As Australia prepares to resume domestic travel, it’s clear that Aussies are looking forward to their next holiday, with 60% desiring to travel once restrictions are lifted1. With 46% of prospective travellers eager to connect with locals,2 Trafalgar is charting a new path for clients, who are seeking more meaningful experiences that benefit both the visitor and the visited.
“We’ve taken time to reflect on what travel in a post-COVID world will look like – listening to feedback from our past guests, travel agents partners and community sentiment to truly understand how Australian travellers are feeling,” says Trafalgar Managing Director, Jason Wolff. “We wanted to know what’s important to our guests, what’s going to help them travel with confidence and how we can continue to support small businesses and regional communities devastated by firstly the bushfires, and now COVID-19.”
“The wellbeing of our guests has been a huge focus,” continues Wolff. In response, Trafalgar last week announced newly enhanced COVID-19 related protocols, such as smaller group sizes, social distancing measures and additional stringent sanitisation procedures, so clients can travel with confidence.
Based on this feedback and the needs of local communities, Trafalgar has created the Near Not Far Limited Domestic Trip Series, to complement its 14 existing trips through Australia and mark a restart of travel. Shining a spotlight on the remarkable places that have always been right there in the Aussie backyard, they’ll inspire even the most well-travelled Australians. Unearthing the local characters and new-to-tourism experiences that will challenge perceptions of one’s own country, whilst giving back to the people working in these communities.
“We understand that many Australians believe they’ve already seen everything there is to see, but along with all of the highlights that you would expect to find in each destination, we’ve gone to great lengths to open up unique local businesses and the amazing stories behind them” adds Wolff.
The limited series of freshly curated trips are focused on an introduction to captivating locals such as Rodney and Severine from Agrarian Kitchen Cooking School and Eatery in the Derwent Valley, which was once the site of the Willow Court Asylum in 1827. Clients will experience a true slice of history as they indulge in locally sourced ingredients fresh from their abundant kitchen garden and small community of local producers, farmers and fisherman. A special stay in the renowned and luxuriously appointed Bell Tents at the Bay of Fires Bush Retreat run by Anna and Tom, will leave the 38% Aussies craving bush and nature experiences2 enamoured – as they share stories around a campfire on Trafalgar’s new Majestic Tasmania from Hobart to Launceston.
“These home-grown experiences are the future of travel globally and is something we’ve focused on for more than a decade with Trafalgar’s industry-leading Be My Guest program” continues Wolff. “It’s these culturally immersive, genuine local experiences that Australians want to uncover in this revival of travel, and the foundation for our limited series of guided holidays for Aussies, by Aussies.”
With an overwhelming 34% future travellers longing to holiday in WA2, Trafalgar’s new Ultimate Wonders of the West is not only unique in supporting areas beyond the typical tourist pathways, but will give guests a chance to visit Penguin Island, located 45 minutes out of Perth in the Shoalwater Islands Marine Park – a true sustainable and natural environment for the native Australian wildlife and birdlife calling this area home. Clients will also enjoy the best of the iconic, with a magnificent seven course degustation lunch with matching wines at (James Halliday 5-star-rated) Hay Shed Hill winery in Willyabrup in the Margaret River – on this 7-day trip from Perth through to Fremantle.
Completing the limited trip series, 7-day Victoria’s Natural Wonders from Melbourne through to the Mornington Peninsula will visit the picturesque and historic Lavandula Swiss Italian Farm, in the town of Daylesford – a place touched by the economic repercussions of the bushfires, which 17% of travellers want to support2. This trip will visit Greg, Sue and their two kelpies at the Green Olive Farm in Sorrento on the beautiful Mornington Peninsula, for a true taste of rural farm life. Clients will also explore the enigmatic town of Creswick, to visit the only remaining woollen spinning mill of its kind – the family-owned Creswick Woollen Mills. Producing luxurious knitwear and homewares since 1947, they set a true Aussie example by creating fire-retardant blankets for the Country Fire Authority and NSW Rural Fire Service.
“We want to provide our Travel Agent partners with some positive news and a genuine revenue opportunity by reconnecting and reassuring their clients that they can travel domestically with confidence and in a way that makes a difference to the families, businesses and communities around Australia.” Wolff concludes.
Agents are invited to join the Travel Restarts Masterclasses to upskill on the new Near Not Far Limited Series on 1 July, with two sessions at 10am and 1pm to suit all time zones (registrations open 22 June). In recognition of the new way in which the industry will operate, Trafalgar’s Stronger Together initiative for travel agents features a Travel Restarts resource kit that will include a series of bite sized “webisodes” on each domestic trip, as well as a host of video content and educational tools.
In addition, Trafalgar’s new $99 reduced deposit offer is available for trips booked between 15 June – 1 September 2020, for travel between 1 September 2020 to 31 October 2021.
Trafalgar’s Near Not Far Limited Series trips commence September 2020 and further information is available from local Sales Managers as well as online www.trafalgar.com, @trafalgartravel #simplytrafalgar.
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