Types of Tours

The wide variety of tours available gives you flexibility in approaching and defining your target audience for marketing purposes.  Following are basic types of tours that are being developed.  Working with and marketing to this range of tours requires research as to  what type of participants are interested in which tours, what materials and/or "Step-on" guides may be required and what is the most effective method to recruit participants - In essence, what motivates people to travel and tour.  Most groups desire customized tours to meet their specific needs for tour theme, meals, overnight accommodations, and other elements of travel which need to be identified in the research phase of planning.

  1. Group Tours - Originating at a specific location and coordinated by an organization other than yours.

    1. Coach Tours - Capacity of 40 to 50 individuals per coach.

      • Social Groups

      • Church Groups

      • Bank Clubs

      • Organized Tour / Coach Companies

      • Park / Recreation Departments

      • Service Clubs / Fraternal Groups

    2. Special Individual Vehicle Tours - Individuals and / or couples in their own vehicles (rented or owned) traveling together as a group.  Size is not easily defined - can be wide ranging - as large as RAGBRAI and as small as two or three vehicles or a van.

      • Clubs / Organizations traveling in personal vehicles

      • Vintage Vehicles / Car Clubs

      • Hiking / Biking

      • Horseback / Coach / Wagon

      • Rail Cars

      • Private Plane

      • Recreational Vehicle

      • Motorcycle

  1. Group Tours - Originated by your organization.

    1. Coach Touring arranged by your organization with a coach to pick up the group or selected individuals at a pre-determined location and returning them to that location.

    2. Individual vehicles that gather to travel together as a group.

  2. Individual vehicle touring on a prescribed route with designated stops organized by the tour developer.  Generally the stops and tour are open to public participants for a particular period of time i.e. one day on a weekend, Saturday/Sunday, etc.

  3. Designated tour routes/scenic byways promoted to the general public for touring at any time by individuals and/or groups.

“FAM” tours are familiarization tours developed for media, travel/outdoor writers, tour planners and other group tour promoters.  They are highly specialized and subsidized.  They are developed to promote your area and tour packages that you can accommodate.