A TRAVEL brand
allowing customers to package their own holidays has been created as part of a
new Thomas Cook company targeting the leisure and entertainment market.
Cultura Trips was
formed following 18 months’ research, which revealed demographic barriers are
now so blurred holidaymakers cannot be linked by age, sex, job or income.
Instead of
targeting a specific audience, it is aimed at confident, independent travellers
with a ‘young mentality’ who want to create their own flexible holidays or buy
components separately. Products available include accommodation, scheduled,
charter or no-frills flights, nightclub tickets, boat excursions, transfers,
car hire and holiday insurance. Destinations featured are Ibiza, Majorca,
Cyprus and Rhodes.
Cultura Trips is
the leisure arm of Cultura, part of a new company Up Trips Limited, to be run
by former Club 18-30 managing director Andy Tidy.
Although Tidy
still has a say in the running of Club 18-30, he is now managing director of Up
Trips, which he founded with Club 18-30 consultant John Davis and overseas
general manager Paul Little.
Tidy said: “The
main difference between us and other tour operators is we’re totally flexible
and you can design your own trip. You will never feel like you are on a
package. Agents are excited about this because, in the past, people have asked
them for four-night trips to places outside of cities and they could not offer
it.”
Cultura Trips will
target 20,000 passengers in its first year, and starts advertising in the new
year. Substantial growth is expected in its second year.