Which travel experiences can you offer in low-season? 🍁

[Jo]

TWP is involved in a project that is looking to take school children from different European areas (Spain, Italy and Portugal) and Mauritania on out of season trips that focus on experiences and responsible tourism. I would love to know if any businesses in this network are able or willing to accept school trips of around 10-20 kids, grouped into 2 age ranges of 10-12 and 13-16, and what kinds of activities you think would be suitable and inspirational. We’re looking for activities, accommodations, food and drink providers in particular.

[ambra]

Hi Jo, several companies in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, would love to receive the students groups off season and provide accomodation as well as Community Based Tourism experiences. If you’re interested, email me so we can discuss further and I can put you in direct contact 😉 director@discoverpuertoplata.com

[Adam]

1. What an excellent idea Jo. Very rich in sharing experiences and educative for the students. A sustainable way to ensure the younger generation get to know the significance of preserving the nature, the wildlife and biodiversity. I invite TWP to come to Tanzania which has a variety of favourite tourism sites with rich learning and memorable experiences.Karibu sana.

[Ruth]

Hello Jo ,Engo Tours and Adventures Ltd are willing to do school trips of culture is this your area of interest ?

[Tony]

It is a common trend for several expatriates working in Uganda as volunteers,charity organisations,companies etc to take breaks in between or after their tour of duty.

They usually invite their partners or parents who are seniors having free time as VFR’s(Visiting Friends and Relatives) not conditioned by seasonality. They may take a safari or visit places like Lakes, Source of The Nile because ,cultural sites etc before returning home

[Anne]

Hi @tony-ofungi , very good to see you’ve already identified this new target group for your low-seasons.

What is your strategy to attract them to your business and to have them book their trips with you?

[Tony]

Many times it is through events like rugby ,soccer , biking ,concerts ,charities or unrelated events like conferences or parties where we network and build build rapport 9 out of 10 times you will be introduced to an expatriate by a friend who is interested in a safari .You can even show up wearing a Gorilla branded T shirt or cap depending on the dress code to give away your identity .Luckily I have many friends ,relatives and old school mates who work or are associated with expatriates know me me as the go to safari guy .

[Anne]

Well done on positioning yourself in such a relevant network @tony-ofungi . Do you have any tips for others to identify low season assets, develop low season travel experiences and to attract a relevant target group?

[Immaculate Kemigisha]

The low season the best time for us as a company to do school trips. We want the children to visit places in Uganda when it’s low season since they are always many and that way we are able to get the number of rooms that we want. We also use the low season to promote group trips largely because we need many rooms and low season rates. Most of our group travelers are budget people, so we use the opportunity to have them stay at good lodges/hotels without spending lots of money that is applicable in high season.

[Anne]

Very good to hear you know who to target in low-season and why @Immaculate Kemigisha !

How do you attract larger groups to book with you? What’s different in your communication?

[Austi]

The optimum time for us as a firm to arrange school trips is during the off-peak. Since there are usually many sites to visit in Uganda, we want the kids to go when it’s off-peak so we can get the amount of rooms we need. We also advertise group travel during the off-peak because we require a lot more rooms and can charge less. Since the majority of our group travelers are on a tight budget, we take advantage of the chance to have them stay at respectable lodges or hotels without shelling out a lot of cash during the peak travel season.

[Adam]

• Just thought of having a group of volunteers to come over and enjoy the travel experiences but at the same time volunteer in some community activities. In this way both the community and the visitors gain through sharing knowledge, skills and personal experiences, a perfect win-win situation.

[Anne]

Sounds good Adam! How are you going to attract the right volunteers and make sure they can actually contribute locally?

[Adam]

By promoting activities they are generally intrested in. For example here in Tanzania many volunteers are intrested in projects like climate change or the environment, children rights women empowerment, health etc.

[Tony]

Apologies for late reply – However,my colleagues Austi and Immaculate have ably answered with great tips but there are limitless options in the low season .For families I noticed that it is the wives that are key decision makers as usually husbands always say ‘let me talk to my wife then Ill get back’.

[Anne]

Very interesting to hear this Tony! How do you anticipate on this?

[Tony]

It is case by case because handling family affairs needs abit of patience and luck. Maybe the ladies can help me answer

[Immaculate Kemigisha]

Tony, for Domestic tourists especially families,travel is determined by the wives and children’s preference. If you want to tap into the Ugandan market, design the product to suite children and their mothers. If these two like your product, the husband will not have a problem.

[Tony]

On this I’ll need help from lady colleagues .But family issues can be complicated .You have to be very patient and hope for the best.

[Tony]

Exactly Thanks for your insights