Advice Directory - Specialist Companies

Going into a high-street travel agent you might think there are a lot of holiday companies trying to offer you a package holiday. Like Holiday Companies, most travel agents are geared up to deal with the volume trade of the 'average holidaymaker' rather than your own specific requirements. There are many specialist holiday companies catering for specific interests within the total holiday market. Unfortunately few of these companies have a presence in the average travel-agency and you will need to search them out through other sources. Places to start looking are in the holiday sections of the national press (many of these companies do not book through agents and only deal direct with the client), specialist magazines such as Country Walking and Trail, directories in your local library and on the Internet. Once you have established contact you can spend hours going through their brochures trying to choose the holiday you would like.

Specialist companies have advantages over the major holiday companies in the areas of;

• activity holidays suited to your personal interests.

• destinations outside the range of the volume market.

• specialist leaders/representatives, often local experts on their subject and very different to the average Holiday Rep.

• providing specialist advice to help you choose the correct holiday. This can include slide shows, special destination evenings and newsletters from companies like Explore Worldwide Ltd, Exodus Walking Holidays and Waymark Holidays.

Of course there is also a downside as the specialist companies lose out on the bulk buying power of the major holiday operators which can make a specialist holiday seem quite expensive compared to its content. Also your holiday experience will be directly affected by who else is on the holiday with you and how you get on with the leader/representative. Being on a 'small group' holiday can range from being a great experience to a disaster depending very much upon how the group gets on with each other!

Combining the advantages of major holiday companies with a specialist holiday is where "Walk!" Guidebooks & Tour & Trail Maps come in. Add one of our 'Walk! + T&T Map' sets to a package holiday and you can enjoy a specialist holiday without the expense and you choose the group you go with!

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