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Written by Jeff Gayduk
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Saturday, 09 August 2008 03:18 |
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Ah, the days of the three-month summer vacation! Riding bikes, playing baseball, going to the pool - not a worry in the world, except getting up early to watch cartoons! Those were the days. Unfortunately, we’re past that point in our lives of long hiatuses with few cares or worries.
We exist in a world where if you’re not learning something every day, you’re falling behind. It’s certainly true in this industry - we have to stay on top of consumer trends, destination developments and brand shifts to ensure we’re on top of our game. Increasingly, however, finding time to squeeze in education becomes a chore.
When I was in the tour business in the late 1990s I noticed a disturbing trend developing among my customers. Born from time deprivation, multi-tasking and lack of new industry knowledge, it was quite clear to me that group travel organizers were more apt to take the path of least resistance when packaging tours.
I had an epiphany, so to speak. That, along with bit of good fortune, connected me to George Lowden, then the publisher of Senior Group Travel. Three months later I was in the publishing business, and owned my own group travel magazine.
With my newfound empire, I vowed that I would make education a priority with my magazine. Be it unbiased destination content, or insightful how-to commentary by industry professionals, we were going to deliver information that helped people plan better group trips. Fast-forward seven short years and we’ve kept our promise – the industry continues to evolve – and we’ve kept you on top of the changes that are shaping group travel. New types of customers are entering the fold and older ones are leaving. The need for education couldn’t be greater, but with everyone so time deprived, where do we find the time? Read More
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