Everyone loves to travel. The ability to travel is embedded within our society, and the freedom to explore not just our own country, but the other sides of the world is something many of us treasure. This could be our curiosity, our wellness, our sense of adventure, or as simple as connecting with our dearest friends and relatives.

We have recently seen a number of surveys, that despite a squeeze on household incomes, travelling is at the top of the list of things which will be retained, no matter what. Yes, travel habits might be different – some have said they will take fewer holidays a year, some will change their destination, some downgrading from business class to premium and others will find an alternative style of holiday.

A World of Value is an overview of the value of booking with a travel professional, along with ideas on how to maximise your money this year from different destinations, and holiday styles along with other tips and tricks from those who know the industry.

We’re often asked why I should book through a travel agent, rather than booking on the internet. Some even don’t ask and think the best way to book a holiday is on the internet, but we believe we offer a service like no other, if we have the opportunity.

Many believe that it’s more expensive to book with an agent. That couldn’t be further from the truth, with many of our suppliers offering complete price parity – so you get all the benefits of booking with an agent, for exactly the same price. There are occasions as well when we can even beat a direct price. That’s of course before we start talking about room upgrades or exclusive extras we might be able to add.

Most of all, we can do so much more than what a website can do for you. We’re available 24/7 in the case of an emergency, you can ask us for advise and specific requirements for travel, we’re people so understand your needs – the list really is endless.

An All Inclusive holiday is a great way of being able to budget in advance of going away, knowing that you have paid everything (or near to everything) before you actually get there.

Yes, your food, drink, activities and sometimes watersports are included in the price of the holiday, which is especially great with children, as you’re then not searching for bits and pieces of money during the day when they want ice cream or a large bill at the end of your stay.

However, this comes with a warning. When you pay upfront for an all-inclusive and all your food and drink are included, they really have to be a decent quality for you to enjoy them. There’s no point in paying for it, only to find when you get there the food is inedible (or worse gives you food poisoning). That’s why we only recommend those that are good quality, even if you end up paying a little bit more.

CLUB MED – SKI

We all know that skiing can be expensive, especially once you had added things like transfers, ski passes and equipment, as well as food during the day. With a Club Med All Inclusive, you can budget knowing exactly what is included before you go.

BEACHCOMBER HOTELS – MAURITIUS

Working with Beachcomber for over 25 years, we highly recommend the Canonnier or Shandrani hotels in Mauritius, both of which are excellent value for money, with great options for families as well.

IKOS RESORTS

IKOS certainly isn’t the cheapest option for a summer holiday, but it’s probably the best All Inclusive option we have in Europe. A true 5* standard, but know that everything is included before you travel.

DREAMS RESORTS

Dreams is a cheaper 4 to 5* standard All Inclusive, with two new hotels in Europe (Lanzarote and Corfu), along with a large number in the Dominican Republic and Mexico.

A cruise is not too dissimilar from an all-inclusive hotel, after all quite a lot is already included in the cost of the holiday. At the absolute minimum, all your food onboard is included and the ability to get off the ship in wonderful locations every day.

There are of course some cruise lines which offer more ‘value’ than others. Some will include door-to-door transfers from home, some will include all your food and drink, others might have special flight promotions when you need to fly (free economy or sometimes free business class flights), or other important extras like wifi or room service.

When we talk value on a ship, always consider the ‘premium’ lines like Silversea or Scenic, because although they might look expensive from the outset, they can often be extremely good value compared to a mid-range competitor where not so much might be included.

SILVERSEA CRUISES

Not content to just providing food, Silversea also includes excursions on the majority of their cruises. This 5* experience compares very favourably (depending on location), to the equivalent holiday on land.

EMERALD CRUISES

A great value river cruise, onboard a modern and sophisticated ship which is paired with uncomplicated onboard service.

RIVIERA TRAVEL

We love Riviera’s excellent value river cruises, with a number available throughout Europe including the Rhine, Danube and Duoro. They also have good offers for singles (depending on availability).

AMBASSADOR CRUISES

This new British cruise line, which operates out of Tilbury is amazing value for money. There are some great itineraries on offer too, which many other cruise lines don’t travel to, and all at a price which may surprise!