Advisors Discuss the Ins and Outs of Selling Escorted Tours

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appeared in the May issue of AGENTatHOME magazine. Subscribe here to receive your free copy each month.

Many travel advisors sell cruises and vacation packages, but what goes into selling an escorted tour?

Granted, escorted tours aren’t for everyone, but a select clientele prefers traveling with a group, with all the details taken care of by a professional guide or organizer.

“The older generation definitely likes escorted tours. They feel they’re safer. Maybe they don’t know the language, so it’s a comfort level that they want to be in a group,” said Lorraine Bennett, of Live 4 Travel, an independent affiliate of Travel Experts.

But if they’re on a tour with a higher price point, she added, they know their travel mates will be a similar age (likely, 65-plus).

An Adventures by Disney family enjoy a private tour of Birds of Eden in South Africa. (Source: Amy Smith, photographer)

Benefits and Services

Sabrina Pilant, of Special Luxury Travel, an independent affiliate of Travel Experts, agreed.

“I find that some clients benefit from the services and itineraries offered by escorted tour operators,” she said. “Some of my older clients appreciate the seamless travel arrangements offered, as well as the benefit of having someone on the trip who can assist with immediate needs such as medical attention and in-destination assistance.”

Pilant finds that product lines such as Adventures by Disney and Tauck Bridges are appealing to families, single parents and multigenerational families.

“Meanwhile, solo female travelers – a growing segment of my business – appreciate the opportunity to travel with smaller land and cruise groups.”

And when it comes to these travelers in particular, Pilant says she hopes “that more operators will continue to consider ways to waive solo supplements.”

Booking Larger Groups

Bennett has found escorted tours to be particularly helpful when booking a larger group of 20 to 40 people. Sometimes, she’ll arrange an independent tour for a family or small group, and then hire a guide.

She also likes to book through Abercrombie & Kent (A&K)’s destination management companies (DMCs).

“A&K has offices all around the world, so I might go to one of their offices and request that this family, or this couple, wants to have everything taken care of,” she said. “They want someone to pick them up, take them there and have a guide, but they just want it to be their family [traveling together,] not a whole big group.”

“The DMC cuts out the middleman,” Bennett continued. “It makes it easier to do, and less expensive for the client that way.”

DMCs can also arrange to pay travel agent commission, or provide advisors with a net rate, so they can add payment on for themselves,” she said.

Hiking the Austrian alps with Adventure travel company Backroads and river cruise line AmaWaterways (Source: John Roberts)

Options for Discerning Travelers

Pilant said she tends to book with luxury tour operator Tauck for more discerning clients. When booking safaris, she explores the range of operators that offer differing price points, and for multigenerational families who don’t want an independent trip, she often suggests Adventures by Disney or Tauck Bridges.

“If there’s an active client, [adventure tour operator] Backroads is an amazing partner,” she added. “They’ve embraced a variety of new and exciting destinations and itineraries that appeal to a wide range of travelers.

With Backroads, I often combine an FIT portion pre- or post-trip.

Making the Right Match

As always, it’s vital to qualify clients and match them with the right kind of product, especially when it comes to escorted tours, Pilant said.

“They are not for everyone – usually, the pace is brisk and some only offer a sampling of what destinations offer, versus in-depth visits,” she said.

“But if they seem hesitant about traveling alone, nervous about their destination knowledge, or want to be able to board the plane and turn over all logistics to their guide, I will suggest an escorted tour.”

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