Your A-Z of new packages for the year ahead

BAHAMAS

Celebrating 50 years of independence on 10 July, the Bahamas will be marking the occasion all year with an abundance of festivities including special Junkanoo street parades. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have both increased their flight schedules to the archipelago meaning there are now daily flights from London. bahamas.com

CANADA

Canadian Affair is focusing on enhancing customer experiences going into 2023, highlighting events such as the Calgary Stampede (7-16 July), Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival (late March until mid-April) and Montreal Jazz Festival (29 June-8 July) as key drivers. Nick Talbot, head of marketing, adds: “We are rolling out enhanced motorhome packages that offer a route planner guide to show customers all the hidden wonders that are so easily missed, as well as making sure they are at the front of the queue for campgrounds.” canadianaffair.com

GREECE

Authentic and unspoilt are the buzzwords for the new additions to Olympic Holidays’ portfolio – these include the small pine-clad island of Agistri, part of the Saronic group, and the cosmopolitan town of Porto Heli, a natural harbour on the eastern side of the Peloponnese. A new island-hopping itinerary combines the best of Athens with the Greeks’ preferred islands of Syros, Tinos and Andros, rated for their natural beauty and culture. olympicholidays.com 

ITALY

Italy is the number one European destination for Great Rail Journeys going into next year. A new Hidden Treasures of Tuscany tour delves into the lesser-known corners of this popular region. Highlights include a visit to a Montepulciano farm, known for its red Vino Nobile, and travelling on a classic steam train to a village to sample wine, truffles and olive oil (nine nights from £2,495 per person). greatrail.com

JAMAICA & CURACAO 

Jamaica remains a firm fan favourite for Sandals clients. It was where the luxury all-inclusive hotel brand opened its first property, Sandals Montego Bay, and the island tally will grow to seven when Sandals Dunn’s River opens in May. The group also notes that clients increasingly want something a bit different, such as Curacao, where excursions include an e-bike tour of quaint capital Willemstad and a catamaran trip to a desert island. sellingsandals.co.uk 

MAURITIUS 

A brand refresh has given a new identity to luxury Mauritian hotel group Sun Resorts. Now known as Sunlife, talking points include electricity-generating bikes that when pedalled by guests help illuminate the palm trees and gardens after dark, plus family cooking classes and an imaginative new cocktail collection with healing properties. Caribtours has a range of deals saving 10% and offering resort credit across the portfolio, for booking by 31 December (seven nights at Sugar Beach from £2,969pp). caribtours.co.uk 

NORWAY 

Capitalising on travellers’ desires to learn more while they’re away, Omega Breaks has added a new five-day Norway and the Northern Lights with Pete Lawrence tour. Lawrence is a presenter on BBC Four’s The Sky at Night and he’ll provide facts on the northern lights and photography tips during the tour, which spends two nights at Malangen Resort in Mestervik village, which prides itself on being a leading location for spotting the aurora borealis (five days from £1,094pp). omegabreaks.com/agents 

SLOVENIA 

While not everyone wants to go skiing, snow can still make for an enticing proposition, and Inntravel’s new winter holiday to Slovenia is ideal for non-skiers. Its base is the Sunrose 7 Heritage hotel in the village of Bohinjska Bistrica, from where the exquisite lakes of Bled and Bohinj are both accessed by a free local bus service. A number of excursions are included such as a torchlit stroll along the shores of Bohinj and a visit to a local cheesemaker (seven nights from £1,340pp). inntravel.co.uk 

SRI LANKA 

Audley Travel recommends Sri Lanka, now open again for tourism after a few challenging years. Rebecca Edwards, Indian Subcontinent product manager, says: “Audley has some great savings for accommodation, plus room upgrades and a complimentary excursion when booking some of the properties we offer. A stay in Sri Lanka allows clients to mix relaxation, jungle exploration, safari, history and cultural discovery into one trip.” audleytravel.com 

SWEDEN AND FINLAND 

Highlights of Regent Holidays’ expanded Nordics programme include two new tours of Gothenburg for summertime when the leafy city impresses with its cafe culture, fresh seafood and island-hopping day trips (four nights from £710pp). Also new is a Finnish Lakeland Family Summer Break in a log cabin including e-biking trips, a visit to a husky farm and a boat trip to a “secret” island (seven nights from £6,830 for a family of four). Andrea Godfrey, head of product and marketing, puts the expanded programme down to ‘increased demand plus co-operation from regional tourist boards.” regent-holidays.co.uk 

UK & Ireland

King Charles’ coronation date is set for 6 May at Westminster Abbey in London and Le Boat, a leading provider of inland water boating holidays, says royal events are a guaranteed driver of bookings from its Chertsey base. A four-night stay on the Thames with mooring in Windsor offers a window on royal palaces and historic castles (from £935 per boat, sleeping six). leboat.co.uk

US

Trafalgar and Insight Vacations have new tours offering encounters with indigenous communities and hiking trips in the country’s national parks. Trafalgar is blazing new trails with its National Parks and Native Trails of the Dakotas itinerary, which brings travellers to Indian Reservations such as Pine Ridge and Standing Rock (nine days, from £2,411pp), while Insight Vacations’ Spectacular National Parks of the East Coast tours Shenandoah, New River Gorge, Great Smoky Mountains and Mammoth Caves (10 days, from £3,083pp). trafalgar.com; insightvacations.com