When it comes to vacation costs, prices can vary from discounted travel that’s easily accessible for most, to luxury adventures that are out of reach for the majority of travelers. Consider an African safari. A 9-day safari with lodging, some meals, and a few tours hosted by a wholesale vacation company like GoGo Vacations will run somewhere around $7,000 per person. A similar itinerary organized by a luxury safari company like Micato, on the other hand, will probably cost closer to $20,000 per person. Why the Price Difference? Wholesale providers, (which can be excellent options for those on a budget!) offer standard 2 to 4-star lodging, tour experiences, food, and service. They aren’t as spartan as going at it completely on your own, but they typically don’t offer much in the line of luxury either. Compare a more basic travel experience to something offered by a luxury agency like Micato, and you’ll notice a few major differences. Micato organizes high-end lodging, custom tours and experiences, and gourmet food, of course. But these perks are only the beginning. Beyond the basics, luxury tour providers often have advantages like daily valet laundry service, a no-tipping culture, unlimited wine, beer, and high-end dining, and even a 24-hour concierge team that’s prepared to handle anything! Whether you forgot a prescription at home, lost your beloved iPad, or are just craving your favorite bottled beverage, the concierge team is available to meet your every need. Your Travel Advisor Can Help You Craft a Trip in Your Budget Don’t let talk of concierge services and high-end wines deter you from seeking an incredible travel experience. As long as you have a basic idea of the kind of trip you’re looking for, your travel advisor can help you craft a custom trip that meets all of your travel dreams...without breaking your budget! In fact, travel advisors regularly attend training sessions with an array of different travel companies, so we’re always keeping an eye on different travel companies and what they have on offer. This way, when our clients come to us with a request for a trip, we’re ready to make it happen, whether we’re working with a carefully determined budget or with something a bit more extravagant. What If I’m Not Sure of My Budget? No problem. Your travel advisor is trained to guide you through this process. First, we’ll ask you several questions to determine the basics of your trip: • Where do you want to go? • What time of year? • How long do you want to stay? • How many people are going? What are their ages? • Are you a go-go-go kind of person, or do you prefer a more relaxed pace? • Do you like tours and activities, or do you prefer to explore a place on your own? Answering these questions will assist your advisor in determining an ideal baseline budget for your trip. Establish a Baseline Budget...and Then Work on the Details From there, your travel advisor will work with you to craft a more concrete proposal. You’ll need to consider the following: • Destination: This is the biggest factor in your vacation cost. Some destinations, like Florida or visiting the National Parks, are relatively inexpensive. Others, like Tahiti, London, or Antarctica, tend to cost more. • Departure City: Flying to Hawaii from L.A. is significantly cheaper than flying there from Kansas! • Travel Style: Are you the type of traveler who revels in having your entire wardrobe dry cleaned by housekeeping while you spend a day at the beach club? Or is the continental breakfast just what you need to feel like you’re getting your money’s worth? Do you prefer to dine in five-star Michelin restaurants? Or are you just as happy with the street food vendor just outside your hotel? Your travel style will considerably impact the overall cost of your trip.
• Travel Season: Depending on the destination, the time of year that you visit can affect your overall cost. And it’s not always intuitive. For example, winter is considered the “high season” in the Caribbean, and it’s when visitors can expect to pay premium prices for yachts, hotels, and resorts. Summer prices, while still somewhat high, tend to be a bit more affordable as the heat of summer arrives. You should also consider the weather in your target destination. If you want to experience the beautiful hiking trails of Sedona, it’s best not to go in the middle of winter. It can get surprisingly cold...and pricey!
• Transportation: How you get around can save you large amounts of money, or you can end up shelling out for premium service. But you should also consider things like how difficult the area is to navigate, how much time you’ll spend traveling, and how safe the public vs. the private transport is. At first glance, using the public transport system may seem like a great way to save money. But if you end up lost, needing to hire a taxi to get you to your destination, you’ll have missed out on valuable travel time AND wasted money!
• Tour Guides and Planned Excursions: For some reason, many travelers seem averse to the idea of hiring a tour guide. But in reality, it’s usually better to learn about a destination directly from another person, rather than relying on an outdated guidebook or Wikipedia articles. When you hire a guide, the quality of information tends to be much better, and you’ll leave a destination feeling like you truly explored it, rather than just getting a surface-level understanding. Plus, many tours include transportation, making your tour experience that much more convenient!
Your Travel Advisor Wants to Wow You! Regardless of your budget, your travel advisor will do their best to wow you with whatever itinerary you decide on. The heart of crafting an amazing travel experience is matching the traveler with a destination and experiences that will set their soul on fire! Whether that’s an Outlander-themed adventure in Scotland, a private safari through Kenya, or a cooking tour of Tuscany, a travel advisor’s job is to help you cultivate connections with places, passions, and people that matter to you.
ENJOY THE BEST FOOD IN YOUR TRAVEL DESTINATION
One of the things to get excited about while you travel is food. Every location is unique for their food and how they cook it. There’s always a story to tell from different foods you try. That’s why traveling is essential. You get to try out new things. Download my FREE eBook HERE to see the ten ways you can turn your Vacation into a Culinary Adventure.
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