where to go? what to do?

One of my favorite things to do, not only because it is fun, but also because it is helpful to me, is to sit down with prospective customers and ask about the goals of their vacation. My advice to you is to begin your planning by thinking about your vacation goal(s).

For example, is this a restful get away for a couple? Is this an energetic family adventure? Is this a family reunion? Will this be an historical or cultural learning experience? Is this your main vacation for the year? Is this a second or third last minute trip of the season? Is it a celebratory holiday?

Once I know what your goals are for the trip, then I am in a better position to offer suggestions for location, transportation, length etc. If you come to me knowing you want to visit Alaska for example, I am still going to ask you, “Why?” and “What do you hope to achieve?” I am able to send you to Alaska, for example by land, by air or by sea. I will need to know how close you want to be to nature - are you interested in photo opportunities or do you want to get deep into the wilderness and hike rugged terrain? Two very different vacations.

If you come to me not knowing where you want to go, but rather why you want to go then we can examine potential locations that work for that purpose. For example, maybe you want to gather your family for Grandfather’s 80th Birthday. I would work with you to come up with a location, mode of transportation and budget that should suit the varied family members included.

DO YOU WANT THE BEST?

Travelers ask me, “What is the best cruise line?” or “What is the best hotel?” If you look up the dictionary definition of “best” you may be surprised at how many results you will find. I have found that “the best” is relative to an individual or a group. What I consider ‘the best’ hotel in Paris might be close to La Seine while you might consider “the best” hotel in Paris to be the one that serves croissants for breakfast every day. My definition of ‘best’ could refer to cost while yours might refer to service level….and so on. Hence the conversation I am going to have with each customer to determine vacation goals and identify what the words “the best” mean to him/her.