Package holidays are the travel equivalent of a convenience store - plenty of choice, easy to buy and even easier to enjoy, with everything taken care of from start to finish. It's a simple matter of picking a destination, choosing the sort of holiday you want and deciding on the level of comfort. And package prices are more than reasonable this summer, as ground operators compete for business in the shadow of the global economic downturn.
'This is certainly one of the best times in recent years to take a package holiday,' said Josephine Woo Sau-yin, marketing manager for Cathay Pacific Holidays. 'The amount of money that travellers would have been paying previously for a three-star experience will now buy five-star. We work very hard with the land operators and hoteliers to provide the best deals, and also co-operate with the tourism boards, and of course the customer benefits too.'
Together with Dragonair, Cathay provides package deals ranging from simple hotel accommodation to fully inclusive themed holidays. 'It's fair to say we have one of the strongest package sites in Hong Kong,' Ms Woo said. 'Our booking engine grants instant confirmation and, as people in Hong Kong tend to go for short holidays, sometimes arranging them at short notice, it's very convenient.'
The most straightforward of Cathay's packages are dubbed City Chic, providing flights, hotel accommodation and breakfast with the occasional add-on such as an afternoon tea. A two-night package to Bangkok costs from about HK$1,700 per head, with a choice of hotels that includes the Conrad and the Four Seasons. A pricier option, including accommodation in a spa cottage at the Grand Hyatt, starts at HK$12,140. Prices are based on two adults sharing a room and may vary according to flight times.
Cathay's Nature and Adventure packages are located principally in Australia and China. Accommodation includes such eminent hotels as the Banyan Tree in Lijiang and the Spring City Golf & Lake Resort in Kunming, the latter strongly targeted at golfers and includes two rounds of an 18-hole course and a 30-minute lesson on the driving range for HK$4,199. Equally good value are Down Under excursions, principally to the Gold Coast, though Cairns, in northern Queensland, is a popular base. And following the end of the monsoon season in Nepal, from September onwards, a four-night trip split between the capital Kathmandu and Tiger Tops Tented Camp starts at a little more than HK$14,000.
Sun and beach packages are self-explanatory, although there is an especially wide range of destinations available. 'This summer we will be flying non-stop to Langkawi in Malaysia, which cuts out having to go via Kuala Lumpur,' Ms Woo said.