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The Group Travel Leader Small Market Meetings Going on Faith

Tips for Planning Mid-Range Trips

6) Guides and Tour Personnel

Consistency and professionalism are hallmarks of strong tour companies, and customers count on the tour directors, drivers and other personnel working on their trips to exhibit both traits. On middle-tier trips, tour companies deploy professional guides and escorts that are specialists in the destinations the tours are visiting. These people may work full time for the company that sold the trip or perhaps for another local company that is providing on-the-ground services. They have likely been extensively trained and offer a high level of customer service.

7) Customization

When travel planners have some flexibility in their budgets, they often find that tour providers offer a lot of flexibility in trip details. Though some large tour companies still work off preset itineraries, many midlevel operators customize each tour, planning destinations, activities and inclusions from scratch based on the interests of their groups. And companies that do work from established itineraries have more discretion to modify tours at this price range, provided that the group leader is able to bring enough customers on the trip.

8) Exclusivity

In an ideal world, every affinity group tour would be a private affair: Travelers from your bank, alumni group or chamber of commerce wouldn’t be mixed in with other customers. This isn’t the case on bargain tours, but it’s much more likely when you move to the middle tier of tour pricing. Custom tour operators can build and price products based on the number of travelers you expect in your group, and larger tour companies have the flexibility to offer group-exclusive tours with some adjustments to their catalog pricing.

9) Special Touches

Tours are more than just motorcoaches and hotel rooms; thoughtful gifts, unique experiences and unexpected touches can make a big difference in the way travelers perceive your trips and their value. Companies that operate midprice tours understand this and employ a variety of surprises to delight customers. They can range from branded travel goodies distributed before departure to pop-up cocktail receptions and special activities that aren’t listed on the trip itinerary. Work with travel providers in advance to ensure that tours will include some special touches for your customers.

10) Comps and Commissions

If you prefer to travel with your club members as often as possible, you’ll want to make sure that your travel partners have complimentary trip policies that allow you to join the group without paying for a seat on the tour. Midrange tour companies often have generous comp policies, offering one free traveler for every 10 or 15 paying customers — and we’ve seen ratios as low as one for six. If you can’t join the trip yourself, you might be able to negotiate a commission from the tour operator instead of a comp.