Long and Short Haul Destinations

12.1    Introduction

If you have had any kind of an interest in travel at all then you are probably going to have heard the terms 'long haul destination' and 'short haul destination'.

Now, clearly this is something that you are going to have to understand and you will also need to know how to deal with various requests from customers in order to give them exactly what they are looking for each and every time. In all honesty, this is the absolute heart of the entire industry as it is from these initial bookings that everything else springs into action from flights to hotels and even airport transfers.

The Basics of Long Haul Destinations

Even if you have previously heard of this term there is still a chance that you will not be entirely familiar with what it really means.

After all, where does it change from short haul into long haul and how does it impact on what the customer is going to experience as a result?It is important to point out that when we discuss long haul destinations it is mainly referring to the duration of the flight itself in order to get there.

There is some debate as to the length of flight that is required for it to effectively qualify as long haul, but generally speaking, people feel that it refers to approximately 10 hours or more. In other words, if you are flying from the UK, then going to places such as India, Los Angeles, South America, and anything in the lower half of Africa would qualify, as of course would the Far East and Australia.

Indeed, some would refer to Australia and New Zealand as being ultra-long haul simply because of the overall duration that you are in the air.The important thing to remember about long haul destinations is that they tend to be seen as being exotic by many and, of course, the cost of getting there will also often be higher than other options that may be available. This is generally regarded as being the kind of holiday that is a once in a lifetime thing and that does put pressure on you as the individual that is dealing with people who are seeking to go on their dream holiday.

It is important for us to look at why people want to be in the air for such an extended period of time as this will help you to understand the entire long haul market.

Long haul destinations are a favourite for special occasions.

There is a reason why so many people look at long haul destinations when it comes to a special occasion such as their honeymoon and it is all to do with that feeling of it being exotic. Think of it this way, people from the UK would easily see the Seychelles as being exotic and romantic and it would qualify as a long haul destination. However, you would certainly view it differently if you stayed in a country that was closer to it.

They are favourite destinations because of the way in which you cannot just go there whenever you feel like it. That of course means that there is more pressure on you to provide them with what they are looking for and to make sure that they have the best time possible.

Long haul is more expensive.

It is clearly going to be the general case that long haul flights are going to be more expensive simply because of the distance travelled. However, it does not automatically mean that everything will be more expensive and that is something that has to be explained to the customer as this is a common misconception. It is instead the case that it is often cheaper than people realise and there are ways in which people are able to use connecting flights in order to reduce the costs, although there has to be an understanding that this means that it takes longer to get there. The key thing is that people are aware that it does not have to cost them as much money as they expected and you have to put that across to them early on.

They tend to look for something special.

People do have this idea that because they are travelling such vast distances that they are looking for something special. It is up to you to make sure that you provide them with this, although it is also often the case that people already know what they are looking for when they are thinking about travelling further afield.

Remember, it is not the price of something that makes it special but rather the place and the experience and that is what you have to attempt to provide to the best of your ability.

It is impossible for us to really go into every aspect of the long haul destination and the key is to remember that flights are generally between 8 and 10 hours long and that people see this kind of trip as being a trip of a lifetime.

FACT

Long-haul holidaymakers are most likely to fall into one of two groups: the first is ABC1 pre-/no family, couples or singles; the second is ABC1 third age couples, particularly in the pre-retirement 55-64 age group.

Source: Mintel.com

12.2    The Basics of Short Haul Destinations

Next we need to look at short haul destinations and to discuss the difference in the market as well as what your customers will generally be looking for.

The short haul market is certainly something that has increased in popularity, especially with city breaks and long weekends where people are quite happy to fly off to get a bit of sun even if it is just for a few days. This does mean that short haul destinations, where we are typically talking about flights up to four hours long, will form the main part of your entire job when you are dealing with arranging holidays or the logistics of getting people to and from their destination.

A short haul destination is one of those places that most people are familiar with. For example, people from the UK travelling to various parts of the Mediterranean or visiting a European city for a long weekend would qualify as a short haul destination. Indeed, this is a market that has managed to stay quite constant throughout the years although a great deal of that is due to its accessibility and the preference to travel via low-cost airlines.

So, what do you need to know about short haul destinations that can help you?

They are often cheaper.

One reason why people like to go and visit these kinds of destinations is because it is often cheaper than the other alternatives. The fact that the budget is lower does mean that people are more likely to act on a spur-of-the-moment thing. In turn, this means that you need to be prepared to deal with people that have not put a lot of thought into the trip and this leads to you having to do a lot of extra work finding out what they would like to experience.

You have more options

Due to the location of the UK it does mean that there are a number of other options out there that you can provide to customers. If you think about it, there is a host of cities that are tourist hotspots mixed in with the ability to go skiing in winter or hit the beach on the Mediterranean in just a few hours. A percentage of people in the UK are quite happy to take a break from the rain and head off for just a few days sunshine and they will do this as a spur-of-the-moment. This range of options should, by rights, make your job easier but only if you pay attention to what they want.

People put less planning into it.

Long haul destinations are often the result of spending months, or perhaps even years, thinking about it, checking out locations, thinking about it more and then actually making a decision. It is no coincidence that those last minute deals tend to focus on short haul holidays as we can react differently, as well as quickly, rather than having to think about injections for strange tropical diseases or anything else.

At this point there is no reason for us to go into details as to the locations and how people get there as there are just far too many options available  for  the  space  provided.  However,  understanding what is behind the way in which people approach these kinds of trips will allow you to put together a plan as to how you can provide them with the exact service that they are looking for in order to suit their needs.

12.3    How to Handle the Requests to Provide What the Customer Wants

So now that you have a better understanding of what the two terms mean we have to look in more detail at the kind of things that you need to be able to deal with so that the customer does indeed get what they want.

Remember, this is something that is vitally important for the entire industry as a happy customer that gets what they are asking for will then spend more money during their trip.

As we are talking about both long and short haul destinations it may lead you to believe that people will want totally different things, but that is not entirely true - although there are going to be some obvious differences.

The main problem is that the world is such a vast place and there are just so many different options out there that you could easily struggle to provide people with what they are looking for. In other words, the absolute key is listening to what they are looking for and then using your knowledge and ability to search in order to provide them with at least something that is as close to what they are looking for as possible.

Keeping that in mind, there are a number of important points to focus on:

Who is going on holiday?

This may seem basic, but there is no doubt that you have to understand who is going on holiday to help narrow down the options that are out there. For example, is it a family-based holiday? If so, then you have to think more carefully about the resorts that they travel to thanks to the activities that they require. Are there young children? Well, does the resort have any child minding or crèche facilities?

This is just one example of why you need to identify the party in question before you are then able to actually deal with their request.

What is their budget?

Aside from being aware of who is going to go on holiday it is also important to be aware of the budget that is available. Clearly this will help you to guide them towards certain flights, locations, hotels, and even the attractions that are going to be available at any given time. There is no point in directing an individual towards a five star hotel if their pockets only stretch as far as three stars. As you could imagine, failing to understand the budget will then make it harder for you to provide the correct service or products.

What are their interests?

Once again, you have to spend some time getting to grips with the interests of the people that are potentially being your customers. For example, are they wanting to party? Do they want to spend time on the beach? Interact with nature? The potential list could go on and on and it all plays a role in determining which location you end up suggesting to your customers. Knowing their interests results in them loving their time at their new destination and, in turn, reflects better on you.

What we are saying at this point is that you need to spend time really listening to your potential customers and to not jump to any conclusions as to what they want from their destination.Remember, they are going to have some kind of a basic idea as to what they are looking for and you need to take that information and run with it.

In order to do this, think about the following points:

Listen and learn.

Do not just go ahead and assume that you know everything connected to a request by a customer. Listen and learn from what they say and then work closely with them to find something that is absolutely suitable.

Do not be afraid to suggest things.

As you are regarded as being the expert it is important that you take the lead and suggest things to the customer, but only when you have listened to what they have had to say. Make suggestions and from their responses you will be able to better ascertain what they are looking for, and can then go out of your way to provide it no matter the service or product that you are offering.

Think on your feet.

Finally, we recommend that you have to be able to think on your feet simply because of the way in which you have to deal with so many changes in what they want or what the customer feels. It is not exactly unknown for an individual to want to visit somewhere in Spain, as an example, but then they end up in Greece. This can often be due to you guiding  them  towards  something  that  is  more suitable to what they are looking for and it is all thanks to your knowledge of what is out there.

12.4    Key Points to Look Out for When Dealing With These Destinations

Finally, we are going to look at the key points that you need to keep in mind whenever you are dealing with any requests regarding these destinations.

Remember, people expect certain things from their flights and the destinations that they are going to and it is up to you to make sure that they are aware of what they are getting themselves into before they go ahead and book.

Do they know how long it is?

This may sound like a basic thing to say, but does the client understand how long the flight is going to be? Some people are now aware that you are basically looking at being in the air for 24 hours when you are going to Australia from the UK and they are then astounded when they land in say Singapore and they are only halfway there.

Making a client aware of what they are going to have to do in order to get to their destination is one of the key things that you have to do when dealing with any destination but especially those that are classed as being long haul.

Are they aware of any travel restrictions?

This is another important area to be taken into consideration as it may be the case that there are various travel restrictions that are in place that can make getting into a country harder than it should be. The problem is that if something goes wrong when the individual is some distance away from home it is harder to rectify things.

For example

If travelling to Australia then they have very strict controls over what can be taken into the country, especially with food, resulting in you being fined a considerable amount of money.

Are they aware of what is there?

You never want a customer to turn up at a destination or resort and be unhappy with what they come across. It is always going to be more beneficial for you to make sure that they are aware of what is there before they complete any booking. At the same time, if you are providing a service then they need to understand what they are paying for in advance because disappointment is not going to help you with your career, especially when customers find that they are not being given the full picture on a regular basis.

Are there any local issues?

This applies more to those individuals that are going to locations that are perhaps a bit out of the ordinary, but it is always going to be beneficial for individuals to understand if there are any local issues that they need to be aware of. By this we mean any particular laws or customs, healthcare facilities, what they are allowed to take into a country or bring out of it, or anything else that is going to have some kind of an impact on how successful or pleasant their trip is going to be. Once again, this comes back to your knowledge and is another example of why you need to spend the time really focusing on certain areas. This is why there are cruise experts, Far East experts and so on.

Being aware of these kinds of issues will not only make you seem more knowledgeable but at the same time it will also help to really make sure that they are prepared for their trip.

MODULE SUMMARY

In this module, we have looked at the difference between long haul and short haul destinations and also the kind of things that you have to keep in mind when you are dealing with any kind of question or request for information from your customers or clients.

These kinds of destinations contribute a substantial amount of money to the entire industry and from these initial bookings you will then find that there is a springboard from which different businesses and companies that are involved in the travel and tourism industry need in order to flourish.

However, in the next module we will look at something that is closer at home as we focus on domestic tourism and looking in particular at the UK market.