Divisional Profiles

The division’s principal businesses, Explore, based in the UK, and Djoser, based in the Netherlands, are market leaders in specialist small group exploratory trips in their respective markets. The division also includes two German specialist educational holiday businesses operated by Travelplus, carpe diem Sprachreisen, which provides English and other language holidays, and TravelWorks, which offers working holidays and gap-year breaks. Regaldive is a UK dive operator.

Product details

The main Explore worldwide brochure incorporates various specialist programmes - walking and trekking, wildlife experiences, culture and discovery, cycling, short breaks and rail journeys. Explore also offers a separate programme of family adventure trips.

Djoser has a main worldwide programme and three specialist products: 'Djoser Junior' (aimed at families) and separate walking and cycling programmes.

Explore and Djoser’s small groups (usually 14-18 people) are led by trained tour leaders. The majority of tours last 2-3 weeks, although there is a separate programme for short breaks. In total over 400 separate trips are offered to over 120 countries worldwide under the Explore and Djoser brands.

TravelWorks and carpe diem offer overseas study/work experience programmes and language trips for German students.

Regaldive, which is a specialist provider of scuba diving holidays, sells to locations in the Red Sea and increasingly to a range of worldwide destinations.

Pricing

The average booking value for an Explore holiday is approximately £1000 although tour prices can range from £500 to £3000. Customers pay a deposit at the time of booking with the remaining balance required 8 weeks before the holiday. The average booking value for a Djoser holiday is approximately €1000.

Distribution

Most of the division’s sales are through the call centre or via the internet. Outside of the home markets, general sales agents are used to support and distribute the product - the main foreign markets are the US, Canada and Australia for Explore and Belgium for Djoser.

Suppliers

Explore and Djoser's tour costs are largely variable with airline seats allocated on a sale or return basis. Management systems ensure healthy load factors and efficient control of overseas costs.

Offices & Employees

Explore operates out of its head office in Farnborough, Hampshire and employs over 100 staff and has approximately 150 tour leaders worldwide.

Djoser's head office is based in Leiden, the Netherlands, and employs 40 staff and contracts approximately 250 tour leaders. Travelplus is based in Münster, Germany, and employs around 50 staff. Regaldive is based in Ely, Cambridgeshire and employs around 10 staff.