Black Tomato introduces Agatha Christie-inspired itineraries

Black Tomato has launched a series of itineraries celebrating Agatha Christie and the centennial of the 10-month journey that inspired her book, The Grand Tour.

The celebrated author set off on a historic world tour in January 1922 to promote the forthcoming British Empire Exhibition of 1924. Christie’s weekly correspondences to her mother during the voyage were later collated by her grandson Matthew Prichard and published as The Grand Tour in 2012.

Dubbed The Grand Adventure, Black Tomato’s multi-leg journey starts in the UK and follows the author’s footsteps across Africa, Australasia and North America.

The luxury travel brand worked closely with Agatha Christie Limited (ACL), which manages the literary and media rights to the author’s works, and its chairman and chief executive, Christie’s great grandson James Prichard, to select significant moments from the original tour and reinterpret them for the modern age, giving Christie fans the opportunity to travel as she did.

Highlights include South Africa via Hout Bay, Constantia, Kalk Bay and Wynberg, as well as a private surf lesson on Cape Peninsula, where Christie notably first tried surfing. Guests will also enjoy afternoon tea at Brown’s Hotel in London with legendary historian Lucy Worsley OBE; a visit to Australia’s Dandenong Ranges via a centuries-old steam train; and a private flight to Niagara Falls.

The trip has been broken down into four legs, each of which can be booked individually, with prices starting from £5,350 per person, or as a whole. Each trip will be fully bespoke.

Black Tomato’s co-founder Tom Marchant said: “I grew up with Agatha Christie, through reading and watching her television dramas every Sunday with my family, a cosy ritual that was a staple of my childhood and opened up the world of travel to me. These rich stories were a focal point in our household, along with millions of her devoted worldwide fans, and strongly influenced my upbringing, with their unforgettable backdrops and captivating characters.

“That Black Tomato was selected by Agatha Christie Limited to breathe life into this iconic journey is a huge source of pride and we hope we do justice to her enormous legacy. Though a century apart, we both share an acute passion for storytelling and find the world a remarkable source to fuel creativity. In bringing this special adventure to life - which inspired some of her most beloved books, we’re similarly aiming to harness travel to inspire life affirming journeys, as well as a new generation of literary fans.” 

James Prichard added: “My great grandmother’s travels were a huge influence on her writing, which is evident in stories such as The Man in the Brown Suit (directly inspired by this round the world trip) and of course, Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile.

“So, we were delighted when Black Tomato, a travel brand with storytelling at its heart, agreed to partner with us in celebrating Agatha’s many adventures by creating this bespoke itinerary.” 

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