SEEING Taiwanese travellers are now more mature and sophisticated, Zion Tours has pioneered a mini tour concept and its competitors are also quickly latching on to the idea.
Instead of a minimum group size of 15 guests, mini tours start from six people to ensure a departure, and there is no accompanying tour leader. The tour only begins at the destination’s airport, where guests are greeted by local guides.
This new concept is the brainchild of Stephen Wu, Zion Tour’s president. He said that it was hard to draw a big group nowadays due to the rising number of FITs.
Destination-wise, there have been more requests for the longhaul market and so far, there are three different destinations – New Zealand, Alaska in the summer, and Yellowstone from May to September.
Mini tour supervisor of Zion Tours, Samantha Feng said: “What sets it apart from regular tours is the programme. Take the 10-day New Zealand tour as an example. We avoid booking group tour hotels and add attractions that would be limited to small groups such as Amisfield Vineyard.
“It caters to less than six people and provides Maori dancing in a local village. Moreover, we have a three-night stay in Queenstown, a day longer than regular tours as well as a Mandarin-speaking local guide to accompany the group.”
In terms of cost, mini tours will cost travellers about NT$3,000 (US$91) more than a group tour.
Feng added: “As we don’t provide a tour leader, we save a bit on tour costs. Profit-wise, it’s definitely lower than group business but it’s a new concept and our president believes it is a future trend that is worth building up.”
