The travellers’ bragging rights

SINGAPORE — The world is not getting smaller, but access is becoming easier.

That’s why travel companies need to ensure they give their guests an experience to remember, said Gavin Tollman, CEO of Trafalgar Tours.

Tollman said three key variables can make or break a vacation: Insider knowledge of a destination; the ease of travel within said destination; and the choice to do what you want — and how you want it — once you’re there.

“Basically, the difference between travel today and in the past is access — how accessible a destination is to you,” he said. “When you look at escorted tours, you’re taking a whole lot of people to a destination, sometimes rushing through it. But how can we let you see a destination better than if you were travelling on your own? We want to take you below the surface, not just skimming through. Travel enriches you and you get to understand more about the people and why the destination is the way it is. It’s about fun.”

The trick is making sure you have the opportunity to discover the destination the way you would like to at your own pace, Tollman added.

The rise of initiatives such as Airbnb or Trafalgar’s own Be My Guest programme can enable travellers to get the most out of their vacation experience. And Tollman doesn’t see it as competition.

“That’s the thing I’m most excited about — the whole advent of social media,” he said. “Sometimes, the best-kept secrets are just right around the corner, but you won’t know about it unless someone tells you.”

“It’s about bragging rights,” he added. “The biggest change in travel is that it’s no longer just about being able to tick places off your bucket list. Today, people want to understand more and see more of the destination.

“You want to post things you did that others couldn’t do. People go to Paris and take selfies of the Eiffel Tower, but everybody has that shot. What about going to a local’s house? In #trafalgarinsider you see photos that are totally unique and different. In a way, these places are as (exciting) as the iconic sites.”

People posting and sharing their experiences with the entire world on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter is what is generating interest in travel, said Tollman.

“Everybody is being enabled. What others are seeing are bragging rights, you know, ‘wow, I wish I could do that’ — the aspirational side of travel. That’s why it’s even more important now to make sure you come away with something that you always wanted.” Christopher Toh