely small group UK range.

Great Rail Journeys has meanwhile capped its UK and Europe tour groups at 25 people.

The pandemic has also increased appetite for bucket list experiences that are often best accessed through small group tours, and the market seems buoyant.

Benefits of downsizing Titan says requests for its small group programme are up, as people seek off-the-beaten track adventures.

“It seems people are keen to really delve deeper below the surface of a destination,” says Product Manager, Phil Ellis. He adds: “[there’s] the chance to really get to know your fellow travellers and bond over incredible travel moments.”

Titan’s small groups range between 12 and 24 people. Edwina Coppock, Head of Trade Sales, explains this also aids community access.

“Keeping things small lets us plan activities and experiences that aren’t usually possible for bigger groups, like seeing the closing of the border ceremony between India and Pakistan or enjoying coffee with locals in Ethiopia.

“It also means we can organise some unique overnight stays – intimate camps around Kruger National Park, quaint country lodges in KwaZulu-Natal (both South Africa), and stilted Khmer houses in Cambodia.”

Newmarket’s Head of Trade Sales Richard Forde agrees. Its tours for around 16-20 people appeal to customers seeking things off-the-beaten-track.

“These often include smaller heritage hotels and even homestays with local families, where customers really get to experience a country rather than just sight-see.”

Explore, which typically takes 12 clients per group, points out there are also environmental advantages. “We have a smaller impact on both the people and the place which we visit; a softer footprint,” says Ben Ittensohn, Director of Global Sales.

Mattia Valdegamberi, Riviera’s Shorthaul Product Manager, points out more benefits of smaller group tours: “We offer a more personal service which gives guests the ability to experience guided tours and visits with a bit more exclusivity, as well as more space and more opportunities for interaction with local guides and tour managers.”

Saga, which is now working with selected travel agencies, also points to the more exclusive experiences enabled by smaller numbers, like visiting the ballet in St Petersburg on its Cultural Odyssey tours.

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Be Inspired Escorted Touring /

35

Jordan’s Wadi Rum with Explore

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, with Saga

ski tour in Finland with Exodus Travel

Amalfi Coast, Italy, is a post-covid hit for Explore

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Be Inspired

36 / Escorted Touring

small groups make for an enhanced safari experience in south Africa

Clients keen on safari have a good choice of small group options. All Titan’s African safari holidays, plus its Wild Borneo and Wild Costa Rica tours, are part of its small group tours collection, to allow for an enhanced experience.

Newmarket’s small group programme is also safari-slanted with options on offer in South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Costa Rica. Explore’s Ittensohn explains the difference: “Seeing gorillas or doing a wildlife tour of Costa Rica, you’re going to get a better, richer experience in a small group.”

Widening the demographic Those used to independent travel may baulk at the idea of joining a coach party but appreciate the reassurance of a tour leader in these times of heightened travel regulations. Agents might find small groups prove a good compromise to entice these escorted touring virgins.

Solos travellers, a rising niche, will also be more confident travelling with a group and some operators offer a shared room option for those who want to avoid the single supplement. Solos already account for 60% of Explore’s clients.

Ittensohn explains many have partners with different travel dreams. “More are saying ‘I’ll do this trip you do that one’.”

Meanwhile walking holidays are currently up 82% on 2019 for the operator. Ittensohn recommends Madeira for new walkers.

“It is centre-based as opposed to walking from one base to the next, so, if you want to, you can relax for a day without feeling you’re holding your group up.”

Trending places Patagonia, Jordan and U.S. national parks – combining a sense of awe with space – are trending for Exodus. Bucket list trips like Kilimanjaro (80% up on 2019) and the polar regions are among rising requests for Explore, but Europe leads the way with Italy, Spain and Greece its biggest risers compared to pre-covid.

Similarly, Riviera’s best small group sellers are Lake Como, Classical Spain, Pompeii and Lake Garda.

Newmarket Holidays has added four small groups tours for 2022, including a Madagascar tour and a safari in South Africa’s Kruger National Park.

Among staycations, Riviera has added

small group tours to Northumberland and Edinburgh and Explore has debuted walking tours in Cornwall and Yorkshire and walking and cycling in Devon.

Internationally, it was among operators to introduce tours to Saudi Arabia towards the end of last year.

Environmental considerations have meanwhile led to a new range of ‘London to…’ rail tours, kicked off with Istanbul, Athens and Morocco.

B corp Intrepid also has new product reflecting environmental concerns, with 22 ‘Impact Initiatives’ added across 16 countries.

If your client is Covid cautious or is simply keen to get closer to communities and wildlife, you may find the best things really do come in small packages.

Where to book it GREAT RAIL JOURNEYS Great Rail Journeys has a 10-day small group Northern Lights and Lapland tour from £2,295pp, with departures January to March 2023. It includes the Lofoten Islands, a husky sled ride and lunch with Sami people. greatrail.com •

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Be inspired Take five /

37

five women’s-only tours Morocco Women’s Expedition.

Beginning in Marrakesh, the group will break bread with Berber families, see how an artist co-op is empowering female rug-weavers, take in the beauty of the far-flung M’goun Valley, and enjoy cultural ceremonies. Eight days are priced from £760pp. intrepidtravel.com Larapinta Goddess Walk.

This three-day wellness-focused tour with Australian Walking Holidays invites guests to embrace spiritual Uluru and Kata Tju with yoga and meditation, followed by walks along the Larapinta Trail in the Australian Red Centre.

The group will stay at permanent campsites.

From £950. larapintatrailwalk.com.au 2

4 5

Scenic Scandinavia and Its Fjords.

Trafalgar’s new tours are created by women for women, visiting female entrepreneurs as part of its Make Travel Matter experiences. The trip visits Denmark, Norway and Sweden over 14 days. Guests will sail past Fjords and ride the Scenic Flåm Railway. From £3,325. trafalgar.com Venice & The Croatian Coast.

This new 13-day tour starts in Venice and proceeds along the Dalmatian Coast. Guests will experience silk and embroidery traditions in Konavle and sip beer at Croatia’s first women-owned co-op brewery. Priced from £3,475pp. insightvacations.com Scottish Wilderness Retreat.

Based in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park, Wilderness Scotland’s new seven-night guided tour encourages women to adventure outdoors. Guests will summit Cairn Gorm and wild swim from the UK’s highest beach. Priced from £1,965pp. wildernessscotland.com

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3

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Be inspired

38 / Bright ideas – small group tours

georgia New for 2022 is a 12-day Glorious Georgia tour with Regent Holidays, starting and finishing in the capital, Tblisi. Highlights include visits to the religious capital, Mtskheta, with three UNESCO sites, walking rock-hewn cave monasteries and beer tasting. The group will also uncover Georgian history from Soviet-era monuments to Silk Road trading centres. regent-holidays.co.uk

antarctica This eight-day Emperor and South Pole Experience adventure with White Desert will transport guests to Whichaway, on the edge of Antarctic. Guests will stay in luxury polar domes at White Desert’s ecocamp and pay a visit to Atka Bay to see over 14,000 breeding pairs of Penguins. white-desert.com

italy An hour north of Venice, in the foothills of the Dolomites, is the Prosecco Hills wine region. Guests on this eightday Walking the Prosecco Hills tour with Exodus Travel will explore the rolling hills and vineyards and sample the area’s cuisine, taste Italian bubbles, visit the local producers and see the grape harvest in full swing.

Exodus.co.uk

finlAnd Keen photographers and videographers can hone their skills on a new six-day Finland Videography Workshop tour with Wildlife Worldwide. The group will track brown bear and wolf with evening filming sessions using specialist hides before retreating to the mountain lodge to enjoy the wood-fired sauna. A team of naturalists will be on hand to talk about the animals’ behaviour and the conservation efforts. wildlifeworldwide.com

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Be inspired Bright ideas – small group tours /

39

bali TruTravels offers a 10-day Bali and Beyond tour for youth travellers.

The group will explore Ubud’s waterfalls and monkey forests before sailing to the Gili Islands. Groups will take part in a local cooking class before seeking out Indonesia’s quieter islands, Lombok and the Komodo Islands. The highlight is an exclusive trip to Mojo Island to sleep under the stars on a live aboard boat. trutravels.com

japan Ready for when Japan’s borders reopen is a new 11-night ‘Walking the Nakasendo and Beyond’ walking tour from InsideJapan. It visits Tokyo and Kyoto before walking the Nakasendo samurai route and through the Japanese Alps on the Shinestu trail.

Most tours will stay a night in a traditional Ryokan or Minshuku guesthouse, a ‘Japan-only’ experience. InsideJapanTours.com

uganda Rainbow Tour’s new 18-day Uganda Wildlife & Conservation tour follows ranger-guides into Bwindi’s Impenetrable National Park for a full day of gorilla tracking. The itinerary includes the chance to meet former poachers – now conservation staff – see the Chimpanzee Migration Corridor at Kyambura Gorge and monitor lions. rainbowtours.co.uk

albania The 15-day Albanian Odyssey tour by rail specialist Ffestiniog Travel explores Albania by rail and road, taking groups from the Greek border in the south to the remote and mysterious Albanian Alps in the north. The tour returns via Montenegro and the famously scenic rail line from Podgorica to Belgrade. ffestiniogtravel.com

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Be inspired

40 / Six of the best...

Tours in

UK and Ireland Whether clients are interested in history, horticulture or Harry Potter, there’s plenty of choice for those wanting to tour close to home, says Jessica Pook

Irish charm

Crime thrills in Torquay

One of Trafalgar’s 2022 small group escorted tours is a six-night Irish Highlights roundtrip from Dublin.

The itinerary takes in Dublin, New Ross, Limerick, Waterford and Killarney.

Highlights include a scenic drive of the Ring of Kerry, a guided tour of Dublin and learning about Ireland’s famine-sparked emigration wave at the Dunbrody Famine Ship Experience, a replica of one of the ships used in the 1800s. trafalgar.com

Visit the birthplace of crime writer and novelist Dame Agatha Christie on this four-night tour of Torquay. Known as the ‘Queen of Crime’, Torquay’s most famous resident has sold more than two billion copies of her books.

You’ll visit her secluded home, Greenway House, and there’s the chance to explore Torre Abbey Gardens and Christie’s potent plants before enjoying a Devonshire cream tea along the way. shearings.co.uk

Brilliant blooms in London From June to September the Tower of London will fill its moat with wild flowers in celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Omega Breaks has designed a new Superbloom tour which includes return coach travel from a range of pick-up points, one night’s B&B, admission to Superbloom and the Tower of London and time in London for shopping and sightseeing. omegabreaks.com

On a route from Edinburgh to the Isle of Skye to Glasgow, Wendy Wu’s 11-day Spirit of Scotland tour includes a guided tour onboard the Royal Yacht Britannia; an 84-mile round trip on the Jacobite Steam Train, also known as the ‘Hogwarts Express’ from the Harry Potter series, a boat trip to the Isle of Mull and a day spent on the Isle of Skye on a wild walking tour with a local wilderness and conservation expert. wendywutours.co.uk

Historic Kent Find out why Kent was referred to as ‘Hell Fire Corner’ on this four-night Defence of Britain – Kent in Two World Wars tour, part of Leger’s Battlefield Tours range. Accompanied by a specialist battlefield guide, the group will visit historical sights including the ‘Road of Remembrance’ in Folkestone, Hawkinge airfield and Chatham, one of the main home ports of the Royal Navy in both World Wars. leger.co.uk

istockphoto.com/ Snowshill

Rabbie’s three-day tour of Snowdonia, North Wales and Chester departs from Manchester before heading deep into Snowdonia.

Guests will experience the rugged beauty of the Isle of Anglesey before visiting Portmeirion, a coastal village built as a tribute to the Mediterranean, featuring technicolour streets and palm trees. The whistle-stop tour ends with visits to Harlech castle and Chester. rabbies.co.uk

Historic Royal Palaces

Castles and Welsh coastline

Rail and sail Scotland

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Travel uni single V6.indd 24

ETIHAD AIRWAYS and Travel Uni are giving agents the chance to win a pair of tickets to see Ed Sheeran at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester this summer.

The winning agents and their plus-ones will head to the impressive stadium for 6pm on Sunday June 12, 2022 to see the musician perform his top hits.

For the chance to win, readers must visit etihadhub.com/ en-ae and complete the Abu Dhabi Stopover training. They then need to go to traveluni. com/etihad-competition and answer the three questions about the stopover training.

The final step is to sign up to etihad.com/en/help/tradeemail-registration to receive the latest agent updates.

Terms and conditions apply. ethihadhub.com

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2/24/22 07:34 PM

Trade talk The review /

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news

New Zealand opens up The New Zealand Government has announced a five-step phased plan to reopen borders to international visitors with hopes to welcome the UK from July 2022.

The phased approach allows for the return of New Zealand citizens, followed by the opening of borders to working holiday visas, Australian visitors, those from visa waiver countries and eventually foreign nationals.

The five-step plan has been outlined as follows: Step 1: From February 27 fully vaccinated New Zealand citizens and eligible travellers can travel from Australia to New Zealand; must complete self-isolation.

Step 2 - From March 13 fully vaccinated New Zealand citizens and other eligible travellers from the rest of the world can travel to New Zealand; must complete selfisolation. Eligible travellers include critical workers, skilled workers, family members of highly skilled workers. The Working Holiday Scheme will reopen in stages from Step 2.

Step 3: From April 12 the border will be open to up to 5,000 eligible international students and eligible temporary visa holders; they must complete self-isolation.

Step 4: From July 2022 (latest date anticipated, TBC) - Australians and all other visitors from visa-waver countries (including

the UK) are eligible to enter New Zealand.

The Prime Minister indicated that it is likely that this date will come forward.

Step 5: From October 2022 (TBC) - New Zealand fully opens to visitors from anywhere in the world and all visa holders.

Once borders reopen, visitors can expect new adventure tours like the Glacier HeliHike, a revived cultural scene in Auckland and sport events like the Rugby World Cup (2022) and FIFA Women’s World Cup (2023).

A number of new Maori cultural experiences have opened including the Manea Footprints of Kupe cultural experience and the Wairau Māori Art Gallery - the first gallery dedicated to contemporary Māori art. traveltrade.newzealand.com

Shearings takes on Europe Shearings has published a new dedicated European Collection brochure for 2022 and 2023, with experiences priced from £289pp.

The 100-page brochure features more than 70 tours with 25 brand-new holidays.

This is the first brochure inclusion for Shearings’ expanded selection of river cruises, with eight new tours added, and the four-star MS Arena and four-star A-Rosa Aqua joining the Croisi Europe ships in Europe.

The tours range from four- and five-day short breaks, to 16-day adventures, with options for express coach tours, all-inclusive packages, and solo traveller breaks. All holidays include coach travel, with more than 500 joining points across the country.

Home Connect can be arranged for anyone wanting door-to-door transportation.

The new tours include: Classical Italy – 12 days from £849pp, includes 11 nights’ accommodation; Imperial Capitals – Prague, Budapest and Vienna – nine days from £839pp, includes eight nights’ accommodation and Romance of the Alsace, Strasbourg and Wine Villages – seven days from £649pp, includes six nights’ accommodation. All include continental breakfast, and evening meals.

Leger Shearings Group’s Head of Retail Sales, Ashley Dellow, said: “The timing of this brochure is part of our forward strategy, to continuously offer our trade partners a steady flow of new tours. Shearings.com

NEWS IN BRIEF • New Florida training Amelia Island, a chain of barrier islands on Florida’s Atlantic Coast, has launched a trade training programme for the UK and Irish Markets. Available on the Online Travel Training site (OTT), the training highlights the Islands history of Spanish, French, British and American rule as well as its luxury resorts, golf courses sandy beaches and three-hour proximity to Orlando Airport. onlinetraveltraining.com

• US escorted tour launches Newmarket Holidays has introduced a new Capital Region USA escorted tour for 2022.

The 11-day tour is the first exclusive escorted tour in the region and includes the historic triangle of Williamsburg, Yorktown and Jamestown; a journey along the Blue Ridge Parkway; time to explore DC and more. newmarketholidays.co.uk

• New Bahrain service Gulf Air is launching a new flight between Manchester and Bahrain.

The route will launch June 1, 2022 and will include two flights a week using a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. gulfair.com

• Air Canada connects UK Air Canada’s summer 2022 programme includes restored services between Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Heathrow (from April 30); between Toronto and both Manchester and Edinburgh (from May 30); between Vancouver and Dublin (from June 1); and between Montreal and Dublin (from June 2). aircanada.com

sellingtravel.co.uk

General News-V6.indd 43

2/28/22 02:53 PM

Globe hopping

28 / How to sell... news

Mus cle Sh oa ls

S ou n d St udio

Wil lie N

e ls o n at

Headwater gets active t h e s t ud

io

MEET...

Judy Hood - Chairman of the Music Shoals Music Foundation

Musical Alabama Describe Alabama’s musical influence

The music scene in Alabama is vibrant and diverse, both in the recording studios and in live performances throughout the state. The accomplishments of our native musicians are celebrated in the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in Tuscumbia. The museum offers exhibits on more than 1,000 artists and musicians from Lionel Richie to Nat King Cole and explores genres including rhythm and blues, rock, bluegrass, country, gospel and classical. There’s even a mini recording studio for budding musicians to try out!

Why is Muscle Shoals in Alabama significant?

Once a sleepy Alabama town bordering Mississippi and Tennessee, Muscle Shoals is now ‘Hit Recording Capital of the World’ and an unmissable stop on any musical tour of the US. International stars including The Rolling Stones, Cher, Aretha Franklin and Bob Dylan all produced top hits in Muscle Shoals either at FAME Studios or later at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. Visitors can tour the latter every hour from 10:30 until 15:30.

Headwater has added a range of new walking, cycling and activity trips based across Europe. The 25 new trips discover the quieter parts of these countries at a slower pace.

All of Headwater’s holidays are self-guided with no fixed departure dates, giving travellers the flexibility to go at their own pace. Accommodation is carefully chosen by the Headwater team and includes B&Bs, guesthouses, pubs with rooms and small hotels. New holidays include: Walking the Akamas Peninsula – eight days from £1,199pp including flights and accommodation with daily departures from March 1 and Undiscovered Sardinia Cycling – eight days from £1529pp. Includes flights and accommodation, daily departures from April 1. headwater.com

Simpson’s trade push

Tell us about the Orion Amphitheater Huntsville’s Orion Amphitheater will open May 13, 2022 with The First Waltz - a weekend-long event featuring top artists from the North Alabama region.

Founded by Ben Lovett from the band Mumford & Sons, the outdoor space will hold 8,000 people and will be used yearround for both concerts andcommunity events. Tickets Mus ic H a ll of Fame for The First Waltz are on sale now. alabama.travel For more information email andy@5fmarketing.com

Simpson Travel has created a dedicated trade-friendly brochure featuring luxurious villa and boutique hotel holidays to Greece, Turkey, mainland France, Corsica, Mallorca and Italy.

The launch is part of Simpson Travel’s enhanced commitment to the trade, with plans to develop relationships and double trade bookings over the coming year. Agents can expect new product training sessions as well as regular email updates and a closed Facebook group for product updates and promotions.

Simpson Travel will be offering 10% commission on both package and accommodation only bookings. simpsontravel.coml.com

sellingtravel.co.uk SELLINGTRAVEL.CO.UK

General AlabamaNews-V6.indd Column V7.indd44 28

2/24/22 09:45 02:54 PM

Globe hopping How to sell... /

news

Fred goes worldwide

MEET...

Nancy Willhoite Director of Sales at BB Riverboats

Fred. Holidays has launched Fred. Discover, which features a selection of worldwide tours and packages.

The 2022-2023 Fred. Discover brochure, which is available to order now via the company’s travel agent portal, features 48 itineraries spanning 52 countries throughout the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, North America and Canada, South America and Antarctica, the Caribbean, Asia and the Far East, Australasia and South Africa. Prices start from £1,339pp for an 11-day journey through Italy, the Greek Islands and Croatia.

Highlights include: A 16-day ‘Alaska, the Ultimate Train Journey & the Calgary Stampede’ package priced from £4,699pp, a 16-day ‘Iceland, Niagara Falls, New York & Transatlantic’ itinerary from £2,599pp. A 24-day ‘Iguazu Falls & South America Adventure’, a 14-night cruise from Buenos Aires to Santiago on board Holland America Line’s MS Oosterdam, priced from £3,999pp and The Twelve Apostles & the Coast of South Africa’ adventure from £11,159pp. fredholidays.co.uk

Team effort for Hablo Santa Monica, Mauritius and Bonjour Québec are offering prizes including luxury holidays when agents register to travel industry platform Hablo.

The platform is designed to connect all sectors of the travel industry, including travel agents, destinations and tour operators.

To win, agents must sign up to Hablo and create a professional profile, follow all three destination pages and register for the incentive. They can then extend the invitation to colleagues to help build a stronger travel community.

Prizes range from coffee vouchers to luxury holidays for two.

Agents who register will be notified of training events, sales incentives and webinars. Register at join.myhablo.com

sellingtravel.co.uk

General 45 29 KentuckyNews-V6.indd Column V4.indd

Cruising Kentucky What kind of cruises does BB offer?

BB Riverboats is one of Northern Kentucky’s top attractions and offers scenic riverboat cruises on the beautiful Ohio River. Cruises ranging from historical harbour sightseeing tours, lunch, brunch and dinner cruises, and even holiday fireworks cruises. For the younger guests there are fun-filled pirate, princess, and super hero themed cruises.

Tell us about the steamboats The flagship is the Belle of Cincinnati which is a 1,000-passenger former casino boat, built in 1991. A truly majestic paddlewheeler, the Belle of CIncinnati participates in The Great Steamboat Race each year in May in Louisville, Kentucky as part of the Kentucky Derby Festival, taking on the 100+ year old Belle of Louisville. Built in 1987, The River Queen is a slightly smaller vessel accommodating 500 guests across three spacious decks. Together, both boats offer groups of any size the best way to see Northern Kentucky and downtown Cincinnati.

Why should clients take a BB cruise?

The Ohio River was the key contributor to the settlement of Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky and the surrounding area. There is still a very palpable romance with the river today. BB Riverboats has been cruising the Ohio River, entertaining guests and showing them this romance for over four decades. If you come to Kentucky, you don’t want to miss it. bbriverboats.com

SELLINGTRAVEL.CO

2/24/22 09:45 02:53 PM

Trade talk

46 / The review Agent event

Agents take Nordic tour at Five Countries Workshop Visit Finland, Visit Iceland, Visit Estonia, Visit Greenland and Visit Faroe Islands gathered in London to showcase their latest product and news at the Five Countries Workshop, writes Jessica Pook and Steve Hartridge Finland Known as the home of Father Christmas, Finland’s is hoping to see the return of family Christmas Santa Claus breaks which include reindeer and husky dog rides, Northern Lights watching and, new this year, electric snowmobile rides. But Caroline BeatonMoscatelli, Sales and Marketing Manager for Visit Finland, believes that wellness breaks will also prove popular. “Finland has, the largest lake district in Europe and over three million sauna. If clients are looking for a wellness retreat they will find it here.”

Agents can also offer clients high-end accommodation such as treehouses and glass igloos that are surrounded by the great outdoors, added Beaton-Moscatelli.

Visit Finland has launched a trade training platform, Finland Travel Pro, and is planning a series of webinars in March.

Iceland Oddny Arnarsdottir, Visit Iceland’s Area Manager for the UK, said the country had remained active in engaging the trade during the Covid restrictions, which was now paying off in terms of bookings.

“This year is looking positive – UK travellers are our main visitors during the off-season months from October to April,” she said.

Arnarsdottir was also keen to stress the country is a viable four-season destination.

“You can enjoy the midnight sun during the summer and Northern Lights in winter.

“We are a true outdoor country, with mountains, rivers, volcanoes, glaciers, caves, geothermal spas and wild terrain waiting to be hiked.

“And Iceland is carving a name as one of Europe’s emerging culinary destinations with lots of exciting new restaurants opening.”

Estonia Estonia is probably best known for city breaks to its capital Tallinn, a best-selling option before the pandemic struck.

greenland

Visit Tallinn’s Helena Tsistova-Pohla said the city was planning to bring back its events and festivals this summer but also recommended that Brits should this winter consider the city’s Christmas market, which dates back to the fifteenth century.

“It is located in our medieval old town, iceland which has a special magic to it when covered in snow and is lit up by twinkling lights.”

Outside of Tallinn, Estonia is a country of national parks, forests, hiking trails, wetlands, sandy beaches and numerous, islands “which are perfect for outdoor activities,” Greenland said Agnia Nast, Visit Estonia’s provides real Project Manager of Trade Marketing (UK). adventures for

finland

pioneering travellers

Greenland

Two new airports are due for completion by 2024, which could encourage airlines to start direct flights from the UK to Greenland.

“This is a period of change for Greenland,” said Visit Greenland’s Tanny Por. “Greenlanders are discovering that they have a lot to offer visitors - from homestays in villages located in our fjords to kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding to lakeside eco-lodges – and we will soon have a wellness offering in the south of Greenland.

“Our message is that our ‘Already Here’, is your ‘Adventure Here’,” said Por. “Seeing whales, hunting fish, foraging for wild berries, tracking reindeer, sleeping in lakeside cabins under the Northern Lights.... this is what locals do on a daily basis.

Greenland provides real adventures for pioneering travellers.”

Faroe Islands The Faroe Islands’ unique island culture is what sets it apart from the other destinations, said Susanna Sørensen, Head of Marketing and PR at Visit Faroe Islands.

“The Faroe Islands will appeal to those

faroe islands

estonia

looking to experience a more natural way of life. We encourage visitors to interact with the locals and a great way to do this is to dine with local families,” she added.

The tourist board is also keen to highlight the Faroe Islands’ culinary appeal, with locally-grown produce a big focus for 2022.

“Visitors will find that fresh, local ingredients come as standard on the Faroe Islands,” added Sørensen. •

sellingtravel.co.uk

Five Countries review V9.indd 46

2/24/22 03:06 PM

Trade talk The review /

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news

Agents discover AlUla, the world’s largest open-air museum Jessica Pook sums up the highlights from Selling Travel’s agent-focused Discover AlUla webinar

“Standing in front of the monolithic Tomb of Lihyan son of Kuza and experiencing the silence that surrounds me is something I’ll never forget,” says Claire Golding, AlUla Director UK, as she describes her first visit to one of Saudi Arabia’s premier attractions.

The scene is set for agents! Golding tells of how the Kingdom is now opening its doors to visitors and that AlUla, in the northwest, is its hidden gem – but not for long.

Roughly the size of Wales with a population of 50,000, AlUla is referred to as the ‘world’s largest open air museum’, displaying 200,000 years of human legacy, which includes the Nabataeans (think Petra).

Says Golding: “AlUla’s heritage is quite literally carved into the rocks and the extraordinary landscapes have been undisturbed and untouched for centuries.”

“The main attractions are history and heritage, nature and natural attractions, and arts and cultural events,” she adds.

AlUla’s four key heritage sites are: Hegra, Dadan, Jabal Ikmah and AlUla Old Town.

“Hegra is AlUla’s legacy and Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site,” explains Golding. “You may notice similarities to its Nabatean sister city Petra, but AlUla is

actually the older site and has 110 wellAs well as the history and heritage, must preserved tombs.” dos include stargazing “as the skies are not All touring is escorted and the standard impacted by any light pollution and on a tour by coach takes two hours and starts clear night you can see the Milky Way”. at Winter Park but Golding recommends Other natural attractions include walking clients opt for a Vintage Land Rover tour for the Adventure Trail or the shorter Hidden a more intimate experience. Both include Valley Trail, ziplining through the mountains stops at Hijaz Railway and AlUla’s most or, for the ultimate wow factor, a 30-minute recognizable icon, the Tomb of helicopter ride over AlUla’s most Lihyan Son of Kuza.” iconic sites, including instantly “AlUla is Daden’s key attraction is its recognisable Elephant Rock. very safe and Lion Tombs, cut into the red When asked about the rock cliff 50 metres above climate, Golding says that the the hospitality is the ground: it served as desert landscape is often less second to none” burial sites for the wealthy. humid than the cities.

Jabal Ikmah is billed as an “Think Arizona, USA, in terms ‘open-air library’ because of its of climate. Temperatures in high concentration of inscriptions winter are pleasant but the evenings and rock art predating the Arabic language. can get chilly, so jackets are advised.

Golding recommends combining these two “AlUla is a year-round destination but the sites as part of a two-hour escorted tour. most popular times to visit, based on the The final heritage site is AlUla Old Town, weather and festivals, are the shoulder and established back in the 12th century, the peak seasons of October through to March. town is a labyrinth of winding alleyways, Four festivals, Winter at Tantora, AlUla traditional houses, shops and town squares. Arts, AlUla Skies and AlUla Wellness, are “Take a tour with a rawi (a local guide and held during these months. Sought after storyteller) to learn all about life in AlUla,” experiences during these events include hot she offers. air ballooning, watching a symphony under the stars, or even a vintage aircraft flight.

“Check experiencealula.com, for the latest event listings and experiences or go to the AlUla Specialist hub for further trade support,” advises Golding.

Saudi Airlines and British Airways both fly from the UK into the main gateways of Riyadh and Jeddah. However, recent developments mean that agents can now offer AlUla as a twin-centre with Dubai.

Flynas has services directly from Dubai, as does Emirates’ partner carrier Fly Dubai.

Questioned whether AlUla is a safe destination, Golding answers: “As a women, I felt welcome and incredibly safe. The Saudi hospitality is second to none and locals can’t wait to show tourists their home.”

The Discover AlUla webinar is available to watch on Selling Travel’s YouTube page.

sellingtravel.co.uk

Alula Webinar-V8.indd 47

2/28/22 12:51 PM

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