I just lately had an opportunity to speak to Chris Ronneseth of Trek Holidays (see interview preview) who gave me an excellent overview of journey journey, an space of journey I undoubtedly wish to discover earlier than later…
1. Inform us how you bought into the journey journey enterprise.
I grew up round journey. My father, Allan Ronneseth based the corporate in 1972 and with a ardour to see the world another way than the norm, we had the chance to journey to international locations that had been thought of unique at the moment and to some extent nonetheless are at present. Venturing out alone touring whereas attending College I grew to become increasingly passionate concerning the world past North America. With a level in advertising and marketing, I ventured off first to New York and later to Toronto working in gross sales and advertising and marketing for know-how corporations throughout the tech increase. Having discovered the talent of gross sales in an trade exterior of journey however backed with an upbringing rooted in journey journey, I made the development to heading up gross sales in Jap Canada for the household enterprise the place I now present assist to our community of journey brokers throughout Jap Canada in addition to compiling our month-to-month e-newsletter on journey journey tendencies.
2. What international locations have you ever traveled to?
Africa: Namibia, South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, Egypt, Morocco
Europe: UK, Greenland, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria
Asia: Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Hong Kong
South Pacific: Australia, Prepare dinner Islands, Tonga, Fiji
Americas: Canadian Excessive Arctic, USA, Mexico, Jamaica, Cayman Islands,
Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia
3. Please share with us your high three journey recollections of all occasions.
A. Peru -The final descent into Machu Picchu on the famed Inca Path from the Solar Gate after seeing dawn over the location, being the primary to enter the location at dawn and having a sense of peace, concord and robust magic within the air.
B. Vietnam – Travelling the countryside of Vietnam by bike and stumbling upon a hidden and rarely visited Buddhist Monastery leading to a three-hour go to with a younger Buddhist monk studying and understanding one another’s methods.
C. Namibia – Skydiving at sundown at Swakopmund on the coast the place the Atlantic Ocean meets the blood-red sand dunes for so far as the attention can see. One of the vital tranquil moments of my life.
4. What’s journey journey and the way has it advanced over the previous couple of many years?
Journey journey used to imply excessive journey again when the corporate was based within the seventies, it was time when the ‘hippie-trail’ was sizzling and buses used to journey throughout Asia from London to Kathmandu with itineraries that had been largely invented alongside the best way. As we speak it’s concerning the small group expertise and about experiencing a vacation spot moderately than merely seeing it. It’s about participation and understanding of cultures, historical past and customs and with the ability to take that have away as enrichment to your day by day life.
5. Who goes in your journey journey excursions and why? What’s the age, gender, nationality and earnings stage of the those who go in your excursions?
Journey journey is essentially concerning the ardour to do it. For that reason it crosses boundaries of age, gender and earnings for the reason that widespread aim of the vacationers is the expertise no matter their life at house. Nevertheless the biggest demographic for us and crucial progress demographic is the baby-boomers who’ve skilled the normal seashore trip a number of occasions over and now have the time and disposable earnings to journey to extra unique locations. Nationality is usually made up of largely English-speaking nations with the make-up so as of numbers being Brits, Australians, Canadians, New Zealanders, People, some mainland Europe, some Latin American international locations and the odd Asian traveler.
We provide greater than 120 international locations worldwide typically nearly in every single place. Nevertheless international locations at present deemed to be unsafe for journey (eg. Iraq, Afghanistan) aren’t included however we anticipate they are going to be within the years to come back because the scenario stabilizes.
7. What kind of lodging is obtainable?
We provide typically talking something from 2 star funds lodging to six star lodge experiences in Africa and every little thing in between. Nevertheless what’s widespread to all locations we keep is that they have to be clear, comfy, centrally-located and most necessary have character that’s reflective of the vacation spot.
8. How do these excursions work for single travellers? Do you present a travel-mate matching service? What occurs if I choose single lodging?
Our excursions are designed with single travellers in thoughts. The truth is 50% of all our travellers come by themselves. We match individuals up of the identical gender and like age to share and keep away from charging them a complement. If shoppers choose their very own room, we are able to do that on roughly 60% of the excursions, often the extra upmarket ones, however at a fee that’s honest and inexpensive.
9. What about meals?
Relying on the journey we typically embody breakfasts and a few dinners however virtually by no means lunch as many individuals wish to be out at noon making their very own discoveries. Nevertheless when trekking or within the countryside or the place options don’t exist we’ll at all times embody meals.
10. What are the distinctive advantages of journey excursions as in comparison with different forms of journey?
A way of feat, high quality of expertise, touring with a small group of simply ten individuals on common, typically higher worth than comparable bus excursions, camaraderie with people that share a ardour for this sort of journey.
11. What kind of actions are supplied in your excursions?
Sightseeing is a serious a part of each tour however past that we need to embody as many cultural experiences as doable similar to homestays with native households, village visits, and so forth. We even have many elective actions out there such rafting, crusing, jeep safaris, day treks, and so forth.
12. Is there such a factor as journey excursions for households?
We now have excursions constructed particularly for households to journey with different households the place youngsters are age six and up. There’s a giant demographic of ‘late-starter’ households who by no means had youngsters till of their 30s. Many of those individuals traveled with us of their 20s or backpacked independently and now need to give that have to their youngsters. They don’t seem to be fascinated by introducing them to the ‘coca-cola’ tradition pervasive in at present’s society. These have been met with nice success.
13. Please share with us sensible recommendation for somebody who’s by no means tried journey journey.
Security is a way of thinking. Most individuals who elect to not journey to unique locations achieve this due to a worry for his or her security whereas within the vacation spot. For those who heed the recommendation of your tour chief and be sensible virtually any vacation spot on this planet can present a protected, safe and memorable expertise. The place we have now had issues with security it has virtually at all times been a disregard for widespread sense and recommendation. Do not be afraid of experiencing different cultures, you’ll virtually at all times discover that your curiosity would be the greatest information although all of it and that very same curiosity might be reciprocated by the individuals we meet alongside the best way. It’s about studying and understanding different individuals as a lot as they should perceive us. It actually does shrink the world. Our second largest drawback can be dehydration, when touring to sizzling, dry international locations or the place exercise is concerned similar to trekking make sure you drink numerous water!
14. How a lot time do you journey your self today?
Typically 5 or 6 weeks a 12 months. It’s crucial to my gross sales data and expertise and I owe it to my prospects to be the knowledgeable in what we do! All of our staff are given fantastic journey alternatives which matches straight to our firm motto: Professional recommendation from those that have been there!
15. The place are you going subsequent?
I plan this 12 months on escorting a visit again to Egypt in April, to South Africa in Might to expertise a few of our new properties we work with and to hopefully take a facet journey to Mozambique. Later within the 12 months I plan to make my option to Turkey and the Patagonian outside In Chile & Argentina.
Thanks, Chris, for all of your info, and have enjoyable in your journeys!