Single on a trip - never angry!

General manager of Carpe Diem, Gro Husmo.

The tour operator originally started as a travel agency, with singles travel as one of several offers. But the enthusiasts behind the company quickly realized that it was the travel offer that people were most interested in.

- "It turned out that there was a clear need for this type of travel, and we see that the need has not diminished over the years. In the last two years alone, we've had around 1,200 travelers a year," says Gro Husmo, general manager.

Sharing experiences
Over 850,000 Norwegians live alone, and for many of them, holidays and holiday planning are difficult because they lack travel companions.

- At the same time, we know that many people want to go on holiday and, not least, have someone to share the experience with. That's why we specialize in putting together group trips for single men and women," says Husmo, and she believes they have found an important and good niche in the market.

Meetnew friends
But if you think Carpe Diem's trips are all about checking in, think again.
- No, it's far from being a checking-in trip. On our trips, many people in the same situation meet in an informal and uncomplicated way. We offer a varied program with culture, activities and experiences, and it is the unique community that arises on such trips that makes many people travel with us again and again," says Husmo.

All ages
Carpe Diem arranges trips all over the world and for all age groups.
- "We have trips for those under 40 and for travel enthusiasts over 60. We also have trips with open groups. Here you'll find everything from 30-year-olds to fit pensioners who enjoy being in the same group. It's not the age, but the attitude that counts. The groups have a maximum of 27 people, which makes it easy to get to know the others," says Gro Husmo.

Broad target group
Due to its broad target group, Carpe Diem needs to reach a wide audience with its advertising, and much of the marketing is done through Dagbladet's channels.
- "To reach as many people as possible, we have used full pages in newspapers and magazines, in addition to the front page of Dagbladet.no. This has given us a good response every time and seems to be the right way to market ourselves," says Husmo.

Need men
But despite successful campaigns and high demand, there is one thing Carpe Diem wants: More men.
- Yes, we need more men. We've even had a recruitment scheme called "Refer a man". The dynamics in the group are better when we have a more even distribution between men and women. So come on men, join the tour!" encourages Husmo.