The days of doing all the leg work for your vacations are thankfully coming to an end. You no longer have to spend months researching, inquiring and booking everything that is necessary for your adventure trip. All that's required now is to hire a professional travel agency, also known as a travel tour operator, to plan your entire trip. Depending on what you want your vacation to look like, there are many operators out there. The challenge is to find one that's right for you. A good place to start is to look at the members of an international travel association such as the Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (SATSA). A travel group such as this has strict requirements and a code of conduct for members to keep; this type of accountability makes its members much easier to trust.
Being part of a travel association is good but not enough for you to immediately put your vacation planning in the hands of an operator. Spend time researching different operators that a group such as SATSA recommends. Use search engines such as Google.com, and create folders on your computer to store information about the tour operators you're most considering. Nearly one hundred percent of all travel research is now done on the internet, so you certainly won't have any problems finding what you're looking for. After your online research is finished, page through some magazines such as National Geographic Traveler which is a great source for tour operators all over the world. Spend an afternoon asking your local travel agent questions, and ask your friends if they recommend any operators for your adventure travel planning.
Before you choose a tour operator, it's important for you to know the basics of your dream vacation. If you've ever made a "bucket list" of place s you want to go and things you want to do, see which ones match up with your intended time of travel. For instance, if your trip has to be in the winter, that won't be a good time to climb Mount Everest; in fact, it would be fatal. If you're not traveling alone, write down how many people will be going with you. Write down your budget and all of the details that are non-negotiable. If safety is your first priority, put it in your trip description. This is your chance to make some solid decisions on what your travel experience will be like before you allow the operator to influence your decisions.
Once you know all specifics of the adventure trip you're seeking, set up meetings with some of your top operators. Go to the meetings prepared with your dream vacation description as well as a list of questions for them to answer such as what credentials the guides and associates have as well as how many years they have been in the field. After explaining what you're looking for and the parts of your vacation that are non-negotiable, ask the operator to come up with an estimate of how much the vacation would cost with a basic financial breakdown of where the money will go. This will be helpful when comparing rates with other travel operators. Perhaps most importantly, find out what the daily holiday itinerary would look like. You may prefer lots of free time to explore on your own or, on the contrary, days filled with activities hour by hour. If there's anything that you're not happy with, see if an alteration can be made. At the conclusion of your meeting, ask how you can get in touch with a few of their former clients to get some personal experience feedback.
One final thing to consider is the operator's level of customer service. A travel tour operator can have the highest credentials and the most years of experience but fail you miserably if it lacks passion for its customers. When you interact with the company through phone calls, emails and meetings, take note of how you are treated. Are you given sufficient time to express yourself, and you given a caring response? Adventure trips can have their risks, so remember it's vital for you to be able to reach the travel operator swiftly by phone in case there's a travel emergency. It's important for a company to not only care about your business but about your personal security and interests as well. When you find the right tour operator to plan your trip, it will be well worth the effort.
Being part of a travel association is good but not enough for you to immediately put your vacation planning in the hands of an operator. Spend time researching different operators that a group such as SATSA recommends. Use search engines such as Google.com, and create folders on your computer to store information about the tour operators you're most considering. Nearly one hundred percent of all travel research is now done on the internet, so you certainly won't have any problems finding what you're looking for. After your online research is finished, page through some magazines such as National Geographic Traveler which is a great source for tour operators all over the world. Spend an afternoon asking your local travel agent questions, and ask your friends if they recommend any operators for your adventure travel planning.
Before you choose a tour operator, it's important for you to know the basics of your dream vacation. If you've ever made a "bucket list" of place s you want to go and things you want to do, see which ones match up with your intended time of travel. For instance, if your trip has to be in the winter, that won't be a good time to climb Mount Everest; in fact, it would be fatal. If you're not traveling alone, write down how many people will be going with you. Write down your budget and all of the details that are non-negotiable. If safety is your first priority, put it in your trip description. This is your chance to make some solid decisions on what your travel experience will be like before you allow the operator to influence your decisions.
Once you know all specifics of the adventure trip you're seeking, set up meetings with some of your top operators. Go to the meetings prepared with your dream vacation description as well as a list of questions for them to answer such as what credentials the guides and associates have as well as how many years they have been in the field. After explaining what you're looking for and the parts of your vacation that are non-negotiable, ask the operator to come up with an estimate of how much the vacation would cost with a basic financial breakdown of where the money will go. This will be helpful when comparing rates with other travel operators. Perhaps most importantly, find out what the daily holiday itinerary would look like. You may prefer lots of free time to explore on your own or, on the contrary, days filled with activities hour by hour. If there's anything that you're not happy with, see if an alteration can be made. At the conclusion of your meeting, ask how you can get in touch with a few of their former clients to get some personal experience feedback.
One final thing to consider is the operator's level of customer service. A travel tour operator can have the highest credentials and the most years of experience but fail you miserably if it lacks passion for its customers. When you interact with the company through phone calls, emails and meetings, take note of how you are treated. Are you given sufficient time to express yourself, and you given a caring response? Adventure trips can have their risks, so remember it's vital for you to be able to reach the travel operator swiftly by phone in case there's a travel emergency. It's important for a company to not only care about your business but about your personal security and interests as well. When you find the right tour operator to plan your trip, it will be well worth the effort.
About the Author:
Looking to find the best advice on holiday planning, then visit www.echo4x4.co.za to find the best advice on planning an adventurous holiday for you.
No comments:
Post a Comment