(Originally published in TOURISM)
Good Earth Travel Adventures has kept its energy solidly anchored in the Canadian Rockies and West Coast since the company was launched over a decade ago, but what distinguishes it from others in these iconic destinations is the fluidity of the relationship the company establishes with its customers. In owner J.P. Obbagy's view, tailor-made travel… means “tailor-made” throughout:
“There are a number of self‑drive packages on our website that we use as a template for people to pick the type of vacation that they are interested in. We take those templates and modify them according to what their real interests are. Our customers tend to be people who don’t want to travel as part of a group, who seek an independent experience. Yet, they like the idea of having the assistance in organizing the trip and the support while they are travelling.
“We go through a whole interview process with them – about 15 to 20 minutes – to find out what they like and what is important in their idea of a vacation. From this interview, we create a trip proposal which goes back to them. We go back and forth making refinements until it is what they want. If they accept, we put it together and make it happen. We specialize in multiple destinations and more complicated itineraries. We don’t focus so much on single destinations (like staying in Banff for a week) because that is where we provide the best value for a complete travel experience.”
Good Earth then delivers a single package with a price that includes car rental, accommodations, meals (if requested) and activities for each location.
“They have a whole menu of activities to choose from and a few possible upgrades available. For instance, they might prefer a private guide to hiking in a small group. We are buying at wholesale and we’re building in a mark‑up that covers our services. Within that, we include the assistance in helping them choose activities and the coordination between all the destinations – plus they can phone us at any time. It is an open door policy once they book with us.”
About three to four weeks before they arrive, Obbagy says customers receive a travel package with guide books, maps with the routes highlighted and (what he calls) a TravelJournal: “It is a custom‑bound document specifically tailored for them with driving directions, instructions specific to their trip and all the vouchers that they just tear off, with tips for each destination they are visiting. When they don’t have anything scheduled, they can explore on their own. We also include special short driving tours they might want to take or short hikes, walks, suggestions for local restaurants or coffee shops. We try to focus on the local stuff and stay away from chains, so we can really get them involved in the destination.
“The one final inclusion – and one of our biggest features – is our TripConcierge, whereby customers have 24/7 access to a live person while travelling, for whatever reason. We recently had some customers who had difficulty following driving directions or a map, phoning us twice a day for guidance. Or, something may be wrong at the hotel or they may not be happy with the room; we just tell them to call us, so they don’t have to worry about it. They can go out for dinner, enjoy the evening and it’ll be all taken care of when they get back. It is the support element in what we do that is probably one of the most important reasons why people choose us.”
Obbagy is well aware of the amount of preparation work required for people who travel independently. “I know there are a lot of folks who don’t have that much time on their hands. There are many FIT companies out there doing a good job, but I wanted to hit the next level of support that would allow people to have real choice. I very much believe in the concept of being a traveller, as opposed to being a tourist. I believe that there are many people out there who understand that difference, even if it is not constantly on their mind.”
Obbagy has given much thought to where tourism operators are headed as tourism experience crafters: “I believe the future lies in being able to empower consumers to customize their experiences through automated mechanisms, because what we are doing right now is very labour intensive. Some people will use us to plan a trip without ever booking. It is frustrating. I also have found it is very important to communicate properly the value your company is providing to consumers and to be very clear on what that value is.”
With this in mind, Obbagy’s team will be launching a new web storefront later this year to properly communicate that value to consumers. “They may not be able to book everything online, but if we can tailor our travel product acquisitions in the way we are able to buy computers online right now, with the proper knowledge of what the real destination is about (not just the touristy stuff but real insight into the destination), I think that is the future.”
Obbagy has studied the power of relationships with one’s partners, and the importance of treating people fairly; he knows that some values just don’t come with an expiry date!
Good Earth Travel Adventures has kept its energy solidly anchored in the Canadian Rockies and West Coast since the company was launched over a decade ago, but what distinguishes it from others in these iconic destinations is the fluidity of the relationship the company establishes with its customers. In owner J.P. Obbagy's view, tailor-made travel… means “tailor-made” throughout:
“There are a number of self‑drive packages on our website that we use as a template for people to pick the type of vacation that they are interested in. We take those templates and modify them according to what their real interests are. Our customers tend to be people who don’t want to travel as part of a group, who seek an independent experience. Yet, they like the idea of having the assistance in organizing the trip and the support while they are travelling.
“We go through a whole interview process with them – about 15 to 20 minutes – to find out what they like and what is important in their idea of a vacation. From this interview, we create a trip proposal which goes back to them. We go back and forth making refinements until it is what they want. If they accept, we put it together and make it happen. We specialize in multiple destinations and more complicated itineraries. We don’t focus so much on single destinations (like staying in Banff for a week) because that is where we provide the best value for a complete travel experience.”
Good Earth then delivers a single package with a price that includes car rental, accommodations, meals (if requested) and activities for each location.
“They have a whole menu of activities to choose from and a few possible upgrades available. For instance, they might prefer a private guide to hiking in a small group. We are buying at wholesale and we’re building in a mark‑up that covers our services. Within that, we include the assistance in helping them choose activities and the coordination between all the destinations – plus they can phone us at any time. It is an open door policy once they book with us.”
About three to four weeks before they arrive, Obbagy says customers receive a travel package with guide books, maps with the routes highlighted and (what he calls) a TravelJournal: “It is a custom‑bound document specifically tailored for them with driving directions, instructions specific to their trip and all the vouchers that they just tear off, with tips for each destination they are visiting. When they don’t have anything scheduled, they can explore on their own. We also include special short driving tours they might want to take or short hikes, walks, suggestions for local restaurants or coffee shops. We try to focus on the local stuff and stay away from chains, so we can really get them involved in the destination.
“The one final inclusion – and one of our biggest features – is our TripConcierge, whereby customers have 24/7 access to a live person while travelling, for whatever reason. We recently had some customers who had difficulty following driving directions or a map, phoning us twice a day for guidance. Or, something may be wrong at the hotel or they may not be happy with the room; we just tell them to call us, so they don’t have to worry about it. They can go out for dinner, enjoy the evening and it’ll be all taken care of when they get back. It is the support element in what we do that is probably one of the most important reasons why people choose us.”
Obbagy is well aware of the amount of preparation work required for people who travel independently. “I know there are a lot of folks who don’t have that much time on their hands. There are many FIT companies out there doing a good job, but I wanted to hit the next level of support that would allow people to have real choice. I very much believe in the concept of being a traveller, as opposed to being a tourist. I believe that there are many people out there who understand that difference, even if it is not constantly on their mind.”
Obbagy has given much thought to where tourism operators are headed as tourism experience crafters: “I believe the future lies in being able to empower consumers to customize their experiences through automated mechanisms, because what we are doing right now is very labour intensive. Some people will use us to plan a trip without ever booking. It is frustrating. I also have found it is very important to communicate properly the value your company is providing to consumers and to be very clear on what that value is.”
With this in mind, Obbagy’s team will be launching a new web storefront later this year to properly communicate that value to consumers. “They may not be able to book everything online, but if we can tailor our travel product acquisitions in the way we are able to buy computers online right now, with the proper knowledge of what the real destination is about (not just the touristy stuff but real insight into the destination), I think that is the future.”
Obbagy has studied the power of relationships with one’s partners, and the importance of treating people fairly; he knows that some values just don’t come with an expiry date!
Comments