Stoke Travel is a group tour company known for its fun, carefree approach to creating unforgettable experiences for its passengers. While the company might not take themselves too seriously, they have certainly taken the COVID-19 pandemic with the utmost seriousness to ensure the safety and well-being of their passengers.
We reached out to Stoke Travel General Manager, Coco Howard, to discuss how the company has adapted to COVID-19 regulations, what passengers can expect during their tours, and what Stoke Travel has planned for the future.
What has Stoke Travel done to become COVID compliant?
At Stoke Travel, we are in a unique position since most of our largest events have always taken place outdoors.
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Because we are outside, COVID-19 precautions are not causing many negative impacts on our experiences’ enjoyment. We pay close attention to government guidelines and advice from the World Health Organisation (WHO), reducing capacities and postponing trips when necessary. We’re hopeful for the upcoming summer and fall seasons, as Europe is becoming more open and vaccinated!
We are reviewing and following the new precautions put in place by our suppliers for the events we run in secured venues or hosted in accommodations. For our campgrounds opening in September, we are waiting on the updated guidelines post-summer to make all our hygiene and safety procedures meet and exceed the standards.
On our campsites, we are doing free solo upgrades for guests travelling alone, so there is no risk of sharing a tent with a stranger!
Coco Howard, General Manager
How are passengers protected if their trips are cancelled due to COVID?
The last thing we want is for anything to get in the way of our guests dreaming, planning and booking their trip, which is why we’ve implemented €1 risk-free deposits and an extremely flexible cancellation policy!
We’ve implemented €1 risk-free deposits and an extremely flexible cancellation policy
Coco Howard, General Manager
How has Stoke Travel used the downtime?
We are very fortunate to be able to keep a lean team and use the downtime productively. We were able to pull two significant projects off the back burner and hit the ground running with them, and we were able to add two additional new brands into the fold!
Soon, we’ll be launching the Stoke App, the travel buddy with benefits.
Coco Howard, General Manager
We’re partnering with only the events, festivals and trips that young travellers need, creating a perfectly curated marketplace. Tips, hacks, reviews and rewards so when young travellers are ready and able to travel again, they will get the best experience possible!
Our other project is Abroad Europe, launching this summer, just in time for the Fall study abroad semester. Abroad Europe is a community-based passion project between study abroad students from previous years and some of Europe’s most exciting and established youth travel companies.
We’ll be throwing the most memorable weekends in Europe!! Stay tuned for more information. We’ve added “Yes-Trips!”, the dominant Erasmus students travel and events company, they organise unique trips for students and student organisations!
And finally, we’re teaming with a brilliant engineer to create BreezED, a passion project, combining the tranquillity of being in a relaxed environment with the excitement of learning something new from an inspiring expert. Imagine discovering and studying gastronomy and wine while sailing along the French Riviera!
What trips are in hot demand right now?
At the beginning of the year, we expected small and private group travel to be the only packages travellers would be comfortable booking. We stacked our line-up with extra Croatia Sailing trips and private boat cruises in Barcelona. Both have been selling very well.
However, we were surprised to see that people are still itching for our more significant festivals. Even with the official Oktoberfest cancelled in Munich, our Stoketoberfest numbers are on track with our biggest year.
Our Stoketoberfest numbers are on track with our biggest year.
Coco Howard, General Manager
Capacity concerns may keep our numbers lower, but I have no doubts this will be the best party to come out of 2021!
If you’re planning an unforgettable trip with Stoke Travel, you have two options for booking your experience: directly through the Stoke Travel website or via TourRadar. Stoke Travel’s official website (stoketravel.com) is an excellent starting point for planning and booking your adventure. The site offers detailed information about the various trips, destinations, and experiences available. You can explore options by destination, type of trip, or event to find the perfect fit for your preferences.
Alternatively, by booking through TourRadar, you can compare different trips, read reviews from past travellers, and find the best deals available. TourRadar offers a secure and user-friendly platform for booking, as well as a Best Price Guarantee and 24/7 customer support. In some cases, you may find exclusive deals or discounts when booking through TourRadar.