Latest news with #grouptravel
TTG
7 days ago
- TTG
‘As a new agent, I didn't know the value in escorted touring – but this trip changed my mind'
My fam trip with Travelsphere and Just You was incredibly beneficial and has significantly enhanced my understanding of touring holidays, both for couples and for solo travellers. Being quite new to travel, I didn't feel I had a great knowledge of this holiday type, and so, having the opportunity to experience one of these tours first-hand was truly eye-opening. It allowed me to appreciate the sheer amount of value in touring, from the expertly designed itineraries to the knowledgeable, friendly tour manager and guide who made every destination come alive. Kirstie, our tour manager, stayed in the hotel with us and was with the group throughout. Ivan, our local guide, was so passionate about his country and this really did shine through. I genuinely believed that what he did not know about the country was not worth knowing. The standard of accommodation was consistently high; we stayed at the AX Odycy in Qawra. The hotel had a central location and a lovely adult-only rooftop pool that guests could experience during their free days. Every logistical detail was taken care of, which ensured a smooth, stress-free journey – something that many clients are looking for. One of the standout aspects of the trip was witnessing how both brands meet the needs of their respective audiences. Travelsphere offers a warm and welcoming group experience that's ideal for couples and friends travelling together, while Just You focuses exclusively on solo travellers, creating an environment that feels inclusive, sociable, and empowering. As a group, we were given information advising us of some differences between the two brands, for example Just You guests are guaranteed a room for sole occupancy and should they prefer to dine as part of a group, then there is always that option. There was a real sense of community on the tour, which contributed to a genuinely enjoyable experience. Everyone had the opportunity to connect and enjoy the destinations together, yet there was also room for personal time and space when needed. There were many highlights across the five days, visiting Valletta, the Blue Grotto and Mdina, but I particularly enjoyed our time on Gozo – it has the perfect blend of natural beauty, history and charm. The food also made a good impression – the famous pea pasties, or pastizzi tal pizelli, were very tasty, as were the traditional farmhouse lunches, where we learnt about Malta's rich olive oil heritage and how they make traditional Maltese cheese. The programme also included a folklore dinner show, which featured local performers who told the story of Maltese history through dance. There was a little audience participation too, where some of us were chosen to join them on the dance floor.
Forbes
08-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How One Luxury Brand Is Designing The Future Of Immersive Travel
Luxury used to be about the big and the bold. Today, it's about the intimate, the thoughtful, and the highly curated. No brand embodies that shift better than Tauck, a family-owned luxury travel company that's quietly shaped the high-end group travel experience for the past century. I recently sat down with Jennifer Tombaugh, Tauck's CEO, who brings a deep well of perspective—and passion—for how luxury travelers are evolving. The conversation was rich with insight about everything from solo travel to river cruising, to how group experiences are being reimagined to feel deeply personal. From Pause to Passion: A New Era for Luxury Travel As Jennifer shared, 'We've gone from pause to passion.' In the wake of global lockdowns, travelers aren't just returning to the world—they're returning with urgency, purpose, and increasingly, a desire to travel better, not just more. Tauck is having its best year ever celebrating its 100th anniversary with double-digit growth, sold-out Christmas market cruises in 2025 and on pace to do the same in 2026, and the upcoming christening of new river ships on the Rhône and Seine. That doesn't happen by accident. It happens when a brand listens carefully and adapts boldly. Acropolis at sunset. Small Is the New Big Jennifer explained a simple yet powerful idea that sits at the heart of Tauck's strategy: 'Small is big.' On Tauck's European river cruises, for example, ships max out at 130 guests. On Portugal's Douro, that number is even smaller. The focus isn't just on comfort—it's on immersion. The rivers of Europe were once its highways of commerce, philosophy, and art. Tauck brings that cultural history to life, often docking right in the heart of town, where guests can step off the ship and into living history—be it a local tavern, cathedral, or seasonal celebration. And this isn't just a river cruise renaissance. The brand has seen a 140% increase in demand for small group land journeys since 2018. In response, Tauck recently launched even smaller groups—just 15 guests per departure in some cases. 'People are willing to pay more to travel with fewer people,' Jennifer noted. 'It's about intimacy, access, and connection.' The Rise of the Wellness-Luxury Hybrid One of the most important luxury travel trends Tauck is responding to? Wellness. That doesn't mean green juice and hot yoga on a Danube deck (though those options exist). It means flexibility, choice, and a conscious design for how travelers feel throughout the journey. On Tauck's new ships, 'The Retreat' area includes spa treatments and expanded fitness spaces. Travelers can bike at port stops or opt for leisurely museum visits. 'We're seeing more demand for movement and agency,' Jennifer said. 'People want to maintain their wellness routines but not feel like they're on a regimented retreat.' Luxury That Flexes With You One of the quiet innovations Jennifer highlighted is 'personalized group travel.' That may sound contradictory, but Tauck is threading the needle. Travelers move together through an itinerary, but each day offers choices—bike or hike, guided museum tour or free afternoon, history lecture or wine tasting. It's all designed to make you feel like an individual within a group. 'We've worked really hard so that people don't feel like part of a herd,' Jennifer said. 'No name tags. No flag-waving guides. Just seamless, curated moments that adapt to the guest.' The Solo Luxe Boom and the End of the Supplement Another macro trend Jennifer sees. Solo luxury travel—especially among women. From Tauck's Christmas market cruises to land journeys in Europe and Japan, solo travelers—many of them women over 60—are becoming a bigger slice of the customer base. So Tauck is responding in kind. On their newest ships, Category One cabins are now designed specifically for solo travelers—with no single supplement. 'That's a huge shift,' Jennifer said. 'We're seeing solo travelers not just welcome but celebrated.' Cold Is Hot: The Rise of Arctic Luxe Tauck's fastest-selling product for 2026? A Northern Lights voyage through the Arctic Circle. 'That itinerary sold out before we had even priced it,' Jennifer shared, still a bit amazed. 'Destinations like Tromsø and Hammerfest are suddenly in demand.' She's not alone in observing that trend. Cold-weather destinations like Iceland, Norway, and Finland are becoming coveted luxury escapes—where scarcity, spectacle, and serenity collide. The Resilience of Luxury Amid Uncertainty Despite headlines of macroeconomic volatility, Jennifer is bullish on luxury travel. 'In our space—front of the plane, premium accommodations, experience-first demand is thriving,' she said. 'Luxury travelers tend to be more insulated from market noise, and they're eager to explore now, not wait.' Indeed, Tauck's Japan product has become one of its top sellers. Greece is trending upward. And the company's family-focused 'Bridges' line is growing as multigenerational travel continues to surge. Luxury as a Conduit for Human Connection Jennifer left me with a simple yet profound insight: the most important luxury may not be a suite or a sommelier—it may be belonging. 'In this age of digital overload and social disconnection, people are craving human connection,' she said. 'That's what group travel offers—not in spite of its structure, but because of it.' And if Tauck's next 100 years look anything like the last, luxury travel won't just be about where you go. It'll be about how you feel—and who you become—along the way.
Times
28-06-2025
- Times
Bangkok is better — and cheaper — than Center Parcs for a celebration
Last week I flew to Bangkok for a group holiday that had been years in the making and involved about 679 different messages with flight times, hotel bookings and memes about The Hangover. To borrow the Gen Z parlance, the trip finally made it out of the WhatsApp group. We were seven women, arriving from various parts of the world (London, Paris, Hong Kong, how terribly international). Our connection was that we once lived and worked in Hong Kong together, almost a decade ago in what now feels like the last glory days of Asia's world city. For this long-planned trip we considered various cities in Europe (too expensive),as well as Dubai (too hot), before eventually settling on the Thai capital (cheap, fun). When some of you are welcoming your fifth decade on Earth, the vibe is very much go big or go home — which meant I could swallow the 6,000 miles it took to get there. • 21 of the best hotels in Bangkok It turns out I'm part of a trend to supersize milestone celebrations. According to research from M&S Bank, we are shelling out an average of £2,650 on luxury trips to mark a big birthday, such as, ahem, turning 40; and 42 per cent of the survey's 2,000 respondents said they were planning a big trip in the next five years. I'm still recovering from my Bangkok bender, so I'm not planning on doing another one for at least the next half decade, but it got me thinking. First, about the cost. The great thing about choosing Thailand is that it cost me nowhere near £2,650, despite staying in the lovely Shangri-La hotel right on the Chao Phraya River. The flights were the biggest outlay, but still cost just £600; I had four massages over as many days; plus there was the shopping in chichi Chinatown. I spent £1150 in total. In August that won't even stretch to four nights at Center Parcs. Second, it made me think about the etiquette of big group trips, and navigating different interests and needs now that we're embracing middle age. Seven years ago, in a villa outside Hoi An in Vietnam, we drank the bars dry and didn't go to sleep until the sun came up. Now, with young children and serious jobs, bedtimes were … well, an entire working day earlier. Most of us got up to use the gym before breakfast; some of us even wanted to see some temples — unthinkable a few years ago. The most action took place in the bill-sharing app Splitwise, which diligently tracked our spending. Rather than eating street food on the backpacker party strip of Khao San Road, we spent evenings in posh Thai restaurants in quiet residential areas. Out went the Thai moonshine buckets in banging nightclubs: instead it was cocktails with live jazz in the Mandarin Oriental. (It wasn't all classy — one night I did manage to strong-arm the group into a party minibus and on to Soi Cowboy, one of the sleaziest strips in the city, to carry on the night. When in Bangkok!) • Read our full guide to Bangkok But of course the most important lesson is the mawkish one. Take the trip. Spend time with your friends. A decade on from meeting in Hong Kong, our group's lives are scattered across the world; having a few days to create anecdotes to feed the WhatsApp group for a few more years feels like the ultimate privilege. Let's do it all again for our fiftieths?
Globe and Mail
16-06-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
GENTS CO., LTD. Launches New TDAC Platform for Travel Agents and Tour Operators
GENTS CO., LTD. has launched a dedicated platform for submitting Thailand Digital Arrival Cards (TDAC), built specifically to support travel agents, tour operators, and travel service providers managing group travel. The system is designed to eliminate the stress of last-minute filings and make the TDAC process faster, more flexible, and more reliable for everyone involved. One of the platform's standout features is its support for full pre-submission edits, allowing agents to adjust any application at any point before submission. The system even allows edits after a TDAC has been issued, giving agencies far greater control than the official government platform provides. For submissions made within 72 hours of arrival, the service is completely free. There is no charge to travelers or agents using the platform during the standard submission window. For those who want to prepare in advance, the platform offers automatic timed submission, ensuring that each TDAC is filed at the earliest eligible moment. Early submission pricing ranges from $0.50 to $8 per applicant, depending on group size, with larger groups benefiting from lower per-person costs. The AGENTS TDAC platform also solves a common and frustrating issue with the government system: session timeouts and unexpected errors. The official TDAC website can force users to start over if the session expires, or if a network or system error occurs mid-submission. You can imagine how disruptive this could be if you're submitting for a group of four travelers, or worse, thirty. In contrast, the AGENTS platform uses a fully resumable form, saving your progress automatically so you can continue later without losing any data or having to start from scratch. Another significant advantage for group travelers is the individual TDAC delivery system. Unlike the official government platform that combines all travelers into a single document (creating privacy concerns when distributing to group members), the AGENTS system generates separate TDACs for each person. Every traveler receives their own TDAC directly to their personal email address, ensuring privacy and individual document control. This is especially valuable for visa applications such as the Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa, which requires individual TDACs rather than group documents. Travel agents and tour operators benefit from this privacy-focused approach while still maintaining convenient group management through a single download option for all TDACs. Key features include: Early while the early submission TDAC FORM is optimized for group submissions, regular travelers are also welcome to use the AGENTS TDAC system. Travelers submitting within 72 hours of arrival can use the platform at no cost. Those who wish to submit early may choose the optional paid service for added convenience and peace of mind. Official TDAC information page by AGENTS ( ) The system proved its reliability during a major outage on May 7, when the official TDAC site became inaccessible. Hundreds of travelers and agents successfully used the AGENTS platform to complete their submissions, with over 99 percent receiving their TDACs without delay most of them completely free. AGENTS CO., LTD. has a strong track record supporting international travelers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the company launched the ASQ hotel booking platform and provided Thailand Pass support to hundreds of thousands of arrivals. All personal data submitted through the platform is handled in full compliance with Thailand's Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA). Travelers and agencies are reminded to verify the authenticity of TDAC-related websites. The official government TDAC form is hosted at If using a third-party service, look for a . or . domain to ensure the provider is properly registered in Thailand.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Metropolitan Shuttle® Expands Deep into Greater Los Angeles--Setting the Standard for Charter Bus Services in Southern California
Expanding on the 1,200 cities served by the thousands of buses in its network, the company has made a deeper push in Southern California in the lead-up to the LA 2028 Olympic Games. LOS ANGELES, June 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Metropolitan Shuttle, a national leader in charter bus services and minibus rentals, has proudly announced its strategic expansion throughout the Greater Los Angeles area and the entire southern California region. This move positions Metropolitan Shuttle as the go-to provider for Los Angeles charter bus services ahead of the highly anticipated LA 2028 Olympic Games. With the launch of new local charter bus and minibus services in over 40 Los Angeles communities—from Glendale, Burbank, and Pasadena to coastal destinations like Newport Beach, Malibu, and Santa Monica—Metropolitan Shuttle is doubling down on hyperlocal coverage to meet the area's growing need for efficient and environmentally-conscious group travel. "Los Angeles isn't just one city. It's a constellation of diverse communities, each with its own mobility and congestion challenges," said Glenn Orloff, CEO of Metropolitan Shuttle. "By expanding our presence from downtown corridors to mountain retreats and coastal escapes, we're making group chartered transportation more accessible than ever—for every event, every neighborhood, and every moment." Expanded Los Angeles charter bus coverage includes: LA Metro Cities: Cypress, Covina, Buena Park, Bell, Alhambra, Azusa, La Puente, Torrance, Huntington Park, Fountain Valley, and more. Tourism & Leisure Hotspots: Palm Springs, Ojai, Big Bear Lake, Joshua Tree National Park, Solvang, Catalina Island, and Disneyland in Anaheim among others. Regional Destinations: San Diego, Santa Barbara, Temecula, Ventura, Bakersfield, Paso Robles and many more. From corporate retreats and school field trips to wedding shuttles and major events, Metropolitan Shuttle's expansive menu of charter buses, minibuses, party buses and executive shuttles of all types offers custom solutions for any group size, with industry-leading logistics management and support, FMCSA-vetted operators, and an unmatched commitment to quality. "Whether it's moving fans between sports venues or getting local communities to graduations, festivals, or tourist destinations, we're proud to be the connective thread across southern California's transportation fabric," Orloff added. About Metropolitan Shuttle Metropolitan Shuttle is a nationwide provider of charter bus rental services for corporations, government agencies, educational institutions, and private groups. Founded in 2001, the company offers proven transportation solutions backed by industry-leading customer service and logistics support. Glenn OrloffCEOMetropolitan Shuttle866-556-3545info@ This release was issued through WebWire®. For more information, visit View original content: SOURCE Metropolitan Shuttle Sign in to access your portfolio
