Less than a year after beginning to sell independent
vacations in Asia, tour operator Avanti Destinations is expanding its product
offerings to six more Asian countries.
Avanti launched fully independent traveler (FIT) tours
booked exclusively through travel agents in December 2015 with China, Japan,
Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Singapore was added shortly after.
“It has been an unqualified success,” said Mark Grundy,
Avanti’s managing director of Asia.
Now, the company is expanding into Indonesia, Malaysia,
Myanmar, the Philippines, South Korean and Taiwan. The FIT tours are offered as
preset itineraries or custom-designed trips, all with private local guides upon
arrival.
“Now with a total of 14 countries, we have a very
comprehensive offering with an emphasis on authentic, hard-to-find experiential
options, which have become the hallmark of Avanti vacations on all continents,”
said Grundy.
Those experiences include a five-hour day in the life of a
Balinese farmer, a whale shark encounter in the Philippines and a Korean
cultural tour where guests learn about kimchi and traditional tea ceremonies.