Would you be interested/pay for this holiday service?

[Fbcip2023]

Heyyy ☺️

I’ve been toying with the idea of starting a small side business creating adventure-style family travel itineraries - moving away from the typical package holidays and towards more memorable, experience-led trips.

Think: Jungle treks in Borneo, street food in Singapore, and hidden beaches in Thailand - all tailored for kids and based on my own experience traveling with a young family.

Would you pay for an expert to take the 'fear' out of planning a big adventure like this? Or are you happy sticking to the usual travel agents?

I wouldn't book the holiday, but would give hotel recommendations, links and contact numbers for companies/people we know in each area. A holiday pack of what's required for the country you're visiting. An add of of contact while away if you need help or are unsure of anything.

Honest feedback (good or bad!) is very much appreciated! ❤️

Stubborn Mule do this very well

I think if you did do this you need to say that your service is specific to SE Asia and list your experience there as local knowledge is what is attractive.

I nearly paid Stubborn Mule to do a Japan holiday for me but then tnr pandemic came along. I usually do my own plans and enjoy researching stuff myself.

I have paid for downloadable itineraries for road trips/ destinations at times and I will do this if it’s cheap and looks likely to be up to date and useful from their website/ blog. Then I use that as part of making my own plans.

I have paid more in the region of £10 or £20 pounds for a downloadable itinerary/ notes and would not pay £200.

I think unfortunately there’s really good family travel bloggers who give away what you want to charge for. Or travel forums freely share good drivers in Thailand/Sri Lanka.

I feel this is now more the route I should look at rather than individual itineraries. Thank you

There are holiday planners offering that service for free - they get commission from the tour companies.

People say this all the time to us too. I really believe we could hand them it all on a plate, give them every bit of information and they still wouldn't go. I think if you like that kind of holiday (my god I love it) then you aren't scared to source this stuff yourself quite easily.

There already are lots of people who have set up this as a business already - the imaginative traveller for one! And no you don’t get charged for any of that either so it’s not a new idea not one that will make you any money

When I went backpacking in SE Asia with my kids I found loads of great free info online like Travelynnfamily - she provides super detailed info about travelling with kids off the beaten track . I think that’s the sort of thing you’d be in competition with?

Have you considered a different model, op? To me this sounds the sort of thing that would work well as a blog and insta account, and then make your money from advertising and promotion.

It really isn’t anymore. It was 20 years ago when you maybe had one Lonely Planet book, but now we have smart phones, google maps, chatgpt, google translate, trip advisor…

I disagree - if you tell it who is travelling, the ages and any limitations, it adapts the responses.

And that gives you the opposite of 'secret' and 'off the beaten track' etc. No quality checking, dross sourced from a sweep of the most popular websites, no consideration for day/date/time etc - it just regurgitates what are the highest results on the internet.

I have a friend who is a 'Tourist Blue Badge Guide', which is a formal accreditation for tour guides not a parking permit. She spends her seasons with wealthy Americans and a few Europeans showing them the truly secret and hand picked quality experiences around Scotland. From beaches in the Hebrides accessible by private charter boat or 5 mile walks to get there, to private whisky tasting with the master distiller, to deep dives into the ancient historic sites of Orkney or Shetland, or private guided sea eagle watching on Mull. It has taken her years to build up the knowledge for one country, the contacts to deliver such experiences reliably, and the reputation among the wealthy elite who can pay for such experiences. And boy do they pay. And boy does she prepare - a couple of day trip can take the same amount of planning and research, from history and nature to booking the right provider (many of whom are limited on how many people they will take on each year). And she is a Scottish resident, born on an island, and aged 57 with a lifetime of Scottish experiences behind her.

So yes it can be done, but I cannot see how someone who is not resident and utterly immersed in the culture of a place can make such 'personalised' plans.

www.itg.org.uk/becoming-a-guide/our-qualifications/blue-badge

I think it's an excellent idea. I think you will have to research before you set your pricing, making sure you don't sell yourself short. Generally people who are looking for these sorts of holidays with their children are the people who would generally be used to doing this sort of research themselves, as you did. Therefore, you will also need to pitch it at a price that people will be willing to pay to not do it themselves. That said, I hope that didn't sound like I was putting a downer on it because I am one of those people and it's definitely a service that I think I would consider myself. Good luck with it 😊

This is a social media hobby at best.
it is definitely not a service that people need to pay for

I went to a specialist agent for my Borneo trip - would not be interested in a one man band. And I like the researching so if I was not going to use an agent I would just research and book myself.

Reading these replies it may not be viable as a service but maybe something more suited to social media, travel influencer style posts. If you have a following it will still provide income.

This is what travel agents do and googling reviews to work out for ourselves really. Xx

Have you just thought about creating a blog or a website where you give tips, and get some passive income from affiliate links / advertising?

Might be an easier way to get income, and once it's set up requires little maintenance but largely passive income.

I worked in travel for a long time.

This blog idea is good and whilst it’s unlikely to make you a fortune, you will probably get some revenue plus some nice freebies.

I think that you will really struggle to get business insurance for your advice business idea. You’ll be recommending things that you aren’t booking, to families with children. But because you have no contract with the hotel etc, you have no clear line for who is responsible for what in terms of H&s, liability etc.

Also, typically agents, even paid-for ones, make the majority of their income from commission. Most hotels pay 10% for small-players, up to 20% for an automated system that plugs into their own such as booking . Com. So by not doing the bookings, you are only reducing your workload a bit, and also losing the majority of your income.

Last point, for booking any sort of package, including a dynamic one, you need to be fully bonded plus have an atol license if you’re selling flights.

Some influencers do this, so there must be people who would pay for this. IIRC , ‘Raising Voyagers’