Kuoni staycations: Orkney is among the destinations in new collection
Holiday company Kuoni has been praised over the past few weeks for its fantastic customer service and refund policy during the Covid-19 crisis. It is seen as a trusted brand, led by bosses who care about you, the holidaymaker. Known for its luxury breaks, wedding and honeymoons in fabulous hotspots abroad, the company is now branching out unto a new market.
It has launched bespoke holidays in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland in partnership with Glasgow-based operator McKinlay Kidd, using local knowledge and expertise to design premium road trips with personal touches. And the timing couldn’t be better, as it is expected more people will this year choose a holiday in the UK rather than abroad. There is not the appetite for flying and restrictions, including quarantine measures, are in place in many countries.
Kuoni boss said: “We’re famed for planning special trips to beautiful places around the world but we think there are many equally stunning places to discover closer to home as well. The coronavirus crisis has played havoc with people’s travel plans so we wanted to create a collection of quality, premium trips throughout the UK and Ireland which blend local culture, adventure and exploration with luxury style.
“This is about working with like-minded specialists with similar values, and introducing more reasons for people to trust us with their special travel plans so we can broaden the scope of what we can offer.”
A new UK section of the company’s website is now live, featuring a range of hand-picked itineraries discovering some of the UK and Ireland’s most scenic routes and hidden gems.
Accommodation has been carefully chosen, from five-star luxury hotels to family-run retreats and all is pre-booked on carefully planned itineraries, with experiences which can be added along the way, from whisky tours to whale watching.
Trips include the Causeway Coast in Northern Ireland, Scotland’s islands, including Orkney, Shetland and the Outer Hebrides, Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way, the beautiful and peaceful Gower Peninsula in Wales, the Isles of Scilly, Devon and Cornwall road trips, rural Northumberland, which is the largest area of protected dark sky in Europe and ideal for stargazing, and a five-star Aston Martin 007 weekend in Scotland discovering locations from past Bond movies.
Kuoni collection: Three Cliffs Bay on the Gower Peninsular in Wales
Heather McKinlay, co-founder of McKinlay Kidd, said: “Our expertise for creating stunning holidays is a great match with Kuoni and we’re looking forward to working with them so more people are able to discover the beauty of their home country and close neighbours later this summer and beyond.
“Lots of people know Kuoni for their beautiful beach escapes and we want to surprise people about what’s on their doorstop. On a sunny day, a beach in the Outer Hebrides can do a fantastic impression of the Caribbean, with white sand and turquoise waters. Some of the beaches are so vast, you will barely see another soul – you could say social distancing is the norm.
“Conservation and wildlife is another reason lots of Kuoni customers travel to places like Africa, India and Borneo. Around our own countries, wildlife abounds in rural and coastal areas – eagles, otters, seals, badgers, pine martens and more. You can even go whale-watching off the west of Ireland and from the Isle of Mull in Scotland.”
The Kuoni UK and Ireland collection is on sale for this and next year will go on sale today, ready for travel once the lockdown is eased.
