| In this session in your training day we're going to look at some of the more specialised holidays we offer at BC Travel. |
| Now, the travel business is very competitive |
| and it's important to be aware of how the market's changing and developing. |
| In terms of age groups, |
| the over-65s are an important market, |
| and one that's increasing steadily year on year. |
| The fewest holidays are taken by the 31 to 42-year-olds, |
| and that figure shows no sign of rising. |
| The biggest market at present is still the youngest group, |
| the 16 to 30s, |
| but this group's also seen the biggest drop over the last few years, |
| whereas there's a noticeable growth in the number of holidays taken by the 55 to 64-year-olds. |
| As far as the 43 to 54-year-olds are concerned, |
| bookings there are steady, |
| but I have to say we haven't seen the increase we expected. |
| One trend we're noticing with nearly all age groups is the growing popularity of holidays |
| in which clients do some kind of specialised activity. |
| I'm not talking here about adventure holidays, |
| where clients take part in high-risk activities like white water rafting just for the thrill of it. |
| Activity holidays usually involve rather less high-risk sports, or things like art and music. |
| They're not necessarily cheaper than ordinary holidays, often the opposite, in fact. |
| But they do often take place outside the main tourist centres, |
| which gives an opportunity for clients to find out more about the local people and customs, |
| and many say this is one of the most positive features of these holidays. |
| Of course, they offer the chance to develop a new skill or talent, |
| but clients often say that more than this, |
| it's the chance to create lasting relationships with other like-minded people, |
| that's the main draw. |
| Let me give you some examples of BC Travel activity holidays. |
| Our painting holidays take place in four different centres in France and Italy |
| and they're very popular with clients of all abilities from beginners onwards. |
| We've got an excellent team of artists to lead the classes - |
| some of them have been with us from the start, and five additional ones will be joining us this year |
| so that we can offer a greater number of classes in each centre. |
| As far as cooking holidays are concerned, |
| I know a lot of agents offer holidays where clients cook recipes related to one particular country, |
| usually the one they're staying in, but we focus on dishes from a great many different ones. |
| Apart from that you'll find the usual emphasis on good quality, organic ingredients - |
| that's more or less a given nowadays - |
| and there are generally some meat-free recipes included. |
| Our photography holidays take place in a wide range of countries from Iceland to Vietnam, |
| and clients have the opportunity to see some stunning scenery. |
| Groups are small, no more than eight, |
| so clients can have one-on-one tuition during the holiday, |
| and excursions are arranged with fully-trained guides. |
| At the end of each holiday an exhibition is held of the photographs taken |
| so that clients can see one another's work and receive valuable feedback from the tutor. |
| Finally, let me tell you about our fitness holidays. |
| In Ireland and Italy we run one-week general fitness classes for all ages and levels of fitness. |
| Clients start the course with a consultation with a trainer, |
| and together they draw up an individual programme. |
| As well as improving general fitness, |
| clients find that they end up losing much of the stress they've built up in their daily lives. |
| In Greece, we have a two-week holiday for clients who want to do something about their weight. |
| This has all the features you'd expect, like a personalised diet programme, |
| but one of its most popular features is that the exercise classes are all held on the beach. |
| People say it's far preferable to being in a gym. |
| Finally, we offer several holidays in Morocco. |
| One very popular one is the mountain biking holiday. |
| Bikes are provided and there are different routes according to people's ability. |
| We offer one which is tailored to the needs of families, which is particularly popular. |
| OK, so that's about all the time I have today, so... |