We chat to Jackie Hough, GTO for the Isle of Wight Ramblers, on why India is among the best places she has visited as a GTO and the challenges of organising walking holidays.
How did you first become a group travel organiser?
I began as a walk leader and I would arrange a day trip on a coach, where we would go on a walk and have somewhere to visit. That was pre-1995 and someone suggested we do a long weekend, which we did in Dorset and then for a further two years running.
Then it progressed to holidays which we started with HF Holidays, where we had leaders with us, and we would go on three walks per day because we were much fitter. For the millennium somebody suggested we do something special and go abroad. So, since the year 2000 we have been doing a foreign holiday once or twice a year.
Jackie’s group at a glance
Group name: Isle of Wight Ramblers
No. of members: 400
Time organising: 30 years
Based: Isle of Wight
What sort of trips do you go on?
They are always walking holidays because we are under the ramblers umbrella, so any holiday we do has to include at least two walks which can be quite physically demanding. They can be anything from three to 12 miles, depending on the people we have with us.
In May we are going to Newquay in Cornwall, and I am in the process of planning a walking holiday in the Algarve, but that won’t be until next October as it is being tailor made for us.
What are the best things about the trips you go on and your role?
The views are fantastic, particularly on trips like our recent one to Greece; which started in Corfu, went over to Albania and ended up in the mountains in northern Greece in an area called Epirus. We always have a great meal after we finish our walk, so we can enjoy the food from that country. The camaraderie of the group and seeing the pleasure my members get from our trips, which they couldn’t experience with a normal travel agent, it’s just lovely to see.
It has opened my eyes to the rest of the world and being with a group you always have more fun than if you were travelling separately. Everything we do they say ‘Wow, you’ll never beat this’ and then every year it gets better and better.
I wouldn’t have been able to experience the things I have over the last 30 years if I didn’t become a GTO. Joining the New Meridian has also allowed me to meet people from all over the country and see parts of our country which I might not have otherwise.
What challenges do you face?
Prices have also gone up and I think that puts some people off coming along. Many of those that come with us have been doing so for a long time and really know how good the quality of our trips are.
The camaraderie of the group and seeing the pleasure my members get from our trips, which they couldn’t experience with a normal travel agent, it’s just lovely to see.
How important is it to have a good tour operator who can help you plan a walking holiday?
A lot of them tailor-make trips for our group. They meet us off the plane and take over the tour, which means I don’t have as much of the hard work to do when we arrive. I can be part of the group and enjoy the holiday more.
We pay a little extra for that, but I think it is really worth it and the group always appreciate and feel more secure when we have someone who can speak the language and deal with any problems that may arise.
Do you have a trip that stands out from the last 30 years?
I think it has to be India in 2016. We had 30 people go on that and I nearly didn’t go because it wasn’t on my list, but we went for three weeks from the top of the country to the bottom and it was absolutely brilliant. I can’t fault a single day from that, the group leader we had absolutely made it for us.
We went to a tea and coffee plantation in the middle of nowhere right in the centre of the country and went on a wonderful walk and ended up at a swimming pool which was in the middle of the forest. It was quite magical really.
Tell us about one bucket list location you are yet to visit?
I have attempted to go to Canada three times now and I’ve never got there, even though the group has before. I missed out on going to the Rockies in 2007 and again in 2020. Then last year I was asked to go on a friendship trip, where you stay in someone’s house, but I already had a trip booked.
So three times the opportunity has been there and I haven’t been able to take it, so I would really like to get that Canada booked in one day.
Tell us about your experiences…
Have you got any stories from your travels, or want to tell us about your group and some of the trips you’ve been on to inspire others?
Get in touch with us and you could be featured in a future edition of the magazine: editorial@groupleisureandtravel.com.
