Presenting: Chris Ronneseth – Experience Journey Expert!

I just lately experienced a prospect to converse to Chris Ronneseth of Trek Holiday seasons (see interview preview) who gave me a very good overview of adventure vacation, an place of travel I certainly would like to discover sooner than afterwards…

1. Inform us how you acquired into the journey travel organization.

I grew up about vacation. My father, Allan Ronneseth established the enterprise in 1972 and with a passion to see the planet in a distinctive way than the norm, we had the opportunity to journey to nations around the world that ended up considered unique at that time and to some extent nonetheless are now. Venturing out on my possess touring while attending College I grew to become more and extra passionate about the earth over and above North The us. With a diploma in promoting, I ventured off initially to New York and later to Toronto doing the job in sales and marketing for technological know-how businesses during the tech boom. Possessing uncovered the ability of sales in an field outside of travel but backed with an upbringing rooted in journey journey, I designed the development to heading up gross sales in Jap Canada for the spouse and children business enterprise where I now present guidance to our community of travel agents throughout Jap Canada as very well as compiling our regular monthly newsletter on experience travel tendencies.

2. What international locations have you traveled to?

Africa: Namibia, South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, Egypt, Morocco

Europe: United kingdom, Greenland, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria

Asia: Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Hong Kong

South Pacific: Australia, Cook dinner Islands, Tonga, Fiji

Americas: Canadian Substantial Arctic, United states of america, Mexico, Jamaica, Cayman Islands,

Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia

3. Please share with us your top rated a few vacation reminiscences of all periods.

A. Peru -The last descent into Machu Picchu on the famed Inca Path from the Sunlight Gate soon after seeing sunrise about the web page, becoming the initially to enter the web site at daybreak and getting a feeling of peace, harmony and strong magic in the air.

B. Vietnam – Travelling the countryside of Vietnam by motorcycle and stumbling upon a hidden and seldom frequented Buddhist Monastery resulting in a 3-hour take a look at with a younger Buddhist monk finding out and knowledge every single other’s techniques.

C. Namibia – Skydiving at sunset at Swakopmund on the coastline where the Atlantic Ocean fulfills the blood-purple sand dunes for as considerably as the eye can see. 1 of the most tranquil times of my lifestyle.

4. What is journey journey and how has it developed more than the final couple of a long time?

Experience journey employed to signify significant journey back again when the corporation was founded in the seventies, it was time when the ‘hippie-trail’ was very hot and buses utilised to travel across Asia from London to Kathmandu with itineraries that ended up mostly invented along the way. Today it is about the tiny group encounter and about going through a destination somewhat than just observing it. It is about participation and knowing of cultures, record and customs and currently being capable to choose that expertise absent as enrichment to your daily life.

5. Who goes on your experience journey tours and why? What is the age, gender, nationality and income amount of the folks that go on your excursions?

Experience vacation is largely about the enthusiasm to do it. For this reason it crosses boundaries of age, gender and revenue since the frequent goal of the vacationers is the experience regardless of their everyday living at dwelling. On the other hand the largest demographic for us and the most important progress demographic is the newborn-boomers who have knowledgeable the conventional beach front holiday vacation many occasions over and now have the time and disposable cash flow to vacation to much more unique destinations. Nationality is frequently made up of mostly English-speaking nations with the make-up in buy of numbers getting Brits, Australians, Canadians, New Zealanders, Americans, some mainland Europe, some Latin American nations around the world and the odd Asian traveler.

We supply much more than 120 countries globally generally just about everywhere you go. On the other hand countries at present considered to be unsafe for vacation (eg. Iraq, Afghanistan) are not incorporated but we count on they will be in the several years to come as the predicament stabilizes.

7. What type of accommodation is presented?

We present generally speaking something from 2 star budget lodging to 6 star lodge experiences in Africa and every thing in concerning. Having said that what is widespread to all locations we keep is that they must be clean, cozy, centrally-situated and most important have character that is reflective of the spot.

8. How do these tours do the job for one travellers? Do you give a vacation-mate matching assistance? What comes about if I choose single lodging?

Our tours are designed with one travellers in mind. In point 50% of all our travellers appear by on their own. We match persons up of the very same gender and like age to share and stay away from charging them a dietary supplement. If customers prefer their personal home, we can do this on close to 60% of the excursions, typically the a lot more upmarket types, but at a charge that is fair and inexpensive.

9. What about foods?

Dependent on the journey we generally involve breakfasts and some dinners but practically under no circumstances lunch as several people like to be out at midday producing their very own discoveries. However when trekking or in the countryside or the place solutions do not exist we will generally consist of meals.

10. What are the exceptional gains of experience excursions as as opposed to other kinds of travel?

A perception of achievement, quality of expertise, touring with a tiny team of just 10 men and women on average, normally better price than equivalent bus tours, camaraderie with people today that share a passion for this type of journey.

11. What sort of pursuits are made available in your tours?

Sightseeing is a big section of each and every tour but past that we want to incorporate as several cultural experiences as attainable these types of as homestays with area family members, village visits, etcetera. We also have several optional pursuits obtainable these rafting, sailing, jeep safaris, working day treks, and so on.

12. Is there these types of a factor as adventure excursions for people?

We now have excursions built particularly for people to travel with other family members where by children are age 6 and up. There is a huge demographic of ‘late-starter’ family members who in no way experienced little ones till in their 30s. Quite a few of these men and women traveled with us in their 20s or backpacked independently and now want to give that experience to their young children. They are not intrigued in introducing them to the ‘coca-cola’ tradition pervasive in present day modern society. These have been achieved with fantastic good results.

13. Make sure you share with us simple information for somebody who’s under no circumstances attempted journey travel.

Security is a state of intellect. Most people who elect not to journey to unique destinations do so for the reason that of a concern for their security though in the vacation spot. If you heed the tips of your tour chief and be realistic virtually any spot in the globe can deliver a safe and sound, secure and unforgettable experience. Wherever we have experienced problems with security it has practically generally been a disregard for common perception and advice. Never be worried of experiencing other cultures, you will practically constantly come across that your curiosity will be the very best guide even though it all and that very same curiosity will be reciprocated by the individuals we meet up with together the way. It is about learning and being familiar with other people as significantly as they want to comprehend us. It seriously does shrink the entire world. Our next biggest issue would be dehydration, when traveling to very hot, dry international locations or in which action is concerned this kind of as trekking guarantee you drink tons of water!

14. How substantially time do you journey you these times?

Typically 5 or 6 months a yr. It is very important to my sales information and knowledge and I owe it to my prospects to be the skilled in what we do! All of our employees are offered amazing journey prospects which goes straight to our company motto: Skilled assistance from those people who have been there!

15. Wherever are you heading following?

I prepare this 12 months on escorting a vacation back to Egypt in April, to South Africa in Could to experience some of our new qualities we do the job with and to hopefully get a side journey to Mozambique. Later on in the year I prepare to make my way to Turkey and the Patagonian outdoors In Chile & Argentina.

Thanks, Chris, for all your data, and have pleasurable on your outings!