It only took 10 months for Trafalgar’s off-shoot, CostSaver, to establish itself as a standalone brand, successfully conquer Europe and expand into a new region.
Last month (just two months shy of its one year anniversary), the company announced it’s first itineraries in Europe had performed so well that it was ready to expand into the Americas.
Speaking to KarryOn, Trafalgar Australia’s Managing Director, Matthew Cameron-Smith, said North America was always in the operator’s sights, but it was important to wait until “it was the right time” to launch.
This meant having access to value activities and entertainment, while also ensuring itineraries featured the right destinations. It was also important to wait and see how the off-shoot operator’s first itineraries performed, which Cameron-Smith said were “really well received” by the market.
“Separating CostSaver as its own brand has worked really well to build the profile.”
Matthew Cameron-Smith, Trafalgar Australia Managing Director
“We’ve had an exceptional response and Agents have really embraced CostSaver as a brand.
“America was a destination we didn’t want to launch until it was right. We wanted to make sure it was the right destinations, and importantly it had to be the best value.”
The inaugural Americas program features 14 different journeys in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
Hand-picked accommodation, must-see sights, all guided holidays as well as airport transfers are included in the cost of each trip, which vary from eight-day trips in Mexico’s Great Copper Canyon to a 10-day Wonders of the Canadian Rockies journey plus a 19-day Canada from East to West trip taking in Niagara falls, Toronto, Quebec, Montreal and Vancouver.
Cameron-Smith’s personal favourite is the Big Apple, Niagara and Washington tour, which takes in the US capital city, Lancaster County – an Amish town, Niagara as well as two nights in New York.
“We’ve been planning this for a while and now we’re just waiting to see how the market will respond.”
Matthew Cameron-Smith, Trafalgar Australia Managing Director
“We’re confident people will respond well, especially because we believe the US and Canada will have a good year for travel.”
So if in less than a year CostSaver has managed to branch off on its own, conquer Europe and expand into the US, what’s next?
Cameron-Smith told KarryOn that the brand has a “few more surprises up its sleeves.”
He didn’t elaborate, but we suspect (this is complete speculation) now that the tour operator may be looking at a new region, perhaps even follow its parent company, Trafalgar, into Asia.