2025 has started well for both ‘Wales Beckons’ and our outbound division, ‘NEI UK to…’ The number of enquiries we are receiving is greater than has been the case for many years and certainly since Covid.
It does seem to us that there is a desire to begin travelling again for leisure and the ministrations of those advocating a halt to air travel do not seem to have won the argument. It is still our contention that travel should have a purpose but this is tempered with a caveat that we will not decide whether travelling has a purpose: this is up to our traveller clients to decide for themselves.
We do not know what applies elsewhere but from our experience, those making their initial approach to us invariably expect us to have answers to all their questions. Much as we would like to have answers, and very often we do, we are never afraid to admit that we do not have an answer. This is where our partner colleagues in the chosen destination come into their own: they are our local ears and eyes and will be in possession of local information, which, with the best will in the world cannot always be known to a tour operator or a travel agent or other travel advisors in the UK
It is undeniable that the current buzz word is ‘sustainable’ and the application of this word is used very often to try and get across to the wider world that all sorts of businesses are changing many things to make their business more sustainable. Many of these assertions might be true and, from a distance, have to be taken on face value. Once again, the value of local information and advice will prove invaluable and impartial. There is no credit in a hotel or activity organiser making false claims and if they do, we as the tour operator could find ourselves in difficulty if an irate client takes issue with something we have said. Yes, there should be, and is for us, suitable insurance but getting involved in such claims is to be avoided.
For both inbound holidays to Wales and outbound holidays to other parts of the world, we endevour to ensure that sustainability has featured in our choice of hotel to be used for our guests and one Homestay in India which fully complies with our expectations is ‘Cardamom House’ in Tamil Nadu. Owned and run by an English physician and a group of local men, many of whom have worked there from the outset. Over the years many, many additions, such as solar heating, bore wells, wonderfully productive organic gardens and orchards have been added. This is truly a sustainable Homestay and well worth a visit. Check out our website where you will find details of our tour to Tamil Nadu and Cardamom House.
By a similar token we are proud to have been chosen by Jigmed Nyamgal, King of Ladakh to work with him to ensure that visitors travelling to Ladakh will be able to enjoy a visit to an area of India which is not over visited and which will continue to pay serious attention to sustainability. A selection of new tours to Ladakh, which is our Destination of the Year 2025, will shortly be found on our above website www.neiuk.co.uk under Destinations/ India/ Ladakh. More information about Ladakh is also available on our website www.walesbeckons.co.uk
