Sunday 09 August 2009

My apologies that I have been very tied up recently which is why I haven't had the chance to post much.

Some of you would have seen my recent post regarding the President's Tour which also contained the following update....

We are in the height of the operating season. We have hundreds of tours on the road that require a great deal of attention right now by our operating departments in London and in Europe.

Along with all our marketing teams I am working on 2010 brochures and programming and there is a huge amount to do. It is the same every year and it takes a lot of time but it is worth it when the brochures come out!

I'm also in the middle of moving home from Bermuda to Guernsey. We are relocating our head office so there are boxes everywhere and I'm back and forth across the Atlantic several times a month at the moment. It should be completed by early September and I'm looking forward to settling down for a few weeks before our product launches around the world in October.

I am flying back off to UK and Europe again this week and so will update you with the latest news when I return.

Kind Regards
John Boulding

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Friday 22 May 2009

Dear Readers,

Summer is very much upon us and as I write my blog we have many great tours already on the road around Europe and the USA /Canada.

It seems that life has been very much in the fast lane for everyone. As far as the general mood in the markets is concerned, I have to say it is on the whole extremely positive. Where bookings would normally be dropping off at this time of year we are continuing to see really strong sales. Insight is gaining ground week by week as more and more people decide to travel.

We have just printed our new Winter brochures for the 2009/2010 winter season and are very pleased with the result. Prices are always cheaper than going in the summer months and the program has a great series of tours with an expanded Eastern Mediterranean section. Look out for the great features on Egypt and specially lowered prices on our new deluxe ship on the Nile, the Tosca. I particularly like traveling in Europe at this time of the year too because one avoids the crowds and gets to see scenery that would be hidden behind leafy trees at other times in the year. I remember years back my impressions of Salzburg in Austria changed completely upon viewing the magnificent Leopoldskron Palace unobstructed for the first time. The other advantage of traveling in the winter is that one avoids the queues and there is always and warm and friendly welcome from the locals. It is also a period of Christmas Markets, winter sales in the shops and Gemütlichkeit (def: connotes the notion of belonging, social acceptance, cheerfulness, the absence of anything hectic and the opportunity to spend quality time!).

A personal favourite from the winter program is our ‘Vienna , Prague and Budapest’ tour (which includes Christmas Markets on certain dates). It is a really a great product to explore at this very special time of year.

Our next brochure out is our USA and Canada destination brochure so our North American operations team is currently working to get this brochure ready for publication. We have some good enhancements and, as always, a really great product with the unique benefits of smaller groups, extra leg room, great hotels in desirable locations, and more included sightseeing!!

We have just completed sales meetings in Australia and New Zealand and our USA team are meeting at the beginning of next month. We take a lot of input from Travel Agents during this period based on their customers comments (you guys!) and we use this information to try and find better ways to serve our guests (you guys!). Notwithstanding, the bulletin board remains an equally good source of information too so please keep your valuable comments and dialogue going! It is a valuable read. Thank you.

My best wishes to you all.

Kindest regards,

John

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Tuesday 21st April

It is been a very busy couple of weeks since leaving Austria and returning to London for our Annual pre-season Tour Director's meeting. I enjoyed a couple of days in our London Office and visiting our design studios for discussions on our 2010 brochures, but the highlight of the trip was our Tour Director meetings on the 1st April.

We hosted a Tour Director reception on the 30th March to which the entire Tour Director team were invited. This was a very pleasant evening with drinks and canapés and an opportunity to chit chat to friends and colleagues. It is surprising what comes out at an events like this, including amusing anecdotes from the winter, during which many Tour Directors had been back at home for the off-season. Our meeting proper started on the morning of Wednesday 1st April with a review on 2008 and the forward picture for 2009. We then had an hour long session on our on-tour Mystery Shopper program where we looked at lessons learned and opportunities for the future.

A big part of these meetings is always re-capping new operational procedures for the coming season and especially important part of this for 2009 is the introduction of our line fast track pre-registration. Our Tour Directors reported they are very much looking forward to receiving the information from this new facility as it will help them better prepare for guest's arrival on tour.

The day finished with several key topics on service and standards being conducted by Tour Directors themselves and we closed with an enjoyable drinks session at the venue!

I returned home last week to a flurry of activity associated with the latest air deals that are available in the marketplaces. This is a real busy time of year as all parts of the business are running at peak-operations, sales, marketing, product development and brochure.

As far as business goes, we have seen surprisingly good sales over the last couple of weeks. This is very encouraging as in a normal year business would have already have been slowing down! I think travelers are realizing that this is a pretty good time to go and the indications are that bookings will continue to roll along for sometime yet.

I wish everyone safe travels and look forward to updating you further before to long.

Thanks and regards to everyone.
John Boulding

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Thursday 26th March

Dear All,

I am writing from sunny Austria (at least it is sunny this morning but the last few days have seen almost non-stop rain and snow in equal measure). I’m attending 2010 planning meetings and enjoying the short but good spirited company of colleagues from around the world. We have had intensive discussions about the global economic situation and its effect on tourism but the real focus is on new products and development going forward. We have some exciting things planned for roll-out in October… can’t share yet but I promise they’ll be good!

Actually, the most surprising thing about this trip is that the cities in Europe are really very busy right now. Despite the ‘CNN effect’, visitors are arriving in droves and Vienna, for example, couldn’t be busier. Given that this is truly low-season you would be surprised by just how busy things are in the shops and restaurants. Same with London – jammed full! The value of an escorted tour remains truly exceptional, which is I believe why we are doing well too.

I fly to London tomorrow morning and join the team there for our tour director meetings over the subsequent few days. I’m looking forward to catching up with everyone as this really does signify the ‘start’ of the summer season in Europe. There is plenty to discuss not least the introduction of our new Personal Insights and the expansion of Dine Around.

I believe my visit coincides with the G20 meeting so I suppose London will be a focus for the news hounds over the next few days. Should be interesting!

Best wishes to you all,

John Boulding

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01 March 2009

Hi everyone,

It was very rewarding to hear that the very first departure of our new Treasures of Mexico, which just returned, was a resounding success, even beyond our expectations! Everyone loved the tour and remarked on the outstanding quality and value. Most passengers were repeat guests of Insight and commented it was great to see Insight Vacations coming up with new destinations.

I just attended a consumer travel show in my home town of Hamilton and, funnily enough, I was asked a question was about security in Mexico. I guess it is topical. As is so often the case, incidents about safety get sensationalized then perpetuated in a negative light by the media. Most occurrences reported in the press have been confined to the border cities – very far from the areas we visit. Mexico City does have its share of violence, but like Los Angeles, it is limited to certain areas of the capital and tourists are not targeted. This is where our fine operation comes into play – every single passenger is personally met at the airport on arrival (we have two people doing Meet & Greet as there are two doors at the International Terminal), escorted to their private (and very reputable) transfer service, and taken directly to the hotel. Mexico City has a mixed reputation but with us, no one has to fend for themselves at the airport in a country where they do not speak the language. Throughout the tour, passengers are escorted with a professional crew who are familiar with both with the best sights and local must-sees as well as with the areas to avoid; in Mexico City and throughout. In each city visited, besides the Coach Captain who also assists you, you are in the capable hands of our professional Tour Director and a professional Local Guide (who is intimately familiar with their own town/city). At no time are guests left with any risk of trouble; for example, all meals are included so no-one has to wander alone. Not only do we have great security in place but all the places we visit are delightful small towns with very little crime so security should not be a concern for anyone visiting the country with Insight as we look after our clients very carefully. On this very first tour, reports came back that everyone felt very secure and no-one felt there was any danger anywhere! A great destination!

Back to the travel show, we had over 2000 people attend despite the relatively small size of our town. Over 1,500 brochures were collected and we enjoyed chatting with hundreds of people. It seems that travel is still very much on the agenda for most folk! The only downside for me was that the DJ was positioned opposite the Insight stand – he proceeded to play very loud music for 4 hours. I’m getting deaf anyway as I get older but this add voice loss to my troubles! Oh well, that’s life on the road I guess and if it helps to bring business to Insight by spreading the word then I’m up for it!

I am going over to the East Coast of the USA yet again in early March to visit more travel agents. We have just sent our Oberammergau brochure off to print so we’ll be also introducing that as well as covering off opportunities for travellers to Europe in 2009. I’ll be travelling with Marc (our President over there) and we expect to cover a lot of ground in just three days starting in Philadelphia and culminating in Newark. I’ll report back after that! Other than that this trip and a late March trip to Vienna and London it is nose to the grindstone and preparation for Summer 2009 tour operations and 2010 brochures.

Safe travels and best regards,

John Boulding

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16th February 2009

I’m just back home after a week in London attending pre-season meetings with our operations teams. The main purpose of the trip was to meet and discuss the final arrangements for our Tour Director meetings (to be held in London on April 1st although this is of no significance!). It also gave me a chance to catch up with my daughters (who both live in London) as well as to join in a Canadian radio show on February 14th (by telephone from our London office).

The radio show was a lot of fun. The host, Chris Robinson, was a very chatty guy and we discussed a whole range of topics about travel, Europe and Insight,; as well as fielding questions from listeners by email and telephone. In one segment we were talking about Insight Tour Drivers, 40 seat Tour Coaches and the convenience of being ‘chauffeured’ around Europe instead of driving yourself, when it reminded me to tell the listeners of an old Italian maxim: “If you come across traffic lights in Milan, you should note that they are an instruction. If you arrive at traffic lights in Rome, please understand that they are advisory. But when you see traffic lights in Naples you can rejoice in the fact that they are Christmas decorations!” How true is that!

Our aforementioned TD meeting is our annual ‘gathering of the clans’ and is the occasion when we get-together to brief everyone on the upcoming year and to debate various handling matters, customer service direction, new product areas and so on. This year it will be preceded by dinner and drinks on 31st March, and followed by various training sessions on April 2nd. Not only does the meeting get the season off with a great start but it is very enjoyable to catch up with friends and colleagues.

We have also just put the final Oberammergau arrangements to bed. The brochures will be released next month - in the markets and on the web. This event occurs once every ten years (two world wars excepted) and has done so since the dark ages when the Black Plague ravaged Europe. The entire village becomes part of the huge enterprise of staging several months of performances – each one lasting a whole day. It is one of the most moving and emotional events on the 2010 calendar. We have a video associated with the play – click on the link to view it http://www.insightvacations.com/video-09.html .

2009 remains a fantastic opportunity to visit Europe. Airlines across the Atlantic have recently provided us with great deals for our guests and we are seeing signs of real take-up on air-deal offers in many countries. Whether there is an air-deal or not it is always worth also checking the savings we offer on the inside rear gatefold pages of our brochure – there are some big discounts there that help customers tailor their vacation to best suit their needs – Family Discounts, Twin Share, Group Discounts, Second Tour, Repeat Traveller and so on. And regardless of the additional savings, escorted tours are definitely the best value way to travel around – the savings are huge over going it alone.

My best to you all,

Safe travels,

John



28th January 2009

Dear All,

Well, we live in interesting times! Insight has just completed an audit of sales outlook its major markets and it is clear that not all is doom and gloom, despite media hype to the contrary. The underlying message is that people still want to travel – although they will make much more careful purchase decisions than in the past and are absolutely seeking value. I am hearing several reports from travel agents of Insight attracting new business from otherwise independent travellers who have discovered us in the process of researching the market and recognise the value of an escorted tour and especially of Insight. A number of very good air offers are also starting to surface and these are providing an urgency and impetus. All good stuff J.

London and UK are star performers at the moment. I guess the value of GBP means it sits fairly well in the value camp for many travellers and this undoubtedly adds to the UK’s appeal as a gateway to Europe. The shops are still full of bargains and London is pretty well as cheap as it has ever been. Visit Britain (the tourism organisation) has been making a big deal about Robbie Burns in 2009 – they are ramping up promotions overseas and anticipate a rise in demand as we go into the summer. Robert Burns was the great Scottish poet of course, and his most famous work Auld Lang Syne has become the anthem of New Year celebrations throughout the world.

Homecoming Scotland 2009 embraces over one hundred festivals and events organised throughout the country from Burns Night on the 25th January to St Andrews Day on the 30th November. There will be celebrations of Scottish music and culture, Scottish innovation, golf and whisky, as well as events paying tribute to the life and work of the poet himself. Our tours take in much of the atmosphere surrounding this loose ‘festival’ so make sure to book early. Edinburgh Tattoo is already sold out on many dates!

Other popular destinations for 2009 are undoubtedly Jordan and Egypt – travel there is defying the overall slower market and both are ahead of 2008, so far our biggest year on record!

I’m going to the USA again on Wednesday for a meeting with one of our major partners there – we are looking at some joint initiatives based on the recent drop in transatlantic airfares. I’m then in the UK for the second week of February for a series of brochure and operations meetings.

My motto for these times: Give extra attention to high-integrity behaviour. If you think you're the only one who's a little nervous about a lot of things right now, you're not alone. Recent events have increased feelings of distrust in the ‘norm’ across the world. To set yourself apart both as an individual and as a business, go out of your way to conduct yourself in an especially trustworthy manner. Bend over backwards to be fair. Do all you can to act in your customers' best interest, even if it means referring them to a competitor (if you don't think you're the best choice for what they want). High-integrity actions can hurt a little in the short-term, but payback is remarkably quick and well worth any sacrifice you may have had to make. If you get (or strengthen) a reputation for being trustworthy, that can be the most precious asset of all in the times ahead. I hope and intend that Insight reflects this as an organisation as often as possible.

Hope you have a great week.

John


19th January 2009

Dear BBers,

Happy New Year!

This is my first entry for my online blog which I hope will give you further 'insight' into the day to day activities of Insight Vacations.

We have had a busy Christmas and New Year with many tours on the road in Europe. Winter is always a special time in Europe, especially during the holiday season with the Christmas Markets and festive traditions. I can see on the Photo Gallery that some of you are sharing your winter tour photos, and Europe does looks truly magical in the snow! Something that always struck me about touring in winter (back in my days as a TD) was the fact that so many more sights come into view than do in summer - simply because they are not obscured by leaves.

As Insight is a global company much of my time is spent travelling to our offices around the world. Last week I travelled to the USA to meet with travel agents between New York and Boston. We made 21 visits in three days, plus attended a couple of special training sessions and an industry dinner. All fine and dandy except temperatures were close to Arctic conditions! I can see temperatures in New York were -5c on the weekend and are set to drop further - brrrrr!!!!!!!

Interestingly, despite current times, agents were very busy and sales are picking up dramatically. What is clear is that more and more people are recognising the inherent value of escorted tours and my major thrust when explaining our product is to show how Insight best suits today's traveller. A key focus for me is to discuss the smaller group size and greater comfort with our coach extra legroom, as well as hotel locations and flexibility giving a greater degree of freedom than on normal tours. It is very important to me to meet with our travel partners and keep in touch with their views and feedback as this reflects also what our customers are saying. I very much look forward to my visits.

We have just appointed a new London based creative agency to help design our 2010 brochures. Our brochures really are a team effort with many different people from across the company contributing to ensure we produce a high quality and comprehensive piece. The appointment of a new creative team is an exciting development that will keep Insight ahead of the field with new and fresh designs - although our theme of 'Rediscovering the Golden Age of Travel' remains at the forefront of cover design.

More when I can get to it!

Happy Travels

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