1In this session in your training day we're going to look at some of the more specialised holidays we offer at BC Travel.
2Now, the travel business is very competitive
3and it's important to be aware of how the market's changing and developing.
4In terms of age groups,
5the over-65s are an important market,
6and one that's increasing steadily year on year.
7The fewest holidays are taken by the 31 to 42-year-olds,
8and that figure shows no sign of rising.
9The biggest market at present is still the youngest group,
10the 16 to 30s,
11but this group's also seen the biggest drop over the last few years,
12whereas there's a noticeable growth in the number of holidays taken by the 55 to 64-year-olds.
13As far as the 43 to 54-year-olds are concerned,
14bookings there are steady,
15but I have to say we haven't seen the increase we expected.
16One trend we're noticing with nearly all age groups is the growing popularity of holidays
17in which clients do some kind of specialised activity.
18I'm not talking here about adventure holidays,
19where clients take part in high-risk activities like white water rafting just for the thrill of it.
20Activity holidays usually involve rather less high-risk sports, or things like art and music.
21They're not necessarily cheaper than ordinary holidays, often the opposite, in fact.
22But they do often take place outside the main tourist centres,
23which gives an opportunity for clients to find out more about the local people and customs,
24and many say this is one of the most positive features of these holidays.
25Of course, they offer the chance to develop a new skill or talent,
26but clients often say that more than this,
27it's the chance to create lasting relationships with other like-minded people,
28that's the main draw.
29Let me give you some examples of BC Travel activity holidays.
30Our painting holidays take place in four different centres in France and Italy
31and they're very popular with clients of all abilities from beginners onwards.
32We've got an excellent team of artists to lead the classes -
33some of them have been with us from the start, and five additional ones will be joining us this year
34so that we can offer a greater number of classes in each centre.
35As far as cooking holidays are concerned,
36I know a lot of agents offer holidays where clients cook recipes related to one particular country,
37usually the one they're staying in, but we focus on dishes from a great many different ones.
38Apart from that you'll find the usual emphasis on good quality, organic ingredients -
39that's more or less a given nowadays -
40and there are generally some meat-free recipes included.
41Our photography holidays take place in a wide range of countries from Iceland to Vietnam,
42and clients have the opportunity to see some stunning scenery.
43Groups are small, no more than eight,
44so clients can have one-on-one tuition during the holiday,
45and excursions are arranged with fully-trained guides.
46At the end of each holiday an exhibition is held of the photographs taken
47so that clients can see one another's work and receive valuable feedback from the tutor.
48Finally, let me tell you about our fitness holidays.
49In Ireland and Italy we run one-week general fitness classes for all ages and levels of fitness.
50Clients start the course with a consultation with a trainer,
51and together they draw up an individual programme.
52As well as improving general fitness,
53clients find that they end up losing much of the stress they've built up in their daily lives.
54In Greece, we have a two-week holiday for clients who want to do something about their weight.
55This has all the features you'd expect, like a personalised diet programme,
56but one of its most popular features is that the exercise classes are all held on the beach.
57People say it's far preferable to being in a gym.
58Finally, we offer several holidays in Morocco.
59One very popular one is the mountain biking holiday.
60Bikes are provided and there are different routes according to people's ability.
61We offer one which is tailored to the needs of families, which is particularly popular.
62OK, so that's about all the time I have today, so...