The perfect trip

Tina Nielsen reports on a growing trend for high-end, personalised travel

After years of booming do-it-yourself holiday websites, personal service is back in vogue. It's still relatively cheap and easy to organise your trip to the Cayman Islands on the internet, but travellers are returning to bespoke holiday companies for help in arranging the perfect break. "Holidays are pushing further and further up people's list of priorities. They have stressful jobs and their holidays are crucial to keep them sane," says Tom Barber, a director with Original Travel.

According to Jane Roberts, owner and director of JR Journeys, familiarity is a big factor in the revival. "The attention to the individual client means a lot to our customers who trust us to find them something suitable because we know what they like."

Original Travel started out as a specialist provider of what it calls the Big Short Break—essentially an attempt to maximise the time on long weekend breaks to almost anywhere around the world—but a rising interest in tailor-made holidays has seen the company add a string of new options, including long-haul holidays. "We can now do anywhere and anything," says Barber.

Rena Guseynova, director of luxury Africa specialist Carte Blanche Travel, believes clients who spend a lot of money on their holidays choose tailor-made because they want the personal touch. "They want the flexibility to spend one day in one place and five in another."
Carte Blanche holidays might include a four-wheel drive experience in the Sahara, luxury tents and barbecues on the beach and a couple of nights in a five-star hotel that will pamper you and cater to your every need. "The bespoke element goes right down to whether you prefer Evian or Perrier mineral water in your minibar," says Guseynova.

But it doesn't have to be five-star all the way. "People are smart, and if the schedules are better with Easyjet than BA then why not fly budget?" asks Barber.  "People don't want cheap, but they want value for money."

The top destinations for Original Travel are Middle Eastern countries such as Oman, Syria and Jordan. "They are only a six or seven hour flight away but they have a touch of the exotic and people see them as somewhere fascinating," says Barber. But for 2009 he believes India will emerge as a strong and more adventurous holiday destination. "A lot of the tiger parks have opened Africa style safari lodges and endless quirky little boutique hotels are springing up all over the country," he says. He also thinks the type of holidays will change. "Before you'd go around and look at beautiful old palaces, but now there will be hot air balloons and zip-wire rides. India used to be perceived as a slightly older market but it is now appealing to a younger, more adventurous market."

In Europe, Roberts tips Croatia to get even bigger next year. "It has the perfect combination of sun, many unspoilt islands and very clear and unpolluted waters," she says. Montenegro is a close second and in a few years' time, she says, we'll all be heading to Albania. "It is just across the water from Italy so it is promising."

For Guseynova, Mozambique will be popular due to its eco credentials. "Although it has its five-star resorts with perfect hotels, it is still relatively unspoilt. You can hire a traditional boat and go down the river right into the country."

www.originaltravel.co.uk
www.carteblanchetravel.com
www.jcjourneys.com