Avalanche safety training is a must if you want to explore the backcountry. 20-40 people die every year in an avalanche in the US and 90% of those deaths “are from slides triggered by the victim or members of the victim's group.” We all want to explore untouched snow, but going out in the backcountry unprepared, without advanced training, is dangerous. We wanted to chat with an expert ourselves to learn more about avalanches and avalanche safety. We got in touch with Halsted Morris, the President of the Board of Directors for the American Avalanche Association. In this conversation, we...
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...
IFrames and SEO don't go together like you'd hope they would. See, Iframes impact your site's SEO negatively. We noticed tour operator websites with bookings embedded in an iFrame weren’t showing in Google results. In other words, booking pop-ups installed on sites hindered their SEO. We copied text inside the popup window and pasted that in Google. Nothing came up. We researched further and we're convinced you should not use iframes on your site. We want our clients to succeed. With that, we want their websites to be discoverable through Google search results. Because of this, in this article, we...
While responsible tourism typically seems to be applied on an international scale, there are ways to incorporate responsibility and sustainability into your outdoor tour operations that not only protect the environment but support the local economy. Whether you do an entire overhaul and follow The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Criteria or incorporate bits and pieces that are applicable to your tour guiding business, you will inevitably provide a better experience for customers. We know of the seven Leave No Trace Principles: 1) Plan Ahead & Prepare, 2) Travel & Camp on Durable Surfaces, 3) Dispose of Waste Properly, 4)...
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...
Outdoor adventure guides not only love nature and thrive in the wilderness, but they’re passionate about bringing unique outdoor experiences to people’s lives. You know this is your calling if you’re excited about the thought of spending a full day (and possibly night(s)) in the outdoors, enjoy working with people of different personalities, and can easily handle stressful situations.
Across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, “Travel” is one of the most shared topics. As adventure-seekers, we’re inspired by the epic tours our friends, family, and peers post about on social media platforms. Some of the most adventurous or “Instagrammable” photos pique our interests and for the majority of us, leads to an inevitable booking.
If your tour booking platform is too confusing, customers may leave to find a site that has a simple user interface (UI) instead. Users visiting your website must have a good — if not great, experience.
As of today, “When can we travel again?” is the #2 question in Google travel trends. Travel-related searches are starting to rise again so it’s safe to say that people are ready to explore somewhere new.
Origin was founded to help eliminate barriers to entry for folks who want to explore new places. We believe everyone should be free to explore and enjoy Nature without the threat of violence or intimidation. There’s a lot of work to be done in the outdoor industry to make this possible and it starts with us listening and empathizing, then taking action — every day. If you don’t know what to do, we’ve included links below to organizations that have curated lists of actionable steps specific to the outdoor industry. Start there. Colorado Organizations Boosting Diversity and Inclusion in the...
When your booking software is easy to use, it makes it easier for people to research and book online at any time and place and keeps you organized. This leads to more bookings and less stress of managing a tour guide company.
Streamlined booking will be essential in a post-COVID-19 era because the travel industry will never be the same. While travel has dropped significantly, it will bounce back. When it does, tour guides and operators need to take advantage of the available modern technology.
“It’s so important to do something every day that will make you happy.” Bob Ross Bob Ross was the man of the people - someone who could rally us all around a simple canvas. He showed us we could create anything and move mountains. We hope you’re staying safe out there. Here’s our weekly Dirt Digest with our latest Journal post and some happy little diversions. Keep nurturing the stoke to explore. We will be out there soon enough. 5 Outdoor Podcasts That Will Make You See Nature Differently Outdoor podcasts are the new campfire stories during this time. Everyone...