Skift Take
New products like river cruising are taking the focus for Tauck, instead of any attempts reinvent the guided tour experience. Why mess with a classic approach to the vacation experience?
While new technology and customized experiences are du jour in leisure travel right now, some traditional tour operators are sticking to an established formula.
For Tauck, which was founded in 1926 and granted the first U.S. tour operator license in 1933, a focus on enriching experiences hasn't changed.
The company has expanded its river cruise product offerings in recent years, offering a wider variety of educational and athletic experiences for guests. It's also branched off into exotic journeys and small ship cruising, in addition to more differentiated land journeys tied into its brand partnerships with Planet Earth and Ken Burns' films.
Dan Mahar, CEO of Tauck, still thinks that the human element is the most crucial when it comes to designing and executing guided tour vacations that enrich the lives of vacationers. Hand-crafted journeys still have the greatest potential to create unforgettable experiences for travelers, even in a time of unprecedented commoditization in travel.
"We will always have people involved in the experience," said Mahar. "That's a real difference as you try to segment Tauck. We don’t want to sell just entrance fees or hotel rooms, we want to sell complete experiences."
Mahar spoke to Skift about embracing Tauck's roots, the importance of family travel in the tour operator space, and why tour operators like Tauck aren't going to sell their products on online booking sites like Kayak any time soon.
Skift: What sort of trends do you see globally when it comes to the tour experience?
Mahar: There's an arms race occurring in all the hotels, and a lot of the physical infrastructure all around the world. That is all improving, and thankfully it is.
That, I think, is a wonderful opportunity for us all, but at the same tim
