Supermarket giant Aldi is muscling in on traditional travel company territory, with the launch today of a new holiday business.Aldi Holidays is offering customers a range of escapes, cruises and tour deals to Australian and international destinations.The popular Germany company says travellers from Australia will be able to enjoy "all the frills" deals with options including room upgrades and customisable experiences and flights.
German supermarket Aldi is expanding into the travel business in Australia. (Nine)Aldi Australia group director Rodney Balech said the new venture – a first for Australian supermarkets offers travellers a range of deals, from top end to bargain prices."We are excited to be taking off in a new direction to make planning and booking a holiday a more enjoyable experience for Australians and in our signature, Good Different way with ALDI Holidays."This service, in partnership with Ignite Travel, will unlock incredible value and help all types of travellers create truly unforgettable experiences."Similar to Aldi's twice-weekly Special Buys, there will be a limited number of exclusive holiday deals, which will be available until sold out.Among the deals available from today are seven nights in Novotel Phuket, Thailand from $599 per person twin share and five nights at the Daydream Island Resort, Whitsundays, from $899 per person twin share.
A package in the Thailand resort of Phuket is among the offers from Aldi Holidays. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)Fans of cruise breaks can enjoy a 14-night Celebrity X Cruise through Japan, from $4990., or nine nights on a Royal Caribbean Cruise in the Pacific Islands from $1499.Ryan Thomas, chief executive of Ignite Travel Group, said many Australians are choosing holidays close to home, while a record number of international cruises were being booked."Aldi Holiday customers can expect incredible savings with these exclusively curated holiday packages including flights, local experiences and more," he said.Huge name new arrival among Australia's most distrusted brandsView Gallery"We're excited about the future of our partnership with Aldi."He said they can be booked online or through the dedicated Aldi Holidays Sales Centre.Aldi says escape and tour packages can be booked via the online portal, or through "robust person-to-person customer service" for cruise packages.Quentin Long, from the Australian Traveller magazine told Today this morning the move should offer tourists more competition and cheaper prices.He said traditional companies would be watching Aldi Holidays closely."The two companies that I think will be most watching this with a lot of scrutiny is probably Luxury Escapes and TripAdvisor."This is absolutely in their wheelhouse … it's going to be very competitive to them."
