There’s nothing like setting out to explore soaring mountains on an invigorating hike or indulging in local cuisine after a stroll in the blissful sunshine. Travellers are increasingly looking for outdoor experiences and the demand for active travel adventures has never been higher. For those seeking a break from it all and getting back to nature, there are endless possibilities provided by tour operators. Yet if guided walking holidays in Zermatt or Chamonix sound tempting but you’re keen on a flexible approach then Inghams Summer Walking Programme could be just what you’re looking for. Beau Monde Traveler catches up with John Mansell, the leading tour operator’s Managing Director, to gain an inside perspective on their latest outdoor adventure holidays and to find out what travellers can expect from Inghams.

A seasoned professional with over thirty years of experience in the travel industry, John began his career with a summer job in the accounts department of a tour operator. Excited by the prospect of travel, John now regularly travels to some of the most scenic destinations in the world including Switzerland and Finland. HotelPlan’s CEO (Ingham’s parent company) initially approached John about a project in 2008 – fast forward to today, and he has recently been promoted to Managing Director. With this experience in mind, the most important lesson John has learned during his tenure? ‘It’s learning how to lead – better.’

Given the seismic changes in the travel industry over the last few years, Inghams has adapted to travellers’ expectations of their luxury tour provider. When it comes to consistently meeting these expectations, John explains that Inghams lives off the service they provide, and the company works hard to maintain its reputation. ‘Historically Inghams has provided the experience guests expect from us.’ With over 85 years of experience planning holidays for travellers, their continued success with clients is primarily down to one factor, ‘‘They come back because they trust us.’

The company gains insights into guests expectations by communicating regularly and using market research companies including Mintel to identify how they can adapt their travel offering. Put simply, ‘We listen to what guests want.’ Change has accelerated significantly over the last few years, with management both in the UK and at the company’s HQ in Switzerland, leading to renewed direction and investment. This overhaul has fast-tracked changes such as the recent rebrand, ‘We’re reinventing ourselves – investing in staffing, systems, products – and there is still much more to come.’

The rebrand features a refreshed outdoor holiday offering whilst also launching a renewed celebration of Ingham’s passion for the great outdoors. Holidays are categorised as ‘Inghams Ski’, with over seventy resorts across the best ski destinations including France, Italy and Austria; ‘Inghams Walking’ where guests can explore Europe’s magnificent landscapes with expert guides, and ‘Inghams Lapland’ breaks for the ultimate magical holiday experience in Finland.

To provide a flavour of what to expect from ‘Inghams Walking’ and how it’s different to other tour agents, John explains, ‘The easiest way to describe it is as a holiday with walking rather than a walking holiday – we’re providing people with the ability to do their own thing.’ Describing further, ‘If you fancy stopping at a café, this is something we want to offer. If you want to relax one day – there are lots of walks you can do at your leisure. It’s a more relaxed approach – the idea is to find those hidden walks where you can go at your own pace.’ Forget trudging out in the rain on a twenty-kilometre hike as part of a planned itinerary. This is all about curated experiences with two optional walks each week organised by local experts.

Tried and tested holiday options include Austria’s lively town of Mayrhofen which boasts 1400 kilometres of walking trails through village-speckled valleys to the towering 3000-metre-high peaks of the Zillertal Alps. Themed walks and educational trails are hosted by professional guides who have expert knowledge to immerse travellers in local activities. Guests can enjoy an ‘Art River’ walk past local sculptures or the Brandberg ‘Dairy Farm Loop,’ which includes a stop-off to sample local cheese. If guests are escaping for peace and quiet, then local reps can recommend remote locations such as Stilluptal Valley’s mesmerising waterfalls and reservoir.

Other options for spectacular mountainous scenery include holidays visiting the awe-inspiring Matterhorn and the resorts of Zermatt, Grindelwald, Davos and Montreux in Switzerland. In Italy, travellers can choose from the majestic Lake Garda to the dramatic mountain landscapes of the Dolomites and the unique Mediterranean Amalfi coastline. Other destinations available include Slovenia, Madeira and France, each with its own unique terrain and hiking excursions for guests to explore on challenging hikes or leisurely strolls with time to indulge in a glass of wine or cold beer.

When it comes to continually improving service and finding new outdoor adventure holidays and experiences, Inghams relies on a combination of suggestions from the local team, market trends and guest feedback. ‘We have a great network across Europe, it’s been running for eighty years!’ The team trials and innovates experiences to ensure they meet guests’ expectations. Inghams won’t have guests sit in stale welcome meetings upon arrival, think more of an immersive walking tour: ‘We’re trying to liven things up, give guests what they are after. Our teams are worth their weight in gold.’

This is another key element to the Inghams travel experience – the staff who go above and beyond. Running through a list of heart-warming stories provided by John’s teams across Europe, anecdotes include staff writing a marriage proposal in the snow and transporting afternoon tea up a mountain, so ski guests didn’t miss out! Perhaps top of the list was the staff member who accompanied a nervous solo traveller every evening at dinner, so they didn’t have to eat alone, ‘Stories like that make me proud to work for this team.’

Looking to the future, Ingham’s vision is, “to be the most loved travel company, famous for customer experience and sustainable travel”. When asked about how Inghams is working towards this vision, there has been a major shake-up across the group to focus on sustainable travel – driven by what customers are looking for.

After HotelPlan signed the Glasgow Declaration in 2021 accelerating climate action in tourism, changes so far include hiring a group sustainability director and sustainability teams within each business. The company is completing carbon measurement audits and reducing the carbon footprint of their offices whilst employees contribute time to sustainability projects. In the resorts, guests can expect meat-free options and locally sourced food. Other measures include adding train travel capacity, to ‘look at how we can make sustainability promises come through as quickly as possible.’

Asked about how the travel industry is likely to evolve over the next decade, John states the biggest shift will be in technology. It’s a fine balance for travel brands to provide the latest technology whilst maintaining the quality of customer experience. To this end, John explains that Inghams will continue to offer customer phone lines and representatives in resorts. Investing in technology platforms whilst getting the basics right will be key, whilst providing relevant tailored content.

Finally, John’s advice for Beau Monde Traveler readers who are considering booking outdoor adventure holidays with Inghams is simple, ‘Don’t wait. All the best holidays book up. For the last two ski seasons, the late market has almost disappeared if you want to go somewhere specific.’ And his most memorable travel experience? ‘The one that makes me feel warm inside is when I started with Inghams and took my kids to Lapland to see Santa. It’s as amazing as it sounds, I was choked up watching them sitting next to Santa in a cabin in the woods, after a reindeer ride!’

It’s moments like this that make the time spent planning holidays worthwhile. Inghams latest holiday offering provides a variety of exhilarating outdoor adventures holidays for sustainably-minded travellers. It’s the commitment to service that allows guests to focus on what’s most important: immersing themselves in nature and those unforgettable experiences.