October 18th, 2009 | 
Author: A Guided Tour Of New Zealand The Small-Group Travel Paradigm
The guided tour industry became mainstream in the late 1960’s and 70’s with the advent of cheap air travel spurred on the adoption of the Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet. New Zealand as a destination isolated by sea from all of its main markets was particularly affected by this change.
The historical traveler was much more focused on “seeing” rather than “doing or learning”. This in part reflects the relative newness and exotic nature of the world and relative lack of media coverage of its regions. Positioned in the mainstream group tourism had a strong emphasis on cost and the best way to see an exotic location at a reasonable price was to participate in a large guided group travelling on a very predetermined route utilizing large accommodations and activity providers.
This situation has obviously evolved with the explosion of media throughout our lives. Now it is possible very quickly to obtain information on almost any place subject or person you may care to investigate. The modern traveler has moved well beyond a passive “show and tell” mentality and is now looking for a New Zealand travel experience that explores and interacts with a higher level of cultural and ecological aspects of their destination. This is in stark contrast to the demands of bygone travel experiences which were often passive and noninvolving.
There are two elements critical to the provision of an active and interactive travel experience: group size and local knowledge.
In New Zealand apart from a few defined city areas the tourism infrastructure does not allow for large groups. This is particularly apparent in the provision of accommodation which is very limited but is also reflected in many of the nature experiences and adventure activities available. Group size determines where you can visit and what you can do when you are there. Larger travel groups benefit from economies of scale in terms of their overall pricing but the quality of their experience cannot be compared to that enjoyed by a smaller tour group. Local knowledge is also critical in the provision of a truly interactive experience.
Local guides add a level of subtlety and understanding to travel not available through guidebooks or self learning. A guided tour can therefore offer a unique insight into many aspects of the travel destination that would not be available to the casual traveler.
In summary the modern traveler to New Zealand presents new and unique demands to the travel industry. Their desire for quality depth of knowledge and participation in their travel experience can be met by a guided travel format that utilizes a combination of quality knowledgeable guides and a small tour size that preserves the values of uniqueness and subtlety when travelling.
About the writer: David Francis specializes in the inbound tourism sector of the tourism industry in New Zealand. As the founder and owner of Black Sheep Touring Company David has in excess of 15 years experience in providing unique smallgroup travel experiences to guests from around the world. He has accumulated a wealth of knowledge and experience both in what New Zealand offers as a destination and how to best package it into a enthralling but relaxing itinerary.
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