Strategic partnerships will be key in a post-COVID era in order to rebuild your outdoor guiding business. No industry has gone untouched from the pandemic, and it hit global travel the hardest. Four of ten hotel workers are unemployed. Because international travelers are stuck in their own countries, it’s estimated that the U.S. economy will lose $425 million per day. The travel industry is returning slowly. Airbnb just went public. More people are driving to their destinations, and travelers are eagerly expecting a return to normal travel. As we wrote in an earlier article, focusing on local tourism will be...
Having the ability and willingness to diversify revenue and adapt during the COVID-19 area will set your outdoor guiding business apart and ahead from the competition. McKinsey states you need to identify and prioritize revenue opportunities. Then make the choice to do what needs to be done now or move on. It’s imperative to implement these opportunities before the recovery starts so your tour guiding company can execute them quickly. SHAPE Model Use their SHAPE model to rethink your revenue streams, stand out from the competition, and position yourself for the long run: “Start-up mindset”: Start-ups act more than they...
Outdoor adventure travel is unlike other tour companies. That's why it will recover faster than other travel sectors. Travelers want to immerse themselves in nature, avoid the crowds, and explore off-the-beaten-path. Travelers Prefer The Outdoors Outdoors Provide More Space Since March, travelers have dealt with lockdowns, stay-at-home orders, and quarantines. Because of this, people desperately want to get outside and into nature. In “The Travel Industry Turned Upside Down,” Skift Research states that outdoor scenic travel is recovering faster than other travel sectors. This is likely due to being able to social distance easier. It’s easier to distance yourself physically...
As we all know, tour operators are a resilient bunch. The travel industry has gone through crises before COVID-19. Everything from terrorist attacks to disease to depressions to wars and we’ll do it again. What this crisis has shown us is how innovative tour guiding companies are. To regain confidence in returning (and new) customers, tour operators must be willing to change and adapt. We found four ways companies are improvising to persevere and even make the travel industry better than before: collaborating with other businesses, personalizing tours, practicing sustainability, and staying flexible. Tour Operators Collaborating With Other Businesses When...
Attracting local tourists will be key for the rest of 2020 due to COVID-19-related travel restrictions in the United States (especially internationally). Some states require travelers to self-quarantine for 14 days when visiting. Others don't. As a tour guiding business, it's important to know your state's guidelines.