Travel Trends with Dan Christian
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Travel Trends with Dan Christian
Revolutionizing Guided Tours: Modern Marketing Strategies that Work with Globus
Explore the captivating world of guided touring as we launch our new series with special guest Steve Born, Chief Marketing Officer of Globus. Did you know that guided touring is a $300 billion industry—nearly twice the size of ocean cruising? Yet, as Steve unveils, it remains "the best-kept secret in travel."
This episode takes you through Globus’s remarkable story, from its humble beginnings with a rowboat in Switzerland in 1928 to its transformation into a global travel leader operating on six continents. Steve explains what sets guided tours apart, sharing how they offer deeply meaningful experiences while handling every logistical detail. Travelers can immerse themselves in destinations without the stress of planning, waiting in lines, or worrying about missing out.
We also explore how guided touring is evolving, with innovations like Globus’ Small Group Discovery tours and you'll also hear insights into how technology is revolutionizing both the marketing of guided tours and the on-trip experience.
With Millennials and Baby Boomers driving a resurgence of interest in guided touring, Steve debunks outdated stereotypes and highlights why this segment of travel is undergoing a modern renaissance.
Don’t miss this exciting kickoff to our guided touring series. Stay tuned for upcoming episodes featuring Collette, Explore Worldwide, and AAT Kings, where we’ll continue to spotlight the growth and evolution of this dynamic travel niche.
👉 Listen to Revolutionizing Guided Tours: Modern Marketing Strategies that Work Now
🔥 Season 5 Title Sponsors: TravelAI, Stay22, Propellic, Flight Centre, Collette, Flywire, Traveltek and Protect Group
Season 5 Launched Jan 15th. New Episodes Every Weds! Check out our first 4 Seasons.
https://www.traveltrendspodcast.com/
If you kind of think about the car industry and how it would have changed from 1928 to today, the core of what it does is essentially the same to provide that transportation. But how it's shaped has evolved tremendously and that's really the same for us and for the Globus family.
Speaker 2:Hello everyone and welcome to Travel Trends. This is your host, dan Christian, and I'm super excited to kick off our guided touring series as part of season five. This is actually the theme that I've been looking forward to the most, since it's a big part of my background, and with this series, we're going to get into what is a guided tour. We're going to talk about some of the biggest players in this space, and I'm going to kick things off by highlighting the overall market size and the growth potential, which has largely been misunderstood, and part of that is because it's very difficult to even name this category. It's often referred to as multi-day tours or escorted tours, guided travel and, in some cases, adventure travel, since, yes, most adventure travel companies are guided tour operators as well that serve multi-day trips. But essentially, the simplest way you can look at it is this If you are on a trip and that trip has a guide and a group and you're gone for more than one day, you are on a multi-day tour or a guided tour, and this is where it's been difficult for companies to properly assess the size and scale of this industry. But to give you a brief overview pre-pandemic, this category was at least $100 billion 2025 post-pandemic with growth inflation new players enter the market. Post-pandemic with growth inflation new players enter the market. Most projections put this category around $300 billion and most of the forecasts are projecting that this category despite some of the global uncertainty we're seeing now heading into mid-2025, is projected to grow at about 20% per year, and the reason for that is because of the demographic factors that are at play, and we've talked a lot about this in previous episodes, and I reason for that is because of the demographic factors that are at play, and we've talked a lot about this in previous episodes, and I think a lot of our listeners certainly are aware of my background from the travel corporation brands like Trafalgar and Insight and Contiki, and then G Adventures as well.
Speaker 2:We had James Thornton, the CEO of Intrepid. As part of season four. We kicked off with an adventure series and we were talking to Shannon Stoll from the Adventure, travel and Trade Association about just how significant the adventure category is, and then we brought James on. As you remember, we were talking about their plans to become a billion dollar revenue company by 2030. For those of you who have been keeping up to date on Intrepid, they are actually going to exceed that before 2030. They're already at $800 million as it stands here. In 2025, up from $500 million. So you can see multi-day tour adventure tour brands G Adventures is having great success, but the reality is, across this category we're seeing so many multi-day tour brands have significant growth.
Speaker 2:So demographics is a big factor in all of this, of course, as we've highlighted before, the aging demographic of baby boomers moving into retirement and having a surplus of savings that they are choosing to travel as much as possible. The younger generation is doing exactly the same thing. They don't necessarily have the savings, but they have the desire for experiences over things, and I was looking at a recent report based on current booking activity out of the US and the two spikes in ages was 30 and 70. And so that gives you an idea of why multi-day touring is set for significant potential over the next decade, and I'm going to highlight some of the brands that are active in this space. So, on this series, we're going to hear from Colette, who has kindly been one of our title sponsors for this season. You're going to hear from their CEO, jacqueline I had an amazing conversation with her and you'll hear that next week we're going to start off with Globus, which is a brand that I knew less about and was keen to have as part of this series, just given how important they are in size and scale in the global multi-day tour space. We're also going to speak to Explore, since I wanted to bring an adventure tour operator, and we'll speak to Michael Edwards, who is based in London, and then we're also going to speak to Ben Hall, who is an old friend from my time at the Travel Corporation. He used to be at Contiki and now he is running AAT Kings, based in Sydney, australia. So I think these four guests will give an amazing global perspective of what's happening in the guided travel space. We'll be right back.
Speaker 2:Hey, travel advisors, are you ready to offer your clients truly amazing global travel experiences that they will never forget? Well then, you have to meet our friends at Colette, the most trusted name in guided travel since 1918. With tours across all seven continents and five distinct travel styles, from small groups to small ship cruising, colette really has a tour for every kind of traveler. Colette's in-destination designers are passionate travelers and regional experts. They curate experiences that go beyond the surface. Think dining in a local's home, connecting with local communities and truly immersing yourself in the destination's culture. That is what Colette is all about. No cookie-cutter itineraries here, no endless hotel hopping. You'll spend an average of two to three nights in a centrally located accommodation. It is the way to travel in 2025 and beyond, so it is time to make sure your clients have the opportunity to experience Colette. Don't just book a trip. Dive deeper into the destination. Create memories with Colette Travel, crafted by travelers for travelers. For more information and to discover how Colette can delight your clients, check out colettecom. That's Colette C-O-L-L-E-T-T-Ecom.
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Speaker 2:Now, as many of our listeners know, I remain very active in the multi-day tour space as an advisor and an investor and I work with a number of different travel technology companies, travel agencies and tour operators, and I'm thrilled that Tour Optima has decided to sponsor this series. Ben and the team have built an incredible platform that I got to see about two years ago at Focusrite and I've known Ben for many years and I said to him then this is exactly the technology that we would have massively benefited from at the Travel Corporation or before. That essentially gives the leaders the opportunity to connect with all the guests on their trip to ensure that it streamlines the experience, that it's efficient and that ultimately, the guests are happy so they'll book again and leave incredible reviews. They have opportunities to do upsells and cross-sells in the platform and last year the brand was called Curated Planet. Ben and I worked together to rebrand to Tour Optima. You can find out more details at touroptimacom. But they have been going from strength to strength, now working with multi-day tour brands large global, multi-day tour brands and their technology is perfectly fit for purpose, which was that challenge that we had before. Either there wasn't something that was available off the shelf or it was going to be too expensive to build it, and so when I saw what Ben had developed, I jumped on board. So I'm now an investor and an advisor. But in addition to that, ben has kindly decided to sponsor this series and I'm thrilled about that because I want all the multi-data brands that are listening to these episodes to familiarize yourself with Tor Optima and check out TorOptimacom, and you can send Ben a quick email literally Ben at TorOptimacom. He'll get back to you in like five minutes. He's that fast and responsive and he'll set up with a demo. I'll even look to join blown away by the technology, and many of you will improve your operations and have happier guests by implementing Tor Optima as a white label solution, totally branded like your business, and give your guests the opportunity to download an app, stay connected to their guide and realize all the benefits of leveraging that platform. So thanks again to Ben and the team at Tor Optima. And then, just as we prepare to introduce our very first guest, the CMO of Globus.
Speaker 2:I just wanted to also highlight that over the last couple of weeks we've kindly been featured on a couple of other podcasts. Jelani featured us on Pay Me In Plane Tickets, which is a great podcast. I had the real pleasure to be on his show just recently, so definitely check that out. And then the team at Transfer Travel as well. They are a really cool business out of the UK and they have started a podcast, like a number of our partners and sponsors, and all of those will be listed on our Friends of Travel Trends page, which you can find at traveltrendspodcastcom slash resources.
Speaker 2:And then the last thing is I remain super active in this space and, if you want to learn more information about the brands that I work with, like global journeys or impulse travel, I'm also now an advisor with we road, which is going to be one of the fastest brands to get to a billion dollars in sales. They literally went from 10 million to 100 million in four years and I'm convinced that they'll be the next billion dollar brand, because, guess what? They haven't even launched in the USA, canada, australia, yet they don't offer their trips through trade partners and all of those things that we're working on. So there are many exciting developments in this space. Global Journeys, interestingly enough, who I've been working with over the last year Cam Georgie, mike Geza and the team has built an office here in Toronto. We renovated the space, we hired the team, we got all of the contracts worked out and now they are live and their team of 12 amazing travel advisors have just passed their probationary period. So congrats to all of you and I look forward to that team going from strength to strength. And, very interestingly, all four of these brands are now available to be booked on globaljourneyscom in the USA and Canada as they continue their global expansion. So that gives you an idea about what's happening in this space.
Speaker 2:But you're going to learn so much more as you listen to each of these four episodes. And we'll kick things off now by introducing the CMO and again, my background is also marketing Introducing the CMO and again, my background is also marketing. So I was actually very keen to have the CMO of Globus on this first podcast, and the reason for that is quite simply that I think that, most importantly, multi-day tour companies and guided travel brands have a difficulty in communicating their message. Almost all of these brands offer an incredible in-destination experience with fantastic guides and that ultimately lead to life-changing experiences. You come back impacted from these trips. It's very different than other styles of travel, which is why that we're seeing that people love guided travel and are very loyal to this space, and they will travel with different guided travel brands.
Speaker 2:So I was really keen to get a sense of what Globus is all about as a business, but specifically to ask Steve Bourne, their CMO, about how they successfully message a legacy brand and make it relevant and contemporary. Because I've spent a lot of time in that space, I was keen to ask him a number of questions. So I hope you enjoy this conversation with Steve. I'm thrilled to have you on Travel Trends. As we talk about touring, I couldn't be more pleased to have someone with more than 20 years experience at Globus, globus being such an important part of the coaching and touring category that we're going to get into. So welcome, steve. Thanks a lot for joining us.
Speaker 1:Thanks for having me, Dan. I'm excited to talk about touring with you.
Speaker 2:For sure, and I think we can help demystify some of the negative perceptions about touring the things that we know, being inside this industry for many years. And for me, I actually don't know a lot about Globus, so I'm actually very keen. Oh, I know as much as I know from the outside, looking in, but obviously you've been with this company for 24 years. So before we get into Globus, let's just give everyone a bit of background, steve, your background in tourism.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, it started in kind of an interesting way, globus was a client of mine back in the old days I worked for an advertising agency and they were a client, the one client that I always loved that, like a good tour operator, they always had their act together, they always had, you know, plans formulated. They were very um, organized and structured. And so, um, my current boss, um our CEO, scott Nisbet he was my client recruited me over and when I joined I said, yeah, I'll, I'll try this out. You know, maybe I'm good for about three years and we'll see how it goes. And that was 24 years ago, so I think it worked out.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I would say so, and I guess this is where I'm intrigued, actually to know what attracted you to guided touring. So I get that Globus was a client and obviously then you got a better understanding of their business and what they offered, including. It's changed a lot in that time but, yes, what I guess specifically appealed to you about guided touring as a travel business? What excited you?
Speaker 1:to actually jump on board with Globus in the first place. Well, I think it's really related to the idea that touring is still, for some reason, kind of the best kept secret in travel, which is really weird because it's a much bigger category than ocean cruising as a standalone. It's a huge category and a big chunk of what we do and recognition, awareness and potential opportunity you know for for what we do, and so it was that gap.
Speaker 1:You know how intriguing and fun as a marketer to see a need to know that you have a product that fits the need and you need to get it in front of folks and fill that gap, and so that was really. That was the mission behind joining, and that's what's kept me there alive and kicking for 24 years.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's amazing. I mean, I was at the Travel Corporation for a decade and I expected maybe I'd be there for three or four years and clearly we were in a competitive space with Trafalgar, globus, cost Saver, cosmos, and so this is why I'm so intrigued to have this conversation with you, because I know what I know from the outside, looking in. But I'm sure many of our listeners are wrapping their head around Globus for the very first time, so I want to bring everyone along in this journey. And certainly it is one of the most recognized names in guided touring. But tell us the backstory of Globus and how this company came to be.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, it's a great story. I always love talking about this story because it is true, it's not just legend. It started, dan, with a rowboat in Lugano, switzerland, this beautiful scenic lake community on the southern border of Switzerland, and our founder, antonio Matagazza, had a rowboat on the lake, and what he did is he transported local tourists via the rowboat around the lake, and that blossomed into buying coaches first ever. And that blossomed into, you know, regional tours first ever. And that blossomed into you know, regional tours. And basically, it's the core of what we do today, is what he did back then in 1928, which is, no, you know, have expertise of a destination and find a way to bring that to life for travelers. So starting with a rowboat and then expanding to where we are today is it's our history and it's still true. It's still a vital part of what makes a tour today is that idea of showing travelers the place that you know and love best.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, I appreciate that backstory. I wasn't familiar with that origin story, but I certainly you know, know the family of brands as Globus is known for, which is, uh, of course, globus itself. You've got uh, cosmos, and you also have Avalon. You also have river cruising as well. So tell us a little bit about you know, I guess, and you've got trips like on six continents, 70 countries, like it's a, it's truly a global business. Tell us a little bit more, if you wouldn't mind, just about that journey, about where it started with some of those first organized tours, and how it's evolved into, you know, the global company it is today, right?
Speaker 1:So you know, over a hundred years there's been a lot that has changed. You know, like I mentioned, the core of what we do is the same, but the form of how we do it has really transformed and I think Antonio would be really surprised and proud about where it's gone since that origin. So Globus is the first class touring brand and was the origin back in 1928 of the product and evolved and grew.
Speaker 1:origin back in 1928 of the product and evolved and grew. If you kind of think about the car industry and how it would have changed from 1928 to today, the core of what it does is essentially the same to provide that transportation. But how it's shaped has evolved tremendously and that's really the same for us and for the Globus family of brands.
Speaker 1:So Globus being the benchmark brand for first-class touring, and then Cosmos joined in the 60s and Cosmos presented really the same structure as Globus, but as more of a value package. So if you think about the difference between the two, it would really be hotel standard and price point on that. But essentially what we do between the two brands is the same and bring chosen destination to life. And then fast forward to 2004, and we entered the river cruise business.
Speaker 1:And that's Avalon Waterways. And at the time, and that's Avalon Waterways. And at the time river cruising existed and was doing well from the US market, but it was very traditional and was basically one type of river cruising and we entered the market to clearly become the alternative to what the traditional river cruise was and that's really the standard that we hold today.
Speaker 1:It's the alternative brand to the more traditional sort of river cruise that just has more to it Bigger spaces, the hardware is structured in a unique way where the beds face the view and it's designed for the inside out and then just blow out of the water.
Speaker 1:The idea of the shore excursions so instead of one size fits all shore excursion every time the ship stops and you dock, then there's a choice of types of excursions which really connects to our land experience on Globus.
Speaker 1:So that was part of the motivation by getting into river cruising is that we had this land expertise, which is really the key to what a river cruise is is that interaction between the river and the port and the destination you're at. So we were uniquely qualified to get into that space and it has. You know, 20 years later it's grown and become a real challenger brand for the traditional river cruise. So and then along the way on this journey, you know, over 97 years we've I different styles and ways to tour, and so that's really something that the Globus family of brands is known for is just the scope and the range that you know. If travel advisors or travelers are thinking about any form of what we do as an escorted tour, river cruise. Chances are they'll find it with us and you know, to become that resource for them to explore in the way that they want to.
Speaker 2:That's great. I appreciate giving us that overview. It's fascinating to see how guided touring brands have partnered or acquired or kind of grown into river cruising and just how many travelers today are doing a combination of both a week on a river cruise and a week on a guided tour. And clearly what you said is absolutely spot on where people who know how to organize guided tour itineraries are very well suited for those shore excursions and they go so well together. And I guess that's where, going back to where this company started and you mentioned something about Globus, which is first class tours, and I think that for me, over the many years of being in this space with G Adventures, working with Bruce and then certainly with the Tolman family at the Travel Corporation and Stanley specifically, something that he drilled into myself and many executives in the company was your unique selling propositions and being able to sell the difference of what is a Trafalgar or an Insight or, in their case, a Uniworld.
Speaker 2:And so I'm really keen to ask you essentially the same thing about Globus, because what I'm very keen to understand and what you're uniquely qualified to answer as the CMO of Globus over the number of years that you've been with the company is really what makes it unique in guided touring. I know people love traveling with Globus, and obviously you guys are. You started in Switzerland. It's a great global company. I know people that work in the organization and I have a great respect and affinity for Globus. And so tell us, if you wouldn't mind, steve, what, in your view, really sets Globus apart from all the other guided touring companies that are out there in the market. Yeah, yeah, dan, there's a right brain answer to that question.
Speaker 1:and there's a left brain, so the right brain, the logical one, is a word more.
Speaker 1:And that is when you take a Globus tour and you go to your destination and you experience it, you're just simply going to get more out of it than you would in any other form of travel, and so that includes, you know, compared to different types of tours and what we do, where we really pride ourself on. When you're there, you're going to see the best of what you went there for, the iconic, as well as the things that you never knew existed and the stories that you never knew occurred. You're just going to get more out of it, and you know we can, as we talk, we can get into more examples of what that means. The left brain answer to that, though, is how we do it, and that it sounds a little trite, but it's the word care, and it is, at every decision point, doing the right thing for the traveler. In fact, our mantra internally is we create happy guests, and that drives us.
Speaker 1:You know, what is it that, in any one of those areas, in any form of travel that we offer, is going to make that guest experience the best it can be and make them happy and make them know that they got the most out of their trip, and so that's the motivator. That is where we make our, how we make our decisions is. Is this something that is going to matter to the guests and make their travel experience better and make them happier when they're on trip and when they go home. So you have two simple four letter words. More and care.
Speaker 2:No, that's great, and this is where getting your unique perspective, because obviously that's what resonates with you, the team and then the guests that choose to travel Globus. And again, again. I know you have a high repeat rate, so customers come back. I've had multiple family members taking Globus. Actually, catherine, who does all the guesting of the show, and Steve got a chance to meet her just before recording. She highlighted to him that it was actually her first guided tour. She was 18 and she went with her mom to England and Steve was saying, actually, yeah, it's one of our most popular itineraries.
Speaker 2:And so one of the things I would also like you to demystify for a lot of our listeners is the concept of guided touring, because there are so many different terms or nomenclature for this style of travel, and part of it is because companies have been trying to get away from some of the negative stereotypes around guided touring.
Speaker 2:I think the thing is that, from my experience coming up in this space and working with adventure travel brands and working across guided travel brands, is that people have an incredible time when they go and travel on a guided tour and they get to meet people who have similar interests and they get to be social and it is a bonding experience, and so it's not about the value of the holiday by getting on a guided tour. It's actually about the relationships that you make and how it enhances the whole guest experience. We're thinking about guided touring and the industry that Globus is a part of. How would you refer to this category and within that Globus' role, because I'm sure there's a lot of things that you offer that are unique within the category, as opposed to just walking behind someone with a flag, which is exactly what people don't want, and to be herded around?
Speaker 1:It's really interesting about Escorted and what makes the category and the product super unique is that the structure around it is the strongest benefit and leads to the greatest discovery and the wow moments. But the structure around it is also also its biggest barrier. And what a what a unique place to be, where there's an idea and a stereotype before you've experienced it of oh my gosh, okay, so I'm going to be traveling with people I don't know. There's going to be a motor coach. I've been someplace where I've seen this and I think I see what it is and I don't know if I want to do. And I think I see what it is and I don't know if I want to do that. But then you do it and you experience it and you're like holy smokes, why haven't I done this? So that contrast between those two things has really kept me in a job. Frankly, dan, for 24 years, is how to bridge those things.
Speaker 1:If you describe to someone who wanted to experience, really experience a destination, so pick, pick any place, just Ireland, you know, for the sake of this it's like, oh, I've always wanted to go to Ireland, you know, I want to see the things that are Irish, I want to see the major sites. I've seen all the postcards. I want to experience the local culture. I want to do everything I want. I don't want to pay too much. I want it to be a great, deep experience of Ireland and have a week. So the answer to that question.
Speaker 1:There's no way to beat the description of an escorted tour. To make that happen, you're like okay, here's what I'm going to do.
Speaker 1:I'm going to get you there. I'm going to whisk you without any hassle throughout the country, where you don't have to worry about parking logistics, reservations, standing in line. You don't have to worry about schedules, you don't have to worry about what you're going to do when you get there. You don't have to worry about wasting your time. You don't have to worry about paying out of you, don't have to worry about paying out of pocket. I'm going to take you there and, from the moment that you land to every step along the way, I'm going to take care of every worry. So you are going to be floating through Ireland for a week in my care.
Speaker 1:And oh, by the way, while you're there, I'm going to have someone with you who's a Irish person, who loves the country and is your tour director, who's committed to you and your vacation experience.
Speaker 2:Oh, wait a minute.
Speaker 1:I'm going to do more than that and give you that tour director. Everywhere we stop along the way, there's going to be an Irish local guide who, at the destination, is going to help tell that story of the place and bring it to life. And you're going to do it without ever having to stand in line, ever having to reach in your pocket, ever having to pull out a ticket or find one on your phone, with ever having to worry about how long it's going to take to get from here to there. Gosh, you don't even have to worry about parking, you don't have to worry about driving on the wrong side of the road. You don't have to worry about a thing other than be in Ireland and be Irish, and do it with a bunch of fun people who are like-minded, who want to experience that same thing. And oh, by the way, you'll probably make friends along the way, friends along the way.
Speaker 1:So how, dan? How to get to that place and that description. What we need are the pros and the travel agents in between that who are telling that story, who don't just leave it up to you know, people like me, on a podcast like this to tell that story, to say well, here's what your experience is going to be like. Now don't worry about how you know logistics. It's what's that end result of what that week experience in Ireland is going to be. And when you describe it that way to a human like you see the light go on. You're like, oh my gosh, why didn't anyone tell?
Speaker 2:me about this.
Speaker 1:Wait a minute, that's what you do and there's seriously, there's someone with me who can make all that happen and seamless along the way. I don't know. It feels too good to be true and it's just. It's translating that and telling that story to get beyond what those traditional stereotypes are.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, thank you for that. I actually it was nice to hear it from your vantage point and also for you to describe it the way you did in terms of floating. That is ultimately like the experience you want to have as a guest in a destination is that, to your point, everything is taken care of. Everything is taken care of. So the transportation, all the logistics, you know, bags get taken to your room so you can just enjoy your holiday. We'll be right back.
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Speaker 2:And now back to the show In terms of what is unique about Globus, because obviously yourself as the CMO part of obviously, what you're tasked with doing you guys have a great sales team that's out there working with travel advisors, but your role is unique because you have to work on the messaging and I've seen a number of your ads and I really have been impressed with your overall marketing and positioning. And so tell us a little bit about how you actually convey that in terms of actually giving the imagery and showing the in-destination experiences and showing those expert local guides. That and the specific things that you're looking to pull out, because I am very keen to get into how the business has evolved, especially with small groups, because obviously that's another big development for Globus. But yeah, tell us, if you wouldn't mind, how you then communicate that so successfully.
Speaker 1:Well, there's one where I mean the key to any of that communication is making it as simple as possible and, you know, creating a relevance that doesn't require that long explanation that I just gave you, dan, because you've got seven seconds in our world and the fact that we're exposed to 10,000 advertising messages in a given day. It's just got to be super simple. So that super simple word for us is beyond, and when you travel with Globus, it's just going to be beyond the ordinary, beyond what you get by traveling on your own, beyond what you'd get by trying to follow your phone or a guidebook, what you would do if you were with another operator, because we've curated and brought to life wow moments during the tour that you just simply can't walk up to a concierge and replicate. You know they're unique.
Speaker 1:And a lot of tour operators have done a form of that, but they're really rich and deep in a Globus tour. That's something that we really pride ourselves on. So it's that it's telling that story about beyond. That is beyond the things that you, you know, would do on your own to make the experience that destination beyond. And the way we do it is we've got to show it, we've got, you know, we we really put a lot of effort and energy into the showing part not just the telling part, into the showing part, not just the telling part and visuals and video and sharp messages that help tell that story about beyond, not only for us but also to give travel advisors and our selling community a tool to be able to tell that story in a very effective way.
Speaker 2:Yeah, one of the things that I think you do very well, to your credit, is that you actually incorporate travelers and even the motor coach into the imagery, so that people actually have an idea of what they're going to experience.
Speaker 2:So, just on that topic, I would appreciate it if you wouldn't mind giving our listeners, which are many people that work in the travel industry, travel advisors, but also we do have guests or travelers that could certainly potentially take a Globus trip in the future. So I want to make sure that we clarify for our audience what types of travelers are drawn to Globus tours and then, specifically, the sort of demographics that you cater to, because, as you mentioned, you've got quite a few different product offerings. We know we've got this rapidly growing kind of baby boomer audience as they're retiring, and so it'd be helpful, I guess, for your point, steve, because you're marketing to these people. So I'm sure you're figuring out who are those personas, where are they, what is the messaging that's going to resonate with them. But, yeah, take us through the type of guests that are drawn to Globus and some of those demographic or even psychographic details that you're marketing towards.
Speaker 1:Well, what all of our travelers have in common is that they're traveling with a mission. So, as opposed to, you know, a lot of occasions of travel in life are traveling to get away and just relax and unwind. So you could say big ship cruising is a form of that All inclusives, beach stays, things like that. There's a lot of travel that we do throughout our life, that is, you know, the mission is just to unwind and unplug. Touring is really the opposite of that.
Speaker 1:It's you want to get the most out, you want to be as active as possible and engaged as possible and you want to get the most out of your trip. And you're going there because you want to experience the culture and you want to do and that's where you know the word tour is great and I know the industry has come back and forth around that term over the years.
Speaker 2:Like, do we?
Speaker 1:embrace it. You know, do we shy away from it? And we're all in. We're all in on the word tour, because tour is a verb and tour is active and tour is on the go and it's rich. There's a lot that you do and that's the sort of traveler that we're appealing to.
Speaker 1:Demographically they fall 45 plus really, you know, starts at Gen X and then, you know, builds as we get into boomers, and why that is is most often at that occasion in life is that's the time where you can think about travel for you and that's the time that you're not traveling because your kids have a week in June before you know the soccer camps start, where you know you're traveling for them.
Speaker 1:You know, or you know you're traveling for a getaway from work, or you're traveling with the, you know for a different purpose other than what you really want to do. So we really, as humans, we don't really get to travel for us that often, until we get to that moment where like, okay, you know, now it's more about me, now I have more time, I have resources, where I really want to do what I want to do. And that's where that idea of the bucket list comes into play. It's always been thought of as an older person description, like a bucket list, you know, is the thing that I want to do before I leave this earth. But it's really. It's about a form of what do I want to do when it's really about me and what destinations do I want to see and how do I want to do it. Do I want to see and how do I want to do it?
Speaker 1:So demographically it does fall, you know, heavy into baby boomers because they've got, you know, full on that time resource and the money resource and that opportunity to really do it and what we'd like to see is that you don't have to wait to a certain age in order to fulfill that and in bringing that forward into you know, the newer generation of touring, and making sure that it's not exclusive to that moment in life where you think that you've waited long enough and now you can do it. And with a product like Cosmos, where the price points really make it attainable and put that travel within reach, you don't have to wait. You know you can do it as an alternative to a beach getaway even more economical than that so yeah, traditionally, dan, the demographic for touring has been older.
Speaker 1:For us, you know our sweet spot our average would be 60, but there's no reason. The emerging group is really designed for what today's tour is, and that's to make something that you thought was out of reach possible, and the fact that you don't have to wait to do it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, what intrigues me about what you just shared too I mean, one of the things that we've seen is that you know, with Airbnb and some of these styles of travel that people have, basically they have broken down what a guided holiday is and they're now trying to piece it together themselves. They're trying to book a different car rental and it's just all the hassles and aggravations when you have the opportunity to have someone that is fully customized and gives you the opportunity to travel as an insider or can access those hidden gems and those things that may only be known or accessible by virtue of being able to join a guided tour. But I like the fact you also mentioned that it's really immersive and the way you described it being engaged as opposed to just relaxing on a beach or relaxing on a cruise ship. It's one of the things that I love about guided touring, and our kids have grown up on guided tours because you can pack so much into a holiday. You can do Chile, argentina and Brazil in two weeks and be able to see all the highlights and have the internal flights sorted out and be traveling with a group that you develop a bond with and people that you stay in touch with.
Speaker 2:So yeah, I'm obviously you're preaching to the converted with me, and that's why I wanted to have this open conversation with you, to hear it from your vantage point. The other thing I wanted to ask you too, steve when I think of a group of people traveling on a Globus trip, clearly it's an international audience. You've talked about the Swiss roots. Clearly, the US is one of your largest markets and the focus is English language tours. But when you think of the different itineraries that you offer, can you kind of describe for us where in the world the guests are from and where you're seeing growth in different markets?
Speaker 1:So what the group traveling would typically look like would be about 60 to 70 percent American and then a heavy dose of Australia, new Zealand, uk and Canada. And what a diverse that you know. If you think about that group, you know that's a pretty fun group and but the common denominator is it's all English language and you know it's all delivered to in that perspective and you know, all catered to everything dedicated to just that group, as opposed to piecemealing it across different suppliers along the way. You're with one tour director and you're with our own curated local guides throughout.
Speaker 1:So, and then you know, what they all have in common is just that curiosity and that like-minded approach that they're using this opportunity and this rare occasion in life to get away and really get the most out of the destination. And you're right, dan, that creates a really fun common bond that you can't quite describe until you do it, until you're there and you have that connection. It. Until you're there and you have that connection and you're doing really once in a lifetime things, a lot of times hands-on and experiencing it with other people some you know from other countries sometimes that really it accentuates it and it really puts kind of a neat perspective on something that if you experience on your own would be cool, but when you experience it with other people, it just it adds an element to it. That's a lot of fun.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, and one of the things this is where there was this concept of kind of larger group tours and then small group and some of the more innovative companies, obviously, globus being one of them, collette being another.
Speaker 2:It's interesting that small group has become an emerging opportunity.
Speaker 2:It was there before the pandemic, but post-pandemic a lot of people were you have a slightly smaller group, and so this is where I'm really keen to understand where Globus is headed, because I know this is one of the major developments is these small group discovery tours.
Speaker 2:And so, if you can help us kind of, I guess, understand how that has come to be, because clearly there's still going to be a market for, like, the full coach and, as you already mentioned, obviously you've got Globus, you have Cosmos, which gives obviously more flexibility, given there's not as many inclusions and, at least from my understanding it might be, the hotels may not be as centrally located, but there's other ways to kind of like keep the cost lower but give people flexibility, and there's a lot of people that are very affluent, um, that travel on a Cosmos or, and so it's. It's not necessarily just because they're looking for better value, they're actually looking for the flexibility that come with those itineraries. So, um, so tell us how, how you guys with those two strong brands, how you decided to kind of segue into the small group discovery tour. So yeah, tell us a little bit, I guess, how that all came about.
Speaker 1:Yeah Well, small group tours had existed for 10, 15 years and it was very much a niche and it was very much luxury, because the price point associated with operating what we do for a smaller group in some cases can be considered pretty exclusive. But what happened is? It really took off after the pandemic, and this was back, remember, when everything was geared towards fewer human beings, spaced further apart, and that was the thing it was like. For the first time, as a society, we had considered well, wait a minute.
Speaker 1:Yeah, maybe I don't want as many humans around me, not necessarily for the experience but just for that idea of space and you know safety at the time. And so a lot of tour operators like us at that time, coming out of the pandemic then, to capitalize on that short-term need, developed a form of fewer humans and smaller groups. So we did that first with Globus, by any Europe or North America tour you could pick a date. That was a small group version of that itinerary and this was really, you know, like I mentioned, kind of a post-pandemic sort of.
Speaker 2:Thing.
Speaker 1:And you know to see where that went Well, we found that that was extremely popular, beyond our expectations, as a need even though there's a price premium on it that there's a lot of demand for that type of travel, and that then encouraged us to look at a whole new line of product called Small Group Discoveries that we introduced this year for 2025. That was built from the ground up, not a version of an existing itinerary that was operated with fewer people, but really a tour built exclusively around the idea of what is a small group experience and what does that look like. And so that's taken off this year. We're, you know, now beginning, you know, prepping to operate our first of those this month actually, and they've been, you know they've been taking off. We have 51 of those itineraries that we launched for this year in that category and the average size on that is going to be 15, whereas the average size on the standard Globus tour would be about 36. So you can see half the people and double the value, double the experience. So that's kind of the equation on that. So we can talk more, you know a little bit and get into small group and what makes a small group.
Speaker 1:But your question about Cosmos is really a good one too, and that is, you know, one of the drivers for Cosmos is that it is at a lower price.
Speaker 1:It's going to be about, you know, $100 to $120 a day lower price than an average, a typical Globus tour.
Speaker 1:And how we do that is a different standard of hotels. Sometimes the location's a little bit different, but there's going to be more free time to, once we get you there at the destination that you're going to be able to fill it, explore on your own, some with optional excursions and some just want to be on their own, and that's the travel style. It's kind of a lighter version of a tour, so to speak, and a lot of people just prefer that. You know the price is a benefit to that, but they prefer that idea of just a little bit more independence, a little bit more free time, and then they use that value maybe to stretch their wings and get to a destination that otherwise could have been out of reach if they were going on. You know more of the first class version, or they use it to travel more often and they're regulars and you know that there's that secondary benefit to the price point. So it's really kind of a different category of touring that you want a little bit of a different experience and a little bit more independence.
Speaker 2:I'm glad you mentioned the price point because I think that's one of the things that I know it was a key driver to try and message the price to kind of a largely middle-class audience about the value that you could get on a trip, because essentially you wouldn't be able to do all these things on your own, plus you'd have all these hassles and inconveniences, and so there has always been kind of a value-oriented component to a guided tour that someone can actually take 30 or 40 people and package something together.
Speaker 2:That gives you. And so the reason I'm coming back to that question is because when you mentioned about the price point per day, it's an interesting thing that us in the industry have that view of what is the per day cost If it's a seven-day trip, what will the market bear? So if you wouldn't mind just sharing with us, just in terms of approximate, if someone thinks about a Globus trip, what is sort of the typical if it's like a one-week or 10-day itinerary, what would be sort of, I guess, your typical price point for a Globus tour and then a Cosmos tour, if you wouldn't mind, since you mentioned about it's about $100, $150 less per day. So, yeah, what do those look like? Is it $5,000, $7,000, just in broad terms?
Speaker 1:Yeah, so a week tour let's just say it's a popular destination in Europe you'd be looking at for Cosmos probably an average for a week tour of $1,300 per person for the week and for Globus it would probably be about $2,100 per person for that week. I'm being very vague in general because obviously there's going to be range by destination, but that gives you kind of a sense of ballpark with that.
Speaker 2:No, that's great. And then, in terms of the small group, because you mentioned previously and the reason I'm highlighting this to our audience, because many people are working this is where I think the brilliance of the fact that you guys have gone down the path of the small group. A lot of companies have struggled with the business formula because they're so used to trying to fill you know a 52 person coach and they're trying to manage their yield, which is where a lot of the profit comes from. And obviously they're looking at you know the number of seats they've sold as a break even. I think a lot of people when they get into this guided touring business or they're looking at companies to book with and they have this like wait a second, what's a guaranteed departure?
Speaker 2:And they're like wait a second, you can actually book a trip that doesn't go and it's like, right, that's actually right. That's a whole thing for travel agents and partners to wrap their head around is that and you know, most companies are not going to operate at a loss, so you're not going to send out a coach with enough people to break even. So there's always been this formula to try and make sure not only is it going to be break even and then it's green light go, but ideally you want to try and maximize the number of people on the coach as possible, and I think that's, you know, that has been a mission, a mandate for a lot of guided touring companies. However, the counter effect of that is sometimes, you know, it's not the optimum guest experience to have a full coach. It's great for the travel director.
Speaker 2:At certain times I've heard that line that a full coach is a happy coach because it can be lucrative for the travel director. And this is one of those things where it's like trying to balance all of these. So tell us, yeah, if you wouldn't mind. How does the small group then in terms of price point and then in terms of experience? Because when you have 15 people versus 36,. Obviously you're making different choices about transport.
Speaker 1:You know small group discovery in our case is reverse engineered. You touched on it, dan. The typical engineering structure of a tour is you create these efficiencies through the group of you know, and a price point that you just can't do those things if you tried to do them on your own. That's the benefit. So with the small group discovery, really the whole dynamic was flipped on its head where it started, with what are experiences that we haven't been able to bring to life through the larger group, that, with a small group averaging 15, that we can make happen.
Speaker 1:And starting with those, what are those experiences? That maybe it's a space consideration or maybe it's a small family run operation as one of the inclusions that we're offering, that just simply couldn't accommodate a regular schedule of a larger group, but it's perfect for that sweet spot of about 15 travelers. And so, by starting with those at destination, then you build a tour around it and like, okay, what can we do every day of a one-week tour? That is that bespoke, unique experience that you just can't do either on your own, because they don't operate it for individuals, or they just can't accommodate the larger group. And it's that sort of thing that fueled the building of our small group discoveries makes them unique, because most times, what an operator is doing is what we did on our small group departure dates, where they're just operating a regular itinerary with fewer people and the benefit is fewer people with us and small group discoveries.
Speaker 1:Yeah, there are fewer people, but the benefit is really you get to do things you know that you just weren't accessible and and wasn't available now with those things you do lose some of the economies of scale and you've got to price that accordingly. So the price points on small group discoveries it's a premium product, but it's a premium experience too. I mean, you're doing things that are just not possible to get anywhere else, and for us it was just knowing that there's a market either.
Speaker 1:they're past travelers with us and loyal or that they know they're more familiar with the concept and the value of what a small group discovery does and are willing to pay that price point difference. For us, the premium on a small group discovery is going to be about 30% higher than the equivalent on a classic tour. But the good thing about Globus and our range is it's up to you, we don't care. We don't have to just pigeonhole our travelers into a certain style. We have the range that allows them to choose based on their preference and how they want to travel in their price point.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and that's just fascinating. This is exactly the conversation I want to have with you because of the timing of this development, which, again, like having the range and the options, because it's going to clearly keep people coming back, because if that was a pain point or a preference that they were looking for the small group experience you have, that You've got the price point option and you can also package it together with River Cruise, which is literally the next series that we're doing. We're doing the deep dive into guided touring and then we're doing a deep dive into river cruising, so our conversation could almost fall into both. We'll be right back.
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Speaker 1:Well, the bulk of our volume is Europe. That was the heritage and the origin that we talked about at the beginning of our conversation, dan, and still is. The vast majority of our volume is in Europe, but the vast majority of our product is actually outside of Europe, and I mentioned that we travel to six continents and we've got every continent covered, and a lot of the development and actually doing very well in a year like this is that the non-Europe destinations and over time, especially with the emerging Gen X market moving into touring, there's growing appeal for destinations that have a heavy barrier to entry, which would be more of the exotic destinations.
Speaker 1:So any place that has a language, culture or logistics barrier, or all three of them, it's going to make more sense for someone to jump into going to that destination escorted because it's risk-free, they get everything, they don't have to worry about jumping those barriers. So it's also that's why we made sure that in development of small group discoveries, that with 51 tours I believe it's nine of the 51 that are Europe and then the others are all outside- of.
Speaker 1:Europe, so it's got the globe covered in that. And if you look at our product portfolio, you'll find that we've just got an amazing range outside of Europe, in these other destinations too, and those really have short-term and long-term potential, you know, because of the benefit of you get to discover this amazing kind of once-in-a-lifetime destination, but to do it in a way where it's guaranteed that you're going to get the experience you want. And it's a little bit too intimidating to try to do it on your own.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, and there's a little bit too intimidating to try to do it on your own, yeah, yeah, and there's a couple other things I want to ask you about the operations side, like the types of accommodations and then also this idea of hidden gems or what experience you can offer that are exclusive. So I appreciate you setting the stage for us, kind of with the travel styles and the different destinations. But then if we dive into any of the brands and I guess specifically I'm very keen on the small group in particular, because when someone books a guided tour and you know this as well as anybody the first thing they want to figure out is who else is going. So they'll jump on a bulletin board forum, which many of the guided tour brands would have, that people would put their hand up and say I'm going to Cambodia on these dates. Who else is on my trips? They want to meet other people and connect with other people and obviously that trend is only accelerated with solo travelers, more and more solo travelers choosing to travel with groups.
Speaker 2:The other thing that people do right away as you well know that I've seen countless times they want to know where they're staying, they want to go and check out what hotel it is, they go read the TripAdvisor review and sometimes tour operators, as you know, will actually hold back that information because they're still working out the exact venues.
Speaker 2:But this is something that is more and more important to people is they want to know where they're staying, they want to know what the accommodation is like and with these small group itineraries, it does open up more opportunities. As you said, you've built these from the ground up, which I think is a far more compelling and sophisticated way to go about this, as opposed to stripping down one of your existing itineraries to try and make it work for a small group, because a small group can now fit into a boutique hotel or there's different options available to them. So let's talk about accommodation. So these play an important role. So what does accommodation look like across the brands and, specifically, what are you able now to do that's unique with Discovery Tours in that regard?
Speaker 1:Yeah, accommodations for us are about the ease, the experience, the standard, the amenities, about it just making for a very comfortable experience of your destination, no matter what your price point, and also so on the global side, it's also going to include location as a key component as well for cosmos. The description of the location would be more conveniently located where, if it happens to be not in a you know quote unquote, I just use air quotes for your listeners out there.
Speaker 1:Um, that would be you know, accessible to um you know transportation or accessible to the city center, whereas on globus, more often than not, it would be actually, you know, in the heart of the, the center, which would be a difference depending on your preference and depending on your price point. What's different about it? For small group discovery in terms of accommodations, being more about the ease and the flow of the tour, is accommodations often also can be the experience, and by having this small group and an average size of 15, you can embed accommodations that just can't account. They can't accommodate a regular group size because it's either their inventory or their operation and can't accommodate it on that regular cycle, you know, from March through October, of twice a week departures.
Speaker 1:You know that sort of volume. So there's a whole world of accommodations out there that are those dream hotels, villas, castles, glamping locations. You know all sorts of different kind of overnight experiences that typically tour operators wouldn't be able to access because of their operation. Well, with small group discoveries we can and we can embed. You know a lot of those and in fact almost every itinerary has what we call, you know, that iconic accommodation factor in it, where you're staying at a place.
Speaker 1:That is part of the story and it's going to be, you know, part of the experience, and what you walk away from is it was just a really special couple of nights that you spent in a place that is like a dream come true and you know, I just mentioned a few of those examples and you know, it's really fun to go through the itineraries and to to find those and to say, okay, not only am I going to get these experiences as I go from one place to another, but I'm actually going to stay there and I'm going to soak it up overnight. That's a pretty cool thing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, definitely it is. And here's the other one I'm really keen to ask you as well, because you know, I just came back from Berlin. I was at ITB and actually I did a panel session on hidden gems. I was at ITB and actually I did a panel session on hidden gems and I had the CEO of WeRoad on the panel and also the CEO of DMC from Columbia and South African Tourism, the CEO and chief growth officer from With Locals. It was a really fantastic panel, but I got a chance to ask them about how they actually bring these hidden gems to life, which, as far as I'm concerned, is like if experiences are the best part of travel, as Douglas Quimby would say, from arrival, I would say that hidden gems are like the beating heart, and this is the.
Speaker 2:What makes our trip so memorable and so meaningful, and this is one of the things that you guys have clearly given a lot of thought to with the um, the discovery tours, but clearly is is a part of what makes Globus so special to your travelers is that you build in these hidden gem experiences that are exclusive to traveling with Globus, and so I know one of them, when I was looking at the small group itineraries was this after hours poetry, reading William Wordsworth Home, and so that's one I would certainly love to have the opportunity to experience. So I guess what I'm coming to is like how does Globus cultivate those sort of insider connections which I'm sure you, as a marketer, it's gold right, because it's just like these are the things.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so yeah.
Speaker 2:So tell us two things, if you wouldn't mind. How do those come to life, how important are they to the itineraries? And then, how do you message them so that people are aware of how special these experiences are going to be?
Speaker 1:Yeah, they come to life because you're going to an expert in travel. And so for Globus, for example, we have 32 operations offices who have worked for decades, if not generations with the travel community, with our own local guides and with our suppliers in the area.
Speaker 1:And one thing we have is long-term relationships that once we find a partner, it works for both partners, because they're getting the benefit of our loyalty and our partnership and we're getting the benefit of their expertise. So it really is. It's a partnership in the working backwards from the customer and the type of experience we're looking for. And then creativity Say okay. Well, if we go to a venue, how can we go to a venue where it's going to be not just the regular experience? How can we get our guests behind the velvet rope and how can we create something for them that is going to pop and is going to help communicate that idea of, very clearly, that they're getting something as an experience that they couldn't get by going on their own.
Speaker 1:And so we, like all tour operators, you know, we have people that do this for a living and their job is to have fun, right, their job is to explore and curate and be creative with those opportunities. And so it's really it comes down, dan, to just expertise and a vision of the type of experience that, beyond the ordinary, that we want to create for the guests. And that's where the fun happens. Where you go, you know, you read, you go through an itinerary of a destination you're interested in and you just find yourself getting excited and say what I'm going to do that Like really.
Speaker 1:And it's included in the price and it's really fun. And so we, how we communicate that, dan is we call them wow moments. And so we, how we communicate that, dan is we call them wow moments. And on any given tour, you're going to have one or two of those a day.
Speaker 2:So not only are you experiencing the must see sites.
Speaker 1:But you're having these experiences that I can't believe that I'm doing this, and to do it every day, you know, day after day, every time you, you know, get to get to to a new place is really pretty cool. We're also brand the ones that are exclusive to us we brand as local favorites within the itinerary so they're easy to spot. So we do our best to try to call those things out and to bring them forward, and nothing like video and imagery to help capture those moments too. But yeah, we call them wow moments, and and when you're there and experience them, you know that's the word that we want to hear yeah, yeah, and that's really cool.
Speaker 2:That's where you know a traveler can look at an itinerary and this is where, as a marketer, as you know, there's certain things you can let people know they're going to experience and other things. You want to be seeming more spontaneous, that it's like a flourish that happens on the trip, that isn't even on the itinerary, that delivers that wow. And this is one of the things that I think for those people that have not experienced a really wonderful guided tour. They look at an itinerary and some people think they can just do it themselves and they're lacking the opportunity to either, you know, to get early access to a particular venue like the Vatican in Rome or there's all these things that kind of. I had a chance to experience that in Venice, like you have.
Speaker 2:So I know we've talked a lot about product and I think that's obviously key because operational excellence can be everything in terms of the guest experience. But I also do want to ask you a little bit about technology, since you mentioned that you know people taking pictures and like people having their smartphones. I guess this is where you know, as we look at how this category is evolving and start to look at the future. I'm keen to get your take on that. So I guess the question I would like to ask you, steve, is how have you seen technology playing a role in either improving the guided tour experience or adjusting traveler expectations, and how are you factoring that into, whether it's the marketing and the messaging or just in terms of getting people ready for their trip to use their phones to enhance the experience? But, yeah, yeah, how is technology playing a role in the product development or the guest experience at globus?
Speaker 1:well this. This could really be the golden age of touring because of that technology and the access that it gives people to to see and hear about the types of experiences that they get on an escorted tour. You know, escorted I mentioned that the category is bigger, almost double that of ocean cruising but it's made up of a lot of individual smaller operators and no one operator has really grabbed the flag in terms of creating that vision, that consumer demand, because we're, all you know, essentially small businesses. But technology being the bridge, and specifically video, the ability to tell your story through video, outside of broadcast TV now through a screen, and being able to target individuals in a demo through streaming and through social media and through targeting, makes telling that story possible.
Speaker 1:So it's that story, it's not the product, it's not the market. It's the story, dan, about what we've been talking about today is how do you convey that in a visual way? Day is, how do you convey that in a visual way, which is what the technology provides. So I love it. You know it being a tool, particularly as a marketer, to be able to tell that story of what it does has never been more attainable. It's going to get even more attainable as targeting and delivery continues to improve, and so it's really, it's an exciting time to be in the category and to think about the potential and the growth, because before that, the era prior which, you had to go find a brochure and you had to turn, you know which is not a great sales tool.
Speaker 1:Turn to the right page. Take a look at a thumbnail, photo and project from there, where now it can be delivered at your leisure time, you know, via your phone, based on your preferences and based on the destination that you're interested in and personalized to you. So it's, you know, it's that technology, I think, that is going to be the catalyst for the category.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I think that's it excites me, because when you think about AI and some of the tools that are going to be more available to travelers, being able to, you know, just aim your camera and ask what is that Like? It's it also changes the role of the, the travel director, because it's less about history and dates and it's about you know how they can ensure a great guest experience. You can use some of these tools to your advantage to immerse yourself into the destination, but you still have the benefit of being on a guided tour, and so I think I genuinely do think that we are I know it's without hyperbole like a golden age of guided touring, like I think that's actually what we're moving into. It's like it's becoming more relevant than ever, and so both for demographic reasons and changing customer behavior. So I'm keen to get your take with the time we have together.
Speaker 2:I've just got a few more questions, but I want to ask you a bit more about the future and where we're headed and some of the trends. I guess that you're seeing. So, as a marketer, what stands out to you as some of the major travel trends that you're paying attention to in 2025 as it relates to guided touring. You mentioned some of the things actually about streaming and about video, like short form video. I mean I'm sure those are things that you're gravitating towards. But yeah, what are you responding to around consumer trends and making sure the Globus brand remains relevant and in front of those people that are considering this type of travel?
Speaker 1:Yeah, there are two that I would highlight. One is the off the beaten path destinations. And just, you know we alluded to it when we were talking before about the entry point in the next generation into touring is going to be in places that logistically they're less familiar with. And you know, they have a vision, maybe they have an inspiration from social media, but they just don't know how to get there and how to do it. We happen to have a whole tour line between Globus and Cosmos dedicated to that idea, called Undiscovered, that we continue to build, which is an itinerary that you would never think of putting together on your own. You wouldn't Google it, because many of the places you're just you don't know and you're not familiar with. And so how do you get off the beaten path in a way that makes it easy where you're just not laboring? You know it's it's kind of it's counterintuitive to think of getting off the beaten path and being able to do that easily, but a tour operator like us, we can do it.
Speaker 1:Another trend that we're embracing and is going to be a challenge for the category is flexibility. So, as Gen X moves deeper into escorted and is going to be, you know, that next lifeline into the category. A big driver for them is flexibility within the itinerary. So that's a real challenge because traditionally tour operators have loved the expected and they love knowing okay, we're going to do this thing with this many people at this time, and it creates efficiency by creating flexibility.
Speaker 1:It's great for the traveler, but it's a it's a task for the tour operator to say, okay, at this time, this morning of this day, you can do this or that. And then it's a little unpredictable. You know we don't, you know we, we have to. You know, go with the customers as opposed to going to operation. So we're diving headfirst into that idea of how to build flexibility into a tour. We have a series of tours, a style called Choice, where on three days of the week you have your choice of three excursions, three half-day excursions that are completely up to you. So for us we have to plan and curate the three and you get to choose the one that's best for you. So it's that idea of flexibility that's going to be a bigger and bigger part of the tour category moving forward.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's an interesting one, and I'm glad that you actually highlight that as a challenge for the category that flexibility, and you're absolutely right that guests are more than ever looking for their ability to customize, craft their own itineraries, and so I'm glad that you actually raised that. The other thing I wanted to ask you, too, is in terms of destinations, and we've talked a bit about Europe and some of the new destinations with the small group discoveries, but I'm also genuinely curious to get your take on this, because you highlighted the source markets, and then, when we think about the destinations, I always struggle because with this idea that people do want new and emerging destinations but at the same time, if you've never been to Italy, you're going to go to Italy, right? And I was speaking to a family member over the Christmas holidays and I was shocked They'd never been to Europe and they were like they still want to go to Italy and I'm three steps ahead of in terms of destinations they could go to. And so you're going to have your core destinations. They're still going to remain important, but in terms of specific destinations that you think will gain popularity in the coming years, I'm very bullish on Colombia, for example.
Speaker 2:I just was there a few months ago and I just you see a certain destination at a stage of development and it's not overcrowded and it's so incredibly affordable, it's beautiful and the people are lovely and it's safe, and you're just like, oh my God, now's the time to go to Colombia. What are the destinations? I guess that you feel like that that applies to. So what specific destinations, or even some of the tours that you offer, that you think are actually going to gain the most popularity in the coming years?
Speaker 1:Yeah, the emerging destinations for us, one you know comes to my rest top of my head is Portugal. It's been an emerging destination, I think, for a lot of us, for maybe even before the pandemic, but it's still yet to truly be a primary, considered, kind of a mainstream destination. It has so much to offer and so much to it that it continues to grow year over year. Eastern and Northern Europe very much so.
Speaker 1:Middle East, in particular Turkey, jordan, and in Asia you know we're seeing it this year with a lot of pent-up demand, even still, following the pandemic, is certain Asian destinations like Japan are off the charts, off the charts. So I think what we're going to see is that the periphery around Western Europe is going to, you know, continue to expand and those regions you know around, you know, the center of Europe, that we're going to continue to see more popularity, we're going to see a higher degree of shoulder and winter shoulder season and winter touring and that's going to be, you know, conducive to some of those destinations as well. So, yeah, to answer your question, I think those would be, those would be some countries, and of course you know you mentioned Columbia and you Columbia and certain South American destinations that are accessible too, but provide such a different view of our world and are perfect for an escorted tour. So yeah, dan, those would be some that would pop into my mind at the top of my head.
Speaker 2:What is your personal next travel destination? I know you travel a lot for work, but either the itinerary you're most excited about taking or what specific destination is coming up for you and your personal travels in 2025?.
Speaker 1:Well, I mean, it's kind of cheating because it is work, but I'm going to Bordeaux next week. We're introducing a new Avalon River Cruise itinerary there, but it's work and it's not. It's still a cruise, so I'm gonna, I'm gonna count that one too. My wife, mel and I have a list as long as our arms. I mean, oh my gosh, we just every week, we we add one to it. But I'd say the top of the list would be Japan and Turkey, as far as you know, getting a little bit out of my comfort zone and you know, using a tour, like we said, to stretch our limits a little bit. So, yeah, those would be, those would be on my list.
Speaker 2:No thanks for that. France is always a great idea. I was just there recently and I'm so looking forward to going back, so, and this is where Europe can consistently deliver. So, steve, I've so thoroughly enjoyed our conversation I could talk to you a lot longer and hopefully we'll have the opportunity to connect again.
Speaker 1:Let's do it again. Let's do it again, exactly, we'll do the part two.
Speaker 2:We'll do part two river cruises or next season, but yeah, I know it's a pleasure to meet you. I thank you for making the time. I just want to make sure, as we wrap up here, that if many of our listeners I don't want to get in touch with you or Globus, where would you point them to for more information?
Speaker 1:Yeah, so LinkedIn is a way to do it. You can also find me through the Globusjourneyscom website in our media room, you know. Provide a link there, easy to find and happy to connect with anyone.
Speaker 2:That's great. Thank you, steve, and for all of those following at home, it's Globus Journeys is the main website dot com, but it'll redirect to wherever you're based and I definitely encourage you to check out all they have to offer, because they are a leader in this space for a reason, and you've heard that all from Steve here today, the CMO of Globus. So thank you again, steve, for joining us and look forward to keeping in touch, and I'm sure many people will be reaching out because there was so much valuable information here shared. So thank you again, steve. Sounds great. Thanks, dan. Thanks so much for joining us on this latest episode of Travel Trends. I hope you enjoyed the first episode of our guided touring series brought to you in partnership with our friends at touroptimacom. Definitely make sure that you check out their offering. If you're a day tour or multi day tour provider, they have the perfect white label technology for your guides to stay connected to your guests and to make sure they have an amazing experience and they give you great reviews and they come back and book again. And so check out all the details about their white label app at TorOptimacom and if you want a demo, just email Ben at TorOptimacom and he'll come back to you very quickly to set that up and who knows, maybe the Globus team will be using that next. But thanks again to Steve for joining us and for sharing the Globus story and for all of your information about how you market and message the brand. I found that really interesting and I just wanted to say hello to all my friends and colleagues that are working in Globus as a brand. Now I just wanted to acknowledge each of you, because those of us who work in this space have worked across many different brands and I'm a big believer in the blue ocean strategy that there is an opportunity here for all of us rather than focus on the red ocean competitive space. And so hello to all my friends at Globus.
Speaker 2:And then next week we're going to feature one of our title sponsors, colette, and this one is particularly special for me because I got to speak to the CEO, jacqueline, and it was a really special conversation because it is a family owned business and she has taken over the helm. I got to know her husband, christian, in the last couple of years he's become a big fan of the podcast and he kindly decided to sponsor season five, and Christian was actually originally going to be the guest, but I asked if Jacqueline would be interested and she kindly and thankfully put her hand up to participate. And I'm thrilled that she did. And you'll hear why next week. Because it's amazing to get the family story and her journey growing up in the business and to now lead this amazing global company. So look forward to that next week.
Speaker 2:And just on a personal note, my father-in-law just booked his first Colette trip last week. It was his 75th birthday. We lost my mother-in-law sadly a couple of years ago to cancer and he has been committed to continue to doing the trips that they wanted to do together. And on his 75th birthday the team from collect called and he's now booked to go to japan in september and I'm absolutely thrilled about that for him and certainly my wife and the rest of the family is as well. So that's a special connection for me in terms of the multi-day tour category in this space and just how important and meaningful it is. So thanks again to the team at colette for making that all happen.
Speaker 2:And then we're going to continue on with two other fascinating conversations. We're going to speak to michael edwards from explore and then we're going to speak to ben hall from at king. So lots to look forward to in this series. Don't forget that we post clips and highlights on all our social channels, so you can find those on Instagram, linkedin and YouTube, and then, of course, we send out a monthly newsletter to round up all the updates from them and highlight our events coming up. So make sure that you register for that at TravelTrendsPodcastcom and ensure, of course, you're subscribed on the streaming platform of your choice to get all the latest episode updates, including some of the spotlight episodes we're going to be rolling out shortly, including one with Ben and the team at Tor Optima. So be on the lookout for those and, until next week, safe travels.
