SPECIALISTS targeting the repeat visitors market have added Georgia and Uzbekistan to their Eastern Europe programmes for next year.
Interchange Travel has added a three-night Land of the Golden Fleece package to Georgia, to its Spirit of Russia programme. Accommodation is with local families outside the capital Tbilisi and packages cost around £500.
“We’re initially offering the Caucasus as a short break because it’s easy to get to,” said managing director Gordon Burnett. “Clients stay with English-speaking Georgian families, usually on a half-board basis. It’s a great opportunity to meet the local people.”
Fregata Travel plans to add a seven-night tour of Uzbekistan, based on flights with Uzbekistan Airways into Samarkand and out of Tashkent.
“The tour will follow parts of Marco Polo’s Silk Road. The country is very different to Russia. It has a more Islamic feel to it, with mosques and Khan palaces,” said product manager Jeremy Anderson.
Prices for the tour will be available next month.