G Adventures has revealed details of its tours to the lesser-seen sides of summer sun favourites.
The adventure operator is encouraging agents to ‘rethink’ some European destinations with its new collection of tours to some mainstream beach destinations.
Created with UK and European travellers in mind, and first departures are due to take place in March 2021 centred around the themes ‘active travel’, ‘remote destinations’ and ‘reconnecting with nature’.
G Adventures said the collection offers a “new perspective” on what each destination has to offer and will see travellers “swapping nightclubs for coastal hikes in Ibiza, package beach holidays for remote villages in Crete, and large complexes for cave hotels in Southern Spain”.
The new range also features a mountain camping tour in Greenland.
Tours have been designed to cater to a variety of fitness levels and each trip will incorporate time with local communities and food experiences.
G Adventures surveys and recent bookings show demand among UK and European travellers for early 2021, to escape the cities, reconnect with the great outdoors and be active.
The new collection includes:
The six-day Hiking Ibiza tour takes guests to the Balearic island’s coastline and pine forests with visits to local villages, a cycling tour and accommodation in the town of Santa Eularia des Rua.
Hiking Crete: Gorges and CoastalWalks is a seven-day tour for ‘avid hikers’ which includes treks to Crete’s Samaria Gorge and White Mountains, the island’s southern coast, visits to remote villages and coastal towns and pine forests.
The seven-day Corfu Trail Hiking Highlights includes parts of the ‘Corfu Trail’ hiking route through ancient villages, historic chapels and on coastal paths.
A six-day Hiking the Azores tour visits the islands of São Miguel and Terceira Island with optional culinary tours, hikes past waterfalls and dips in hot springs.
Northern Sicily: Islands and Volcanoes is a hiking, swimming and kayaking tour with boat trips around volcanoes including Mt Etna, visits to small fishing villages and the chance to see The Aeolian Islands.
The Hiking Southern Spain: Authentic Andalusia itinerary includes walks to 15th century castles and a trek through the Caminito del Rey overnight stays in cave hotels and tasting in local wineries.
And G Adventures’ Hiking East Greenland tour includes ‘challenging hikes’ for ‘those wanting to reconnect with the great outdoors’ and avoids the western side of the island which is popular with cruising. Guests will see glaciers, fjords and mountains and camp under the stars, with visits to small hunting villages.
Brian Young, managing director EMEA, G Adventures said: “We’re bringing together some of Europe’s most loved destinations, which have traditionally been popular for package breaks, cruising or nightlife, and are offering travellers the opportunity to see a completely different side to their favourite holiday spot.
“These are mass-market destinations that agents know inside out, and there’s a huge potential to educate travellers, both repeat and new, about the lesser-seen side of some of these incredible locations.
“We’ve seen people’s travel habits start to shift away from the traditional bucket and spade holiday, as travellers look for more immersive, local experiences, which has driven the growth of the adventure travel sector in recent years.
“These new tours offer the best of both worlds – the opportunity to visit a familiar destination, while seeing what’s on offer beyond the tourist hotspots and celebrating local people, food and landscapes.”
The new tours are available to book and have been included in the company’s Cyber Sale, which has been extended until 11.59pm EST on Sunday December 6, 2020.