Group travel turning to more flexible itineraries

More than one quarter of tour operators surveyed recently reported flexible itinerary tours (FIT) as their major growth area this past year, according to the US Tour Operators Association (USTOA).
 

The old images of escorted travel bringing up images of coach buses and fast-food restaurants are stereotypes of the past.
 

“Travelers are growing increasingly sophisticated, eschewing the ‘If it’s Tuesday, it must be Belgium,’ mentality for more flexible, immersive experiences, and more tour companies are starting to pay attention,” writes Marcy MacDonald in travel guru Peters Greenberg’s site.
 

“Operators are overcoming antiquated perceptions," explains John Staphnik, chair of the USTOA.
 

"Boomers seek lifelong learning experiences, so the standard week-on-the-beach or canned coach tour no longer satisfies their need for authentic experience,” said Bruce Poon Tip, founder of GAP Adventures.
 

Culturally immersive companies like GAP Adventures and Intrepid Travel have to rely on flexible itineraries because of their experiential focus.
 

“This is no longer the ‘herding’ experience it once was," said Linda Haydon, product development director for Trafalgar Tours.
 

As part of that trend, travel writer Arthur Frommer predicts the standard 48-passenger motor coach tours will soon be reduced to just 24 passengers.
 

“I sense a growing movement toward an insistence on smaller groups by persons who nevertheless want to travel in an escorted group,” he said. Several companies such as Brendan Vacations have pioneered in this trend.
 

By David Wilkening