SERENITY Holidays has launched a new dedicated programme to the Cape Verde Islands.
The Cape Verde Experience is based on the first direct flight from the UK.
The weekly service, which starts on November 2, operates from Gatwick and Manchester to Sal. Previously UK travellers had to fly via Lisbon.
The Cape Verde Experience features 12 properties including three and four-star hotels and self-catering accommodation. The programme has already been awarded three-star responsible tourism status by the Association of Independent Tour Operators.
Product manager Elaine Mayston believes the programme will prove popular as the Atlantic islands are less than a six-hours flight from the UK with only a one-hour time difference.
“The islands will appeal to a wide range of holidaymakers as they have been compared to the Canaries before mass tourism made its mark,” she said.
“Cape Verde will be particularly popular with holidaymakers who like up-and-coming destinations.”
She added the islands diversity, which includes beaches, barren landscapes and fishing villages, provide contrasting holiday experiences blending African, Brazilian and Portuguese cultures.
Prices start from £579 per person for seven nights’ bed and breakfast at the three-star Santa Maria Beach Hotel in Sal.
To encourage trade bookings the operator is giving away three iPod Nano music players in a prize draw for agents who make a booking.
Meanwhile, the operator has also released its Gambia Experience programme by adding flights from Leeds Bradford and Bournemouth. Visits to the Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Trust have been added, along with a bird-watching tour.