Carrier hails success of first touring brochure

Luxury tour operator Carrier has released its first brochure focused on tailor-made touring after seeing significant growth in this area of the business. 

 

Our World for tailor-made tours covers itineraries across Africa, Australasia, Asia and North America, along with twin-centre trips including Sri Lanka and the Maldives, and South Africa and Mauritius.

 

The launch comes as Carrier reports 40% of its business is now dedicated to tailor-made travel.

 

Rebecca Turner, Carrier’s head of product, said: “For us, [tailor-made travel] is about journeys that go beyond single centre, fly-and-flop beach holidays. These are multi-stop itineraries where three-quarters of bookings include two or more destinations, and 60% include three or more.

 

“These trips require a greater degree of planning and creativity, which is exactly what Our World for Tailor-Made Tours is designed to support. Our goal is to help clients truly get under the skin of a destination.”

 

The brochure has led to a 47% increase in demand for agent overbranding both in print and digital formats.

 

Carrier’s product manager for individual tour experiences Deepavali Gaind told Aspire that travel agencies appreciate “special, elevated packages that suit them”.

 

Carrier’s head of trade partnerships, Lee Marshall, added: “The more intricate the itinerary, the less competition agents face from digital channels. It’s a shift that empowers agents to inspire their clients with bespoke journeys that are memorable, meaningful and completely customised to their needs.” 

 

The brochure also previews Carrier’s latest collection Limitless, with “lavish” trips for travellers without a budget. This includes private yacht island-hopping in Indonesia, an exclusive east African safari or a Ponant Antarctica itinerary.

 

Gaind said: “Limitless is a collection for our highest net-worth clients, where we considered, if we wanted them to experience the best of the world, what would we offer? 

 

“The experiences we have included are really for people who can afford them, because these are extraordinary experiences that we feel really elevate our offering.”

 

Carrier’s newest destination Japan – which launched in June – makes its debut in the brochure, alongside “a refreshed Zambia offering featuring new lodges and experiences”.

 

More complex European itineraries also feature, including Greek island-hopping experiences, summer breaks in Switzerland and helicopter tours in Iceland’s Golden Circle.

 

Liz Goodwin, the operator’s product manager for Europe, said: “Europe has traditionally been a single-centre beach destination for Carrier, but since the pandemic, we’ve seen a steady growth in multi-centre enquiries.”

 

Gaind said that in future, Carrier will look to add new offerings to existing destinations, such as diversified wellness packages, skiing in Japan or golfing in Sri Lanka. 

 

She said: “We’ve got the right contacts, we’ve got the right mindset, and I think we can really grow what we’ve already got in hand.”