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
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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.
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