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Topdeck unveils new tours and plans to ‘break mould of ads’

Topdeck has revamped its global branding to overcome the “image problems” that Gen Z and Millennials have about group travel.

The 18-30s touring specialist will spend a “significant” amount on a global advertisement campaign to break the mould of “boring” travel ads elsewhere.

The tagline ‘Feel Real’ follows research about young travellers and the group touring “perception problem”.

Marketing material will focus on the benefits of group travel, rather than destinations, to appeal to the “evolving values” of younger generations.

As well as a new website, marketing material and brochures, Topdeck will revamp its tours and introduce new products.

It claims to be operating the first group tours to Georgia and is adding other new destinations such as the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador and Sri Lanka.

The new nine-day Georgia trip costs from £799 and visits Tbilisi (pictured) and Gergeti Trinity Church, and includes a wine-tasting and breadmaking masterclass.

A two-week tour of Ecuador and the Galapagos costs from £2,324 while an 11-day trip in Sri Lanka costs from £969. The prices do not include flights from the UK.

The new programme will be online-only so the operator can respond quickly to trends and consumer demands.

Charles Knowlton, global general manager, said: “Travel that feels real is at the heart of our brand and operations approach.

“Our customers desire deep culture, meaningful connections and…really feel a destination.

“Travel has become commoditised and homogeneous. Travel should be more than just the standard ‘copy and paste’ experiences.

“The new tours are to destinations that do not spring to mind; they are very adventurous.”

He said Topdeck’s group tours offer the chance to meet new friends and broaden horizons but admitted: “Group travel has an image problem that we aim to overcome.”

Knowlton hopes agents will be able to take part in the new tours on fam trips in 202 and webinars and videos will also spread the message to the trade.

The ad campaign will have the slogan ‘Time to Get Outta Here’, showing millennials in an everyday situation then cutting to an enriching travel experience.

Anna Fawcett, Topdeck’s global head of marketing, said: “We are honing into the core reason our audiences travel – to escape the mundane routine of home.

“We are coming out strong, cheeky and attention-grabbing – we want to shake things up and break the mould of the ‘same same’ boring travel advertising everyone else is doing.”

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