Contiki has introduced Detour, a new series of 18 locally hosted, short break adventures to its range of 2021/22 worldwide trips.
In a recent survey of its UK youth audience, over 90 per cent of respondents cited unique experiences as something they wanted to do to make their 2021 holiday count, following a year of ongoing lockdown and travel restrictions.
The same survey also showed over 40 per cent saying the biggest lesson they have learnt from the pandemic is to appreciate travel more.
Detour Mini Adventures by Contiki is a new travel style comprising small group, immersive breaks, often with an opportunity to learn something new.
The trips will bring together an average of just eight people and have one of a range of themes, from active and adventure to foodie and wellness.
Each one is hosted by a local who will invite travellers into their lives or homes and share their passions, allowing them to ‘detour’ beyond the ordinary.
Donna Jeavons, sales and marketing director for Contiki UK & Europe, said: “This new range of mini adventures is all about travel that connects you, teaches you and changes you, and it’s another example of Contiki innovating to anticipate and meet the needs of our diverse millennial and Gen Z audiences.
“Called Detour as it is designed to be a ‘detour’ from the ordinary, it’s immersive travel at its very best as each one is hosted by a local and has been carefully curated to showcase a different side to the destination, one that appeals to different passions or interests from food to photography, or wine to wellness.”
There are 18 new worldwide Detour trips, bringing to life some of the unique experiences available in Austria, Botswana, Costa Rica, Croatia, France, Italy, Morocco, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Uganda.
The short breaks have been created to form easy add-ons to some of Contiki’s longer holidays, enabling travellers to combine the epic with the immersive, and extend their stay in destination, as well as being a great alternative to individual day tours.
There are also a number of new short domestic breaks in the UK, aimed at Brits who want to explore on their own doorstep, in the hands of a local.
Some 71 per cent of its surveyed UK audience said they are making more plans to travel domestically in 2021 with 38 per cent of these respondents naming Scotland as a destination they planned to visit, and almost 15 per cent wanting to experience the English National Parks such as the Lake and Peak Districts.