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Travel Talk
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Giberto Salcedo Ribero, Vice President of Tourism, ProColombia
Although currently on the UK’s red list, Colombia has big plans for welcoming back the UK market.
We are the second South American country, after Ecuador, to see a tourism recovery and are back to 50% of the tourism traffi c we had before the pandemic. At the beginning of Covid Colombia launched a Biosecurity seal, in partnership with the private sector, and many airlines, tour operators and hotels use this seal of approval to demonstrate Covidsafety. Unlike with some other countries, this certifi cation is checked before it is awarded, meaning tourists can feel at ease about their trip. It is not mandatory to have a negative PCR test and visitors just need to fi ll in a form. We trust in people’s behaviour and self-control, like wearing masks.
Natural paradise
As the second-most biodiverse country in the world, the big draw for UK travellers is Colombia’s wildlife and range of nature experiences. The country is the number one destination globally for bird-watching, and some readers might be surprised to learn that safaris are also popular. Our UK visitors love nature, so Colombia is the perfect destination for adventure travel.
There’s also an abundance of community related tourism, where travellers can meet and experience the everyday life of the country’s indigenous peoples. The capital, Bogota, also has one of the greatest collections of indigenous architecture.
ProColombia is to launch a new initiative this month, with the aim of gathering UK agents in Spain to learn more about the destination, and is also looking to host FAM trips. It will also happily work with agents to organise itineraries . procolombia.co
Ashley Dellow, Head of Retail Sales, Shearings
We have seen continuing demand for the UK and more recently a surge in bookings for Ireland, which is now on the green list for fully vaccinated clients, with no testing or quarantine requirements.
Ireland is a great recommendation for clients who are longing to go overseas but still a bit nervous post-Covid. Just crossing the Irish Sea really gets everyone in the holiday mood and Shearings’ escorted coach holidays make the experience seamless, with close pick up points or even a door-to-door ‘Home Connect’ service.
Closer to home
Our new Ireland product includes our sixday Wild Atlantic Way, Giant’s Causeway and Donegal tour and our Dublin & the Heart of Ireland tour for Solo Travellers. Agents can also choose from Kilarney and The Ring of Kerry, Westport and Wild Connermara, Belfast and Giant’s Causeway or Ireland’s South-East – Waterford and Wexford.
Coastal resorts in Devon and Cornwall such as Torquay, Plymouth, St Ives, St Mawes, Ilfracombe and Newquay are booking fast, as is Bournemouth, Eastbourne, Blackpool, Whitby and the Lake District. I strongly believe that the UK and Ireland will remain just as popular for 2022, and these destinations are already on sale for 2022 and beyond to 2023.
Shearings has produced point of sale material for agents. We also have a great selection of assets for social media channels. Contact ashley.dellow@ legershearings.com or ‘Shearings Trade Team’ on Facebook for more details. We are also increasing our call centre staff to help answer agent queries and have a booking platform online. shearings.com •
