Classic Journeys Sends Single Supplements Packing For Solo Travelers

Solo guests can avoid extra charges by being first to book adventure tours

La Jolla, CA – Call it a necessary evil or simply a fact of life; for solo travelers on tour, there’s no getting around the single supplement. Until now.

Effective immediately, on trips to more than a dozen of Classic Journeys’ most popular tour regions, the first two solo travelers to reserve their spots will pay no single supplement, representing a savings of up to $800 per person.

“We’re sweetening the deal for solo guests in 2009 for one main reason,” explains Edward Piegza, president and co-founder of Classic Journeys. “This valuable market segment comprises 35 to 40% of our total business in any given year.”

The company’s newest promotion encompasses cultural walking adventures, culinary tours and family journeys to such destinations as Tuscany & the Cinque Terre, Prague to Budapest, Croatia’s Istrian Peninsula and Peru & Machu Picchu. And, it gets better; after the initial rollout, Classic Journeys plans to add even more regions to the program.

While many adventure travel companies hike their prices by as much as 50% for solo travelers, Classic Journeys boasts an average single supplement of only 15%. In the company’s experience, guests realize it costs more to buy a double room occupied by one person than one occupied by two people, but they don’t want to feel they’re being taken advantage of. Instead, Classic Journeys passes along only the amount the hotel charges the company, without further mark-up.

“When it comes to enlightened, enjoyable adventure travel, the more hurdles we can remove the better,” says Piegza. “One of the best ways to do that is by keeping our single supplements among the lowest in the industry.”

Solo guests are eager to take advantage of experienced local guides, cultural visits and adventure activities, even ground transportation, whose costs are spread among a small group of fellow travelers. And with this special promotion, they’ll now save up to $800 per trip.

As guest Karen Carcione of Solon, OH – a veteran of four Classic Journeys to Tuscany, Sicily, Barcelona and the Pacific Northwest – recently put it, “You offer the best value in small group tours, and kudos to you for encouraging singles like me by not charging a fortune for the single supplement.”

Classic Journeys continues to develop innovative ways to improve its tour experience, especially in challenging economic times when guests need and expect an extra incentive to reserve. Readers who want to learn more about how the company rolls out the red carpet for solo travelers can click on www.classicjourneys.com/single, or speak directly with one of the company’s Guest Services Coordinators at (800) 200-3887.

About Classic Journeys:
Classic Journeys offers cultural walking adventures, culinary tours and family journeys in North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa, Asia and the South Pacific. Guests enjoy luxury accommodations and gourmet meals that reflect the best of each region, coupled with soft adventure activities, daily interactions with locals, and native guides who make countries and cultures come alive. Tours are six to 12 days long with two to four hours of easy-going walking per day. Land-only tour prices range from $2395 to $6995 per person (with discounts for small groups and children traveling with parents). Average tour size is 10, limited to a maximum of 18 guests per departure. Full details and links to itineraries are available at www.ClassicJourneys.com.

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