Gate 1 Travel has launched a small-group tours company, Discovery Tours by Gate 1 Travel.

The new company will limit its group sizes to 18 passengers, offering an advantage for small group seekers in a travel market that typically caps group sizes at 24.

Discovery Tours is premiering its small group line with nine itineraries for 2013 –China, Southeast Asia, Nepal, southern Africa, Morocco, Turkey, Italy, Peru and Ireland.

Each trip features distinct cultural offerings and active outdoor experiences and includes visits to locales far from the typical tourist circuit.

“Our group size has allowed us to create truly unique itineraries that visit special places unavailable to large groups,” said Marty Seslow, vice president of marketing for Discovery Tours.

“For instance, on our Peru trip we’re one of the few companies to bring travellers to Arequipa, Peru - a city enclave in the south whose isolation has allowed it to retain its pure Spanish heritage.”

Discovery Tours small groups also gain intimate access to day-to-day life.

“We don’t overwhelm a town or a village by arriving in a huge crowd,” noted Seslow.

“We arrive quietly so our travellers can make real connections.

“This adds immeasurable insight into the reality of our destinations.”

Itineraries will feature meals in local homes, visits to schools, stops at artisans’ shops and other up-close cultural encounters.

Each package features full days of touring, cultural activities, most meals (including wine and beer with dinner) and accommodations that impart true local character, all within a competitive price.