Guided tour specialist Travelsphere celebrated its newly established partnership with the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) at an exclusive event in Kensington, London. The evening was attended by more than 200 guests, including media, travel agent partners, customers and key industry stakeholders. It marks the collaboration and the ‘launch of Royal Geographical Society Collection’ tours. Held at the Royal Geographical Society in Kensington, attendees heard from Bruce Poon Tip, founder of G Touring, the parent company of Travelsphere and Just You, who spoke on the transformative power of travel. A panel discussion was hosted by Travelsphere ambassador, travel writer and broadcaster Penny Smith, exploring the impact of immersive travel experiences. Panellists also included Adam Kemp, managing director of Travelsphere and Just You, Jamie Owen, licensing and commercial partnerships manager at the RGS, and Lyn Hughes, founding editor of Wanderlust Travel Media. Bruce Poon Tip said: "This event was a fantastic opportunity to showcase the incredible knowledge that the Royal Geographical Society brings to this partnership. “ “Through this partnership, we can show the history and past of a destination, adding depth to the experience.” During the panel discussion, Jamie Owen said: “At the Royal Geographical Society our focus is on the advancement of geographical science and therefore we wanted to approach this collaboration from a position of transformational travel. “ “We're always looking at ways to showcase our collections more widely and this partnership with Travelsphere does just that.” ‘The Royal Geographical Society Collection’ is a selection of itineraries for 2025 that feature expert-led insights, an exclusive RGS tour booklet keepsake offering destination content provided by the Society, and co-branded luggage labels. A contribution from each booking will support the Society’s ongoing research and fieldwork. ‘The Royal Geographical Society Collection’ includes a range of itineraries including: Grand Tour of Italy - 15 days from £3,049 per person Epic Wonders of the National Parks - 17 days from £4,349 per person Grand Tour of Canada & the Rocky Mountaineer - 17 days from £6,599 per person Latin Wonders of the World - 18 days from £5,199 per person Japan - Land of the Rising Sun - 13 days from £5,299 per person The collection features in the Travelsphere brochures for 2025, which are available now.

Travelsphere and Just You have revealed their programme of travel agent Fam trips for 2025. There are three trips taking place this year, split into categories, each specifically designed to accommodate agents’ level of experience in selling escorted tours. They comprise:   New to touring: Malta for 10 agents who have never sold a tour but want to learn more, from March 28 to April 2. Intermediate: Sun Kissed Sardinia Fam, for 10 agents with limited tour sales and knowledge who want to grow their business in this area, from April 26 to May 3. Expert: Unmissable China fam, for 10 agents where touring is core part of their business, from June 3 to June 10.   Each trip will be accompanied by a member of the Travelsphere and Just You trade sales team. Rachel Mould, head of trade sales UK at Travelsphere and Just You, said: “Our collection of 2025 Fam trips provide the perfect opportunity for agents to discover what makes escorted touring the perfect getaway”. By splitting these trips into different categories, we can tailor the overall experience, training and post Fam trip support.” Agents will be handpicked by the Travelsphere and Just You trade team.

 

It’s not too late to get away this summer with Travelsphere. Wander through the narrow cobblestone streets in charming towns and cities across Europe, uncover mesmerising landscapes in North America, go in search of the big five on safari in Africa or be immersed in the captivating cultures of Asia. With incredible savings of up to £1000 per couple on holidays departing before 31st July what are you waiting for?

  Escorted touring pioneer, Travelsphere, has joined forces with the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) to unveil an exciting new partnership for 2025. The partnership between the two iconic and pioneering British organisations will unveil a collection of land based itineraries, which celebrate their combined commitment to transformative travel, history and education.   ‘The Royal Geographical Society Collection’ is available to book now, with the first departures in April 2025, and includes five quintessential trips across popular destinations including Italy, Japan, the US, Canada and Latin America. The partnership marks the Royal Geographical Society’s new venture into travel experiences, with each trip harnessing the Society’s knowledge of history and geographical science, bringing the destinations to life like never before.   Each trip will be led by a Travelsphere holiday director, who will be trained to deliver a deeper level of destination and historical insights from the RGS. Travellers who book will also receive a new Royal Geographical Society Collection booklet ahead of their departure, offering destination content provided by The Society.   The partnership will leverage the Royal Geographical Society’s famous archives of over two million historical items, including the largest private map collection in the world. The experts at the RGS have hand picked a range of important archive pieces, which correlate to the regions and experiences included in the trips, from coloured Japanese road maps by Suigashi, dating back to 1804, to photos of Yosemite National Park taken by Carleton Watkins, one of the world’s most important practitioners of early photography, in the early 1860s.   Bruce Poon Tip, owner of the G Touring brands Travelsphere and Just You, says the new partnership will bring together two powerhouse British organisations, with the common goal of delivering the very best in transformative travel experiences.   “We’re incredibly excited about the powerful new partnership between Travelsphere and the Royal Geographical Society. The RGS is one of the world’s most respected organisations in its field, having supported geographical research, education, fieldwork and expeditions for nearly 200 years and, combined with Travelphere’s 60 years of escorted touring expertise, we’re bringing an offering to the market that allows travellers to see and learn about the world in a way like never before. We’ve hand picked trips that offer deep cultural and historical immersion, where the RGS’ knowledge and expertise can really shine, with more new trips planned to join the collection later this year,” he says.   “Both organisations are true pioneers in their own sector, with a shared passion for making the world a better place and the new partnership is a perfect example of innovation which allows us to amplify the positive impact we are having, both on our travellers, but also on the communities we visit, and the planet,” Poon Tip adds.   “The Society is delighted to join forces with Travelsphere. A purposeful and responsible approach to travel is a key aim for the Society. Through the use of the Society’s significant archive materials and accumulated geographical knowledge and Travelsphere’s commitment to making an investment in our world and communities through their work with the Planeterra Foundation, we feel we can achieve this aim,” says Jamie Owen, Licensing and Commercial Partnerships Manager at The Royal Geographical Society.   “It’s an exciting time for Travelsphere. Consumer habits are changing, with more travellers seeking experiential experiences when selecting their holiday. The escorted touring sector is booming and, in the last six months alone, we’ve seen sales growth of over 20% compared to the previous year. This demand poses a great opportunity for agents to leverage the increasing demand for this style of travel, and we’ve seen a 30% increase in trade sales over the same period. The new partnership with the Royal Geographical Society will support this consumer demand with a unique product that isn’t currently being offered anywhere in the market,” says Adam Kemp, managing director at Travelsphere.   “Beyond the work we do in the destination to support local communities through our work with Planeterra, every Royal Geographical Society Collection trip booked will directly support the essential charitable work of the Society, so travellers can feel confident that their holiday is helping to support the destination they visit, and the planet as a whole,” Kemp continues.   ‘The Royal Geographical Society Collection’ includes:   * Grand Tour of Italy - 15 days from £3,049* per person * Epic Wonders of the National Parks - 17 days from £4,449* per person * Grand Tour of Canada & the Rocky Mountaineer - 17 days from £6,599* per person * Latin Wonders of the World - 18 days from £5,199* per person * Japan - Land of the Rising Sun - 13 days from £5,299* per person   The new Royal Geographical Society Collection will feature in the Travelsphere brochures for 2025, available now. For more information on the Royal Geographical Society Collection, click here or call 0800 987 5110. For more information on the new archive collection, click here.   For more information on the trip itineraries, please click here.

Travelsphere and Just You have established a travel agent-focused Expert Advisory Team. This team will enable agents to share feedback and collaborate with the brands on trade engagement. Three in-person meetings will be held in 2025, with 10 members forming the panel: Claire Boyle, business development manager, Barrhead Travel Darren Bien, head of sales & commercial, Designer Travel Liam East, sales & operations director, Millington Travel Laura Bigden, travel consultant/groups co-ordinator & solo club, Premier Travel Jodie Love, Travel Counsellor Georgina Why, touring commercial manager, Hays Travel Fiona Percy, senior commercial manager, TTNG Caroline Thorne, head of travel, East of England Co-op Travel Gina McRobbie, store manager, Love to Travel Tracy Clenshaw, head of commercial, Fred Olsen Travel Claire Boyle, BDM at Barrhead Travel, said: “With the rise in demand for adventure travel, I’m excited to join the Expert Advisory Team. Collaboration and engagement are key.” Georgina Why, touring commercial manager at Hays Travel, added: "We have a fantastic partnership with both brands and I look forward to strengthening this further, while being a voice for our agents." Rachel Mould, head of trade sales UK at Travelsphere and Just You, said: “Super charging our engagement with our trade partners is a key focus in 2025, and to do so it is vital that we work hand-in-hand with agents to maximise every opportunity.”

Group touring experts Travelsphere and Just You have expanded their regional airport departures for the 2025 season. Trips will depart from 11 airports across the UK in 2025. This expansion comes about due to feedback from travel agents, especially those in the Midlands, North of England and Scotland. It allows customers to embark on 23 of the brands’ most popular European tours with added convenience. Flights are now available from Manchester, Newcastle, Leeds Bradford, Liverpool, East Midlands, Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Heathrow, and Gatwick, on the brands’ top-selling European tours. This comprises 10 from Travelsphere and 13 from Just You. Tours include Pompeii, Sorrento & the Bay of Naples, Treasures of Andalucia, and French & Italian Riviera Splendour for Just You, and A week in Andalucia, Pompeii, Paestum & Herculaneum, and Treasures of Turkey for Travelsphere. Rachel Mould, G Touring’s UK Head of Sales, said: "This development follows feedback from our valued travel agent partners, who have highlighted the need for a wider variety of departure points.” We are confident this expanded offering will make our tours even more accessible and enjoyable for travellers across the UK." All 23 European tours with the regional departures are available to book now. To aid travel sales Travelsphere and Just You will release a suite of marketing materials, including social media assets and window posters, for travel agents over the coming weeks. 

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