Insight Vacations global CEO John Boulding has announced that discounts on its India and Nepal luxury escorted tours will be extended, with cost savings of 10% to 14% available.
While making no admission that initial sales for the tours had not met expectations, Boulding said that the discount extension was “an opportunity to position the product better”.
Speaking to Travel Today on a brief visit to Sydney, he said “The thinking was that we could take the profit or grow the business and we decided on the latter.”
In terms of marketing, Boulding stated the discounting also represented an opportunity to get “a bit more noise out there”.
Savings of up to $1314 per person are available on certain itineraries.
The escorted tour operator launched into India in December, with its first tours to commence on the ground in August.
The savings will apply retrospectively with those who have already booked at higher rates being refunded the difference.
Further afield, Boulding noted that global sales for the year were slightly negative overall, with most of the losses attributable to the Eastern Mediterranean region.
This was particularly the case in Egypt, which is working to reposition itself in the minds of travellers following the civil strife of 2011.
Despite this, Boulding remains positive about the country rebounding and about Insight’s ongoing operations there.
“It’s probably safer to travel to Egypt than ever before. We operate nine tours that combine the country and don’t have any plans to scale these back,” he said.
Meanwhile, interviewing for a replacement for managing director Lorraine Sharp’s position is ongoing, with Sharp touting an early July exit date.
