Jetsettersblog

Insight Vacations is introducing a new product for 2010 that it is calling Select by Insight Vacations, which will offer the benefits of escorted tours to new customer segments that may have previously avoided group tours.

“We’ve tried to create a new product that’s the ultimate in independent touring,” said Marc Kazlauskas, president of Insight Vacations based in Rye, N.Y. “What that means is you select the tour, you select the date, you select the departure city and you select the sightseeing you want.”

Select guests can travel with the group in a luxury motorcoach seating 40 people or on high-speed rail; get introductory city tours from a professional guide; get advice on shopping, dining and sightseeing on their own from that same guide; select from a list of sightseeing options with the group (for an additional cost); get free luggage handling and tips for porters included; and stay in first- or superior-class hotels selected by Insight. But they don’t have to go on every sightseeing excursion or dine with the group.

They also can leave the tour at specified cities, or extend their stays in other cities. In addition, they have access to Insight commissionable air offers. Since Select programs do not include all sightseeing options or dinners, they are priced about 10 to 15 percent lower than Insight’s escorted products.

“If you have time constraints you can leave the tour early,” said Kazlauskas. “If you want to see more, you can certainly extend. It’s also a great product to pre-package with a cruise.

What it allows you to do is tailor-make an escorted tour.

We’ve also stripped out a lot of the things that you pay for on an escorted tour but may not want, such as all the sightseeing and most dinners.”

According to Kazlauskas, Select is geared for three types of customers:

Those who want a pre- or post-cruise tour program, those who may have already been on a cruise but who want a little more in-depth experience; and those who are afraid of an escorted tour but want the benefits such a tour can offer.

“Select is doing what you want when you want, but also having the benefits of a group, he said. “It’s this happy medium between escorted and independent touring.”

Select sales collateral is being rolled out to travel agents this month. There’s also an e-brochure on Insight’s website.

The program is also described in detail in Insight’s new Europe & Britain brochure. Starting in April 2010,

Select options include Select London and Paris (nine days starting at $1,450 per person); London, Paris and Rome (11 days starting at $2035); France (eight to 11 days starting at $2,350); Imperial Capitals-Budapest, Vienna, Prague (seven to 10 days starting at $1,625); Rome to Paris (11 or 14 days starting at $2,935; Italy (12 or 15 days starting at $2,685); Spain and Portugal (11 or 14 days starting at $2,090 per person); Russia (9 days starting at $1,850); London Week (eight days starting at $925); and European Journey, including Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, Lucerne, Verona, Venice, Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest (14 or 17 days starting at $3,350).

Optional sightseeing excursions for an additional fee are included in all tours. For more information, call 800-582-8380 or visit www.insightselect.com