Air Cruise Collection focuses on UK market

Air Cruise Collection will launch an exclusive itinerary, Pearls of the Orient, for UK customers departing on November 6, 2020 from Gatwick and visiting Jordan, India, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, the Maldives and the UAE.

The 17-day tour includes stops at major cultural landmarks and stays in high-end hotels, as well as a three-night cruise on Au Co in Halong Bay.

“The UK is a mature market where the luxury sector has been growing significantly, so there is great potential here,” said Marco Rosa, founder of Plateau International, which has been appointed as the sales and marketing representative for Air Cruise Collection in the UK and Europe, adding that the focus for sales would be very much on the trade.

“This is not something we will be selling directly to the public, rather we want to work closely in partnership with retail trade and tour operators – it’s all commissionable. We think that most agents could have at least one client on their database who would be interested in this kind of travel,” he added.

Air Cruise Collection started offering private jet trips in 2015, and is part of long-established FST Group, which includes other luxury brands, as well as being the largest river cruise operator in the Netherlands.

Rosa added bookings would be covered by the Dutch-based foundation for the guarantee of travel funds, SGR, which applies to every consumer booked, no matter their origin. Further departure dates from London are being worked on, and a new flight from Copenhagen around Africa could also prove interesting for UK guests, Rosa said.

The Pearls of the Orient tour starts from £39,950 per person and guests will travel onboard a Boeing 737-500 or 737-700 remodelled to feature business-class seats for 54 passengers, with each tour accompanied by two guides.

The price includes accommodation (double occupancy), transfers, meals, excursions with local guides, entrance fees, taxes, internet access (where available) and all gratuities.