Agents can earn up to £200 and save clients up to £1,200 per couple on Escorted Tour and Small Group Journey bookings to Canada, New Zealand, Asia, South Africa and Europe

  To celebrate nearly a century of creating best-in-class touring experiences, APT & Travelmarvel has launched The Grand Touring Event, showcasing its classic Escorted Tours and intimately sized, new Small Group Journeys for up to 24 people.   With expert guides, immersive sightseeing, and all-inclusive dining, touring with APT & Travelmarvel takes guests to the heart of to some of the world’s most exciting destinations, including its best-sellers, Canada, New Zealand, Asia, South Africa, and Europe. The operator's award-winning trips have never been better value: The Grand Touring Event features savings of up to £1,200 per couple, for all new bookings made before 31 March 2025*, and guests can secure their dream adventure with a low deposit of just £99 per person.   The campaign is accompanied by an agent incentive^ that also runs until 31 March. During that period, partners can claim a £100 Love2Shop voucher for every new APT or Travelmarvel Escorted Tour with a 2025 or 2026 departure that they book before the end of the month. They will also receive a £200 Love2Shop voucher for all new Small Group Journey bookings for travel in 2025 travel.   APT & Travelmarvel’s best-selling 2025 & 2026 tours include:   ESCORTED TOURS   New Zealand: Travelmarvel’s 15-day New Zealand Getaway tour from Auckland to Christchurch, costs from £3,795 per person (was £4,495, saving £700, based on a September 2025 departure). The price includes 14-nights of premium accommodation, local transfers and all on-trip transportation, sightseeing and Insider Experiences, 22 delicious meals, the services of a Travelmarvel Tour Director and experienced driver. Highlights include an evening of Māori Culture and Cuisine, riding the iconic TranzAlpine Train across the Southern Alps, and cruising Milford Sound/Piopiotahi, a magnificent fiord with views of cascading waterfalls.   Canada: Travelmarvel’s 12-day Passage Through the Rockies tour from Calgary to Victoria, costs from £3,995 per person (was £4,395, saving £400, based on a May 2025 departure). The price includes 11-nights of premium accommodation, local transfers and all on-trip transportation, sightseeing and Insider Experiences, 15 delicious meals, the services of a Travelmarvel Tour Director and experienced driver. Highlights include watching for wildlife on a river safari to Grizzly Bear Valley, visiting the Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary, taking in Lake Louise, and a special Farewell Dinner in the original Butchart family residence after exploring The Butchart Gardens’ vivid floral displays.   SMALL GROUP JOURNEYS   South Africa: Travelmarvel's 13-day Uncover the Essence of South Africa, from Cape Town to Johannesburg, costs from £3,995 per person (was £4,495, saving £500, based on a June 2025 departure). The price includes transfers, accommodation, 26 meals, sightseeing, and expert local guides. Highlights include delving into the fascinating culture of Bo-Kaap's Cape Malay community and joining an interactive cooking experience in Cape Town; delighting in a unique dining experience in the Cape Winelands, where guests will gain a greater understanding of wine, food and flavours; and enjoying a luxurious, all-inclusive safari stay in the heart of Kariega National Park, while giving back to the local communities and conservations projects that surround it.   India: Travelmarvel’s 13-day Northern India - Sensory Marvels of Rajasthan itinerary, Delhi return, costs from £2,995 per person (was £3,495, saving £500, based on a September 2025 departure). The price includes accommodation, transport, 25 meals, sightseeing and expert local guides. Highlights include a ‘Pink City Rickshaw Co.’ tour of Jaipur, an environmentally friendly e-rickshaw tour of the city as part of a project that is creating sustainable livelihoods and economic independence for 200 local women; a local immersion in Jaipur on a visit to a local family’s home, where you can share a meal in traditional Indian dress; and a romantic evening boat cruise in Udaipur.   Sri Lanka: Travelmarvel’s 13-day Discover the Beauty of Sri Lanka, Colombo return, costs from £2,595 per person (was £3,095, saving £500, based on a September 2025 departure). The price includes transfers, accommodation, 21 meals, sightseeing, and expert local guides. Highlights include a visit to a Buddhist monastery in Melsiripura, a Sri Lankan cooking demonstration in Habarana, a tour of the beautiful Royal Botanical Gardens of Peradeniya with a local botanist, exploring the culture and history of the Indigenous Vedda community in Dambana, and taking part in a Cinnamon Tapping experience with a local in Galle. Departures run from January to December 2025.   Brad Bennetts, APT & Travelmarvel’s Head of Sales & Business Development, said:   “In the UK, APT & Travelmarvel has become a household name for river, yacht and small ship cruising, but less widely known is that we started life as a touring operator, founded by Bill McGeary back in 1927. We have launched The Grand Touring Event to remind the trade of the range of award-winning tours we offer, and to showcase the immersive, insightful itineraries and wide range of exciting destinations that our partners can sell to their clients. Each journey is crafted using our near-100 years of experience, and delivers the same APT gold standard of service, support, and meticulous planning that the industry has come to expect on the rivers.”   The release is quite long, so I'll probably have one from each destination - would you like TM to have Canada or NZ? And I'll give APT the other?

 

20025/26 programme launches with introductory savings of up to £2,100 per person, and a new Kolkata & Lower Ganges Cruise

  APT & Travelmarvel has launched its 2025/26 Asia Collection, featuring escorted tours, new Small Group Journeys, and river cruises in Vietnam & Cambodia, India, Japan, and Sri Lanka.   The long-haul programme is brought to market with a special introductory offer*, allowing agents to save their clients as much as £2,100 per person on bookings made before 28 February 2025:  

• New Small Group Journeys to India, Japan and Sri Lanka: save up to £500pp, plus home-to-airport transfers included up to a 50-mile radius
• APT Vietnam & Cambodia river cruise and tour, aboard the all-suite Mekong Serenity: save up to £2,100pp
• Travelmarvel Vietnam & Cambodia cruise and tour, aboard the five-star RV Apsara: save up to £1,600pp
• APT’s new India tour and cruise itinerary (detailed below): save up to £400pp

  The Asia programme expands into the lesser-explored parts of India for the first time, with the addition of APT’s luxurious, 12-day Kolkata and Lower Ganges Cruise. Guests will enjoy three nights in Kolkata, India’s “City of Joy”, where the new trip begins and ends, and a seven-night cruise aboard the Ganges Voyager^, exploring the exciting destinations Bandel, Matiari, Khushbagh, Murshidabad, and Chandannagar.   Highlights of this land and cruise tour include a beautiful high tea, served at Kolkata’s Glenburn Penthouse, as a fascinating local resident provides unique perspectives on the city; a guided cyclo-rickshaw tour of Kalna, taking in Bengal's distinctive terracotta temples; experiencing the rural side of Indian life in the sleepy village of Baranagar; and learning about the culture of the Hari Krishna community from some of the movement’s dedicated followers in Mayapur. Onboard, a performance by Baul musicians showcases the spiritual customs that have been an important cultural contribution to Bengal for hundreds of years.   The trip starts from £5,795 per person, with departures in March, September and November 2025, as well as March 2026.   The Asia Collection also includes APT’s newest touring style, Small Group Journeys. With a maximum of 16 guests on each departure, the itineraries give access to lesser-known parts of India, Japan, and Sri Lanka, with experiences that have been carefully created to evoke all the senses.   Smell and taste take centre stage on the 15-day Southern India – Quest of the Southern Senses journey (from £3,195pp), which includes a dive into ‘Pondi’ culinary history on a chef-led market visit to select the fresh local produce to be used in a Creole cooking class; and using touch, guests will enjoy getting hands-on with a sushi-making class in Kyoto, and learning the art of calligraphy at a shodo lesson in Nara, on the 13-day Reveal the Traditions of Japan journey (from £5,995pp). The prices include savings of up to £500pp and free home-to-airport transfers.   Return flights from the UK, enriching sightseeing, stylish accommodations, delectable cuisine, the services of expert Tour & Cruise Directors and Local Guides, plus overseas transfers, porterage, port charges and tipping are included in each package, ensuring a seamless and stress-free holiday experience. Guests travelling with APT enjoy the convenience of included home-to-airport transfers, both ways.   Brad Bennetts, Head of Sales & Business Development for APT & Travelmarvel, said: “We are very proud to bring our 2025/26 Asia Collection to market, comprising our inaugural season of Small Group Journeys, and a brand-new Indian itinerary that allows guests to access Kolkata and sail the lesser-known lower regions of the Ganges for the first time. Agents and their clients have access to some outstanding early booking discounts with our introductory savings of up to £2,100 per person, and we have a full suite of sales and marketing assets available to our trade partners to help them capitalise on this critical ‘Peaks’ booking period.”   For more information visit www.aptouring.com, and the new Asia Collection brochure can be viewed in full here.

  As it approaches its centenary, APT continues to innovate its touring product with the launch of a brand-new Small Group Journeys travel style.   Designed by the operator’s specialist tours division, led by product expert, Laura Hughes, who joined APT as its first dedicated Touring Product Manager in December 2023, this collection of itineraries will offer groups of up to 16 guests a deeper immersion into the culture, food and local experiences in some of the world’s most exciting destinations.   Initially, APT is launching Small Group Journeys with three distinct itineraries in India. Operating between October 2024 and December 2025, the new trips will showcase India’s most incredible sights in comfort and style.   Guests can watch the sunrise over the Taj Mahal, hand select ingredients for a cooking lesson on a chef-led tour of spice-scented markets, and search for tigers in Ranthambore National Park. Adventurous experiences are complemented by local dining experiences; luxurious, boutique and unique accommodations; and free time to explore.   APT’S INAUGURAL SMALL GROUP JOURNEYS:   The 15-day Southern India – Quest of the Senses itinerary, from Chennai to Kochi, costs from £3,995 per person and includes accommodation, transport, 27 meals, sightseeing and expert local guides. Highlights include a dive into ‘Pondi’ culinary history with a chef-led market visit where guests will select fresh local produce to prepare in a Creole cooking class, an Ayurvedic massage in Kumarakom, and cruising Kerala’s beautiful backwaters on a traditional houseboat.   The 16-day Northern India - West to East Odyssey itinerary, Delhi return, costs from £4,495 per person, and includes accommodation, transport, 23 meals, sightseeing and expert local guides. Highlights include crafting a personalised fragrance in Delhi, enjoying homemade food in a local family’s home in Jaipur, the atmospheric changing of the guards at the Wagah border between India and Pakistan, and the sights and sounds of an Aarti from the banks of the Ganges.   The 14-day Northern India - Sensory Marvels of Rajasthan itinerary, Delhi return, costs from £3,995 per person, and includes accommodation, transport, 24 meals, sightseeing and expert local guides. Highlights include a ‘Pink City Rickshaw Co.’ tour of Jaipur, an environmentally friendly e-rickshaw tour of the city as part of a project that is creating sustainable livelihoods and economic independence for 200 local women; a local immersion in Jaipur on a visit to a local family’s home, where you can share a meal in traditional Indian dress; and a romantic evening boat cruise in Udaipur.   Laura Hughes, APT’s Touring Product Manager, said:   “Unveiling the first itineraries from our new collection of Small Group Journeys is the proud culmination of months of work to bring APT’s exciting new travel style to market. Complementing the investment that our owners are making to elevate our river cruises, we’re delighted to reveal that touring is getting the same treatment. Almost a century ago, APT was founded on the quality of its guided holidays. For nine decades the brand has remained a global leader in touring by balancing product innovations with a consistent, gold-standard level of service. We continue this legacy with the launch of our Small Group Journeys, keeping APT’s touring product as fresh and appealing as it was 100-years ago.”   For more information please visit www.aptouring.co.uk.   Agents can access more information from the APT Agent Club at www.APTAgentClub.co.uk.