Adventure Tours UK to up trade focus as travel recovers
Will PayneTour operator Adventure Travel UK has announced plans to up its trade focus now the travel industry is "back on its feet" following the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Speaking to TTG on Monday (25 July), co-founder Claire Copeman said the last two and a half years were "not the right time to be knocking on the doors of agents".
"We launched at the very end of 2018, so 2019 was our first season as an operator so for us it was all about raising our brand awareness so we were ready to hit the ground running from 2020 – which of course was the year everything stopped," she said.
"But now is the time for us to start approaching the trade, now everyone is returning to some levels of normality. We want to work in particular with those agents who have got quite a niche or specialism in terms of their clients who want something a bit different."
The firm offers locally-lead, small group adventure group tours which "immerse their clients" into the local culture and heritage. They also provide self-guided and self-drive trips, tailor made group holidays, family breaks and corporate events throughout the UK.
Two months ago the company hired a new product manager to help curate new trips and tours, as well as liaise with agents on trade-friendly products. The brand also has a guest experience executive who looks after customer communications and enquiries.
Copeman said the firm will be rolling out a new online hub for agents via its website, which will include digital brochures, product information, marketing materials and training initiatives.
"We can also keep them up to date on our carbon measurements and environmental standpoint which is fundamental to us as a brand," she added.
"Domestic was the obvious way to work over the past few years but I really think domestic has now found its place amongst tourists. I don’t expect it to be as big a part of the mix in future years, but I think Brits have realised there is so much more to do here than they originally expected."
The company will soon release new trips for 2022/2023, including a three-day canoe itinerary in the Lake District and a six-day hiking-canoe hybrid holiday along Glenn Way in Scotland.
"We also have Adventure North Wales and Adventure South Wales," Copeman added. "Adventure North Wales was our flagship product when we launched and is an eight-day activity trip which has three nights in a 4-star boutique hotel, a couple off grid in a bunk house at the foot of Snowdon and then two nights back in a hotel."
The operator is also working to become B Corp certified and recently became one of the first UK adventure tour operators to measure and label its carbon emissions of each of its trips on its website.
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Place of registration: England and Wales.
Company number 08723341.
Registered address: 6th Floor, 2 London Wall Place, London EC2Y 5AU
