Escourted Tours - The Art of Touring in Style

Escorted Tours – The Art of Touring in Style

You can definitely save money by taking an escorted tour, no matter where you go in the world. An estimated 40% difference in cost over booking everything yourself. With your sightseeing and meals included in the price, you cant go wrong. Because of the large volume of business that tour companies give to the hotels, you are given the red carpet treatment when you arrive, with the best rooms and service. If you have booked on the internet, or by phone, you are the first to be “bumped” if they are short of space and definitely get the worst rooms.

Remember, without a travel agent, you are on your own. Being part of the Signature Travel Network has clout around the world. It gives our clients early check in, free upgrades, and a free breakfast. In many places, even free airport chauffeur transfers.

I grew up in Europe, and was used to taking motor coach tours. One company I recommend is Insight Vacations. www.insightvacations.com The president is 6.6 inches tall He cut the 54 seater Mercedes coaches down until only 40 seats remained. He wanted clients to have twice as much leg room as in any other coach. It is like travelling in business class no matter where you are going. They have an average of 32 passengers., with guaranteed departures. Many companies, if the coach isn’t full, the tour gets cancelled.

The industry has changed. No longer is it a case of “If it’s Tuesday, it must be Belgium”.

I remember going thru sixteen countries in sixteen days with sixteen little bags of different currency. The Euro is a blessing – only one currency to carry with you. Tour operators have been working hard to replace words that are associated with touring such as whirlwind and whistle stop, moving to phases such as authentic experiences, in depth sightseeing, and hassle free holidays. Where travelers used to complain about not having enough time to take a photo, they now rave about how well managed their time is in a destination while on a tour.

I took a small group to Italy last summer and it was wonderful to have a VIP private guide, who got us into the Vatican before the doors opened with hundreds of people standing in line. We were the only people being escorted thru the Sistine Chapel.

My clients were very impressed. We got the best rooms in the finest hotels, in the best locations so you could wander around on your own if you wanted to shop.

Travelers don’t want to be wasting their time. Research conducted showed that the biggest reason to take a tour was the experience was hassle free. Over the years, people have realized that it’s not as easy or time effective to go it on your own. Dealing with a specialist for the country, is a lot more efficient than reading up on the destination and trying to do it yourself.

I can give you information that you can’t get from reading a guide book.

People believe that they can get in a car and drive the Amalfi Coast. The problem is that they don’t get to see as much as they would on a tour, and it’s a terrible nerve racking drive. The Italians all think they are the world’s finest race drivers.

I love what is happening to the industry. They have adapted and changed to what travel agents and travelers asked for. Instead of doing multi country tours, you now have a slower pace and doing two and three nights in one place. Companies are now focused on delivering unique and exclusive insider experiences such as individual dining, with small groups on a luxury motor coach.

We see more and more baby boomers asking for a tour because they are tired of doing it on their own. The smart ones have realized that they are paying more, and missing a lot by not having expert guidance.

We are seeing more and more of country and city packages such as three nights in London with some tours, three nights in Paris, and perhaps three nights in Rome.

They get the advantage of lower rates, and great savings on sightseeing. You can do an excellent tour of Rome in less than four hours whereas it would take you all day on your own, with a lot of time standing in line.

The trend is to offer new niches and exotic destinations. The Harry Potter tour in England and Scotland is excellent. America’s National Parks is a great tour.

Insight, one of my favorite companies is offering a new Rhythms and Flavors of American tour. You visit Anheuser Busch Brewery, the Kentucky Derby Museum, and the Grand Ole Opry and more. Inbound travel is definitely on the rise

Travel agents have the opportunity for specialized training on what is available in this changing market. We belong to the Signature Travel Network, one of the largest in the U.S. and we get weekly lectures to make sure we can tell clients about the pros and cons of each tour company and the destination.

There is a new 60 year old every few minutes in this country and they are ready to have people do things for them. This is the market that escorted tours have always gone after. Get a group together and you can go free

Some important tips. Always get travel insurance and get to your destination at least one day before you are due to depart. Travel with one medium size suitcase, and one small carry on bag, and of course, a brolly......

Maureen Jones

All Horizons Travel/Frosch

825 Santa Cruz Ave

Menlo Park, CA 94025

650-961-2340 direct

www.froschvacations.com