|
Here is a great article worth a review and of interest to Travel Agencies
Excerpts Viewpoint;
Qualifying the Adventure Travel Company
By Tom Stanley Published on: April 3, 2006 E-zine: Modernagent.com
Adventure travel is one my favorite types of tour product. It's for people who want to be active participants in their own vacation. There is a tremendous variety of tours that fall under adventure travel, from adventure touring to hard core mountain climbing. One of the biggest challenges travel agents have is to properly match the client to the right trip and to make sure the client has the experience, physical ability, health, and skills to enjoy the adventure vacation.
It's also important for agents to pre-qualify the adventure tour operator to make sure that they are putting their clients with the right company. Unlike larger mass-market tour operators, adventure tour operators tend to be smaller, more personable companies. They attract a small group of loyal followers who simply love their product as well as the adventurers who founded the companies or who work as guides.
Obviously the first question to ask an adventure travel company is: Do you work with travel agents? Many companies were started by people who excelled at hiking or rafting and pulled in a group of like-minded adventurers as clients. The businesses grew word-of-mouth. Many have not made the leap into selling thorough the travel agency distribution channel. Some companies have had bad experiences with agents who did do any due diligence to make sure their clients were right for a particular adventure travel program.
Qualifying the tour operator: You should always ask these questions of an adventure tour operator you've not booked before: How long have you been in business? Do you have previous customers who would be willing to talk to me or my clients about a specific trip? Do you have other travel agents I could talk with who have booked your programs? What is your training program for your guides? What type of traveler's insurance do you offer? What is your emergency or medical evacuation policy?
Ask for someone who has actually been on the trip or ask for the person who created the itinerary. They are the best source of information.
Qualifying the tour program: Make sure you find out specifically what the program is like on a day-by-day basis. Ask these questions: What type of physical shape does my client need to be in? What type of hiking, biking, rafting, or kayaking experience does my client need to qualify for the program? What is the camping like or what are the hotels like? How much driving time is there? What is the "rating" of the tour? What type of equipment and clothing will my client need? What is the highest altitude?
Who travels on adventure travel trips? Put your notions about age and gender out of your mind. Adventure travel is for a wide range of ages. Most companies have minimum ages ranging from 8 to 18 years old. Many companies will require doctor's authorizations for clients over 65. But I have been on hiking trips with people in their late 70s who were superb hikers and who paced themselves far better than younger clients. And for almost all categories of adventure travel, with the exception of mountain climbing, a majority of clients who participate are female.
Since many adventure travel trips take place in third world countries, clients need to have a sincere attitude adjustment. They simply cannot expect what they expect at home. If they are on an extended hiking trip, for example, they simply cannot return to the hotel if they are not enjoying themselves. They need to pay attention to the travel guide's instructions on hygiene, pacing, and health. Many times clients also are a curiosity to the locals, who will stare and exhibit behaviors that Americans and Canadians might find odd or offensive. "Clients need to really have an attitude of discovery and be open to the experience," Le Bon says. "Each trip is different and presents different challenges. This is an opportunity to build mental strength and self confidence."
Pre-qualifying your clients: According to KC Hoppe of Backroads, the biking, hiking, and multi-sport company in Berkeley, Calif., it is important to ask the right questions to make sure your clients have the proper skills to participate in an adventure travel program. This will ensure a satisfactory experience as well as repeat business for the agent.
Key questions to ask are: What type of exercise do you do on a regular basis? What is your normal vacation like? Have you ever been on an adventure travel program like this? How long can you hike or bike in a day? On what type of terrain have you hiked or biked before? Do you prefer leisurely or challenging activities? How much do you like to "rough it"? And a delicate question, what is your height and weight?
At this point, agents need to be very honest with their clients and not just focus on making the sale. Clients also need to be honest about what type of shape they're in to make sure they're properly prepared. Pay attention to the rating systems the tour operators have. This is critical to making sure your clients are properly placed. For example, here are the ratings on hikes:
Easy: Clients play tennis three times a week, are able to hike two-four hours a day on hilly terrain, and can ride a bicycle 10 miles a day for several days in a row. Remember, gym training doesn't necessarily mean a client will have stamina on hiking, rafting, or biking trips.
Moderate: Requires an aggressive cardio program with stair climber regime. Clients should have the ability to hike six-eight hours a day on multiple days and ride 20-30 miles a day for several days in a row.
Difficult: Clients need to be in excellent shape, with a regime that includes an aggressive cardio program with stair climbers and running. They must have the ability to carry a heavy load for six-eight hours a day and ride 30-50 miles a day for several days in a row.
Extreme: Clients must have constant cardio and strength training to be in tip top shape, as well as mental strength and endurance.
Many times clients will use a hiking or biking trip to get themselves in shape. This is a wonderful goal with a great reward at the end. You should work with the tour operator and the client to prepare an exercise program that starts three to six months before the tour to make sure your client is in optimum shape for that tour.
Other advice: Sometimes it's better to book an American- or Canadian-based adventure operator. You get immediate answers to your questions and there's also a better chance to address any liability questions should an accident occur. Have your client book using a credit card to build in additional consumer protection.
Many tour operators have great air rates, plus clients may have their land package covered if air is booked through the adventure operator in case of flight cancellation. Also make sure your clients have traveler's insurance (a minimum of $50,000 for a domestic trip, and $100,000 for an international program). Make sure air evacuation to the U.S. and not just to a city nearby the accident site is included. Otherwise your client may be stuck in Singapore or Nairobi for a long time.
|
|
