Gone are the days when a significant birthday or wedding anniversary was marked with a gold watch or a diamond ring. Today the entire family can look forward to celebrating together on their dream holiday.  With a special occasion to celebrate, there's no better way than taking a once in a life time holiday with family and friends. Following a surge in demand for celebration holidays, luxury travel experts The Turquoise Holiday Company has announced its new dedicated Special Occasions & Anniversaries Division and an expansion of its London store and product portfolio specifically catering to significant personal and family milestones.

Since 2015, Turquoise Holidays has seen a 400% increase in holidays booked with the sole purpose of celebrating an anniversary or special occasion. It is no coincidence that their luxury family holiday sales have also gone through the roof, as children, grandparents, extended family members  and even close friends are now invariably included in the multi-generational trip to mark a silver or gold wedding anniversary, a 40th or 50th birthday, the last family holiday or retirement.

Catherine Blanks, long established senior travel specialist with Turquoise, is heading up the new Special Occasions & Anniversaries Division which features on the tour operator's website, along with a suggestion of handpicked hotels and tours that will roll out the red carpet and lay on the wow factor to suit any modern day family celebration.

With many years of experience in arranging luxury holidays for Turquoise clients, no one is more skilled than Catherine at putting on a celebration holiday. She says: “I love creating bespoke and original itineraries to inspire and wow our clients. It's the little details and the attention we put into every holiday which makes us so unique, and my little black book is full of the world's very best hotel managers, concierge desks, wildlife guides and yacht captains. The unusual and different are my forte.  After all who doesn't love a wonderful surprise - especially when it involves a holiday surrounded by their nearest and dearest.”

While there are almost endless possibilities for a Special Occasion holiday, here are Turquoise's top recommendations, further details of which can be seen on the website. All prices are based on two sharing and include accommodation, private transfers and return international flights from London.

Sailing in the British Virgin Islands – 7  nights from £1975 per person

South Africa – Cape Town and Winelands – 8 nights from £1995 per person

Best of Bali -10 nights from £2165 per person

Vietnam City & Island Escape – 10 nights from £2995 per person

Thailand – Historic Rivers and Ancient Temples – 10 nights from £2995 per person

Captivating Sri Lanka – 14 nights from £3650 per person

Africa – Tanzania and Zanzibar -  11 nights from £4395

Hidden gems of the Caribbean – 14 nights from £4649 per person

Luxury Paradise Seychelles – 7 nights from £12,990 per person

Like the five star honeymoons with which Turquoise has become synonymous, many of their top Special Occasion holidays are crafted using an innovative mix of old and new destinations and holiday styles to create a one-off experience or even a variety of experiences rolled into one epic journey; perhaps a holiday rich in city and ancient culture topped with a jungle adventure or a river voyage, a tented wildlife safari set off with a week on an exquisite beach, or a classic US road-trip adventure followed by a week of sheer relaxation in an overwater bungalow on an island in the South Pacific.

Also like their honeymoon clients, Turquoise Holidays' special anniversary clients are encouraged to discuss their holiday face to face whenever possible in the Turquoise Holidays beach house-inspired shop in South West London, where the stylish interior space has been doubled for the purpose, with the inevitable champagne-stocked fridge to help the decision-making and plenty of fun and games to entertain the younger members of the family's entourage.   As Catherine points out: “At Turquoise we firmly believe that the planning process and anticipation should all be part of the celebration.”

Destinations featured by Turquoise include the Indian Ocean and Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand, the South Pacific, Asia, the Philippines (new for 2017), Africa and the Middle East, California (new for 2017), the Caribbean and Mexico.

Anyone seeking further information on booking a special occasion or celebration holiday with Turquoise Holidays should contact Catherine Blanks on her direct line (01494 687980) or email her on Catherine.blanks@turquoiseholidays.co.uk

For inspiration head to the Turquoise Holidays website or visit them at their South London shop (www.turquoiseholidays.co.uk ; 01494678400; 147 Northcote Road).