Titan Travel spotlights solos, short-haul and rail tour trends

Titan Travel’s new trade distribution director has urged agents to capitalise on escorted touring trends such as a “big surge in solos”, rail journeys and off-the-beaten-track short-haul trips.

Shane Lewis-Riley also pointed to opportunities with popular TV travel shows that spark demand for certain destinations – as well as “lucrative” commission.

He told a Travel Weekly webcast: “Agents want to earn money – the average selling price is high for a tour in general…so there are some really lucrative earnings.”

Furthermore, Titan’s holidays are easy to sell, thanks to airport transfers that take clients from home and back again, he explained.

“I don’t think there is anything easier; everything is covered from beginning to end for their customers,” he said.

“We need to do a better job of being able to share with them how to sell that.”

He also highlighted Titan’s 40 years of experience: “We have been doing this for four decades.

“The tour guides receive nine out of 10 in terms of satisfaction.

“The repeat rate is phenomenal. The product is phenomenal. And when customers go on the product, they love it.

“You have so much included, and the value for money is amazing.

“For agents who’ve got customers that love Titan, they will come back to Titan. They will not be switched.”

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As well as improving Titan’s offering for agents, he is keen to promote the escorted touring sector as a whole, in partnership with the Association of Touring and Adventure Suppliers (Atas).

“Atas is key, and I am delighted to be invited to join the trade engagement group,” said Lewis-Riley, who joined Titan in October.

“There are a million different products that are so incredible in the Atas world. I was amazed at the variety of products available.

“Our job, as escorted tour operators, is to do a better job at being able to differentiate why something is different and what customer would like what.”

His previous role was with Virgin Voyages and he commented: “Touring is almost where cruise was a number of years ago, where people thought cruising was for a particular type of person.

“There is a huge demographic of customers that want to do a tour but also don’t know it exists.”

He said his parents are a prime example – they are in their mid-60s but had never considered Titan before.

“They started flicking through a brochure, and now they are going to Vietnam. They didn’t know it was that easy,” he told the webcast.

“It dispelled what they thought a tour was.”

Commenting on Titan’s “big surge” in bookings for solos, he noted: “Solo travellers aren’t necessarily solos; they may still be married or in a couple, but they may have a particular interest in something or a destination where their partner might not.”

He also emphasised Titan’s “huge” short-haul range, despite its reputation for long-haul.

“Europe is performing phenomenally well in our direct channels, but the trade is lagging behind in Europe – but the trade is continuing to excel in long-haul,” he said.

“A huge opportunity for the trade is for us to better educate them on the short-haul product that we have.

“There are destinations where you perhaps may not think of a tour.

“In Spain, you might think of a typical Spanish fly-and-flop holiday, but you could do the Little Boats of Catalonia tour, for example, and see a completely different side.”

The operator’s 29 no-supplement, regional flight options also means clients don’t have to travel too far to their airport for short-haul trips, he added.

“Short-haul product is going to be a really key focus for us [and we will do] a better job of being able to share with the trade when we have got new tours.

“Working with Online Travel Training to get our training out there and share new product is going to be super, super key.”

One particular new holiday, an Antarctic expedition cruise with Rio and Iguazu falls, is selling “incredibly well”, he added.

Other popular options include the Golden Triangle in India, South Africa and Switzerland’s Spectacular Rail Journeys.

“These rail journeys are really standing out and seeing a lot of demand, particularly in India and across Europe,” he explained.

Furthermore, TV travel shows such as Race Across the World are boosting demand.

“It is important to be able to capitalise on those moments when they happen and to dial up destinations that are now in favour,” he concluded.