Australian travellers are proving “not overly adventurous” when travelling to South America, Contiki Holidays has revealed.
Itineraries featuring South American icons the Iguassu Falls and Machu Picchu are currently most popular with Aussies who were “taking a fairly traditional approach” to the continent, according to managing director Fiona Hunt.
Hunt reported a “very successful” year for the youth operator’s inaugural South America brochure as she unveiled the 2012/13 program.
She told Travel Today many of the initial nine itineraries had filled capacity even before their official launch, with Contiki adding departures to cater to demand.
“We had expected it to take a couple of years to embed in the Australian psyche but it actually took off very quickly,” she said.
The operator has added two itineraries to the new program with a 12-day Costa Rica unplugged itinerary and an 11-day Galapagos and Ecuador tour, priced from $2049 and $2685 respectively.
“We’re happy that we’ve now got a full suite of products – we’ve got things covered,” Hunt said.
In addition, the new brochure sees Mexico pulled over from its North America program because it provides a “better fit”.
While Hunt confirmed it was keeping an eye on potential new destinations, she said Contiki would focus on consolidating its current product range.
