Q. What is a Group Travel Organiser?

A. Group Travel Organisers are the unsung heroes of the travel industry. A Group Travel Organiser could be anyone who, often voluntarily, takes on the responsibility for deciding on and arranging excursions for groups of like-minded people, for instance work colleagues, activity club members or special interest groups:

Associations, clubs and societies
Corporate social clubs
Church Women’s Guilds & WRIs
Schools & Youth Groups
Special Interest Groups (e.g. Historical societies)
Sports and activity clubs

VisitScotland Expo will benefit from a series of advertisements in various magazines prior to the Fair.

Coach Operators

Exhibitors should be aware that the Coach Operator is not the customer. Coach Operators and their staff are really part of the sales force for the attraction, hotel, resort, etc., and need to be supplied with clear information to use alongside their own services in selling to Group Organisers or to use in formulating an excursion and tour programme - they are the link with the customer. It follows that the majority of Coach Operators at VisitScotland Expo are a potential introduction to more business, and Exhibitors should be willing to show interest in all levels of enquiry, from a single group visit or series booking.

VisitScotland Expo is an opportunity for the Operator to establish personal contact with Hoteliers and Proprietors, etc., to discuss requirements, be updated on established attractions, and be informed of new attractions and facilities. It is vital that Exhibitors know their product well and are prepared to verbally describe it.

Operators need details of charges so that business can be done at the time rather than experiencing delaying tactics such as ‘rates are negotiable’. It is important that those working on the stand can make decisions on rates and availability.

Hotels and Holiday Centres should provide specific details of on-site entertainment for guests and ideas for daytime activity - local scenic tour rotes, places of interest etc. nearby - and be prepared to assist in putting the total package together with imaginative ideas, plus information on the availability of local guides. They should also be able to suggest menus, particularly with a Scottish flavour.

Towns, cities, and ATBs should have specific ideas and planned tour routes to discuss with Coach Operators and must remember to be commercially minded about fees and entrance charges.

EXHIBITORS WHO SAY THEY WILL FOLLOW-UP AN ENQUIRY SHOULD BE SURE TO DO SO!

Items to include on print material for Coach Operators

Full title and postal address
Contact for enquiries and telephone number (with STD code)
Location:
(a) rural sites, e.g. coach entrance signposted off the A9 between Birnam and Dunkeld
(b) town or city - small map
Coach parking facilities or arrangements, and details of charges, if applicable
Opening times and dates
Admission details - define minimum number to quality for concession or group rates
Estimated time to visit the attractions, e.g. 3 - 3+ hours
Facilities available - catering, toilets, gift shop, baby changing etc.
Details of facilities for disabled visitors, especially access if applicable, steps and stairs, particularly on factory visits

Incoming Tour Operators

Many Exhibitors are confused about the role and activities of Incoming Tour Operators - and who can blame them! The one thing that distinguishes Travel Companies in the incoming sector is that there are rarely two alike.

Essentially, Incoming Tour Operators and Ground Handling Agents look after the needs of visitors from overseas to the UK. Some sell their products and services themselves overseas using brochures, Travel Agents etc., and others deal with Wholesalers, Tour Operators and Group Travel Organisers in these overseas countries. It is important when an Incoming Tour Operator or Ground Handling Agent visits your Stand that you discover the basis on which they operate in the overseas market, the countries they serve, and the type of client they try to attract. You will be able to find out which aspects of your product or service are useful to the visitor to your Stand and which are not.

The British Incoming Tour Operators Association (BITOA) and the Scottish Destination Management Association (SDMA) have over 100 active tour operator or ground handling members - from large coach tour operators specialising in tours of the UK and Europe suitable for overseas visitors, to very small companies specialising in a particular field, e.g. tours of stately homes and castles. A range of other members service specific markets - meeting and incentives, youth travel, language schools, educational travel, etc.

Some operators run regular ‘series’ tours, which overseas visitors can book before travelling or once they arrive in Britain. Others organise ‘ad-hoc’ tours of Britain, including their first few nights in London, Glasgow or any other gateway city and then perhaps a customized itinerary or certain parts of Britain, including Scotland, using hire cars or chauffeur-driven limousines.

An enormous range of services are offered by BITOA and SDMA members and, when taken across the whole of their membership, it is unlikely that you will find any gap in the services that Incoming Tour Operators and Ground Handling Agents can offer. Client requests range from the outlandish to the mundane, but all have to be answered by the Incoming Tour Operator or Ground Handling Agent in the UK in order to ensure that our overseas visitors have an enjoyable and trouble-free holiday or visit to this country.

It is important to remember that the Incoming Tour Operators you meet usually deal through a fairly long ‘distribution chain’, often using General Sales Agents and Wholesalers around the world who, in turn, sell through Travel Agents, Tour Operators and to Group Travel Organisers. Therefore, the price you give the Incoming Tour Operator has to be marked up a number of times before it finally reaches the client. So the price you are offering is a key area of discussion!

Incoming tourism to Scotland is a significant industry and the Operators and Ground Handling Agents involved are a wide ranging group of talented experts. They are, in the main, highly approachable and enjoy discussing how your product fits into their needs and those of their clients. Remember, however, that they each have specialist requirements. Do not just present them with the usual mass of publicity, but talk to them in some details about how your product can best meet their needs. Think of them as your sales team.

Finally, it is important to remember that Incoming Tour Operators and Ground Handling Agents face stiff competition in European and world marketplaces from alternative tourist destinations. It is important that we all work together ensuring that the Scottish product succeeds by providing the highest standards of services and value for money. By building close working relationships and understanding between Suppliers, Operators and Ground Handling Agents, All can play a part in ensuring that Scotland continues to be a leading world tourism destination.

Conference Organisers, Meeting Planners and Incentive Planners

The VisitScotland Business Tourism team invites a number of UK, European and US conference organisers, meeting planners and incentive planners to attend VisitScotland Expo and a Business Tourism Workshop on the day following the event. These buyers have particular needs, and you should try to make sure that you have the following on your stand:

At least one person who is fully briefed on the conference and incentive facilities and services available in your region, town or venue.
Full information on back-up requirements, which might be needed - places of interest for special functions, ideas for spouse/partner programme etc.
A good supply of conference and incentive packs on the venues represented, with details on sizes, capacities, room layouts, sample menus etc.
Information on day and 24 hour conference rates.

You can view a list of meeting and incentive travel buyers attending via www.visitscotlandexpo.com. Please note that this list is updating constantly so do keep checking. Use this list - invite appropriate visitors to visit your stand.

Overseas Buyers

VisitScotland’s International Marketing team works to identify key buyers in overseas markets and invites them to attend VisitScotland Expo. They may be operators who already have Scotland in their programme but have potential to increase the number of products they sell, or they may be operators with the potential to programme Scotland for the first time. While the majority of overseas buyers will be Tour Operators, Carriers and Travel Agents can also fall into this category. The programmes they are planning could be destined for sale either to groups or to individual travelers.

Incoming Handling Agents also attend the event as buyers and as Exhibitors. Based in Britain, they promote their expertise in putting together travel arrangements for the overseas consumer, in most cases in conjunction with a Tour Operator. They can be as important to you as the Tour Operators themselves. Take time to visit them on their stands. They will usually be members of the British Incoming Tour Operators Association and/or Scottish Destination Management Association.

The majority of overseas buyers will spend one full day at VisitScotland Expo to carry out the business they have to do and to shop around for new product ideas. Buyers are encouraged to extend their visit in order to experience the Scotland product first hand. VisitScotland organises familiarisation tours pre and post VisitScotland Expo for small groups and for individual buyers. Many choose to undertake an individual buying trip in order to concentrate on particular regions or product areas. This gives them some flexibility to perhaps include you on their itinerary, so bear this in mind during your discussions.

You can view a list of Buyers attending via www.visitscotlandexpo.com. Please note that this list is updating constantly so do keep checking. Use this list - invite appropriate visitors to visit your stand.