Group Tour Magazine - February 2023 - 12

are able to travel without aches and pains
and with the proper endurance. When travelers
are healthy, it's a completely different
experience. That stress of needing to " keep
up " is relieved. They are not nervous about
walking through an airport or going on a
walking tour. I have people who I've worked
with who have lost upward of 80 to 100
pounds. After they've accomplished their
health goals, they're more free and excited
to travel again.
Q. What marketing advice do
you have to share?
A. We use social media all the time. Sometimes
we do live Facebook chats because
people like to follow and watch right as
experiences are happening. The way I think
about social media is not necessarily paying
for sponsored ads. Instead, it's being consistently
present on social media, so you're
able to continue to engage people yearround.
We also set up private Facebook
groups to communicate with travelers and
share prompts to start conversations for
each specific tour. This gets people really
excited and engaged early on. They're able
to ask questions, meet other travelers who
will be on their tour, and start to look forward
to the trip before it even happens.
Aside from staying active on social media,
we always have our tour brochures ready to
go at a moment's notice. People are moving
fast, and they want information as quickly
as possible. We also provide our brochures
and information in any format and delivery
method as needed, whether that's straight to
their email, in a text message, or discussing it
over the phone.
Q. What advice would you give
to someone starting out in the
tour-planning field?
A. Travel is a great industry, but in order
to survive, tour operators must find their
niche. I think they must have a laser focus
on what it is they're going to be offering and
find that niche early on. I also think tour
planners shouldn't compare themselves
to other tour operators or try to mimic
another tour company's business.
People also have to embrace technology
across the board-whether that's having
a digital option to tip a driver or using
Grand View Tour & Travel
helps groups experience
destinations like Nashville,
Branson, Ireland, and Israel.
text messaging apps to stay in touch with
individuals on a trip. Taking advantage
of technology is integral to any tour operator's
success.
Q. What's the most rewarding
part of your job?
A. So, 42 years, right? I've been in the business
for that long, and I work with people
today who weren't even born when I started
my business. It's amazing to think of the
millions of miles we've helped thousands and
thousands of people travel across the world.
We like to believe that Grand View Tour &
Travel has made a difference in all of our
clients' lives. From opening up travelers' eyes
to sparking something in them that they've
always wanted to do, see, or be-I think travel
has the power to do just that. It brings me
great satisfaction and happiness to know
we're making a lifelong difference through our
travel experiences.
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Group Tour Magazine - February 2023

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