Organize Your Own Tour Group To Grow Your Business
This post is in direct response to several calls from travel agents that have inquired about tropical vacations for their clients. A common trend was that most of them have never completely planned a group trip even though they like to book groups for bigger profits. The truth is, travel agents are not tour directors and do not need to do the nitty-gritty of booking groups. And let’s face it, that’s what tour companies do. If you prefer to sit back and have someone else plan all the details and assume responsibility for a smooth event, that works too. But to have the experience of organizing a group trip gives you good insight into what is actually required which allows you to connect more realistically with your client.
Connect With Your Travel Groups
Your travel organizations, activity clubs, churches, schools, etc. are great places to connect with folks who like to travel. If you are already a member, they know you. If not, this common interest is a good place to connect. There it is...easy marketing.
Themed Travel or Not
For an event planner, it can be challenging to have a group trip all coordinated with one theme, depending on what the theme is. It can also be a lot of fun and easier to be able to pull everything together. Depending on your skill to pull this off, you can offer this service or not. However, an overall theme of “birthday,” or “anniversary” with certain theme colors can be done by almost anyone. If you are one who enjoys planning your house parties...and you are applauded for them, you should give it a try to plan a group trip. As simple as a day trip, or as intricate as an international destination, it can be easily done. And...you can come out looking like a rock star travel agent.
Use Reputable Service Vendors
This is not the place to skimp. The safety of your clients is your primary concern. Transport companies need to be insured and possibly bonded. Hotels need to be well reviewed. Restaurants should have been tested recently. Activities should be deemed safe by professionals. All should be checked for client reviews to determine recent experiences others have had. Sounds daunting, but don’t we do this for our personal outings? Same principle.
Inclusions
So, what will your group do on your outing? A simple day trip to the museum and lunch out is simple enough. A weekend ski trip to the mountains can include ski packages and other activities for those who opt not to hit the slopes. Is horseback riding available in the area? Ice or roller skating? Shopping? Sports bar? All easy options. And of course, many like to shop while away for the weekend. Here, the key is to coordinate transportation well. Your transportation company can help you with that. Different options appeal to different people and make your trip more appealing. Avoid making the mistake of planning too many activities or not allowing enough time for each event. The idea is for everyone to have a good time.
Collecting Payments
There are many different ways to do this easily. You decide what is best for you. How many people can you accommodate? How many people will you have sending you money? What is the minimum number of participants you need to make the trip happen? To make this task easy for both you and your clients, determine this early. Let your people know in the beginning how payments will be collected, when they are due and what happens if they miss a payment. Give yourself at least one month grace period to pay all vendor deposits and deal with all last minute client issues.
Easy enough, right? Once you have completed all of this and have conducted your group event, you reap the rewards. You are now the go-to person for all activities. The requests will start rolling in for you to organize other events. Oh, and did I mention that you enjoy all of the profit! That’s right, no sharing. You earned it.
So if this sounds like fun, give it a go. Plan your group activity. Know the intricate details for everything they will experience. You will also gain a great appreciation for your event planner. If, however, you prefer to sit back and have someone else plan all the details and assume responsibility for a smooth event, that works too. If you are interested in being somewhere in the middle, find an event company that will allow you to assume as much or as little responsibility in the
planning. I strongly recommend that every travel agent experience as much of the process as possible, at least once.
Local Travel Excursions can show you how easy your event can be. For first time group organizers, we will help you through each step of the process and show you ways to increase your earning potential. We can even incorporate your travel fees in the custom group package. What could be better than growing your business, increasing your earnings and satisfying your customers.
