How to find the best tour operator? Travellers considerations and evaluations of Tour Operators' products, services and responses to their intererests and wishes!

Many people are also so busy at work that they simply do not have the time to arrange their own journey, even if they had the desire to do so. Some goes of them goes directly from their office chair straight out to the jungle or in the desert.

Other travelers want to make sure they see the best places and prefer an experienced tour company to provide them with an itinerary of destinations featuring the best places to visit and the leadership of a knowledgeable tour guide.

Activities for unique adventures are diverse as the places around the world. They could be graded by level of difficulty. It could be from easy walking with comfortable accommodation in lodges, to exhausting hiking, challenging climbing, bushwhacking in jungles, crossing of polar areas and with simpler camping.

What to you expect from a tour operator? How to find the best tour operator based on travellers interests and wishes. Some of the most central criteria for considatation and evaluation are:

1. How quick do the respond to travellers requests, and do they understand their interests and wishes
2. How unique or difficult is the travel experience
3. Does the travel experience have a element of an unusual effort, exploration of mysteries, discoveries (tribes, animals, shipswrecks, places etc.) or a special mission
4. Does the tour operator offer professional and qualified guides (with formal education and training in relevant areas)?
5. How long has the tour operatour been in the business for (have they any client references or testiomonials?)
6. Does the company provide safe accommodation and transportation
7. Is the company licensed, bonded and insured
8. How is the safety during the tour (people, animals, nature, political issues, food, water etc.)
9. How is the service and following up
10. How is the management - organisation of the tour
11. How is the tour guide (could be evaluated in many areas)
12. How is the tour operators willingness and ability to respond to your special interests and wishes

Evaluating these criteria is relatively easy. It must be related to the main purpose of the tour.

Adventure and safety goes hand in hand. Probably the most important thing is to find the tour operator with the best guide. If you want to have an unique experience, ask for indigenous guides who know the off beaten tracks, speak the native language and can introduce you safely to the locals. Listen to your guide advice how to adapt to the locals lifestyle and culture, and you will get most out of your stay based on the locals premises.

What is more difficult to evaluate is whether or not the company can provide that "special" experience that will leave you with unique adventures and unforgettable memories. Will it be so strong to the travellers desire to tell your friends and family about your their travel experiences and the tour operator?

Here travellers can ask tour operators for client references. Do they have comments from travellers who have been on their tours in any written form?

Travellers can use a combination of several sources for finding the best tour operator:

• Websites
• Brochures
• Letters
• News articles in media
• E-mail answers
• Answers on phone

Look for the tour operators client references (testimonials in brochures and on websites), presentations with photos of their tour guides (competence profile) and articles about the special topic you are interested in, for example wildlife, indigenous people, ancient wonders etc. The last thing can give you a indication about the staff`s knowlegde in certain areas. Would you for example book a tour from a tour operator if your where special interested in encountering tribes if it had no useful information on its website about this?

Find the best tour operator based on thouroughly research. If you have real ambitions for a unique adventure you shouldn`t pick a randomly one.

Comments from readers are welcomed!

Stein Morten Lund, 2 August 2005

Additional information
Some of the best tour operators Travel Explorations has experienced and will recommand:

(coming list of tour operators: ........)