Collette Relaunches Small Group Tour Division

Launch of Explorations brand signifies change in  small group tour division to appeal to younger demographic

Collette Vacations’ President and CEO Daniel Sullivan, Jr. announced the rebranding and repositioning of its Explorations small group tours division – which launches a new name, logo, brochure and dedicated website.

Collette's new Explorations Brand Seeks a Younger Demographic

“When we initially launched this brand as Explorations by Collette in late 2007, we were testing the concept of small group escorted tours to our primary market,” said Sullivan. “What in-depth research revealed from focus groups and field research to the expertise from branding agencies – was a clear way to market to our target demographic, the baby boomer market. From discovering what kind of imagery, colors and messaging they most responded to, to learning what elements of the touring experience were most important, we were able to make over the Explorations division completely. It stands apart in look, feel and product execution from the Collette brand.”

Explorations offers the ease and convenience of an escorted tour, but is geared towards travelers in the 50+ age bracket who find hands-on cultural immersion an appealing component of their vacation. The benefits of touring with a small group of no more than 28 passengers for this group include enjoying a more leisurely paced tour, having the freedom to explore on their own, discovering cultures through hands-on experiences, dining at smaller local restaurants, and staying in unique hotels like a charming villa overlooking the Alps or an eco-friendly resort at the base of the Great Barrier Reef.

“With a more unique and exotic product line ranging from India and Jordan to Italy and Namibia; plus a different target market, we have been able to integrate a variety of experiences into the itineraries that get our passengers closer to the destination,” says Melissa Snape, executive vice president of product.

Experiences like culinary classes, meals with locals, visits to small, country towns and villages, and language lessons provide authentic, life enhancing travel moments. And, with a more intimate group of travelers, Explorations can gain access to historic sites not always available to larger tour groups.

Changes and features to the brand include:

o New logo, Explorations Small Groups. Big Experiences; color palette; and tag line – Explore. Connect. Live
o New and dedicated website (www.explorationstouring.com) with social media access and an agent portal
o New brochure (coming mid September)
o New Brand video and separate product videos

While Explorations is its own unique brand, the brands’ advantage is that travel agents can utilize the shared services that the Collette brand is most known for, including complimentary roundtrip home to airport sedan service, the services of the largest sales force in the industry, industry-leading No Worries Cancellation waiver, and guaranteed departure dates.

For more information, call 1-877-451-8687 and visit www.explorationstouring.com to view full itineraries, interactive maps, destination facts and stats, pricing, and tour videos.