22 Sep 2020
Tour company finds trend emerging as family bookings lead the way for 2021
September 21, 2020 – Despite uncertainty in travel due to COVID-19, global tour operator Intrepid Travel has seen unprecedented demand for its family tours over the last few months, prompting the company to create new Retreat-style tours geared towards the demographic.
Intrepid has found that a quarter of the top 25 itineraries booked by its customers globally over the past three months have been family-themed tours, compared to just 12% during the same period last year, indicating a desire for families to go abroad in 2021 after months spent distancing.
Currently, the top family trips booked by UK customers are all based in Africa and Asia, including the South Africa Family Safari with Teenagers, a wild adventure in Borneo and a family tour of Vietnam.
“After months spent indoors away from friends and classmates, we've seen families are eager to get out and explore the world once it is safe to do so, and have a desire to reconnect with both nature and like-minded people,” said Dyan Mckie, Intrepid's family product manager.
The four new Family Retreats, based in Morocco, Turkey, the Peak District and Cornwall, will see groups immerse themselves in one location in locally-owned accommodation with nearby experiences. This new tour style celebrates 'slow travel' and allows adventurers to engage with the surrounding communities away from the crowds and in a more controlled setting.
Each itinerary has been designed to benefit local communities affected by the pandemic, while also providing enriching activities for children and parents who have spent the majority of 2020 indoors due to the pandemic. For example, in Turkey, families will visit a sea turtle rescue centre – supported in part by donations from Intrepid travelers – to learn about conservation efforts and rehabilitation. In Morocco, they'll break bread with a local Imazighen family in their village, getting an insight into daily life in the High Atlas region.
The new Family Retreats include:
- Turkey Family Retreat: Fethiye (5 Days, from £590 per person)
This tour has families reconnecting with the natural beauty of the world with a retreat that celebrates nature, wildlife and local cuisine. In addition to visiting a turtle rehabilitation centre, they'll also enjoy the clear, blue waters of the Mediterranean and enjoy an easy hike through the stunning mountainous terrain between Kayakoy to Oludeniz Beach. Travellers will also learn some new family favourites in a traditional meze cooking class with locally foraged produce.
- Morocco Family Retreat: Ouirgane (4 days, from £330 per person)
The calm and comforts of Amazigh (Berber) hospitality await on this retreat to Ouirgage, on the edges of Mt. Toubkal National Park. Travellers will leave the frenetic world of Marrakech behind and journey to a home away from home to enjoy time to reconnect with their family. Families will hike the hills through small villages and farms, hang out with the locals, try their hand at making some iconic local dishes and enjoy a pool overlooking the mountains.
- England Family Retreat: Cornwall (4 days, from £540 per person)
Travellers will explore England's southwest coast, soaking up the views of sun, sand and sea from their family-run accommodation and during walks through the history and nature of this scenic section of Cornish countryside. Also included is a coastal private yoga and wellness session and a visit to a small, family-run bakery that makes Cornish pasties the traditional way.
- England Family Retreat: Peak District (3 days, from £370 per person)
Families will enjoy Britain's first national park and explore its forested valleys and small stone villages threaded by walking trails during this new retreat. Based out of the quintessential country town of Castleton, travellers will walk their way to the scenic villages of Bamford and Bakewell, along the banks of the River Derwent, passing farms, woods, cottages and more, while stopping along the way to grab a tea in a shop that supports, and is run by, the local community.
Each tour will operate under Intrepid's new Safe Travels health protocols, developed in partnership with the WTTC. All travellers will complete a health screening at the start of the trip and be required to wear masks in certain settings, in line with local laws and regulations. Groups are accompanied by a local leader who has received specific COVID-19 training, which covers hygiene, sanitation, physical distancing, PPE as well as supplier monitoring.
Intrepid recently introduced a new Flexible Bookings policy to make travellers feel at ease when booking their holidays, which permits changes to travel plans 21 days before a scheduled departure, allowing for new travel dates or an entirely different trip with no change fees.
To explore all of Intrepid's family tours, including the new Family Retreats, visit: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/theme/family.
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About Intrepid
Independently owned by the founders and staff of Intrepid Travel, Intrepid Group is a collection of three tour operator brands and 25 destination management companies united by the vision of Changing the Way People See the World. For more than 30 years, Intrepid has been taking small groups to travel the local way, on real life experiences that give back to the places and people we visit. As this style of travel has caught on, Intrepid has grown and in 2019 offered more than 2,700 trips to more than 130 countries and on all seven continents. We cater for all ages, budgets, and appetites for adventure through Intrepid Travel, Peregrine Adventures and Urban Adventures. Globally renowned as a leader in responsible travel, in 2018 Intrepid became the world's largest travel business to be certified B-Corp, joining a growing community of businesses looking beyond the bottom line. Our not-for-profit, The Intrepid Foundation, has raised over AUD $10M for more than 130 charities around the world.
For further information on Intrepid or to download the company's 2019 Integrated Annual Report, visit www.intrepidgroup.travel
