by Robin Amster
Last updated: 3:23 PM ET, Fri October 2, 2015
PHOTO: Mark Grundy will serve as managing director of Asia for the expanded Avanti. (Courtesy of Avanti Destinations)
FIT tour operator Avanti Destinations is dramatically expanding its product line to include six Asian countries, river cruises in Europe and small group escorted tours to Europe and Latin America.
Those additions are the Portland, Oregon-based company's "first big move in 25 years," said John Hanratty, Avanti's chief marketing officer. Twenty-five years ago, Avanti added Central and South America to its roster of destinations.
Hanratty said the new additions will likely not be the end of the tour operator's expansion. "We're biting off a couple of really big things at once," he said. "Assuming they are successful, we will look at new additions beyond that."
Avanti sells independent travel products and customizable vacations in Europe and Central and South America exclusively through travel agents.
It will now offer FIT travel in China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. The first of its Asia products will be available in late November while its new Essence of Asia 2016 brochure will be out Dec. 15. Agents can pre-order the brochure on the tour operator's site, www.avantidestinations.com.
The company will work with two DMCs for its Asia programs: Destination Asia in China and Japan and ICS in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand. It has named Mark Grundy as its managing director of Asia. The former head of U.S. operations for Wendy Wu Tours, a company specializing in travel to China, Grundy co-founded Destination America. That company was later acquired by Trafalgar Tours.
Avanti has partnered with the French company CroisiEurope for its entry into European river cruising. Up to now, Avanti's FIT's have been booked by agents as pre- and post-cruise extensions. With the addition of 14 Croisi river cruises, agents can book a cruise with Avanti as a highlight of a longer European itinerary or book just a cruise by itself.
Cruise itineraries include sailings through Central Europe, Germany, Portugal, the Benelux countries and France. Details and prices will be available at the end of October with the publication of Avanti's Essence of Asia brochure.
"We were looking for specialized, off-the-beaten track cruises and Croisi, out of France, fit that bill," Hanratty said. Avanti clients on Croisi cruises, which offers a premium, European product at "an excellent price point," will have an international experience with half of cruise passengers who are English and the other half French, he added.
For small-group escorted tours, Avanti has partnered with U.K.-based Back-Roads Touring. In its Essence of Europe brochure, it will feature 17 Back-Roads tours to the Benelux countries, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain and the UK.
Back-Roads shares the same focus of Avanti's FIT products on boutique properties versus chain hotels and on authentic cultural and culinary experiences, according to Hanratty. Group tour size is small at 15 to 18 passengers, tours are conducted in English, guides are local and travel is by Mercedes Benz vehicles. Avanti has also added some new small group tours to Argentina.
Three factors were behind the new developments, according to Hanratty. "Asia has been on our strategic plan, Mark [Grundy] became available to head our Asia operations, and a survey of agents in early spring included a question on 'where you'd like to see us go,'" he said.
The survey was sent to any agent who booked with Avanti in the last 12 months. The company got a 15 percent response to 1,850 surveys sent. Agents also mentioned several destinations including Australia, New Zealand and Fiji, which would be new for Avanti.
"Over the next couple of years, we'll have more rapid growth," Hanratty said. For 2016, the company is considering adding villa stays and, further out, it may expand river cruising to Asia.
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