Why Travel Escorted?
I was at a wedding this weekend and when chatting with some acquaintances about what I do – and the kind of company Collette is (“it’s NOT a travel agency!”) – I inevitably answered for them the age-old question all tour operators face: Why would I want to travel on an escorted tour when I could just go on my own?
In typical Q & A fashion, I want to share tidbits from the conversation that just kept repeating itself this weekend everytime I met someone new!
Q: So you book vacations, like a travel agency?
A: No. I am almost positive I just said “we’re not a travel agency” five minutes ago. (okay, I don’t say that last part out loud; it sounds rude).
Q: Do you book vacations?
A: We do that and more. Think of a travel agency as Sears. We’re Maytag. They sell our brand, but we create and market the product. Once the product is created, we manage the air, inventory, the actual running of the tour. A lot of logistics are involved, which is why we employ almost 400 professionals.
Q: So why would a traveler go on your tours instead of going alone?
A: The value is undeniable. Okay, we have a team that travels worldwide (literally, to all 7 continents) to scout out the best hotels, sightseeing venues, transportation vendors, entertainment venues and restaurants, negotiates group rates so that we can offer a competitively priced package. If you did the same features from our tours on your own, you’d spend far more money.
In a nutshell – we have the worldwide relationships with vendors that in the end put savings in your pocket. Collette brings them enough business that we can buy the tour’s features at a lower rate and offer it to you at a lower rate. It’s a win/win.
Q: You said all 7 continents. Really?
A: Yup. About 130 tours spanning all 7 continents. In that, you have mainstream tours, small group tours, learning vacations, train trips, food and wine tours and all sorts of other types.
Q: You mentioned how you buy features of a tour, package them and offer them to us at a lower rate. What does that mean?
A: Your tour price reflects a full tour package, complete with LOTS of inclusions. Every tour includes many meals, key sightseeing, cultural entertainment, transportation, a full time tour manager who will check you in at your hotel, take care of details, get you from place to place and more. You basically will experience the highlights of the destination and more and barely have to lift a finger. We try to take care of everything so travelers can just take pictures and have fun on their vacation.
Q: Sometimes when I travel, I like to rent a car and go it alone. Escorted tours are the opposite of that, right?
A: Sometimes I like to do that, too. I think sometimes it’s important to do it yourself. What you will realize if you travel with Collette after having experienced going it alone is that you will save time, money and energy when you let someone else do it all for you. Sometimes doing it on your own is part of the fun, so when the destination and trip is right – go for it! Other times, you feel like you worked hard, saved up and would love nothing more than to see and do everything that, say, Tuscany offers – but you really don’t want to spend hours upon hours planning it, making reservations and driving a rental around streets you don’t know trying to communicate with locals in a language you don’t know. That’s what we do for a living and it’s basically why we’ve been in business since 1918.
A lot of people love to hand over the reins and just relax.
Q: Who mostly takes these tours?
A: Honestly, the age range varies and you’ll see different brackets attracted to different brands or tour types. But the mix is always so interesting. You’ve got teachers mixed in with doctors, retirees mixed in with newlyweds. Everyone is in a different place, but has the same goal: to explore that destination thoroughly.
Anyway – I hope that clears up what I’m learning are apparently questions that MANY people have!
Got any more?
posted by Travel Bug
Nicole Sullivan, Supervisor of Branding & Communications
Collette Vacations
Tags: Collette, Escorted Tours
