The global executive officer of Trafalgar thinks tours are more relevant than ever in an age of travel disruptions

Singapore — Not many travel companies get to boast that they have reached the grand old age of 70 and are still thriving, especially in an industry that is rapidly changing. This global chief executive can proudly say that about Trafalgar, a travel tour company that is part of a family-owned business that includes Contiki, Insight Vacations and Uniworld River Cruise Collection.

Trafalgar’s global CEO, Gavin Tollman, attributes the brand’s ability to stay relevant as the key to navigating these seven decades. “We ensure that we keep the desire to reinvent ourselves from the early days,” said Tollman. “It can be difficult to do so for big successful companies. But I think we can all learn an important lesson from Kodak (the camera giant that missed out on the digital explosion) that past expectations won’t get to the future.”

Tollman, who travels extensively to interact and better understand his customers, also observed that consumers still want to travel even in poor economic times, citing that travel has become “a necessity”. Case in point: Singapore, where Trafalgar has seen healthy demand and growth — it won Sales Office of the Year two years in a row. “We see a lot of interest from travellers here in other parts of Europe such as Scandinavia, Iceland, Spain,” said Tollman.

Q: How has Trafalgar reinvented itself as a tour company in an age of travel disruptions with the likes of home-sharing, technological advances and millennial demands?

A: It’s not about taking a group of passengers on a coach. We see our travellers as individual guests. We invest in the training of our travel directors, and have very experienced and well-regarded travel directors who are local insiders. We hear, for instance, from our Singaporean guests that they want to enrich their experiences and we try to do that for them. For millennials, they’re constantly pushing the boundaries and they want to travel in a simple, easy way. We can do that. As Trafalgar is the largest operator into the Vatican City, we can get our guests VIP entry so they can beat the queues. We have access to the Bramante staircase that is not open to the public that gives a great view of the city. Next year, we’ll be introducing a special dinner session within the Vatican Museum. We also have another brand — CostSaver, for travellers who want value tours while still being able to explore on their own. These are the things we do to appeal to different generations.

Q: Trafalgar has remained an independent, family-run business for the past 70 years. Do you foresee this changing as the industry gets more complex and you need to grow in terms of operations?

A: It will remain very much a family business. We have four generations involved in the company. Travel is our passion—our chairman (Stanley Tollman), who is in his mid 80s, is still every bit as engaged as he was in his 50s. Ultimately, we believe that as long as we listen to our customers, give them unbelievable travel experiences and have financial discipline, we will be fine.

Q: For someone who travels so much, is there a country you have not visited?

A: I travel to six continents yearly so I have yet to go to Antarctica. I do have a bucket list that I try to accomplish. Every year, I tell myself I have to visit a country I have not gone to before. For 2016, it was Myanmar. It was incredible in terms of its people and culture. It was like a spiritual awakening for me. The people I met in Myanmar when I first arrived were very genuine. It was also interesting to take a step back and see how the country is responding to tourism and understanding the potential that the country has when it comes to travel. Next April, I will be going to Vietnam.

Q: What insights have you gained about travelling from all these years of being in the industry and going to so many places?

A: I think the world today has people who are too insular and look out only for themselves. But it is only through travel that we can break down barriers; we understand differences better and what a small world we live in. I received a lovely note from a mother who told me how her son has changed after he went travelling. He was rather withdrawn and didn’t care much for anything, but she saw that he blossomed, opened up and is now more understanding of others after a big trip. I think that’s the kind of impact travel can have. And that is a good thing.