It is not always about how much money you are spending and how much of a saving you can make, (even though this is also one of the points), having your trip aranged via a UK based tour operator provides a range of services that we somehow forget so here are my top 10 reasons for booking your holiday through a UK based tour operator and not directly or, via a computer portal....
1. Your tour operator spends a lot of money each year with licenses ABTA, ATOL and insurances etc and the main reason for doing this is to ensure that you the client are covered in case of financial failure and also to ensure that they follow the rules. Everything is done to ensure that you are provided with all the safeguards.
2. You are governed by UK law in case of any issues with your holiday.
3. Knowledge. Your tour operator should understand your specific requirements and should be able to provide you with the holiday you are after. They know the place you wish to visit like the back of their hand and if they do not, they will tell you and either try to assist as once you have done this job for over 20 years you should be able to apply the same rules as visiting any other place, or they will be able to advise you regarding who to turn to, as the world of the tour operator is a very small world and everyone knows everyone....
4. Advice. They can advise you and ensure that your holiday is perfect by recommending places to go and eat or tours and excursions, what to see in the time you have available .......
5. Once you have paid for your holiday there is nothing else to pay, it is all done. All you need to think about are those extras you may incur. Your tour operator can advise and can let you know how much extra to take with you.
6. The availability of your tour operator. Nowadays it all seems to be a 24-hour business and with the era of whatsapp and of course mobile phones, it ie easy to reach your tour operator. Sometimes it feels like we are on holiday with our clients....."this is me by the pool...!" or this is me in Pompeii....or can you spot me on the gondola"!!!! The beauty of this is that whatever you need, your tour operator is there for you. It is not a question of calling and waiting for hours to get through to the right department and listening to the sound of Mario Lanza while clocking up the minutes, you are through immediately.
7. Your tour operator should be able to arrange things for you... so an upgrade if available, make sure that if it is your honeymoon that you get some freebies, conversing with the suppliers and introducing a human element which is what the holiday industry is all about. It may be that you get car sick so we will speak to our drivers and ensure that they are aware of this so that they can try to make the journey as "comfortable" as possible.
8. Being honest and open about things. It is always best to be quite straightforward with clients so that they know what to expect and do not get into a situation when abroad which leaves a bitter taste in their mouth so it is always best to provide as much information as possible and where possible.
9. The service. Tour operators provide a great service and my favourite part is the travel itinerary which when clients receive this they are truly happy as it provides them with an outline of their trip, details about the place they are staying and general information of the area and what they can and cannot do. These itineraries are often created with the client in mind so for a family holiday with children of a young age, the itinerary will focus on activities for children, while for honeymooners, the focus will be on romance and romantic things to do....
10. Knowing our suppliers. At least 90% of the times, the tour operator knows the supplier, either through past clients, visiting the properties, recommendations from family, friends, associates etc. It is great if you speak your supplier's language and are fully fluent not only with the language but the culture as it allows the tour operator to communicate and get a full understanding and also provide one, again ensuring a faultless holiday.
