- Topdeck
Topdeck Travel is a tour operator providing trips for passengers aged 18 to 30s throughout Europe, Africa and Egypt. The company was founded in 1973 by Graham "Skroo" Turner, who later went on to found
Flight Centre in Australia. [ABC Queensland: Graham Turner http://www.abc.net.au/queensland/stories/s1107592.htm ]History
Early Days
To begin with, transport was provided by double-decker bus - hence the name, Topdeck. From 1974 and right through the 1990s, these ‘deckers’ travelled Europe and further afield to
Morocco , the Middle East and even overland betweenLondon andKathmandu . In the early 1980s, the company expanded its operations into the United States where it coined the name Decker Homes for its Bristol Lodkker buses. The company also ran trips fromSydney to London from 1980 using a converted Sydney double-decker. Coaches were introduced in the mid-1980s because ofEuropean Union lawsFact|date=July 2008 and the focus shifted to camping and hard-top trips staying in European campsites. Later, hotel adventure trips were introduced.Topdeck Travel was one of the pioneers of camping holidays in EuropeFact|date=July 2008 and with
Contiki Tours it is one of the few survivors of an amazing period which saw companies like Transit, Autotours and Sundowners leave the business. Unlike other companies, Topdeck pitched itself at the budget traveller and went on to found one of Australia's iconic companies, Flight Centre.Today
The company changed hands several times in the 1990s, and in 2003 was purchased by a consortium including Australian Pacific Touring (APT) and Connections Adventures. [ [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb4692/is_200310/ai_n17665472 What APT, Connections plan for rescued Top Deck. | Australasian Business Intelligence | Find Articles at BNET.com ] ]
In 2005, a substantial hotel programme was introduced creating a range of products for all budgets. In 2007, smaller group trips under the "Explorer" banner were launched.
Since then, the company has grown into a strong competitor to Contiki Tours in the competitive 18-30 market. Its target markets include Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States and New Zealand. Topdeck is primarily sold though budget travel outlets such as
Flight Centre andSTA Travel .In 2008, the company was voted "Best Tour Operator" in the TravelMole 2008 Web Awards. [TravelMole 2008 Web Awards winners unveiled http://www.travelmole.com/stories/1128659.php]
References
External links
* [http://www.topdecktravel.co.uk Topdeck Travel - Official website]
* [http://www.topdeckdaze.com Fan site featuring stories of the original Top Deck]
* [http://www.topdeckreunion.com/index.html Top Deck Reunion Website for Ex Top Deck Crew, Members Details, Bus Histories and Crew Memorial]
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