One thing I notice is that there are a lot of tour agencies here. At least this proves that on the average, people are affluent enough to go travelling at least once a year. Travel agencies, despite the competition, are still able to sustain.
Of course, different agencies have different types of specialisation. There are tour agencies that do only Asian tours, there are those that do only Australian tours, and there are also those that do only American or European tours.
Generally, the smaller agencies will do mainly Asia tours, with a bit of Australia. The bigger and more established ones will do tours all around the world (mostly), and the tours will be very well-planned and organised, but the downside is that the rates are more expensive than others.
But one thing I notice is that the itinerary is about the same everywhere. I always thought that to really carve a niche, one should offer something which no one else offers. However, despite the competition, the tour itinerary to the same places are always the same, and the prices are not that competitive as well. It is a wonder how they can still survive.
For instance, if one is planning to tour England, it will be mainly Oxford Street, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London. None offers places like Stonehenge or Anne Hathaway's Cottage at Stratford-Upon-Avon.
If one is planning an Australian tour to Brisbane and the Gold Coast, it will be just Movieworld or Dreamworld. None offers trips to Seaworld or Sunshine Coast.
There are also lack of tours to exotic places like Malta, Peru (of the ruined Inca civilisations), Canary Islands, Fiji, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Mauritius and Seychelles, to name a few.
I feel that to really stand out, the tour agencies should offer movie tours, like the Da Vinci Code trail (which has somehow ended), or the Lord of the Rings New Zealand tour, or the Chronicles of Narnia tour (which incidentally is also filmed on location on the Canterbury Plains in New Zealand), or even the location of Harry Potter's Hogwart's Wizard School.
As it is, if someone hopes to go on any of the tours mentioned, one has to book through a British or New Zealand local tour agency. And that will be much costlier than normal. If local agencies are able to provide this service, then I believe their business will increase twofold at least.
Or perhaps on the average, locals here are just too lacking in culture and adventure that these type of tours will not go down well, and they still prefer normal package tours to go normal places?
Of course, different agencies have different types of specialisation. There are tour agencies that do only Asian tours, there are those that do only Australian tours, and there are also those that do only American or European tours.
Generally, the smaller agencies will do mainly Asia tours, with a bit of Australia. The bigger and more established ones will do tours all around the world (mostly), and the tours will be very well-planned and organised, but the downside is that the rates are more expensive than others.
But one thing I notice is that the itinerary is about the same everywhere. I always thought that to really carve a niche, one should offer something which no one else offers. However, despite the competition, the tour itinerary to the same places are always the same, and the prices are not that competitive as well. It is a wonder how they can still survive.
For instance, if one is planning to tour England, it will be mainly Oxford Street, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London. None offers places like Stonehenge or Anne Hathaway's Cottage at Stratford-Upon-Avon.
If one is planning an Australian tour to Brisbane and the Gold Coast, it will be just Movieworld or Dreamworld. None offers trips to Seaworld or Sunshine Coast.
There are also lack of tours to exotic places like Malta, Peru (of the ruined Inca civilisations), Canary Islands, Fiji, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Mauritius and Seychelles, to name a few.
I feel that to really stand out, the tour agencies should offer movie tours, like the Da Vinci Code trail (which has somehow ended), or the Lord of the Rings New Zealand tour, or the Chronicles of Narnia tour (which incidentally is also filmed on location on the Canterbury Plains in New Zealand), or even the location of Harry Potter's Hogwart's Wizard School.
As it is, if someone hopes to go on any of the tours mentioned, one has to book through a British or New Zealand local tour agency. And that will be much costlier than normal. If local agencies are able to provide this service, then I believe their business will increase twofold at least.
Or perhaps on the average, locals here are just too lacking in culture and adventure that these type of tours will not go down well, and they still prefer normal package tours to go normal places?
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