There are many great places that don’t have bus parking or even bus turning. And worse, they don’t have a plan should a bus want to bring them business. We go in and out of hotel rooms, making snap decisions on whether our travelers would enjoy the stay. Things like interior doors, elevators and level parking lots become deal makers and breakers more than the pillow top mattress. We watch shows, and view attractions through the eyes of our future travelers. Maybe in this theater the front row isn’t the best seats. Maybe this attraction has too much walking, or not enough places to sit and rest.
We are also
very aware of people traveling on their own. How can going with a group add to
the pleasure of that experience? Back when I first started in the group travel
business, we used to be able to negotiate group rates and sometimes we could boast that
is was less expensive to travel with a group. Groups still share the biggest
expense which is the transportation. It’s hard to put a price tag on not having
to drive, or navigate or figure out any of the travel trials. One just gets to
show up, take a seat and relax. It’s hard to say what being dropped at the door
for almost everything is worth. But drive your own car, park fourteen miles
away and you would agree, there is value in that service.
Having a
step-on guide certainly has worth on a group tour. Being educated, along with being
entertained, makes lasting memories. If you are a person that kind of “shows
up” for a trip, you may not discover anything about the new area if you choose
not to read the guide books, or roadside signs, or museum explanations. A
personal guide enhances the experience with inside knowledge and expertise.
One of
my favorite things about a FAM trip is discussions with peers. We love to share
ideas and tell experiences that we have dealt with on the road. I’ve been traveling
with groups for 25 years, and I won’t say that I’m one of the older leaders out
there, but I do have some seniority at this point!
My
suitcase, Ol’ Big Red, doesn’t stay empty for too long. If I’m not Good to Go
with a group, I’m hunting ideas for tours. Robert Louis Stevenson is quoted “I
travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great
affair is to move.”
It’s
easy to not move. But there is joy in going for those of us that understand
travel. I’m looking for folks that are Good to Go. Come join us!
