Secrets of Creating Women-Only Tours

To mark International Women's Day 2016 we're highlighting the role of women working in passenger transport. The story below comes from our american partner The American Bus Association and is written by Linda Edelman of Custom Tours Inc. She highlights some ideas for developing tailored tours for women, but many of the points she raises have universal application .

Women love the idea of getting away with women, be it with their tight circle of friends or as part of a tour that simply consists of other women they can have fun getting to know. Once again, it’s all about the experience: traveling and sharing, and learning something new with a good friend, mother, or daughter are the driving factors. Women love to share new experiences, discuss female topics, and of course have fun! Rejuvenation, bonding with other women, and not having a care in the world, even for 24 hours, are huge.

Here are some helpful hints for getting started:

■ Keep it short until you build trust. You will get all different
age groups/demographics with different work and family
responsibilities.
■ Keep your groups small.
■ Make activities fun.
■ Remember that safety is very important.
■ Create a balance between group and individual activities.
■ Provide new experiences for group members.
■ Market to your past customers and also realize this is an
avenue to attract new clients.
■ Create options for tour members. (That’s mandatory! People
increasingly want choices within group experiences.)

In addition, choosing the right property is key. It must have a bar and should have a spa, workout facility, yoga studio, pool, hot tub, steam room, and boutique shopping nearby (outlets are everywhere these days), golf, hiking trails, biking, and so forth. The more unique, interesting, and playful activities you can offer, the better your chance for success. Why? You’ll attract a more diverse cross section of travelers. If your tour is made up of women who don’t know each other, consider many different types of group activities so that the women can get to know each other in a fun and low-key way. Cooking competitions are one great way to make this happen.

As with any new product, sell at a price point where you do little more than cover expenses at first. Provide an amazing experience, and your clients will help market for you. Women gain strength from other women, because they have a unique curiosity and desire to disengage from societal expectations. Show that your program will allow rehabilitation and rejuvenation of one’s soul and a place for women to come together and expand their spheres and connections with themselves, and you will be on your way to creating the perfect women-only tour experiences!

Read the original article

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