Intrepid introduces ‘long overdue’ tours for solo parents

Six tours aimed specifically at the UK’s two million lone parents have been introduced in a move the operator says is “long overdue”.

“You only need to look at family holiday packages widely advertised by the travel industry to see they cater for two parents and two children,” said Dyan McKie, Intrepid’s family trips brand manager and a single mother herself.

“In many ways this assumption is archaic and doesn’t reflect today’s families. The travel industry caters for so many niche groups but solo parents have been ignored for too long.”

The operator says that 16% of its family bookings were from single parents and their children in the year ending September 2017. Anecdotally, Intrepid is experiencing increased enquiries and requests from solo parents.

“Our existing family trips have been increasingly popular with solo parents as it allows children to bond and form their own friendships, meaning that parents can enjoy some much-deserved rest and relaxation,” she added.

The new trips are to Costa Rica, Thailand, northern India, Egypt, Vietnam and Morocco, destinations Intrepid says were chosen to make it easier for solo parents with children to travel without feeling intimidated.

Egypt leads in at £725 per adult and £652 per child based on two sharing a twin room. The nine-day itinerary includes Cairo; an overnight train to Aswan, a felucca cruise from Luxor and a beach stay at Hurghada. The price includes breakfast plus two lunches and five dinners.

The 15-day Costa Rica itinerary leads in at £2,235 per adult and £2,011 per child sharing accommodation. It includes activities such as white water rafting, horse riding, hiking through jungle to waterfalls and Siplining. Clients will also experience the waterways of Tortuguero National Park to seek out monkeys and turtles by foot and boat.

Intrepid has also launched new 2018 family itineraries, including an eight day Bali Family Holiday designed specifically for teenagers, a Tanzania Family Safari and an eight day trip in Mexico, which includes beaches, forests, lost ruins and colonial townships.