2015 marks a big year for Mississauga-based international tour operator company Collette as they introduce their new series of city-based travel tours, dubbed Spotlights, that marks the beginning of a different kind of travel experience. Like many other travel companies, Collette provides a guided travel experience through areas of Europe, South American, Australia and Asia that can cover several different destinations over the course of 10 to 14 days. However, after recognizing that most travellers are those working within the constraints of their limited vacation days, the company opted to take another approach with their new Spotlights package. Spotlights features short tours of a single destination so visitors can get an eclectic experience of a single wonderful city rather than being rushed from place to place and getting a vague glance at a chunk of the country.
Collette has already introduced 16 spotlight itineraries that cover 14 destinations including: Beijing, Florence, Rome, Venice, New York, New Orleans, San Francisco, San Antonio, Dublin, London, Barcelona, Madrid, Paris and the French Riviera. Trips are kept short, ranging from four to six days so that the average traveller can get the city-centric vacation experience they enjoy within their own time constraints.
Collette
“Let Collette set the stage as we bring into focus the culture, history and cuisine that make these places special. Each has their own story to tell and with the right blend of inclusions and leisure time they are yours to discover,” states Dan Sullivan, Jr., president and CEO of Collette in a press release introducing the new packages. “Whether a guest has been captivated by a city in the past and want to revisit or are looking for a shorter trip, these tours are the perfect choice.”
Collette's Spotlight packages are hopefully the first of many for this different kind of travel experience. It is a different kind of market for those who like the perks of guided travel but don't necessarily prefer group travel. The benefits of the Spotlight packages are many, including a tour of the city for orientation, local hosting and support with some meals included as well as the added benefit of travellers only having to pack and unpack once during their stay. The packages may have some guided opportunities available in the mornings for those that wish to partake, while the afternoons and evenings are free for visitors to explore the city in their own way.
Collette
Through this new package, it not only provides a guided vacation option for busy people, but Collette hopes to attract independent travellers that don't necessary want to travel in escorted groups. Vacation planning can occasionally be a terribly stressful affair after all, which is why so many have turned to travel companies to take care of the details, but few have opportunities for the traveller that still wants to keep their independence.
Due to the larger amount of freedom and the shorter stay in just a single city, Collette's Spotlight package is cheaper than their normal escorted travel packages making for just one more reason that the average vacationer should take advantage of the deals. Prices vary from $999, land only, Beijing program with a day trip to the Great Wall of China, to $1,749 for the Paris and New York programs and $1,899 for Barcelona. While cheaper, the Spotlight tours will still meet Collette's brand standard for excellence that they have created across their product lines. This dedication to excellence include four-star hotel accommodations that are in both scenic locales and easily accessible to the city's most desirable attractions. Although only a selection of packages are available for viewing on Collette's website, all will be up and ready for booking by May 2015 as vacation season gets ready to take off.