Monday, July 29, 2013

NO SOLO SUPPLEMENTS: Sacramento Bee, writes: Overseas Adventure Travel offers

Are Travel Companies Listening to the Requests of Solo Travelers?
The Sacramento Bee,  http://www.sacbee.com , has a great article today…….
“Overseas Adventure Travel launches 7 new small group adventures to meet baby boomer demand

By Overseas Adventure Travel
Published: Monday, Jul. 29, 2013 - 4:36 am
BOSTON, July 29, 2013 -- /PRNewswire/ -- The most traveled generation in history continues to fuel demand for adventure travel to off-the-beaten-path destinations filled with up-close, interactive experiences, prompting Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) to launch seven new small group itineraries in Southern Africa, Southeast Asia, South America, and Central and Eastern Europe, the company's CEO Vince Cook announced today.

"As more Americans turn 50, OAT is experiencing significant growth, especially among women, who now comprise 70% of our travelers, and solo travelers, who represent 35% of all bookings," Cook said, "With that growth, we're finding more of our travelers have 'been there, done that' and are pushing us to add specific, less-traveled destinations. In response, we have created seven new adventures that take travelers to places like Bali's enchanting islands, Central Europe's medieval cities, and southern Africa's captivating game reserves. Each new adventure will provide our travelers with the kind of intimate, compelling, and unique experiences of a country and its people that they have come to expect from OAT."

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, 94 million Americans are over the age of 50 and more than 12,500 Americans turn 50 every day. In the past three years (2011-2013), more than 116,000Americans aged 50+ have traveled overseas with OAT, with more than a third traveling solo.
To make travel more affordable for this increasing number of OAT solo travelers—80% of whom are women—OAT offers Free Single Supplements on all of its adventures, including all optional pre- and post-trip extensions. In addition, OAT's Solo Traveler Challenge guarantees the best solo price for a comparable international adventure. Plus, OAT's Lowest Price Guarantee ensures travelers will receive OAT's lowest price, automatically refunding the difference of the main trip price if OAT reduces the price—up until the day of departure.

The addition of these seven new small group adventures brings the total number of OAT's Land and Small Ship Adventures to 42, with destinations in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, Europe, the Middle East, and the South Pacific. OAT limits its Land Adventures groups to just 10-16 travelers, and its Small Ship Adventures to 16-25.



The following adventures will join OAT's current offerings beginning as early as fall 2013:
Southern Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia & Botswana Explores Kruger,Victoria Falls, Impalila Island, Chobe, and Hwange 17 days from $3495 (or $206 per day)Optional Trip Extensions: Botswana's Okavango Delta: 5 nights from $1995 Cape Town & The Cape of Good Hope: 4 nights from $1095 First departure: October 2013 (into 2014)



Best of Brazil: Cultural Rhythms & Natural Wonders Explores Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Manaus, Amazon River cruise, and the Pantanal 14 days from $5995 (or $429 per day) Optional Trip Extensions Santiago & Chile's Atacama Desert: 5 nights from $1495 Iguassu Falls: 3 nights from $1295 First departure: March 2014

Java & Bali: Indonesia's Mystical Islands Explores Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta, Borobudur, Jimbaran, Lovina, and Ubud 16 days from $2695 (or $169 per day) Optional Trip Extensions: Northern Vietnam: Hanoi & Halong Bay: 6 nights from $1095 Komodo Island & Beyond: Land of Dragons: 6 nights from $1495 First Departure: April 2014

Jewels of Bohemia: Czech Republic, Slovakia & Hungary Explores Prague, Cesky Krumlov, Slavonice, Bratislava, and Budapest 14 days from $2695 (or $193 per day) Optional Trip Extensions Berlin & Dresden, Germany: 5 nights from $1295 Vienna, Austria: 5 nights from $1195 First departure: March 2014

Crossroads of the Adriatic: Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and SloveniaExplores Dubrovnik, Sarajevo, Karanac, Zagreb, Lovran, and Ljubljana 15 days from $2695 (or $180 per day) Optional Trip Extensions: Tirana, Albania: 4 nights from $895 Budapest Hungary: 4 nights from $695 First departure: March 2014

Ukraine & Moldova Explores Kiev, Yalta, Sevastopol, Kherson, Odessa, and Chisinau 16 days from $2995 (or $188 per day) Optional Trip Extensions: Moscow: 4 nights from $1295 Romania: Transylvania & Bucharest: 4 nights from $1295 First departure: March 2014

Southern Peru & Bolivia: Inca Landscapes & Lake Titicaca Explores Peru: Lima, Arequipa, Colca Canyon, Puno; Bolivia: Copacabana, Lake Titicaca, and La Paz 13 days from $2595 (or $200 per day) Optional Trip Extensions: The Amazon Rain Forest of Peru: 5 nights from $995 Bolivia: Sucre, Potosi & the Uyuni Salt Flats: 5 nights from $1295 First Departure: January 2014
What's Included: Included in every OAT adventure are accommodations; most meals; small group activities; an expert OAT Trip Leader; 5% Frequent Traveler credit toward one's next trip; special Good Buy Plan discount; porterage for one bag; and more. In order to provide flexibility, OAT offers travelers many opportunities for trip personalization. Travelers may choose to purchase OAT's airfare, which includes airport transfers, government taxes, fees, and airline fuel surcharges; or work with OAT and request specific airline and routings and/or upgrades; or choose OAT's Land Tour-only option and make their own air arrangements. In addition, travelers may opt for a pre- or post- trip extension, offered on all OAT adventures, request a "break away" to spend a few days in a destination before or after their OAT trip, overnight in a connecting city, and combine adventures to create a back-to-back trip.

For more information about OAT's adventures, please call 1-800-955-1925 or visitwww.oattravel.com.

ABOUT OVERSEAS ADVENTURE TRAVEL Established in 1978, Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) is part of Boston-based Grand Circle Corporation's family of travel companies, which include Grand Circle Cruise Line and Grand Circle Travel. OAT offers 42 unique, small group adventures worldwide by land and sea to Americans age 50 and older. Since 1992, the organization's charitable arm, Grand Circle Foundation, has donated or pledged more than $97M USD to more than 300 humanitarian, educational, and cultural organizations worldwide, including about 100 schools, in 50 countries.”
SOURCE Overseas Adventure Travel




No comments:

Post a Comment