First Class prints first Escorted Touring brochure

First Class Holidays has brought out its first dedicated Escorted Touring brochure.

The long-haul specialist has traditionally featured all of its escorted tours in its existing destination brochures.

The move to showcase the product in its own standalone brochure is part of a bid to capitalise on the popularity of escorted tours and grow sales.

Brand and strategy manager Steve Taylor said: “We have changed our focus to push escorted tours. It is a growing part of the UK travel sector. We have seen business increase and we have reacted to that.

“It allows for greater pre‑budgeting, with a lot of the holiday costs included in the price, and someone takes care of all the details on the tour.”

He added: “We are giving agents a new tool to sell these destinations from us.”

The operator already works with a number of escorted tours suppliers, including APT and Insight Vacations, which provide the tours on the ground.

The brochure gives details of all First Class Holidays’ partners and features detailed itineraries, excursions, images and ‘from prices’ of its tours in Australia, Canada, the US and New Zealand.

More than 40 tours are featured in the new programme, out this week. Tour sizes vary depending on the tour supplier, with some departures guaranteed, and tours vary in accommodation levels from three to five star. They include budget-style tours which include breakfast but fewer excursions and meals and more free time.

First Class Holidays also offers stopovers in destinations including in the Middle East and Bangkok, and tailor-made pre and post-itineraries.