Private touring: the trend to start preparing for

NEW OPPORTUNITIES

Various operators have launched private and tailor-made tours since the pandemic. For example, InsideAsia has removed its fully escorted Southeast Asian small-group tours, instead offering fully tailored trips across Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia and Borneo.

“The fully tailored travel options allow travellers to see the sights, get beneath the surface of the culture and have the security of guiding throughout,” explains PR and partnerships manager James Mundy.

Insight Vacations and sister brands Trafalgar and Contiki have also launched small private bubble tours during the pandemic. Chris Townson, UK managing director of Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold, explains: “We felt some guests would appreciate an extra sense of reassurance travelling with a smaller group, and also because we understand how deeply we have all missed spending time with our loved ones.”

TIPS FOR TARGETING

As well as talking to families and groups of friends about the possibility of booking private tours, consider special-interest groups, says Intrepid’s Reeve, as guides on private tours can often tailor itineraries to customers’ specific interests.

Ben Ittensohn, global head of sales at Explore, which also launched a collection of private tour this year, says self-guided private options or trips that involve taking public transport could be suggested to more adventurous travellers, giving “discovering Japan by train, or a self-drive in Iceland” as product examples.

Private tours are also becoming popular with new-to-touring clients who want to celebrate a special occasion with loved ones, adds Townson, so be sure to let these clients know the options available to them, especially as they are likely to have more cash to spend.

He explains: “We’re finding [private touring] is appealing most to guests who are not typical touring travellers, but are planning an epic bucket-list experience in a destination that might be more daunting to navigate on their own, like the Canadian Rockies or the big highways of the USA, and want to do it with a group of extended family, particularly grandparents wanting to take away their whole families to ensure quality time together and shared memories.”

Intrepid’s Reeve agrees that clients are looking to celebrate special occasions or bucket list-style trips to long-haul destinations on private tours. “Trips that are popular for private groups include iconic treks, such as Everest Base Camp or Mount Toubkal in Morocco,” she says. “We’re seeing extended families travelling together to celebrate a special occasion with a visit to the Galapagos or the Polar regions, for example.”

DREAM DESTINATIONS

Long-haul destinations are proving popular for 2022 bookings, with operators including Latin Routes, Audley Travel, Exodus, Explore and Intrepid citing trending destinations as Costa Rica, Japan, Vietnam, the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

However, clients booking for this year are opting for short-haul destinations, with Explore revealing that Turkey, Iceland, Albania, Sicily, Chernobyl and Romania are all doing well.

So ask operators for marketing collateral and get talking to clients about private touring options – you could soon reap the benefits if you do.