| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 30/04/01 |
| Author: | Page Number: 47 |
| Copyright: Other |
Island retreats
AUSTRALIA sits alongside the Caribbean and Indian Ocean in Holiday Options’ Tropical Island Retreats brochure. Featured destinations include Sydney, the Great Barrier Reef Islands and the Whitsunday Islands. The brochure was introduced in response to demand from independent travel agents.
Holiday Options commercial director Alan Brown said: “Clients wanted to go further afield and long-haul holidays are not that different from our existing product. It seemed logical to apply our in-house expertise to Australian islands.”
After a slow start, bookings to Australia are gathering pace, Brown said. “It’s taken a while for us to be accepted, but after seven months we’ve suddenly become an alternative to some of the destination’s more established operators.”
He added Holiday Options will be expanding into the South Pacific next year and Tasmania will be introduced soon.
Three nights at the Thala Beach Lodge, built on timber poles in the tropical rainforest, costs £445 per person between July 1 and December 9 on a room-only basis, including flights within Australia.
Treehouse: Thala Beach Lodge in the rainforest