Thompsons expands family portfolio

THOMPSONS Holidays has expanded its portfolio of family- friendly holidays by partnering with resorts that offer exceptional family facilities. Marketing Manager Celeste Muir told Travel News that Thompsons Holidays’ focus was on destinations that provided spacious family accommodation, all-inclusive options and activities for every age group. “Many of our packages include dedicated family rooms, kids’ clubs, waterparks and value-added benefits such as complimentary child stays, making family travel more affordable and enjoyable.” The company’s family offering continues to grow across both international and local destinations. “Popular options include Mauritius, Zanzibar, the Maldives, Mozambique, Thailand and Bali, while we have also expanded our South African holiday portfolio with a range of family-friendly beach, bush and self-catering holidays to suit different budgets and travel styles,” said Muir. She added that many of its family packages included exclusive benefits such as children staying or eating free (or both) at selected resorts, complimentary room upgrades and discounted family room rates. “Affordable South African properties such as Blue Marlin All-Inclusive Seascape on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast offer excellent all-inclusive value for families. Castelo do Mar in Mozambique is another fantastic option, providing a relaxed beachfront escape that’s well suited to family holidays. “For families looking for a local bush getaway, the newly built self-catering accommodation at Kruger Park Lodge offers spacious units that can accommodate up to eight guests. Guests can also choose a half-board option, allowing families to enjoy the flexibility of some self-catering.” Muir said all-inclusive holidays remained one of the biggest trends, as these allowed more effective budget planning and clients looked forward to a hassle-free holiday experience. “Families are increasingly seeking destinations that offer activities and experiences for every member. We are also seeing strong growth in multi-generational travel, with grandparents, parents and children choosing to holiday together, making larger family accommodation and resorts with diverse facilities increasingly popular.” Mauritius continues to lead bookings for the sector thanks to its family-friendly resorts, value for money and convenient flight time from South Africa, while the Maldives, Zanzibar, Thailand, Bali and Mozambique also remain popular. Muir added that interest in Disneyland Paris was growing among South African families, while domestic holidays continued to perform strongly as travellers looked for affordable local escapes. Thompsons Holidays works closely with its hotel and airline partners to negotiate competitive family rates, secure early booking offers and provide value-added inclusions wherever possible. “It is especially beneficial when our airline and hotel partners run promotions where children stay or fly free, as these offers significantly reduce the overall cost of a family holiday, making travel more affordable and accessible for South African families,” said Muir. The company also supports its nationwide network of travel agents through dedicated weekly online product training, educational trips, sales incentives/rewards and easy access to its knowledgeable reservation teams across the country. “This ensures agents have the latest product knowledge and confidence to recommend the best family holiday options for every budget and travel style,” said Muir.