Tourism Intermediate Conversation Lesson: Tour operator – Collett’s Mountain Holidays (UK)
Before your trial lesson, listen to the audio recording whilst reading the text. Additionally, study the 5 questions to gain an understanding of the topics and themes that will be covered during your online trial conversation lesson.
For over 25 years, eco-friendly walking and skiing holidays have been the unique tourism product of UK-based Collett’s Mountain Holidays, a highly regarded tour operator specialising in Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Spain, France and Corsica. All the company’s employees are genuine outdoor enthusiasts with first-hand experience of the company’s holidays as well as the regions in which they operate, from the office staff answering pre-holiday enquiries to the on-site teams sharing everything clients need to get them to the mountains and fully enjoy their holidays.
Whether it’s centre-based, hut-to-hut or luxurious hotel-to-hotel adventures, the holidays are completely custom-built to capture the very best of each destination. Indeed, Collett’s tourism products are designed to maximise client experience in these magnificent mountain destinations, whatever the season. Furthermore, the company has worked hard over many years to capture the growing ‘niche’ market of European tourists who prefer to enjoy healthy walking and skiing activities in the mountains rather than sunbathing all day on a Mediterranean beach!
Collett’s are quite unique with their flexible itinerary format which allows clients to organise their day just as they wish, rather than commit to a fixed, inflexible itinerary. All the operator’s walks are tried and tested ‘classics’, either easy and idyllic, moderate or hard and challenging. Clients can either focus exclusively on walks in one category or combine them if they wish. Indeed, product flexibility allows them to challenge themselves one day and take it easy the next. Clients also have regular access to Collett’s resident Walks Team, who knowledgeably help them to refine their plans as they wish but always making sure that they gain maximum benefit and enjoyment from their holiday.
5 Key topics for discussion in the conversation lesson
1. Summarise the text briefly in your own words, including your initial thoughts about Collett’s.
2. Detail the kind of holidays which Collett’s offer their clients.
3. Outline the ‘niche’ or special market that Collett’s has developed over 25 years in business.
4. Explain the kind of walks that Collett’s offer to all its clients.
5. Describe the important role of Collett’s resident Walks Team.
