Riviera Travel is to offer a series of regional airport-only departures on selected long-haul escorted tours for next year to attract a broader client base.
The operator has traditionally offered mainly London return flights on its worldwide tours but now hopes to appeal to more customers nationwide.
The departures, introduced on the back of trade feedback and available to book now, include the airfare as standard in the overall price.
They include Japan, Land of the Rising Sun out of Manchester, Edinburgh and Birmingham from £4,499 on March 11 and September 26 next year; South Africa out of Manchester, Bristol or Birmingham on April 3; and out of Manchester, Newcastle or Bristol from October 7, from £2,899.
Other tours include Canada’s Rocky Mountaineer and Alaska Cruise out of Manchester and Birmingham; Jordan and Petra with Jerusalem from Manchester or Birmingham; and Jerusalem, Galilee and The Dead Sea from Manchester or Luton.
Extra dates are available on all tours, which also include London flight options. In addition, Riviera will offer Manchester flight options alongside existing London routes on selected itineraries including Jordan and Petra; New Zealand – Land of the Long White Cloud; Deep South USA plus Texas; and Icons of Japan. All prices include flights, transfers, scheduled visits, guided tours, breakfast, selected meals and a tour manager.
Neil Puffett, head of aviation and transport at Riviera Travel, said: “These regional-specific airport departures have been introduced to help appeal to a wider audience, so we’re looking forward to more people from across the UK having access to quick and convenient return travel.
“We’re absolutely committed to making our escorted tours as accessible as possible, and would like to thank the trade for their feedback which has resulted in us making these options available.”