Planning a journey for your client it is not easy.
The destinations of travelers cover an increasingly vast territory and the search for details and experiences is growing!
According to data from the Regional Observatory every year there is a 7% increase in the number of tourists entering Liguria. Knowing your customers well, your travelers, but also the destination they want is certainly the key to receive positive reviews.
Unfortunately, missing important factors can mean getting bad reviews.
Antonella C. 27 Feb 2017
Never again XXX! The holiday was ruined by bad organization. Poor assistance, they promise dream trips, but I'm not up to it. Ignoring the complaints of lack of assistance, they continue in their silence. Not even responding to our return, to our refund request for "ruined vacation" ... NEVER MORE XXX, and it doesn't end here!
A review that is certainly severe, but something positive can always be drawn from these criticisms.
We are sure that you know that not listening to customers' opinions can lead to a decline in general sales.
The right way to satisfy the travelers is to treasure the reviews received and offer something different than the usual packages.
Tourists are nowadays very demanding.
They want adventure, discovery, novelty.
They want to immerse themselves completely in a new place, really feel the smell of that land as only a local inhabitant can do.
We explain you very simply, what are the two mistakes you could make when you book a vacation in Liguria.
1 - Do it yourself, if you don't know the area perfectly
The most common mistake that a tour operator or travel agency can make is to rely on the knowledge they have.
In short, the tendency not to broaden one's cognitive horizons. We give you the example of our region: Liguria is a very particular territory. We are talking about one of the most complex regions of Italy, mountainous and hilly, with a territory that is difficult to cover, if you don't know it perfectly, with beautiful villages both inland and along the coast.
A region so complex that just reading online descriptions is not enough even for superficial knowledge.
It's one of those cases where "if you don't live it, you don't know it".
In the case of special activities, such as boat cruises or excursions, the prices reserved for travel agencies are often different from those offered to tour operators in the area.
Furthermore, if your agency has an office outside of Liguria, you would not be able to have direct contact with suppliers. And if you don't usually work the conditions reserved for you and the collaboration, they will certainly not be the best.
Without this you have less reliability and risks that an unexpected situation disrupts the program established between you and your client.
Suppose you are contacted by a VIP customer who is planning a very special trip to Liguria with his group of friends.
You are looking at a customer that spares no expense and, above all, able to make you a magnet for other customers of this kind.
One of his positive reviews (even a good word) would be enough to make you raise the reputation of a cut above, with just one customer you could make a decisive leap in quality.
So try to understand the interests of your client, inform yourself as always, phone the major Ligurian suppliers, look for restaurants and hiking guides
You have created a very interesting program! But have you really thought of everything?
And here on the day of the excursion a heavy shower prevents your group from going out. On the day of the cruise by boat the sea that is too rough makes boarding impossible. Would you know how to manage the day, still creating a last minute solution of a good standard? These details are those that will remain the most impressed in the memory of your client.
Liguria offers much more than what is found on Internet, without a local Tour Operator. Many activities are known only by those who work locally, in fact the Tour Operators of the area you are choosing for your client can advise you with an expert eye and an even more complete vision on the activities to be proposed. And yet, to keep your customers loyal, so that in the next trip you will be contacted, to create a word-of-mouth chain, it takes very little! Read on to understand how to get access to exclusive knowledge in each area where you want your customers to travel.
2 - Don't worry about the customer's final experience
Why is it so important to provide ongoing assistance to your client?
We share with you the experiences of these two clients of two major travel agencies, who were not fully satisfied with the trip due to a lack of assistance.
Stefania C.
18 Feb 2017
We booked a holiday at the Excelsior in Rapallo and we were very disappointed in not finding any XXX representative in this structure as we had booked a package with many services and excursions for the following days and nobody knew anything. In a nutshell at the mercy of ourselves!
Put yourself in this client's shoes.
She found herself without the help she expected.
Every traveler is different, but what doesn't change is that everyone wants to make the most of their trip.
Unfortunately, the client was not satisfied with the service offered by the travel agency.
The mistake on the part of this agency was that of not providing a correspondent on the spot, to ensure the customer fast and effective assistance.
Graziana E.
2 Sep 2017
The very dirty room, walls full of humidity, sheets dirty with black, never washed on the ground and never swept, the bathroom cleaned only once in a week, taps full of limestone that you sucked to touch them. The tablecloths dirty with black. The very dirty pool, the seabed always dirty and the water full of hair. A holiday organized by XXX to forget and absolutely not to recommend.
This is also a review that no travel agency wants to receive.
Unfortunately this is what happens when a good package is offered to the customer, but without the right assistance on the spot and without the knowledge of the suppliers.
This does not benefit the agencies.
Your travelers are looking for a path that is consolidated. As we have already told you, every traveler is different from the other, not everyone is ready for the adventure.
Many prefer security.
It is essential, therefore, to have some experience in each proposed package, to be sure of being able to limit eventual unforeseen events to the maximum.
The choice of a local Tour Operator is also advantageous in this. Direct knowledge of the possible drawbacks is always accompanied by a familiarity with finding solutions.
Today all of us in tourism know that we must be able to offer the novelty, something that an aspiring traveler cannot find independently, even spending a lot of money.
With you the journey has to be an experience lived to the fullest, so that you can offer the maximum with maximum reliability!
It is impossible to offer all this without a tour operator in place that can cope with inevitable inconveniences.
The experience of someone who has been organizing for years the same activities that you want to propose is crucial: it means more suggestions at the organizational level and greater satisfaction from your travelers.
Your customers will also feel the difference.
There is nothing better during a vacation than the thought of having a human being who wants the best for you and puts your safety and your needs first.
It is a difficult relationship to establish if the client and the agency are too far away.
But so:
What is the right solution?
How can a travel agency be 100% expert in every region and location in Italy?
Read on, the answer is much simpler than you think!
The solution to avoid making these mistakes
When an Italian goes abroad, he never feels totally lost.
He knows that, whatever happens, he has a connection with Italy.
We always carry a little security when going to a foreign country.
A tourist in the same way wants to feel safe and secure even looking out at a region he has never seen.
We are not advising you to open a branch in every town in Italy, we are suggesting a much simpler solution!
To rely on a local Tour Operator
A local Tour Operator can create customized and, above all, advantageous packages.
It can offer on-site assistance, a guarantee for the customer and for you.
The customer will feel more secure in the booking and more curious about the offer.
You will therefore attract more customers.
And it is a cause-effect relationship, which will allow you to establish a relationship of trust with your local Tour Operator and generate a long-term profit.
It means positive reviews.
It means more customers.
It means considerably more substantial gain over time, because you are building a solid reputation for yourself.
In summary: you will have thematic vacation packages for that territory, you will have on-site assistance that will make your customers feel protected, and, in the event of unforeseen events (we know they happen) you will have someone there to solve them quickly.
Now we hope you understand what a local Tour Operator can bring you if you want to manage your travel agency at high levels.
But how do you choose one of the many?
For Liguria, count on us
Among the various Tour Operators located throughout the region, the best choice for your business is TOUR LIGURIA by VOLVER.
We are an agency made up of 6 Ligurian women.
We know our Liguria like no other.
We know what made us fall in love with her and what can make tourists fall in love.
We have been working for 20 years with all those people who offer exclusive local services.
We know the best suppliers and with them we have created a close bond throughout this time.
Above all, we are able to provide you with tailor-made holiday packages to suit the tastes of all your customers.
We can offer you an unlimited experience.
We know that the gastronomic part covers 50% of the experience in a vacation.
Do you think you know Ligurian food as we know it?
Do you know the best restaurants?
Are you able to get your customers back home with the taste of real Liguria on the palate?
We assure you customers totally satisfied with the offer.
In particular, we guarantee you direct contact with us 24 hours a day.
