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This was supported through the brand’s Capital Market’s Day update on 24 February, which found that Saga Travel Group’s innovative range of new products, including its newly launched ‘Tailor-Made Travel by Saga’ holidays, are proving incredibly popular – driving significant growth in revenue and bookings for next year. Following the expansion of products offered, the Group also saw exceptionally high levels of customer calls in the first three weeks of January, with volumes higher than those observed prior to the pandemic.

The new Tailor-Made holidays were created based on research that found that many of Saga’s customers, who are all over 50, want choice, adventure, new experiences, and to create trips based on their individual requirements.

‘Tailor-Made Travel’ joins an innovative new range of products from Saga’s touring arm, Titan Travel, which has recently launched private jet tours, exclusive dahabiya cruises on the Nile, and unique cultural tours to destinations such as Japan, which are usually only available from specialist local operators.

Saga’s Tailor-Made holidays enable travellers to choose from a host of global destinations* and add on experiences including private and independent tours, rail and road journeys, cruise and fly options, hotels, and worldwide car rental, which the Saga team will build into the perfect ‘tailor-made’ holiday for them.

Combinable options include: self-drives in Costa Rica with zip-lining in Monte Verde and wildlife spotting in the national parks; rail journeys through Canada with the option to go bear spotting; private chauffeured tours of the Golden Triangle in India with a beautiful hotel stay, USA and Caribbean cruises with a beach holiday added on; dual island holidays to Mauritius and Reunion, and travels around South Africa with a city stay, wine tours and self-drive along the Garden Route, plus many other options.

Guests can also benefit from the Saga Deluxe Service, which, for £59 per person, entitles them to chauffeur pick-up from home and back, lounge access at most UK airports, and fast track security at Gatwick Airport. Tailor-Made Travel will also offer regular flash sales delivering incredible value holidays and amazing travel experiences in the off-peak seasons.

Below is a small selection of possible ‘Tailor Made’ options from the expert Saga team. Guests can explore the options on the website and then call 0800 9885 886 to discuss their choices, take recommendations and book.

•  Costa Rica self-drive: coast to coast with a beach holiday tagged on: £3,269 per person. This self-drive tour explores Costa Rica’s national parks and countryside, as well as the beaches of both the Caribbean and Pacific. Guests will first be taken to discover the canals and coastline of Tortuguero and will pick up their hire car on day four to head to the heartlands of the Turrialba Valley. Driving in Costa Rica is relatively relaxed and throughout the tour travellers will spend a couple of nights in each place to relax and enjoy optional and included activities, such as guided wildlife watching tours. The distances between each location aren’t that taxing and are incredibly scenic from the farmlands around San Gerardo de Dota to Manuel Antonio National Park on the west coast and Arenal Volcano, in the north. Guests can then hand the car back and spend their final four days at The Westin Reserva Conchal, an All-Inclusive Golf Resort & Spa in Playa Conchal. Included are 15-nights’ accommodation in eco lodges/resort hotels, 27 meals, transfers, hire car (including unlimited mileage, and insurance), international flights to and from the UK and domestic flights to Guanacaste. Price is applicable for travel in November 2023.
• Vancouver, Victoria & Cruising Alaska’s Inside Passage from £1,839 per person. Guests will start in two of Canada’s most vibrant waterfront cities – Vancouver, where they will stay for three nights, with a day trip to Victoria, including travel by ferry and floatplane, and entrance into the world-famous Butchart Gardens. They’ll then set sail for the stunning fjord-cut and glacier-filled coastlines of British Columbia and Alaska, on a seven-night full-board cruise with Holland America Line in an inside stateroom. There’s opportunity to spot whales, harbour seals, eagles, and bears, understand the First Nation history and totem poles of Sitka, discover the gold rush town of Ketchikan, Arm and the Alaskan state capital of Juneau and see the glaciers of Endicott Arm or Tracy. The cruise offers world-class dining, live entertainment and, at extra cost, exciting shore excursions. The price is valid for travel in May 2023 and includes return direct flights from the UK with Westjet. There’s also the option to add on four days bear-watching at Knight Inlet Lodge, an Indigenous-owned wildlife viewing destination in Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia for an additional £2,159 per person including domestic flights to the lodge.
• Snowbirds in the Sunshine State from £1,839 per person for 29 days. This is the most flexible and affordable way to experience the USA, via a fleet of top-quality vehicles and nationwide pick-up depots promising fun, freedom and life on the open road. A great way to escape the British winter, this 29-day Snowbirds in the Sunshine State itinerary takes in Florida’s theme parks, wildlife reserves and beachside campgrounds. Price includes 29 days motorhome hire and international flights to and from the UK. Valid for travel in November 2023.
• Cape Town and the Garden Route, with fly-in luxury tented Kruger safari from £3,649 per person. This 12-day self-drive tour starts in Cape Town for four nights before heading along the coastal Garden Route with suggested stops to see the penguins at Boulders Beach, the Cape Point Nature Reserve or the Cape of Good Hope. From there head to the Simbavati Waterside luxury game lodge on the Klaserie Private Game Reserve in the Kruger where there’s ample opportunity to see the ‘Big Five’ and the elephants that frequent the local waterhole. The price includes domestic flights from Cape Town to Hoedspruit Airport and back to Johannesburg and international return flights with British Airways to and from the UK. Prices are per person based on two people sharing for departures in September 2023.
• Apsara Beachfront Resort & Villa, Thailand from £1,039 per person for seven days. Located in Khao Lak, just north of Phuket, and directly facing the Andaman Sea, the enchanting 4* Apsara Beachfront Resort & Villa promises an escape from everyday life. It has a secluded setting, tucked away beside a lagoon and surrounded by tropical forest and white sand beaches. The hotel is a stone’s throw from a nearby elephant retirement and rehabilitation centre, while Khao Lak is also a haven for surfers. The price includes a complimentary room upgrade, a buffet or set menu dinner for two, free shuttle to Khao Lak Centre (once per stay), private transfers to Phuket Airport and return flights from the UK with Etihad Airways. Prices applicable for travel in September 2023. Year-round bookings available, with different pricing by travel date.
• Bali Komodo Escape for seven days from £2,299 per person (or 12 days with beach extension from £2,679 per person. Focusing its attention on the resort of Ubud, this fantastic trip allows travellers to submerge themselves in Balinese culture with bathing in the purifying holy waters at Tirta Empul Temple, a tour of the scenic rice fields and the 11^th-century King’s Tombs, and a trip to one of Ubud’s food market, followed by a cookery class. Guests can also travel by wooden boat to the Padar and Komodo islands, home to unique Komodo dragons. There’s also a night (or an optional extension) in the beach resort of Sanur. Included in the seven-day price are six nights in comfortable, well-located hotels, nine meals, airport transfers and land transport, domestic flights between Bali and Labuan Bajo and return flights from the UK with Malaysian Airlines. Price based on September 2023 travel. Year-round bookings available, with different pricing by travel date.
• Highlights of Malaysia from £2,539 per person for 14 days. This well-paced tour starts in the trading port of Melaka and the impressive architecture of Kuala Lumpur, before visiting the temples and Hindu shrines of Batu Caves, undertaking a night jungle walk with a guide in Teman Negara, one of the world’s oldest rainforests, a boat cruise on the Tahan River, a tour of a Cameron Highlands tea plantation by Land Rover, a forest walk and a trishaw ride through Penang’s capital, Georgetown. From there head to Langkawi for some relaxation and the option of a wildlife-spotting boat trip through its mangroves, with lunch at a floating restaurant. Included in the price are 13 nights hotel accommodation (with standard or superior options), 17 meals, all transfers and transportation by private vehicle and ferry, a one-way flight from Langkawi to Kuala Lumpur and return flights from the UK with Etihad Airways. Price based on September 2023 travel. Year-round bookings available, with different pricing by travel date.
• Indian icons from £2,219 per person for 15 days. Perfect for anyone interested in Indian culture and history, this tour begins with a tour of Old and New Delhi, including the Red Fort, the mosque of Jama Masjid and the street markets of Chadni Chowk. From there, take a boat ride at dawn on the Ganges, and witness traditional Hindu ceremonies on Varanasi’s riverside ghats where pilgrims come to bathe. The tour also visits Agra, including the Taj Mahal, the abandoned 16^th century city of Fatehpur Sikri and the highlights of Jaipur, including Palace of the Winds, City Palace, Jantar Mantar observatory and the lakeside Amber Fort. There is also a half-day tour of the ‘Blue City’ of Jodhpur, including the hilltop Mehrangargh Fort and a boat cruise on Udaipur’s Lake Pichola to view the royal summer residences and ‘island palaces’ of Jag Niwar and Jag Mandis. Included in the price are 14-nights in 4* superior hotels (with an option to upgrade to 5* deluxe hotels), 14 meals, all transfers and land transportation by car, minivan or train with a private driver/guide, domestic flights from Delhi to Varanasi, and from Udaipur to Delhi and return flights from the UK with Etihad Airways. Price based on September 2023 travel. Year-round bookings available, with different pricing by travel date.

For more information and for guests wishing to browse, please visit holiday.saga.co.uk/tailormade and call 0800 9885 886 to book.

Ends

1 February, 2023

Journalists with further enquiries, please contact sagatravel@headlandconsultancy.com.

Images attached below.