UK-based youth travel tour operator TruTravels has expanded its trade sales into Canada.
Mark Pope, co-founder of TruTravels, says the pause in international travel caused by the pandemic has given the company the opportunity to rethink its product positioning and how it can create a more “agent-friendly” portfolio. Previously, TruTravels sold via the trade in the United Kingdom and Australia.
TruTravels was co-founded by Pope and Joe Fallon in 2012. The company was acquired by Canadian small-group tour operator G Adventures in DEC 2018.
“We’re thrilled to be bringing our super fun range of trips to Canadian agents to sell to a younger market of travellers. Our itineraries have a high level of structure and plenty of inclusions, making them an easy and economical solution for both time-poor young professionals and independent backpackers who are looking for an added social element as part of a bigger adventure,” says Pope.
Adding to its “Classic” travel style, TruTravels has created three new itinerary types -- FitVentures, SailVentures and Flashpacker -- and five new trips in each style. The new itineraries join TruTravels’ Classic tours in Vietnam, Thailand, Bali, Mexico, Sri Lanka and Colombia.
With first departures in Bali and Thailand from OCT 2021, FitVentures cater to travellers seeking fitness-focused and wellbeing experiences such as beach-based bootcamps.
Flashpacker itineraries target travellers “who are looking to ‘keep it real’ but with a splash of style and private accommodation,” TruTravels says. The yacht-focused ‘SailVentures’ travel style combines exploration and action with ‘floatilla’ parties in Greece and Croatia throughout summer 2021.
“We know travellers are going to crave social adventures after months of isolation and separation from their friends and family, but at the same time we are witnessing a shift away from sharing dorm-rooms to a desire for personal space in terms of accommodation options,” says Pope.
TruTravels is also seeing “a huge move towards increased health, wellness and mindfulness following the pandemic” and this extends to how people choose their travel.
“Many travellers don’t want to spend a full week in a bootcamp centre, so we’ve created our FitVentures tours to celebrate local wellbeing and great outdoor fitness, while still allowing the group to explore amazing destinations such as Bali and Thailand,” Pope says.
Click here for more information on TruTravels and its new travel styles.
