Knowing the Market Is Key to Selling Exotic Travel

by Robin Amster June 27, 2013

This is the Part 3 in a series on exotic travel.

Mature clients looking for different and unique experiences and adventurous clients of all ages are driving increasing interest in exotic travel — and creating opportunities for travel agents.

“Exotic destinations are not a hard sell because this is where Americans want to go,” said Jeremy Palmer, vice president/general manager, land division & new ventures for Tauck Tours.

But Palmer and other tour operators said agents must first identify their target clients and research the destinations to successfully sell exotic travel. Travel Market Report asked them to share their insights on potential clients and how to sell them.

Identify clients looking beyond the beach
“We tap into all demographics. More often though people who want to go to Bhutan or Sumatra, for example, are a little older, in the 40- to 65-year-old age range, typically well-traveled, perhaps a little more affluent. They’ve sat on beaches in the Caribbean and Mexico, seen the cathedrals and museums of Europe and are looking for something a bit more challenging and unique.” – Will Weber, senior director, Journeys International

Target the adventurous and well-traveled
“We’re seeing two distinct types of travelers [for exotic destinations]. There are those with a more adventurous mindset who don’t want to necessarily travel in an adventure type of way with a backpack but are interested in more unique, distinct cultures. Then there’s the more mature traveler who has a huge travel portfolio and been to so many places that they’re looking for that next place. They’re in their early to mid-60’s and are professional travelers. They want to keep pushing the envelope.” – Steve Born, vice president of marketing, the Globus Family of Brands

Don’t overlook younger clients
“We take all sorts of people but mostly for us, it’s 55-plus empty nesters who are well to do. But we do have a wonderful mix. We also have multi-generational and younger clients.” – Jeremy Palmer, vice president/general manager, land division & new ventures, Tauck Tours

Sell FITs
“Our audience is savvy baby-boomers who’ve grown up exposed to the world, much more so than their parents. We see a lot of FIT’s who are venturing out themselves; they’re looking for authentic people and different lifestyles. It’s all part of the experiential drive.” – Bob Drumm, president, General Tours World Traveler

Go beyond your comfort zone
“It’s important for agents to get out of the status quo. They have to put in that extra time to do the research [on exotic destinations] and partner with tour operators. There’s so much competition for agents, including online booking. But keep in mind that a lot of people aren’t comfortable booking air with regional carriers going to exotic locations. They want an agent to maneuver through these remote destinations you can’t book on your IPhone. This niche is where agents, if they become expert, should find some really great business.” – Jackie Garrity, product innovation manager, G Adventures

Make the point: exotic travel is not just for the wealthy
“The perception of high price sometimes prevents the actual shopping [by clients]. The thinking is exotic means long haul, equals higher airfare and more expensive land costs. That’s not the reality. You can get a four- to five-star property for the price of a four-star in Europe. And airfares have been equivalent to airfares in Europe. So if clients shop it they will see the exotic as more accessible. Agents need to get out there and make that point.” – Steve Born

Present options from basic to luxury travel
“Don’t focus on one type of service level. Look at all levels. One of the things people think of off-the-beaten-path travel is that it means backpacking or basic travel. You can do that but in this day and age, you can also have luxury. We don’t sell five-star luxury but we offer different levels of comfort—‘adventure with a softer landing.’ Clients don’t have to have a lot of money to do these trips; it depends on what they’re looking for and there are options. Consider the client’s comfort level. That separates the fantastic agent – qualifying clients on what is the best type of trip for them. The last thing you want is to put a client on the wrong trip for him or her.”— Jackie Garrity

Steer clients to resources
“We provide links to websites that have rich detail; the Internet is a wonderful resource. A lot of international and wildlife organizations also provide insight on destinations. It’s easy to send a link to a client and say here’s more information.” – Will Weber

Dispel negative perceptions
“When you are selling the exotics, there’s the basic appeal of the destination whether it’s the culture, people, animals or environment. But the idea that you will travel there and find a third world country is not the case. Consider the airports alone. The airport in Shanghai, for instance, is head and shoulders above JFK. The quality of service in most exotics is high. As you move away from population centers, though, those issues might start to creep up.” – Jeremy Palmer