FAM tours, or Familiarization tours, are an important sales tool for destinations. A FAM tour involves tour operators coming to your destination and experiencing attractions, hotels, restaurants, and other important sites. ( FAM tours for travel writers and social media influencers are similar, but today I am sticking with tour operators.) I recently spent […]
Are you hosting a FAM? Here are some ideas Read More »
Tourism is a wonderful, fun industry. We have all had experiences that our friends and family envy, right? But at the end of the day, it’s about making money. And for those of you wondering how to get more group tours, there are two questions that tour operators are always thinking about. Now, they might
2 Questions Group tour operators ask. Do you have an answer? Read More »
One of the first actions I take when I am working on a strategic plan for a client is to write a SWOT analysis. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. It is a very simple yet effective way to see where improvements can be made and where the best opportunities for growth lie.
Have you done a SWOT analysis for your Tourism business? Read More »
We would all like to think that our destination is the most amazing place and that there are so many cool things to do that tour operators should want to send groups there. Reality check: that isn’t true. Many of our destinations don’t have name recognition or don’t conjure up excitement and must-see travel when
Mystery Tours – a great way to sell your destination Read More »
A few weeks ago I wrote about The first Five Commandments of tour itinerary planning. Putting together sample itineraries is a great way to get tour companies to consider you. The problem is that most of the tour ideas they get don’t work. They aren’t set up correctly, don’t have interesting elements, or there is
The 10 Commandments of tour itinerary planning, part 2 Read More »
Group tours have been an important part of the tourism industry for decades. As you have probably read, and maybe have seen first hand, groups are changing. Gone are the days with groups of seniors marching from one attraction to another, eating en masse and spending multiple days with everyone having the same
The 10 Commandments of tour itinerary planning, part 1 Read More »
Having “Something for Everyone” is a terrible marketing idea. There. I’ve said it. When your destination or attraction tries to be all things to all people, you won’t stand out. You won’t be known for something specific. You can’t be top of mind when customers are thinking of somewhere to go, because you aren’t
Something for Everyone is a terrible marketing idea Read More »
I have been working with several clients on developing itineraries that group tour operators would like to carry. My clients want to have some tour ideas when on sales calls and going to trade shows. And they are smart to do that. A profile sheet (see past posts on profile sheets here and here) can
A List is not an Itinerary Read More »
I just returned from NTA ( National Tour Association) annual Travel Exchange in Milwaukee. I had over 25 appointments with tour operators and plenty of time to network with other tourism professionals before we all head back to our jobs- or to the next tourism trade show. You can be effective and create interest in
Trade shows- the fortune is in the follow up Read More »
The tourism tradeshow season is upon us. For those of you that travel to bring in new business- and continue building business with existing customers, the next few months are probably busy for you. There are key international tradeshows like World Travel Market in London (WTM), National Tour Association, American Bus Association, regional shows like
10 items to pack for your next Tourism tradeshow Read More »