Solus — issue three by Cruise Adviser

ISSUE THREE

H E L P I N G YO U S E L L S O L O T R AV E L

WIN!

TO 9-DAY TRIP A IC R TA S CO RN WITH RETU FLIGHTS p49

EXPRESS YOURSELF WHY RAIL HOLIDAYS ARE IN A CLASS OF THEIR OWN

INFOCUS: G ADVENTURES DISPELLING SOLO TRAVEL MYTHS COACH TOURING IN AUSTRALIA

SOLO TRAVELLERS 2018-19 B R O C H U R E AVAI L AB L E 25 T H S E P T E M B E R 201 7

Featuring: • 19 small group tours designed exclusively for solo travellers • 8 new tours including Iceland, Morocco, Portugal and Rome • No single supplements

To order your copies visit trade-gate.co.uk, or visit coxandkingsagents.com for more information

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Issue three | Check-in

WELCOME

Selling the solo travel dream

THIS MONTH WHAT WE LEARNT P30

ISSUE THREE

Welcome to the third edition of Solus, from the team behind Cruise Adviser. It’s been another remarkable year for independent travel, a sector of the industry that continues to grow and grow. The Holiday Habits Report by Abta, the travel association, EXPRESS offers fascinating insight into a quickly YOURSELF changing landscape. For instance, while people aged over 65 are most likely to travel alone, the split between men and women is virtually the same – although their reasons for travelling do vary. For women, the idea of travelling to a new destination is particularly appealing (51 per cent versus 35 per cent for men) however for men it is the chance to meet new people (45 per cent versus 37 per cent for women). In this issue, we explore the themes of travelling alone – be it on planes, trains or automobiles. For our cover feature, Joe Zadeh examines the romance of rail (p30); we check in with small group adventure specialists G Adventures on p28 and Jane Archer explores Australia by coach (p36). Two solo travellers share their experiences with Just You and AmaWaterways (p16 and p20). On p13 we report on how river cruise has embraced independent travellers by offering more solo cabins, lower single supplements and even dedicated itineraries, while our all-new How to Sell guide takes you back to basics and gives you the tools that are needed to sell to solo customers (p22). Once you embrace the market and start to learn more about the offering that exists for solo travellers you won’t look back. As Rob Hitchings from Nomadic Travel explains on p42, solo travellers are subjected to the same travel desires as everyone else. However, there is definitely an art to selling them the dream. Good luck! H E L P I N G YO U S E L L S O L O T R AV E L

WIN!

TO 9-DAY TRIP COSTA RICA WITH RETURN FLIGHTS p49

WHY RAIL HOLIDAYS ARE IN A CLASS OF THEIR OWN

INFOCUS: G ADVENTURES DISPELLING SOLO TRAVEL MYTHS COACH TOURING IN AUSTRALIA

YOU CAN CATCH A TRAIN FROM LONDON TO THE SOUTH OF FRANCE Eurostar makes the journey to Marseille in about seven hours. P28

G ADVENTURES WILL HAVE 75 SOCIAL ENTERPRISE PROJECTS BY 2020 They already run taxis for women, driven by women in Delhi. P42

OVER HALF THE ADULT POPULATION OF ENGLAND AND WALES ARE SINGLE According to recent figures, 51 per cent of over-16s are unattached.

SOLUSMAGAZINE.COM

ALL

E X C LU S I V E

THE WORLD’S BEST IS NOW EVEN BETTER

INTRODUCING THE NEW CRYSTAL®. THE WORLD’S BEST IS NOW EVEN BETTER.

SAILING SOLO HAS NEVER BEEN THIS GOOD:

Crystal – voted World’s Best more times than any other

• Dedicated Ambassador Dance Hosts on every sailing.

cruise line, hotel or resort in history – offer not only the best value for money for the discerning solo traveller, but also the best experiences too. Guests can enjoy the opportunity to join lectures, wine tastings, cookery demonstrations, trivia and Pilates to name a few on offer, and all as and when they wish. It’s their choice when they want to socialise and meet new friends, or when they want to find a quiet corner and curl up with a good book. With a myriad of choices from dining to entertainment and everything else in between, sailing solo, on their own terms, has never been this good.

For copies of our dedicated Solo Traveller mini brochure, please call 020 7399 7602 THE WORLD’S BEST CRUISE FOR SAILING SOLO

23 years

20 years

CRYSTAL CRUISES – VOTED WORLD’S BEST MORE THAN ANY OTHER CRUISE LINE, HOTEL OR RESORT IN HISTORY

• Hosted ‘Tables of Eight’ in our Speciality restaurants. • Large hosted tables available in the Crystal Dining Room. • Hosted Solo Travellers cocktail parties towards the start of a cruise allowing you to meet other cruisers in a convivial setting. • Enjoy exactly the same staterooms as you would do if you were travelling with a companion – Crystal Cruises do not have specific Solo staterooms – you are not penalised for travelling solo. • Enjoy some of the lowest solo supplements in the cruise industry, starting from just 30%

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR TO MAKE A BOOKING PLEASE CALL:

020 7399 7601

www.crystalcruises.co.uk

ABTA No.V8548

Issue three | Check-in

Solus

Issue three ISSUE THREE

News 7 All of the latest in independent travel

H E L P I N G YO U S E L L S O L O T R AV E L

WIN!

TO 9-DAY TRIP COSTA RICA WITH RETURN FLIGHTS p49

Report 13 A look at the ways in which the river cruise industry caters for solo travellers

EXPRESS YOURSELF

Experience 16 Two solo travellers share their experiences with Just You and AmaWaterways How to sell A step-by-step guide to matching the right solo traveller with the right holiday

InFocus: G Adventures An in-depth profile of the company that is now a market leader in sustainable tourism

Cover feature 30 Joe Zadeh takes to the rails and looks at the romance of train travel and rail-based holidays

WHY RAIL HOLIDAYS ARE IN A CLASS OF THEIR OWN

HOW TO SELL

SOLO T R AV EL How, as a travel agent, do you cater for the singles market? From the experts we speak to – be it solo-travel operators, agents who have cornered the market or solo travellers themselves – we learnt that it’s all about making customers feel at ease. They want to know that they won’t be alone – unless they want to be – or forced to join in with activities when they don’t want to. They want to know they’re not being ripped off with single supplements and that their tour guides or cruise directors are knowledgeable, happy to help and used to looking after single customers, without being patronising. People are going at it alone in record numbers, so we’ve created this guide as a starting place. From a few simple questions, we’ve provided eight incredible options to cover a large part of the solo-travel market. Simply follow the instructions and then use our Directory (p46) to find out more.

Where would you like to go?

UK & Ireland p23

Europe p24

UK & Ireland What sort of holiday do you want?

Active

Cultural

Relaxing

Who? Just You Where? Devon When? October 2017 How long? Five nights How much? From £639

Who? Intrepid Where? Ireland When? January-October 2018 How long? Nine nights How much? From £1,980

Who? Saga Where? British Isles When? June 2018 How long? Four nights How much? From £718

This walking tour of Devon’s rivers, coast and Dartmoor is specifically designed for solo travellers by Just You. From a base in the seaside town of Paignton, guests will discover beautiful scenery on three walks (Kingswear to Paignton; River Otter to Budleigh Salterton; and Dartmoor). Four nights half board in a three-star hotel is included in the price.

This Intrepid tour may be another for fans of walking, but with Dublin and Belfast on the itinerary there’s plenty of culture, too. There’s a chance to visit St Patrick’s Cathedral and the Guinness Storehouse in the Republic’s capital, and the Titanic museum at the former Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast, a fascinating city with a burgeoning food scene.

Dispelling solo myths Industry specialists clear up some of the concerns surrounding solo travel

What better way to relax than a cruise? Guests get to experience the excitement of the Round the Island Race – a yacht race around the Isle of Wight – during this four-day sailing on Saga Sapphire, where a yacht-style party will be taking place. They will also have the chance to explore the islands of Sark and Guernsey and the historical city of Portsmouth.

Worldwide p25

Coach travel Jane Archer discovers the delights of Down Under on a coach tour

INFOCUS: G ADVENTURES DISPELLING SOLO TRAVEL MYTHS COACH TOURING IN AUSTRALIA

wonders

The

Under

Down

From snorkelling at the Great Barrier Reef to sunrise at Uluru, Jane Archer takes a coach tour to see all the delights Australia has to offer

Travel agent trends 42 Why solo travel is getting bigger and bigger, and how to capitalise on its popularity Directory 46 Games & competitions

Final word

Solus is brought to you by Waterfront Publishing

Head of sales Simon Leeming simon@waterfront-publishing.com 020 3865 9337 Sales executive Bryan Johnson bryan@waterfront-publishing.com 020 3865 9338

Publisher Sam Ballard sam@waterfront-publishing.com Publisher Anthony Pearce anthony@waterfront-publishing.com

SOLUSMAGAZINE.COM

Art director Jensen Brianson Designer Matthew Coles Sub-editor Nathaniel Cramp

Waterfront Publishing, Arch 462, Kingsland Viaduct, 83 Rivington Street, London, EC2A 3AY info@waterfront-publishing.com 020 3865 9360 Solus is published twice a year by Waterfront Publishing Limited (registered number: 08707515). All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited Solus is printed by Wyndeham Grange

Give us your body for a week and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll give you back your mind.

For those interested in a retreat dedicated to solo travellers, BodyHoliday Saint Lucia is the perfect getaway. During September, our guests can enjoy rooms without the single supplement, as well as a personalised schedule of daily spa treatments, fitness classes and sports activities. visit: www.bodyholiday.com/solus | 0203 096 1695

NEWS

Issue three | Check-in

Do you have a story for us? Email info@waterfront-publishing.com

TRADE SALES

Cox & Kings reports 40% year on year rise in bookings

The operator also confirms an upturn in long-haul trips and reveals plans to increase the number of solo tours it offers in its 2018 programme Bookings at Cox & Kings have risen by 40 per cent in 2017 compared to 2016, according to the operator, which confirmed that there had also been a noticeable increase in long-haul trips. The company, which was founded in 1758, is also planning to increase the number of solo tours it offers in its 2018 programme. In its next brochure there will be 20 solo tours, up from 12, with new trips in destinations including Helsinki SOLUSMAGAZINE.COM

& St Petersburg, Porto & the Douro Valley, Rome & Amalfi, Jordan and Iran Nigel Hosking, senior product manager, told Solus: “Cox & Kings’ solo traveller tours have no single supplements and accommodation is based on the single occupancy of twin or double rooms in hotels that offer sensible prices for single travellers. “Single travellers are reassured by the ‘safety in numbers’ aspect of joining

these tours, but allow them the freedom to choose where they want to eat in the evenings. We have seen a rise in bookings on our long-haul tours, which suggests that travellers are increasingly confident exploring further afield with us.” In August, the company relaunched its travel agent website, featuring posters for shop windows, online training and a calendar of events. The operator said that it will be updated every two weeks.

Exceptional value cruising for single travellers

Just a 25% supplement for Solo Cruisers On board Columbus and Magellan, We have set aside 150 twin cabins for single occupancy priced with just a 25% single supplement on the equivalent category twin share prices. In addition, our special onboard solos programme of events including a welcome cocktail party and gettogethers will ensure the opportunity to meet like minded travellers and make new friends.

Book online at: www.cruiseandmaritime.com ● Call: 0844 414 6161 Agency Sales: 0844 414 6140 ● Brochures: www.trade-gate.co.uk

Terms & conditions apply. Calls will cost 5p per minute plus your telephone company’s access charge. Operated by South Quay Travel & Leisure Ltd trading as Cruise & Maritime Voyages. 3421

Issue three | Check-in

RIVIERA TRAVEL

Riviera expands solo offering even further

The company has almost doubled its dedicated solo programme to meet snowballing demand

Riviera Travel has expanded the number of solo tours it is offering from eight to 14, following the programme’s launch last September. The company will now be offering tours in Vietnam and Cambodia, Jerusalem, New York City, Lake Garda, Montenegro and Portugal. “Ever since we launched our dedicated solo programme, interest has snowballed,” explains Will Sarson, product development solo traveller collection, ocean cruises & taste breaks. “The new programme has been on sale for two weeks and the numbers are already way up on our expectations.” Sarson added that Riviera Travel’s solo programme was SOLUSMAGAZINE.COM

helping to develop an already growing market. “Our tours are renowned for offering very good value,” he said. “We take our tried and tested itineraries and tweak them for the solo market. For instance, our Lake Garda tour. We use a different hotel that gives those travelling an apartment to themselves outside the main town. There are patios where they can enjoy a meal with other travellers and don’t have the stress of going out into a busy city at night.” Earlier in the year Solus reported that Riviera Travel’s trade sales were up 60 per cent. In June, it was reported that the company was about to be sold for £250 million.

CMV Columbus heads around the world in 2019 Cruise & Maritime Voyages has announced that its flagship Columbus will sail a 120-night world cruise from London Tilbury in January 2019. Single are being offered at a 50 per cent saving off full fares with added value benefits on ocean views, including gratuities worth £480 and onboard credit of £500 on most categories (from £12,189). Lisa Jacobs, head of trade sales, said: “Columbus is the perfect choice for those looking for a traditional British cruise experience on the voyage of a lifetime. With the average sale around £20,000, commission potential is enormous.”

INTREPID Intrepid buys 50% of Chimu Adventures Intrepid Group has bought a 50 per cent stake in Chimu Adventures, the Latin America and Polar specialist in “socially responsible” travel. Chimu Adventures will remain independent, with co-founders Greg Carter and Chad Carey continuing to have autonomy. Intrepid Group chief executive James Thornton said one priority was to expand in to polar charters. Carter said: “We share many common ideas on sustainable travel and it’s a perfect fit for both businesses.”

Issue three | Check-in

ETOA

Brexit will have negative impact Most tour operators predict problems if limits are imposed on EU workers Eighty per cent of tour operators have said it will be “difficult to impossible” to replace EU workers with UK nationals, should limits be imposed opposed after Brexit. The European Tour Operators Association (ETOA) surveyed more than 100 of its members, which employ 35,000 people. Tour operators said any restriction could “radically” impact business’s ability to function; 80 per cent predicted a substantial detrimental impact on productivity.

ETOA said its members need to recruit polylingual graduates who are happy to work in the UK. While these employees only represent 30 per cent of its members’ workforce, the remaining 70 per cent are contingent on their roles. “People are the most important asset of any organisation and our members’ exports are founded on their ability to employ the best”, said Tom Jenkins, CEO of ETOA. “The greatest problem at the

moment is uncertainty. Part of ETOA’s membership is optimistic about the situation, a greater proportion is very pessimistic, but the greatest proportion are extremely concerned. “Brexit may affect their ability to function as a business, but they are hoping, if not for the best, at least for something which is not catastrophically bad. Currently, 20 per cent of the companies are actively contemplating relocation.”

UNIWORLD

BODYHOLIDAY

JUST YOU

Single supplements waived September solos on Christmas cruises initiative announced

Extended range of ski holidays unveiled

Uniworld, the luxury river cruise line, has waived its single supplement on two cruises this Christmas. The Rhine Holiday Markets and Danube Holiday Markets now cost from £2,409 (from £3,518) and £2,489 (from £3,748) respectively. The seven-night sailings depart on December 5 and 10. Solo travellers will get their own double room on both sailings. The price also includes all onboard meals as well as unlimited beverages.

Just You, the specialist solo travel company, has unveiled an extended range of ski holidays. “Ski holidays are never easy to organise if you are a solo traveller,” said Alicia Welsman, Just You’s senior product manager. “Just You operated its first ski holiday in January 2017 and the feedback was so positive that we decided to extend the range.” All Just You ski holidays include flights from the UK, transfers, half-board accommodation and lift pass.

BodyHoliday has refurbished its standard garden view rooms at the company’s Saint Lucia resort. The rooms carry no single supplement. The company will also be running a September Solos initiative for the entire month, during which guests travelling on their own will receive a personalised schedule of complimentary spa treatments and fitness classes. A spokeswoman said dates for this year are limited but there is availability for 2018.

SOLUSMAGAZINE.COM

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SPECIAL REPORT

River cruise industry opens up to solo travellers

As its ocean counterpart belatedly embraces solos, river cruise – which is ideal for the single traveller – is starting to offer solo cabins and dedicated itineraries For a long time solo passengers and the cruise industry have been uneasy bedfellows. The fact of the matter is that cruise lines price their bookings on a double occupancy basis. If a single person takes up the space of a couple then they are taking up valuable profits. This is why cruise lines first incorporated single supplements to help them redress the balance. However, over the past few years we have increasingly seen a kickback against this. A mixture of changing living SOLUSMAGAZINE.COM

habits (fewer people feel the pressure to get married, so don’t), more people feeling like they’re able to travel on their own (even if they have a partner) and people living longer (increasing the chance of being widowed) means that the proportion of people who are single has increased. That united voice has forced cruise lines into action. What started with the ocean cruise industry (with lines such as Cruise & Maritime Voyages and Fred Olsen Cruise Lines

assigning double cabins to solo travellers) eventually migrated to some of the bigger cruise lines actually building custom-made solo cabins on their new ships. Two recent examples are Norwegian Cruise Lines’ Studios and Celebrity Cruises’ solo cabins on Edge – the first solo cabins in the company’s history. The river cruise industry is, in many ways, more versatile than its ocean-going cousin. Smaller companies, often formed more recently, are used

Issue three | Check-in to solo travellers being a more important demographic to their balance sheets. While the hardware isn’t always there – in terms of single cabins – there is a different mindset. The options available to solo travellers are more ubiquitous across the river industry. Amawaterways is a key example. The company has sailings available throughout October and November on many of its most popular itineraries, which are available to individuals without a single supplement. Uniworld has an entire section of its website dedicated to cruises which boast either a reduced or waived single supplement, an area that the company takes very seriously, according to Kathryn Beadle, Uniworld’s managing director. “Travelling solo can be a daunting experience which is why river cruising is such a perfect choice,” she explains. “Our customers have the opportunity to interact with

fellow guests on the daily included excursions on offer, and shared experiences enjoyed during the day are recounted over dinner. You can confidently sell a river cruise to a solo customer knowing that they will have a memorable experience and the opportunity to make lifelong friends, as most of our guests do.”

“You can sell knowing they will have a memorable experience” Saga went one better last year and hosted an entire river sailing for solo passengers. It will be doing the same this year with cruises in October (Rhine from £999pp) and November (Douro from £1,529pp). In

March, there will be another opportunity to get on the Rhine, with a seven-night cruise starting at £1,099pp. Emerald Waterways has two single occupancy cabins on every vessel while Riviera Travel tops that with five lower deck cabins on every sailing (except the Seine), which have no single supplement. The cabins also come with another major advantage. “We offer our solo customers the chance to experience one of our five-star river cruises without the burden of a single supplement,” explains Thomas Morgan, key account manager at Riviera Travel. “They get the same cabin size as a twin share, so are not penalised.” As more and more people are willing to travel on their own it is crucial that companies don’t dismiss the opportunity that solos present. That goes for travel agents, too. A river cruise is an incredible experience for a solo passenger: there is the safety of being within a group with the added benefit of being able to be independent. On top of that are all of the benefits that come with a cruise, like being able to visit multiple destinations in one trip (important to 74 per cent of people according to Abta), the quality of the food (69 per cent) and the ease of travel (67 per cent) Given that the river sector is one of the fastest growing areas of the travel industry, it would appear to make a lot of sense to combine it with solo travel – another one of the industry’s key prospects. You might be on to a winner. SOLUSMAGAZINE.COM

– ASIA The launch of our new river cruise programme to mysterious Asia

– ACTIVE Learn about our new excursions for the healthconscious cruiser

EMERALD EXPLORER

– GOING DUTCH 24 hours in the beautiful city of Amsterdam

– MOVING ACROSS Jane Archer on making the switch from ocean to river

– RHINE OF YOUR LIFE Why the mighty waterway remains a river cruise classic

F EAT URES | R O OM S ERV I C E MEN U | S HORE EXC U R S I O N S

– A NEW DAWN Introducing the latest Star-Ships in our fleet

EMERALD EXPLORER

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FAMILY GUIDE 2015–16

CA-4

Issue two

LUXURY GUIDE 2015–2016

FJORD FOCUS A JOURNEY TO WEST NORWAY

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT CRUISINGPOWER.CO.UK

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On a Royal Caribbean® holiday, your family can explore somewhere new and incredible every day — and only unpack once. With amazing features designed with the whole family in mind, including thrilling activities, spectacular entertainment, and award-winning kids’ clubs, there are countless ways to make memories that will last a lifetime.

FAMILY GUIDE 2015–2016

EMERALD WATERWAYS

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Issue one

GLOBE

ISSUE ONE

CRUISE ADVISER

– HISTORY To know where you’re going, you need to know where you’ve been

CRUISE ADVISER

– DESTINATION REVIEW The beautiful Danube and why it needs to be seen to be believed

LUXURY GUIDE 2015–16

CRUISE-ADVISER.COM

Page 1

Issue One

December 2016

CRUISE ADVISER THE ULTIMATE DESTINATION FOR THOSE SELLING CRUISES

PREVIEW EDITION

D E C E M B E R 2 0 16

CRUISE ADVISER

Explore

FEBRUARY 2016

CRUISE ADVISER

EX-UK 2016

THE ULTIMATE DESTINATION FOR THOSE SELLING CRUISES

WATERMARK

ADVENTURE 2016

YOUR GUIDE TO THE BEST HOLIDAYS IN THE WORLD

EX-UK GUIDE 2016–2017

ADVENTURE 2016

RIVER GUIDE 2015–2016

RIVER GUIDE 2015–16

WHY ARE CRUISES M A K I N G WAV E S ? SAILING SOLO O F F T H E B E AT E N T R AC K WHY ARE CRUISES M A K I N G WAV E S ? SAILING SOLO

RIVER GUIDE

THE ULTIMATE DESTINATION FOR THOSE SELLING CRUISES

Solus

I SS U E 0 NE

FIRE & ICE

HURTIGRUTEN

HOW TO SELL

Gary Buchanan takes in two of expedition cruise’s great destinations: Antarctica and the Galápagos

A brief history of the Norwegian shipping company that has been sailing the fjords since 1893

Our unique walkthrough guide featuring 14 fantastic adventure cruises

P30

P24

P 36

P40

thevillagepost Amazing Grace Introducing Tauck’s new ship on the mighty Rhine

Turning the tide An in-depth look at MSC Cruises’ forthcoming Seaside

O F F T H E B E AT E N T R AC K

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CRUISE ADVISER

WONDERFUL WORLD FOUR BUCKET-LIST STOPS

AMERICAN QUEEN

Sam Ballard sails the Mississippi on a musicthemed tour from New Orleans to Memphis

Issue two

A world of luxury We consider the benefits of all-inclusive river cruising

thetravelvillage

APRIL 2016

LUXURY 2016

EMERALD WATERWAYS AN IN-DEPTH LOOK

thecruisevillage

CRUISE ADVISER

THE ULTIMATE DESTINATION FOR THOSE SELLING CRUISES

ON THE HORIZON THE LATEST CRUISE NEWS CA-10

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CRUISE ADVISER

CRUISE & MORE HOLIDAYS OF A LIFETIME

Eastern promises Sailing Asia’s majestic Mekong with APT Touring

thevillagepost American Queen A music-themed tour of the Deep South on the mighty Mississippi

Fire and ice Explore the Galápagos and Antarctica with our handy guide

Issue three

Capital concerns Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest with Scenic on the Danube

COPENHAGEN WITH CRUISE & MARITIME VOYAGES

EXTENSIVE EX-UK DEPARTURE LISTINGS

EUROSTAR RIVER CRUISE SPECIAL

INTERVIEW: P&O’ CRUISES' PAUL LUDLOW

–

SECRETS OF THE DOURO Explore the wonders of Porto with our new itinerary for 2017

MEET THE FLEET Introducing a trio of new ships: Emerald Radiance, Liberté and Destiny

RAISE A GLASS Enjoy the world’s finest wines during our new cruise on the Rhône

WHICH RIVER ARE YOU? Find out which Emerald Waterways cruise best suits your personality

EMERALD EXPLORER

All around the world These epic cruises and flights will take you across the globe

Win!

SEABOURN

FAMILY

Sam Ballard takes a closer look at the history of Carnival’s exquisite ultra-luxury brand

Planning a holiday with the kids? We reveal the secrets to travelling in style

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issue 3

CRYSTAL CRUISES

Jeannine Williamson speaks to Edie Rodriguez about the cruise line’s lightspeed developments

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THE GREAT BEYOND WHY TRAVELLERS OF ALL AGES ARE HEADING OUT ALONE

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SCENIC

From Passau to Budapest, Anthony Pearce takes in the wonders of the beautiful Danube

thevillagepost

vouchers

issue 2

thevillagepost

LUXURY GUIDE 2016

£100

WINE COUNTRY WITH UNIWORLD

INFOCUS: EMERALD WATERWAYS

UNUSUAL RIVERS SPECIAL

UNIQUE HOW TO SELL GUIDE

A new trade magazine from the team at cruise adviser

CRUISE ADVISER

ISSUE TWO

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Issue two | Section Name

Issue three

Page 1

CRUISE ADVISER

THE ULTIMATE DESTINATION FOR THOSE SELLING CRUISES

H E L P I N G YO U S E L L S O L O T R AV E L

DECEMBER 2016 / JANUARY 2017

FEBRUARY 2017

MARCH 2017

PREVIEW GUIDE 2016

Where next for cruise?

PREVIEW GUIDE 2016

The new ships, destinations and innovations arriving in 2017

FJORD FIESTA

FROM THE TEAM

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THE ONLY DESTINATION FOR THOSE SELLING CRUISES

CRUISE ADVISER

CRUISE ADVISER APRIL 2017

SOLUS

INDIAN SUMMER WE EXPLAIN WHY THE COUNTRY IS BACK ON THE MAP FOR SOLOS

Norway with Cruise & Maritime Voyages

INSIDE

KRISTIN KARST, GILES HAWKE, EDIE RODRIGUEZ, ANDY HARMER AND MORE SHARE THEIR PREDICTIONS FOR THE NEW YEAR

Win! PLUS

2017 EX-UK DEPARTURES OPINION: SVEN LINDBLAD THE RHINE WITH RIVIERA IN FOCUS: P&O CRUISES

A CMV CRUISE for two on Columbus

HAVANA CLUB

FIRST LOOK: SEABOURN ENCORE GREECE DESTINATION FOCUS FAMILY CRUISE SPECIAL WIN! A NIGHT ON MSC MERAVIGLIA IN LE HAVRE

Cuba with Star Clippers

CRUISE ADVISER

THE ONLY DESTINATION FOR THOSE SELLING CRUISES

MAY 2017

JUNE 2017

JULY / AUGUST 2017

SEPTEMBER 2017

ROMAN

Win!

HOLIDAY

TITAN CRUISE See page A

Princess Cruises in the Mediterranean

NEW TO CRUISE SPECIAL

MAY 2017

APRIL 2017

HOW TO FIND FIRST-TIME GUESTS

GREEK ODYSSEY

Jeannine Williamson joins Viking Sky in Rhodes

THE

FRENCH

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April 2017 | Section Name

EXPERIENCE

Going

it alone

Two travellers share their individual experiences of holidaying solo

After losing her husband, Diane Bull went to India with Just You and hasn’t looked back I went on my first solo trip in 2005. I’d lost my husband in March that year, after 30 years together. I’d never done anything by myself, so it was a really big question: could I manage? My husband and I had been on a holiday with Travelsphere, and so I looked at Just You, which is their sister company. He had been to India for work, and we’ve got Indian friends, so I thought I’d like to go. I saw a Just You trip that went there, and I just went ahead and booked it. My daughter, said, “Why on earth are you going to India by yourself, mum?”

And I said, “Well, if I can do that, I can do anything.” Before I went, I was very nervous. Arriving at the airport, I was apprehensive, thinking ‘Am I going to get on with people? Is anyone going to talk to me? How am I going to get on with this different culture?’ There’s a picture of me sitting on my suitcase looking dejected, but that soon changed! I went to northern India, the Golden Triangle, and I’ve been back there five times since. The sounds, the sights, the smells – it’s an assault on the senses, India. I love it, it’s a wonderful SOLUSMAGAZINE.COM

Issue three | Check-in

place. At the end of the holiday, which was a week, I didn’t want to go home! I didn’t want to come back to Coventry and face reality to be perfectly honest. It was very empowering – it gave me a lot more confidence. I thought, ‘Great, I can do this’. Since then, I’ve been on 13 trips with Just You and have another three lined up! They’ve got such a good selection of tours and the tour managers are excellent – they make sure no one is left out. If you want to be by yourself you can be, if you don’t want to be, there are always people to talk to. You might be alone when you go to the airport and I appreciate that people can be SOLUSMAGAZINE.COM

anxious about that, but, once you get there, you meet other travellers, the tour managers and airport rep, and then you’re not travelling alone – you’re with a group of people who will soon become your friends! On my first trip, I met a lady called Margaret, who is from Bradford and who became my best friend. I see her a couple of times a year, and she came with me to Vietnam a few years ago. I still travel alone, but often book trips where I know people from previous holidays. Just You has a community [forum. justyou.co.uk], where you can meet other travellers online and agree to meet before you fly.

I’m going to China and Tibet next. I intend to do these longhaul trips while I can, because you don’ t know how long that will be. But I intend to do them until I’m bankrupt! It’s extremely addictive! After my husband died, I became a carer for my mum and my aunt, and it was a really difficult time. It was these trips that kept me focused and stopped me falling into a black hole. My advice to people who are apprehensive about solo travel is: pick somewhere you want to go and then just book it! If you don’t you’ll regret it. As soon as you get home you’ll be booking your second holiday!

Jackie Blanchflower enjoys an allinclusive river cruise with AmaWaterways I no longer have a partner, but I love travelling, so will not let the fact that I am on my own stop me from seeing the world. On a few of my more recent trips, several people had spoken quite passionately about river cruise and what a good experience it had been for them as solo travellers. I liked the idea of being able to see as much of a country as possible in a short space of time and the opportunity to explore each destination in the comfort and security of a group. I did quite a bit of research beforehand to ensure that

I booked the right cruise for me and the name AmaWaterways kept cropping up. The fact that all the tours and excursions were included was the real hook. On previous holidays these were an additional expense and had turned out to be quite costly. The fact that they were included meant that I could choose to participate as much as I wanted to without the constant worry of the size of my bill at the end of the week. It was a seven-night Lyon to Arles cruise and I loved every minute of it. I booked a package that included flights SOLUSMAGAZINE.COM

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and transfers and, after being met in Lyon, I was immediately welcomed by Victor the cruise manager on AmaCello. I was made to feel so welcome – my luggage was taken straight to my room and I was shown through to the lounge where I was served a nice hot cup a tea and indulged in a few of the delicious cakes on offer. Within a few minutes of me sitting down other guests started to arrive and we introduced ourselves to each other and new friendships began to form. On the first night Victor invited all the solo travellers to dine with him at his table. It was a lovely touch and a perfect way to meet the other solo guests and make new friends. Each evening there was new conversation at the table over dinner as everyone was talking about what they had experienced throughout the day. Some guests had taken SOLUSMAGAZINE.COM

part in alternative tours, so it was good to learn from them about what they had discovered throughout the day. The complimentary tours and excursions were fantastic and so well organised. I discovered so many things that would have been impossible to do on my own, such as visiting an olive farm in Les Baux, red wine and chocolate tasting in Tournon, a trip to the Unesco World Heritage site of Pond du Gard near Avignon and wine tasting at a vineyard in Pays d’Or. Before I went on a river cruise, I thought it would be incredibly structured and I might feel claustrophobic on board – both of which have since been proved wrong. The ship was not crowded at all and the lounge was always a comfortable place to sit and relax. My cabin was extremely comfortable and spacious with so many amenities.

I was free to do as much or as little as I liked. The opportunity to be social is there, but equally it is just as easy to find peace and be on your own if that is your preference. One of my fellow solo travellers took out one of AmaWaterways’ complimentary bikes for the morning and went for a peaceful cycle on her own, along the banks of the Rhône which she said was simply stunning. I was quite envious and wished I had joined her. What would I say to other solo people who are thinking about solo travel? Do it, do it, do it! I didn’t ever feel alone from the moment I stepped onboard. AmaWaterways made me feel so welcome and went out of their way to ensure that I was included in everything. I have made life-long friends and even met one of my fellow travellers for lunch recently to relive our memories.

H OW TO S ELL

SOLO TRAVEL How, as a travel agent, do you cater for the singles market? From the experts we speak to – be it solo-travel operators, agents who have cornered the market or solo travellers themselves – we learnt that it’s all about making customers feel at ease. They want to know that they won’t be alone – unless they want to be – or forced to join in with activities when they don’t want to. They want to know they’re not being ripped off with single supplements and that their tour guides or cruise directors are knowledgeable, happy to help and used to looking after single customers, without being patronising. People are going at it alone in record numbers, so we’ve created this guide as a starting place. From a few simple questions, we’ve provided eight incredible options to cover a large part of the solo-travel market. Simply follow the instructions and then use our Directory (p46) to find out more.

Where would you like to go?

UK & Ireland p23

Europe p24 22

Worldwide p25

UK & Ireland What sort of holiday do you want?

Active

Cultural

Relaxing

Who? Just You Where? Devon When? October 2017 How long? Five nights How much? From £639

Who? Intrepid Where? Ireland When? January-October 2018 How long? Nine nights How much? From £1,980

Who? Saga Where? British Isles When? June 2018 How long? Four nights How much? From £718

Europe What sort of holiday do you want?

Active

Cultural

Relaxing

Who? Exodus Where? Portugal When? SeptemberNovember 2017; March-November 2018 How long? Six nights How much? From £1,079

Who? Voyages to Antiquity Where? Italy and Spain When? SeptemberNovember 2017; March-November 2018 How long? 27 days How much? From £4,850

Who? Shearings Holidays Where? Austria When? March 17, 2018 How long? Nine days How much? From £439

This cycling trip through the Douro Valley is the perfect holiday for the solo traveller looking for an active holiday. Cycling across the highland plateau of the International Douro Natural Park, along former railway lines and through forests and almond groves, this trail allows guests to take in the area’s terraced vineyards (and its incredible wine).

This epic cruise departs from Venice and finishes with a two-night hotel stay in Seville. Voyages to Antiquity – one of the best cruise lines for solos – offers cultural and historical cruises, with shore excursions and onboard lectures to give guests the most immersive experience possible.

Lakes and mountain breaks are often pitched as being holidays for hikers, but there are few more relaxing places to be than in the Austrian countryside, away from it all. This coach tour – a great way for singles to travel – visits Bad Ischl, Austria’s oldest spa town, and includes a stay by the breathtaking Lake Fuschl.

Worldwide What sort of holiday do you want?

Active

Cultural

Relaxing

Who? G Adventures Where? Costa Rica When? September 23November 18, 2017 How long? 13 days How much? From £960

Who? Andante Travels Where? Iran When? October 2017, April and November 2018 How long? 17 days How much? From £4,995

Who? Avalon Waterways Where? Myanmar When? March 2018 How long? 14 days How much? From £4,000

Hiking, biking, kayaking, horse-riding and surfing – this is not a holiday for the indolent. After landing in the capital San José, guests spend four days exploring Monteverde and the Arenal Volcano. They then raft down the Pacuare river, head to a rainforest lodge before hitting the beach at Puerto Viejo.

Iran is well off the tourist trail and there are only a few operators who go there. One is Andante Travels, a specialist in archaeological travel. This culture-heavy trip includes the chance to observe ancient Persian architecture at Persepolis, Naqsh-e Rustam, and Pasargadae, with special lectures by archaeologists, conservationists and researchers.

Avalon Waterways has waived its single supplement on select Mekong and Irrawaddy voyages in 2017 and 2018. Mynamar – formerly Burma – is a remarkable and unspoilt country and a relaxing river cruise is a great way of exploring it in depth, but always in style and comfort.

Award-winning holidays for solo travellers Travel with like-minded people

Sociable or independent

More than a fifth of Saga’s customers travel solo, so whether they’re travelling independently, with a friend but prefer their own room or want a sociable holiday with a group who share similar interests, we have the perfect holiday.

• Our solo hosts and tour managers are on hand to create a friendly and sociable atmosphere.

A world of destinations to discover • From Greece and China to Spain and Australia. • Thousands of single rooms available, many at no extra cost • Escorted tour departures exclusively for solo travellers

Step aboard a cruise • Many single cabins at no extra cost on our river cruises, as well as departures exclusively for solo travellers. • Enjoy a special cocktail party and single mingle aboard our own ocean cruise ships, Saga Sapphire and Saga Pearl II. • Option to dine with other solo cruisegoers.

Become a Saga expert, visit sagaexperts.com Find us on social media Saga Trade Team

So much included in the price

Award-winning holidays

• We take care of all the details, from return travel to visas (if required). • VIP door-to-door travel service included on all worldwide holidays and selected European tours. • A range of excursions on selected holidays. • Optional travel insurance provided by Cigna Insurance Services (Europe) Limited and additional cancellation rights, unless your customer has their own in which case a reduction is available – cover is subject to medical questions.

• Voted best singles holiday company at the British Travel awards for the third year in a row!

Call FREE on 0800 074 8021 or visit saga.co.uk/agents Saga’s holidays and cruises are exclusively for the over 50s, but a travelling companion can be 40+. Terms and conditions apply. NHA-GH7005

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INFOCUS

G Adventures Sam Ballard profiles the company set up in Canada in 1990 which is now the market leader in sustainable tourism and hugely popular with solo travellers Founded in 1990 by Bruce Poon Tip with two credit cards, G Adventures has come a long way in a pretty short amount of time. The company, which now has more than 1,500 staff, runs 700 tours on all seven continents. And it’s growing. “We are now the largest small group touring company in the world,” explains Brian Young, managing director of G Adventures, EMEA. “We began on a foundation of offering amazing experiences that get under the skin of a destination

– all with a social responsibility. That’s something we have maintained through to today.” The fact that G Adventures has managed to maintain its ecological credentials as it has built itself up is testament to the team, and the vision of its founder. If further proof was needed the Dalai Lama himself even wrote the foreword to Poon Tip’s book, Looptail. The popularity of G Adventures among solo travellers is astonishing. The company estimates that more

than 50 per cent of bookings have only one name attached. “We are highly skewed to solos,” Young says. “For starters, you can travel with us without having to pay solo supplements. For many women, who might not have travelled alone previously, now they can with a company like ours because they have the security of a group. However, our average group size is just 12 so travellers can create meaningful and lifelong relationships with other people in their group as they have

SOLUSMAGAZINE.COM

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these amazing experiences, all while being led by our CEOs.” G Adventures’ CEOs – chief experience officers – are another part of the company’s story. They are all local and are with the group 24 hours a day. The company considers itself the market leader in sustainable tourism, something that takes many forms. One of the most interesting is its social enterprise projects such as Women on Wheels. “It is a social enterprise in India where we have taken women who couldn’t get a job and teach them to drive and then they work for Women on Wheels. We use Women on Wheels drivers to pick up single female travellers from Delhi airport and take them to their start hotel,” Young explains. SOLUSMAGAZINE.COM

G Adventures hopes to have established 75 such social enterprise projects by 2020. It was through all of these initiatives that the company developed its relationship with arguably the most famous brand in the travel industry: National Geographic. National Geographic Journeys takes the massive resources that National Geographic has and puts a G Adventures spin on them. One example is the company’s Israel and Jordan product. It includes tours by both Israeli and Palestinian guides to give a dual perspective on the region’s conflict as well as night walks with a Bedouin guide and a ride through the desert on a 4x4 (14-nights is priced at just £2,629 per person).

Given that 80 per cent of G Adventures’ bookings are made through the trade, their investment is obvious. They have an eight-strong team looking after agents, while online booking system, Sherpa, is the best in the industry according to Young. “We get right under the skin of a destination, he adds. “People still want beach holidays, but they also want to see the world. They want to tick off those iconic destinations. “People want to go to India but they want to really experience the destinations. We can do that with our CEOs and our social enterprises help tell more of that story, too.” Read the full version on solusmagazine.com

Express yourself

A holiday on the rails is the ideal way for solo travellers to see the world, plus itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s environmentally friendly. Joe Zadeh gets on boardâ&#x20AC;Ś

Issue three | Explore From Wes Anderson’s The Darjeeling Limited to Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, the train has always been an object of romance and mystery in popular culture. Whether its a sleeper train rattling through the TransSiberian wilderness or a steam train snaking its way through the valleys of Salamanca, it is a mode of transport that is deeply imbued with a sense of adventure and wonder. A train journey, after all, is to experience the world at ground level. Mark Smith is a man who has dedicated his life to championing train travel. Via his awardwinning website Seat 61, he’s turned many a would-be flyer into a life-long train aficionado. When we speak, he’s in Eastern Java, having crossed there from Bali via ferry for just 45p. In a few days, he’ll get his next train to Jakarta for £25; always travelling, he assures me, in an air conditioned carriage. I ask him what in his eyes makes train travel such a special experience? “I was at a dinner party once, and discussion

turned to travel,” he begins. “It soon degenerated into whether such-and-such an airline offered bigger seats or more leg-room. Is that all travel means to people now? It used to be so much more than this! Mountains, lakes, scenery, sights and socialising can all be a factor of the travelling experience. Journeys should be part of your adventure, not an interruption to it.” From London’s St Pancras International – just two hours from Manchester, and even less than that from Birmingham – it’s quite incredible how mainland Europe can open up. After a relatively short Eurostar journey to Paris, one can easily find connections to Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Spain and Eastern Europe. You can have breakfast in London and lunch in Paris (preferably at the highly rated Le Train Bleu restaurant inside Gare de Lyon) without worrying about booking fees or baggage fees. And, because you’re always travelling directly from city centre to city centre, you can forget about waiting for those dreaded airport transfers.

Much of this can be done via either Eurostar or Voyages SNCF, which offer routes across Europe on high-speed trains. Fast and direct Eurostar routes to Marseille and Bourg-SaintMaurice mean you can get from London to a beach in the south of France within seven hours, or to a ski slope in the Alps within nine hours. All aboard a comfortable mode of transport where you can wine, dine, unwind and wander freely – and, if you want to, find companionship. It’s this return to simplicity and adventure among travellers – not just simply convenience and speed – that has sparked a renaissance in train travel over the last decade. In fact, speed is often a common misconception around using flight over rail. Last year, an analysis from Go Euro found that 14 of Europe’s most popular flights were far quicker by train, including London to Brussels, Paris to Amsterdam and Munich to Vienna. In response to all this, numerous service providers have popped up to curate wonderful rail package holidays across the continent for UK travellers. One of those is Ffestiniog Travel, who recently launched Easy Rail Holidays, designed so that travellers stay in one location and then make daily excursions rather than constantly repacking. Next summer, it will be offering four special packages, ranging from an eight-day retreat to Lake Lucerne to an eight-day exploration of the Swiss Alps. The pick of the bunch is its five-day adventure through the Belgian Ardennes: heading to the picturesque city of Namur, the capital of Wallonia, travellers will SOLUSMAGAZINE.COM

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Issue three | Explore use it as a base as they embark on excursions to Luxembourg and the historical city of Maastricht, and even take a ride on the heritage South Limburg steam train. For those in search of a little luxury, Great Rail Journeys has a wealth of well-curated trips on offer for 2018. Its grand tour of Italy is a 14-day holiday that gets under the skin of Italian culture as it guides travellers on an escorted tour through almost every major city in the country, including Milan, Rome, Vatican City, Florence, Venice and Pisa. Not to mention the eye-catching landscapes of rural Italy that you will see from your carriage window each day, and the four-star hotels you’ll be staying in each night. But why wait until next year? Solos, a company that specialises in holidays for the solo traveller, has train packages leaving London and heading to France from now until Christmas. In October, guests can embark on the Eurostar to Lyon for three days of discovery in the gourmet capital of France. Of course, Lyon isn’t just about food; there’s also a wealth of history lurking in the city, with the Ancient Roman Theatre of Fourvière worth checking out, as well as the Renaissance architecture in Vieux Lyon. For Smith, the limits of train travel are boundless. “How about London this morning, Morocco tomorrow night?” he suggests. “It’s actually really easy: travel from London to Paris, Barcelona and Algeciras by train, then get on a ferry across the Strait of Gibraltar SOLUSMAGAZINE.COM

Issue three | Explore to Tangier. No airports! No flights! It’s safe, comfortable and eminently doable.” His sentiment is shared by many others. This year, the United Nations declared 2017 the “year of sustainable tourism”, placing a keen emphasis on encouraging more and more people to take advantage of Europe’s fantastic railway network, largely because of how much better it is for the environment. Train travel really is the green way to get around: it accounts for just 1.2 per cent of transport CO2 emissions, compared to 12.3 per cent for aviation. But the key thing is still simply the fun of it, especially for those travelling alone. “On trains and ships there’s room to move, interact and meet people,” says Smith. “That’s why all those filmmakers and novelists often set romances and mysteries on trains, but the only things set on planes seem to be disaster movies.”

SOLUSMAGAZINE.COM

wonders Down

The

Under

From snorkelling at the Great Barrier Reef to sunrise at Uluru, Jane Archer takes a coach tour to see all the delights Australia has to offer

Joey is clinging to my wrist with his forearms as he gently nibbles grain from my hand. Joey is a baby kangaroo and the cutest little fella I’ve encountered in Cleland, a wildlife park near Adelaide in Australia, a country that brings on experiences you can’t replicate anywhere else. There’s sunrise or sunset over Uluru (Ayers Rock), snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef, climbing over the top of a bridge (sounds dull, but how about when it is Sydney Harbour Bridge and you are 134m above the

water on top of the arch with a bird’s eye view of the Sydney Opera House across the bay?). You can journey past coastline, fishing villages, waterfalls and rainforest on the 400km Great Ocean Road, sip wines in vineyards (well, OK, you can do that in many other places but these are New World wines and much more hip) and venture into the outback. Cleland itself is more than just kangaroos. You can cuddle a koala, get close to emus and learn about ferocious dingoes. But here’s the thing. Australia is huge – put it over a map of Europe and east to west it stretches from the west coast of Ireland to Moscow; north to south from Arctic Sweden to Turkey. Of course you can travel around alone but an organised tour is so much easier – especially for solo travellers, as they have a ready-made set of companions to buddy up with.

Better still, not only do lots of operators have Australia-wide tours but several are just for those holidaying alone so it’s much easier for solo travellers to make friends. All tours visit Sydney, Melbourne, Uluru and Cairns, the jumping-off point for trips to the Great Barrier Reef, but clients with time and money to spare are well advised to choose a longer one and also tick off places such as Darwin, Perth and Adelaide, where other key attractions include the wilds of Kangaroo Island and the Barossa Valley vineyards. Just You, the solo travel specialist, has a 30-day Amazing Australia tour from Perth to Melbourne next January that spends three nights in Adelaide, a couple of nights in Darwin and includes trips to see Aboriginal rock art, sheep shearing, crocodiles and even a camel farm. SOLUSMAGAZINE.COM

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Saga has two 29-night Ultimate Australia tours reserved for solo travellers. Departing April 26 and October 4, 2018, they visit Perth, Darwin, Alice Springs, Uluru, Cairns, Brisbane, Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, where an included tour visits Cleland Wildlife Park. Both sound punishing schedules but they include threenight stays in several places so there is time to unpack, see the sights and relax before moving on. Travel is by air or coach.

Best of the rest Solo travellers who fancy the companionship of a coach tour can take their pick from loads of other great journeys. Contiki has twoweek tours combining Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, or Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, while Titan

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Saga holiday creator Chris Parker said: “Australia is a fantastic choice for solo travellers. The length of the trip offers the opportunity to take advantage of the social atmosphere solo tours offer and meet new and likeminded travellers.” Prices start from £8,249 per person bed and breakfast, including flights and 16 excursions. Cosmos and Titan have comprehensive tours of Australia, but not exclusively for solo travellers. Cosmos product and

Travel has a best-selling 16-day California and the Golden West trip. It includes time for a flutter in Las Vegas and ticks off Los Angeles, San Diego, Scottsdale and San Francisco. From £3,598 per person departing March 22 2018 including flights. Second favourite from Titan is India’s Golden Triangle tour,

commercial executive Samantha Green said: “The social aspect and reassurance of travelling with a group, means single travellers can relax and enjoy seeing Australia’s cities and incredible sights.” Cosmos’ top seller is the 15day Highlights of Australia tour, which includes a champagne and canapés sunset at the iconic Uluru, catamaran over the Great Barrier Reef plus a cruise around Sydney harbour. Contiki, which caters for 18-35 year olds, said 55 per cent of its clients are single and, of those, 67 per cent are female – an important consideration for women concerned about travelling alone. The company has loads of tours in Australia including one and two-week outback tours and coastal trips between Cairns and Sydney with quad share or double, twin or single rooms available. From £1,335 per person for a 14-night Outback Adventure from Darwin to Alice Springs next January excluding flights.

which visits the Taj Mahal and the Amber Fort in Jaipur and includes two safari drives in Ranthambore National Park. Finally, there’s a singles-only six-night Jewels of the Russian Capitals tour of Moscow and St Petersburg with Saga in June and September next year. From £1,599 with flights.

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EXPERT ADVICE

“Whatever your passion, there’s a group tour to suit”

Katherine Lawrey speaks to industry specialists who help to dispel some of the myths surrounding solo travel that might be holding potential customers back When you meet a potential client who’s keen for an adventure but doesn’t have a travelling buddy, chances are they are looking for some reassurance. Your job is actually getting easier in this respect because an increasing number of travel companies are now tapping into the ever growing solo market, making it more attractive for individuals to meet like-minded people. It can be daunting setting off from home alone, but these worries can easily be set aside, as we discovered by chatting to a few solo travel specialists. What happens if I don’t like my roommate? Room allocations aren’t just thrown together randomly. Andrew Turner, head of

Andrew Turner from Intrepid Travel

industry sales for Intrepid Travel explains: “We allocate rooms by matching clients of similar ages wherever possible, and often receive great feedback from passengers commenting on how well they get along with their roommate and fellow travellers.” “In the overwhelming majority of cases, passengers sharing rooms are respectful, friendly and like-minded travellers, but of course room allocations can be changed on the trip if necessary.” Escorted group tours are for young people or old people, surely? There won’t be anyone my age… This is rapidly changing. A break-out operator here is

Richard Branson-endorsed Flash Pack, which is just for people in their 30s and 40s. G Adventures is also booking more child-free clients in that age group. Managing director Brian Young says: “We’re seeing a growing trend for solo travellers who sit above the ‘millennial’ age bracket. As people’s travel tastes develop, they might find their travel wish list differs to that of friends and partners. The most popular style for this age bracket are our National Geographic Journeys with G Adventures tours, which provide a little more comfort and unique experiences, plus our Marine travel style encompassing expedition and river cruise and the Galapagos.” SOLUSMAGAZINE.COM

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Will I be safe?

I don’t want to share a room – but a single supplement is expensive. A number of escorted tour operators will routinely run with no single supplement offers, including Titan and Mercury Holidays. Great Rail Journeys currently has nine tours on sale with no single supplement, including India’s Golden Triangle and Tiger Safari and a Grand Tour of Switzerland. Group sales and marketing director Alex Roberts says that there is a sociable atmosphere on GRJ tours but customers have the freedom to be as involved as they like. He also points out that, when a single supplement is applicable, it only reflects the costs levied by some hotels for single occupancy. “Our approach is one of fairness,” he explains. “We do not charge a supplement for rail travel, excursions, SOLUSMAGAZINE.COM

transfers, meals or the services of a tour manager.” Group tours are all about culture – yawn! Not any more. Whatever your passion, there’s a group tour to suit, from cycling to safaris. Singles specialist Just You’s range includes winter snow and beach holidays, so your solo client can have company while they ski down Alpine slopes or laze on Caribbean beaches. Colin Wilson, sales director, says: “Our Just You travellers tend to be more adventurous and are constantly looking for different types of holidays, hence we have a wide range of unique experiences. Some examples are the Just You Ski programme, the Global Explorer, our round the world tour, Polar Bear Adventure and, of course, our Arizona ranch experience where you live like a cowboy.”

Group tours offer the best reassurance for nervous travellers, with safety in numbers and tour leaders to help navigate any cultural and language barriers. But if you find yourself booking roundthe-world flights for a client who is determined to go it alone, travel journalist Meera Dattani has the following advice: 1. Book hotels or hostels in lively neighbourhoods and not on quiet streets. 2. Book a private room in a hostel so you get privacy and the sociable side 3. Keep insurance details and passport scans in digital format and hard copy. Simple to do and saves a lot of hassle when you need them. 4. Trust your instincts when it comes to people – you often just know if someone has an agenda.

TRAVEL AGENT TRENDS

The rise and rise of solo travel

The figures speak for themselves â&#x20AC;&#x201C; with over half the adult population now classifying themselves as single, solo travel is becoming more and more popular. Sam Ballard speaks to industry insiders about the huge opportunities, but also why lone travellers should be treated just like any other custoner

Issue three | Explore It may not surprise you – given that you are reading a magazine dedicated to solo travel – but the market for single travellers is booming. In 2015, the Office for National Statistics reported that 51 per cent of people aged over 16 in England and Wales classified themselves as single. It was the first time on record that our living habits had showed this type of demographic shift. What’s more, the evidence suggests that the trend is continuing. In Abta’s 2016 Holiday Habits Report, the trade body said that 13 per cent of people holidayed alone last year. The reason cited? Solo travel allowed people the opportunity to do what they wanted while on holiday, which was crucial to 79 per cent of those who went solo. For 25 to 34-year-olds that figure rose to 90 per cent.

51%

of people aged over 16 in England and Wales class themselves as single The report adds: “Those over the age of 65 are most likely to holiday alone (18 per cent) and for them, ‘travelling to a new destination’ is a key driver with 45 per cent stating this as a reason.” The most interesting point about that last statistic is how unexceptional it is. Think about it: while there are many areas where agents are desperate to

Issue three | Explore

try and unlock the single market – and find out what makes the solo traveller tick – the reality is that solo travellers are looking for what the majority of us are seeking: authentic experiences to bucket-list destinations.

industry is better than it’s ever been before. There is more awareness about what is needed for the market. When you look at what holidays were like in the 1970s and 1980s – as in mainly Mediterranean, family holidays – there are now far more opportunities for worldwide travel.” Hitchings, of 25 to 34-year-olds choose to who says that his three travel alone as it gives them the most popular opportunity to do what they destinations want while on holiday for solo travellers are For the experts, who are Costa Rica, Peru and Vietnam, already selling to the sector adds that the key to cracking well, it is all about knowing that the market is flexibility. many of the same travel desires “You have to be able to exist in singles as they do in offer a range of choice to your couples or groups of friends. clients,” he says. “Not only for From there, you can tailor their destinations, but also about experiences accordingly. how independent they want to “Solo travellers must be be. Would they like to travel in treated the same as any other a group or do they want to go traveller. They are subjected on their own? How social are to the same trends as anyone they? The product line-up now else,” explains Rob Hitchings, manages to accommodate so the owner of Nomadic Travel. much that there is a holiday out “Having said that, the solo travel there for everybody.”

90%

Rob Hitchings from Nomadic Travel

Elaine Hopkinson, of Footloose Travel, agrees, adding that one demographic in particular is feeling more confident after the industrywide improvements: “We are seeing a huge number of solo female enquiries. Which is great,” she explains. “As women now feel more comfortable travelling on their own. They usually prefer to go on group holidays, where you meet a group of people (up to around 16 people) and travel around together. “Our demographic is usually between 40 and 60 and we have seen a huge increase in them wanting to travel in this way,” she says. “They are keen to make friends and most are happy to be on a sharing basis with someone of the same sex during the trips. I think this is because travel is so much more accessible now, the comfort that tour companies bring, such as meet and greet services and transfers to and from airports, travelling in numbers and having an English-speaking guide all contributes to giving them the confidence they need to go a little out of their comfort zones and explore different countries and cultures.” For those dealing with a client who is recently single – SOLUSMAGAZINE.COM

Issue three | Explore

Elaine Hopkinson, of Footloose Travel

either because of separation or bereavement – then travel agents can have a role to play in their road to recovery, Hitchings explains. “A lot of customers are recently bereaved and might be lacking in confidence if they’re taking their first holiday,” he says. “They might be feeling a bit low and taking that first holiday on their own is an important step to take. There is certainly a counselling aspect to it.” SOLUSMAGAZINE.COM

All of this comes less down to trends but more about the groundwork an agency needs to do if it wants to take its solo business seriously. The statistics show that it’s worth it, too. One company, G Adventures, estimates that more than 50 per cent of its bookings are for singles. Fred Olsen Cruise Lines dedicates 10 per cent of every sailing to solo passengers. For Hopkinson and Footloose it’s all about getting into the mindset of a solo traveller. “We have first-hand knowledge of what it is like to be a solo traveller as all of the Footloose staff have travelled on their own and experienced a range of destinations by themselves in Africa, South America and Asia,” she explains. “This helps when instilling

confidence into nervous first time solo travellers or people who want to branch out on their own but just don’t have any friends or relatives that want to experience the same things as they do.” For those agents that are prepared are prepared to do the work then it will pay off. Bryan Young, the managing director of G Adventures EMEA, explains: “Eighty per cent of our bookings come through the trade. For us it is a massive part of our business and it is all about understanding what the customer wants.” As our travel habits change and more and more people venture out on holiday on their own, the more opportunities there will be for travel agents to capitalise on the industry.

DIRECTORY Info need an update? Email info@waterfront-publishing.com A AAT Kings Heather Colbourn, senior sales manager 07824 486 544 heather.colbourn@aatkings. co.uk A-Rosa Lucia Rowe, head of sales UK and Ireland 07842 026 013 l.rowe@a-rosa.de Abercrombie & Kent Rachel Healy, trade sales manager 01242 547 886 rhealy@abercrombiekent.co.uk Amadeus River Cruises Brooke Daniels, UK sales manager 080 0035 6411 brooke@fredrivercruises.co.uk AmaWaterways Jamie Loizou, sales, marketing and digital director 033 3305 3902 jamieloizou@amawaterways. com APT Touring Kate Ashman, sales and commercial specialist 01494 736 147 agentclub@aptouring.co.uk ATG Oxford Juliette King, sales manager 01865 315 678 trip-enquiry@atg-oxford.com Avalon Waterways James Mortimer, agency sales executive 020 8315 4585 agencysales@avaloncruises. co.uk B Back-Roads Touring Lockie Turner, business development manager 020 8987 0990 l.kerr@backroadstouring.com

BodyHoliday, Saint Lucia Andrew Hillier, agency sales manager 020 3096 1600 reservations@clear-marketing. com C Contiki Laura Brown, head of sales 07917 608 766 laura.brown@contiki.co.uk Cosmos James Mortimer, agency sales executive 020 8315 4585 agencysales@cosmostours.co.uk Cox & Kings Greg Thurston, national account manager 07748 807 276 greg.thurston@coxandkings. co.uk CroisiEurope Gabrielle Alam, head of sales and marketing UK 020 8328 1281 resuk@croisieurope.com Cruise & Maritime Voyages Lisa Jacobs, head of trade sales 0844 414 6140 lisa.jacobs@cruiseandmaritime. com Crystal Cruises Mick Dupont, head of UK sales 020 7399 7602 mick@cruiseportfolio.co.uk E eWaterways Emma Wild, head of sales 080 8168 1458 salesuk@ewaterways.co.uk Exodus Dan Jackson, agency liaison manager 07879 336 324 djackson@exodus.co.uk

Explore Sarah King, sales manager 01252 883 721 sarah.king@explore.co.uk F Ffestiniog Travel Michelle Hawes, tours supervisor 01766 772030 michelle.hawes@ffestiniogtravel. co.uk Fred Olsen Cruise Lines Becky Smith, trade support manager 01473 746 164 cruise.sales@fredolsen.co.uk Fred Olsen River Cruises Brooke Daniels, UK sales manager 0800 021 3172 brooke@fredrivercruises.co.uk G G Adventures Jerrine Barnett, new business development manager 07432 429 836 / 020 7243 9870 ext. 9948 jbarnett@gadventures.com I If Only Neil Sealy, head of sales 01419 554 000 neil.sealy@ifonly.net Intrepid Travel Andrew Turner, head of industry sales 080 8274 5719 ukbdm@intrepidtravel.com J Journey Latin America Mary Anne Nelson, senior travel consultant 020 8747 8315 agents@journeylatinamerica. co.uk

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Issue three | Depart

Kirker Hisham Mahmoud, agency sales manager UK & Ireland 020 7593 2288 hisham.mahmoud@ kirkerholidays.com L

On The Go Tours Kate Filer, sales manager 07985 660 303 kate.filer@onthegotours.com P

Tauck Kathryn Coles, UK and Ireland sales manager 080 0810 8020 tauckreservations@tauck.co.uk Thomson Cruises Andrew Isherwood, commercial support team 020 3451 2762 commercial.support@thomson. co.uk Titan Travel Edwina Coppock, agency sales manager 01293 450 726; 07834 652 135 edwina.coppock@titantravel. co.uk Travelpack Heena Bhudia, business development manager 07958 359 505 heena.bhudia@travelpack.com Travelsphere & JustYou Polly Poulton, national account manager 01858 588 406 polly.poulton@travelsphere. co.uk U

Latin Routes Jessica Bain, director 020 8546 6222 info@latinroutes.co.uk Leger Holidays Ashley Dellow, head of retail sales 01709 385 811 retail.sales@leger.co.uk M The Majestic Line Marie McGhee, sales manager 01369 707951 info@themajesticline.co.uk Mercury Holidays David Hood, national sales manager 07855 036 782 dhood@sunspottours.com MSC Cruises Victoria Taylor, sales operations manager 020 7092 8182 ukinsidesales@msccruises.co.uk N Newmarket Holidays Richard Forde, agency sales manager 0330 160 4799 travelagents@ newmarketholidays.co.uk Norwegian Cruise Line Jeremy McKenna, head of sales UK and Ireland 07408 805 216 jmckenna@ncl.com

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P&O Cruises Natasha Richardson, director of sales operations 023 8065 7259 natasha.richardson@ carnivalukgroup.com Princess Cruises Victoria Snelgar, sales operations manager 023 8065 6613 victoria.snelgar@princesscruises. co.uk R Riviera Travel Darren Mussell, agency sales assistant manager 01283 744 307 agencysales@rivieratravel.co.uk Royal Caribbean International Trade support team 01932 834 379 salessupport.uk@rccl.com S Saga Travel Sukina Fagg, national account manager 080 0074 8021 sukina.fagg@saga.co.uk Shearings Holidays Michael Bowers, national sales manager 01942 823 449 sales.support@shearings.com Solos Holidays Julian Simmons, agency liaison 020 8951 2810 travel@solos.co.uk Specialist Journeys Kathryn Furnell, marketing manager 01722 713 800 kathryn@specialistjourneys.com

Uniworld Boutique River Cruises David Chidley, national sales manager 07408 855 544 david.chidley@uniworld.com V Voyages to Antiquity Michelle Daniels, head of groups and partnerships 01865 302 2565 m.daniels@voyagestoantiquity. com W Wendy Wu Tours Adam White, trade support and marketing executive 020 7939 9560 adam.white@wendywutours. co.uk

GAMESROOM

Each issue, we bring you a selection of things to do on your lunch break or journey to the office

CROSSWORD

ACROSS

DOWN

7. Breathtaking (11)

1. Company which keeps you connected (1,1,1)

8. Exposure (10) 10. Cost of money indicator (1,1,1)

2. Moor (6) 3. Probably not a big earner (4-4,3)

11. Displeasure (3)

4. One on her own (6,5)

12. Pollution concentration measure (1,1,1)

5. Old Peruvian (4)

13. Where guests hit the hay afloat (10) 16. Surveillance tool (5,6)

6. Personal chemistry (7) 9. Docile (7) 12. What a cruise operator should do (6) 14. Egyptian opera (4) 15 Botany, perhaps (3) SOLUSMAGAZINE.COM

Issue three | Section Name

QUIZ

WIN! Costa Rica trip with

1. The island of Cozumel is part of which country?

2. The Handmaid’s Tale was written

Intrepid Travel

by which author?

3. What is the name of the book series on which Game of Thrones is based?

4. Until 1989 the southeast Asian country of Myanmar was known as what?

5. Notes from a Small Island is a travel book about Britain by which author?

6. What is the collective noun for owls? 7. A negroni cocktail is made of what three ingredients?

8. If you were landing at Indira Gandhi International Airport what city would you be arriving in?

9. The Galápagos Islands are a province

Win a nine-day fam trip to Costa Rica, including return flights from London.

of which nation?

10. How many countries are there in

To enter, answer the following question and send your answer to info@waterfront-publishing.com with the subject line as ‘Solus competition’

Antarctica?

11. Whaam! is a 1963 painting by which pop artist?

12. The Burj Al Arab Jumeirah hotel

What is the capital of Costa Rica?

is found where?

Terms and conditions apply, see bit.ly/2ekwfIT

13. Bora Bora is part of what island group in the Pacific?

14. The Queen is Dead is a 1986 album by what band?

15. Explorer Roald Amundsen was born in what country? QUIZ ANSWERS 1. Mexico 2. Margaret Atwood 3. George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire 4. Burma 5. Bill Bryson 6. A parliament 7.Gin, vermouth, Campari 8. Delhi 9. Ecuador 10. None – although 53 countries have signed the Antarctic Treaty System 11. Roy Lichtenstein 12. Dubai 13. French Polynesia 14. The Smiths 15. Norway

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Issue three | Depart

FINAL WORD

Facing up to the challenge For female solo travellers, knowledge is key for both agent and customer Across the travel industry, operators are reporting a rise in the number of women travelling solo. Intrepid Travel has noted a 35 per cent increase, while research commissioned by 101 Single Holidays estimated that almost 60 per cent of solo travellers are female. The most recent Holiday Habits report by Abta puts the numbers slightly lower than that – that is, 12 per cent of women (compared to 14 per cent of men) say they travel solo – but the number is undoubtedly rising. And it’s not just sixth-form leavers on gap years, but women of all ages, enjoying all types of holidays – be it interrailing across Europe, hiking through the rainforests of Costa Rica, or cruising on the Danube. As travel agents, it’s key to be aware of the challenges that are unique to the female solo traveller – to know the right answers to give the right assurances. Potential customers will come armed with questions about whether or not a destination is safe and the cultural differences they may experience there. More often than not you are at no more risk when travelling

than you are at home – the overwhelming experience of the traveller is a positive one – but some destinations, such as India, undoubtedly can represent a risk to women, as some shocking news stories from the country have demonstrated. Escorted tours and cruises are a great way of offering the safety net of being in a group, without taking away the adventure. With Solus we aim to show how varied these trips can be: small-group tour specialists, in particular, offer some truly incredible itineraries that any adventurer would love. Companies such as G Adventures are redefining this type of travel, providing holidays that are authentic but also structured and safe. That said, many customers – particularly younger ones – will want to travel independently (often simply because it’s the cheapest option), but also want to know they will be safe. Knowledge is key, for both you and the customer. Rachel Jones, who runs the Hippie In Heels blog, tells us that, with destinations such as India, it’s important to read the

news about how women are sometimes treated and be well informed before you travel. “When your expectations are to have a spiritual, life-changing experience and instead you find stares and scams, you’ll only feel let down,” she says. “India has its challenges as a solo female traveller. The best thing you can do is be mentally prepared for them so that you can fully embrace and enjoy your holiday.” The Foreign Office and Abta are always the go-to places for travel advice, of course, but speaking to past customers about their experiences is the best way to know what it’s truly like to travel alone as a woman, if you’re not able to experience that for yourself. When travellers share their experiences and advice, they help others to have a fulfilling, adventurous but, most importantly, safe and worryfree holiday. The next issue of Solus is out in March 2018. See solusmagazine.com for more SOLUSMAGAZINE.COM

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