Keeping Up-to-Date in a Tech-Savvy World

With more than 25 years in the travel industry I’m one of those grumpy old men who grumbles about “how the industry has changed.” Although many families still sit around the kitchen table to make vacation decisions, now they’re doing so with a laptop and viewing online brochures, discount travel websites and purchasing e-tickets. Gone are the days of paper airplane tickets and requesting vacation brochures from destinations. How do these changes impact the group segment and specifically its marketing component?

Years ago a dear friend told me the tour & travel industry is still high touch, not yet high tech. Tour operators do business with suppliers they know. National, regional and state marketplaces are critical to the industry. Relationships are born and nurtured. Likewise, group leaders regularly trust their members to tour operators they know and trust.

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Shopping Shouldn’t Be a Nuisance on Tour

All too often we may hear from well-meaning folks that shopping on tour is a waste of time – that the men don’t like standing around waiting while the women dilly dally in the shops, that shopping is superficial, that folks can shop at home – no need to come on tour to shop, and so forth. I beg to differ. Most folks love to shop while on tour, within reason, of course.

Why do they enjoy shopping? First of all, they enjoy bringing things home for themselves – things that remind them of the trip or the specific place where they bought it. Second, they like to shop for others – for friends and family for future birthdays, holidays, wedding presents, showers and the like. Third, they know that bringing something home to others shows thoughtfulness, friendship and affection. Fourth, the things you bring home from other places are often something you could never get at home, whether at the mall, your favorite big box store or your hometown elegant gift shop.

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It’s More Than Just Buying

I love February. Why? Because that is when Leisure Group Travel focuses on shopping – not only my favorite activity but the favorite of many of your clients, too.

Your clients want to shop…that has been established. Now, what can your company do to make their shopping experience something special and more enjoyable?

To remain competitive, shopping and dining venues around the country are working hard to provide exclusive experiences to entice the group market to their centers. Your business is just as competitive, so to stay ahead of the curve, you should take advantage of the special opportunities available.

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The More Things Change, The More Others Stay….Better

I’m proud of what we do here at Leisure Group Travel, but it doesn’t mean we can’t improve. It’s an issue we tackle daily as we compile your magazine and companion website. So as we usher in our first edition of the year, you will notice some subtle design enhancements and a sharper focus to our editorial coverage. For example, fonts have been updated throughout the magazine – creating a fresher, more inviting look. Links to online articles that support the print content are more prevalent, and our special-interest editorial coverage has taken on a fresh new look.

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