Category: Uncategorized

Travelers v. Tourists

There’s a difference between a “Traveler” and a “Tourist.” The short explanation of the difference is that a Traveler allows themselves to be changed by the experience. A Tourist expects the experience to change for them.

Travelers expect that the destination will be different. Different sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and culture. They embrace that they’re in someplace new and enjoy the differences. A Traveler expects to learn from a place and is open to being changed by it. For them, travel isn’t a world of make-believe and dress-up but seeing others’ lives and what makes them unique in the world. The Traveler is the ultimate bridge of understanding and respect between one culture and another.

Tourists expect a cookie-cutter experience. Everything and everybody is there to serve them. Hotel rooms are the same wherever they go, with the same amenities. Meals always taste of home. Clean streets with a Starbucks on every corner. And smiling locals selling Chinese-made nicknacks. Tourists dress how they want, act how they want, talk loudly, mock the locals, and get angry when they’re stared at or even told “no.”

Screaming tourist in a Moroccan Souk

Speaking from experience:

After 25 years in the travel industry, we’ve seen the differences firsthand.

  • We’ve had clients stay in magnificently restored 16th-century palaces, only to complain that the songbirds in the courtyard were noisy and the TV didn’t get CNN.
  • I had a group of Chinese tourists go to restaurants and only order hot water… that they’d then use to reconstitute the MREs they brought with them from China (for every single meal).
  • A group of women travelers complained that they were getting rude looks and catcalls as they walked around rural Morocco wearing booty shorts and tank tops (even though we tried to educate them before they departed).
  • The list goes on and on and on.

A New Type of Tourist

Drag Queen Pattie Gonia named 'Traveler of the Year' by National GeographicRecently, there’s a new, even more destructive type of Tourist, one that National Geographic recently named a “Traveler of the Year,” the LGTBQ+ drag queen. That’s right. A man with a mustache in a dress. “As founder of the nonprofit Outdoorist Oath, she brings the queer community together in the parks and wild spaces of Oregon, her home state.” And what is the Outdoorist Oath? It’s pretty much labeling places as racist, homophobic, and filled with imaginary microaggressions. This in and of itself isn’t a bad thing (even if their view is one of constantly looking for reasons to be offended). Anything and everything that brings people out of their comfort zone to expand their horizons in ways they feel welcome is a good thing. But like every bad trend, it starts with one place and then begins to creep into others. A few months later, it’ll grow, expand, and then (surprisingly) start to cause problems across places and industries that wouldn’t have been thought possible when it all started (“Bake the Cake or Else”). Can you imagine a Drag Queen walking through the streets of any Muslim (and others) country demanding that they change everything about their culture to suit them?

Worth the Risk?

Manifest Destinations Group, Inc. has long been known as a reliable partner for our clients and the places our clients travel to. We respect the people and places our clients travel to and, in so doing, have created a level of trust and access that our clients benefit from. What would these places and people think about us if we started having clients who not only disrespect the local culture but openly mock it traveling on a tour under our name? Future clients will lose the welcoming environment our agency has worked so hard to establish, and our partners on the ground will go from welcoming to downright hostile.

And what of the clients who are demanding traditional local culture accept them like they were accepted at home? They won’t have a good time on our tours, at least. At most, they might be harassed and even assaulted. While a lousy time only leads to bad reviews, having any client harmed on a tour is every operator’s worst nightmare. We put plans and people in place to do our best to mitigate any risk, but what happens when the client openly ignores your advice and goes out of their way to create dangerous situations? It’s easy to foresee not only a personal lawsuit but also investigations and lawsuits from a veritable alphabet of government agencies from city all the way to federal with unlimited budgets hell-bent on destroying your business in the name of pandering to someone who made a very obvious mistake.

Damned if you do…

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So what can we in the travel industry do when confronted with a client who demands a destination change to accommodate them? Signed waivers often aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on, even if they are notarized, carved in stone, and blessed by the Pope himself. Do you refuse to sell them a tour, setting yourself up for an attack from the very same alphabet agencies that would go after you if your clients were assaulted while intentionally offending the locals?

I wish we had the answers, but this bad trend is so new that it hasn’t even made it to the courts yet, but we’re confident it will.

When the Apple Rots

Recent developments in the state of New York should cause panic for anyone and everyone selling travel services to any New York resident. In front of the global media, we’ve seen the attorney general of New York prosecute, seize, and fine a business that has done nothing wrong. There was no victim or fraud, and the contract terms were honored 100%, but yet, the state of New York has seen fit to attack an honest business. Why? Because they can.

63(12)

Why can they? New York 63(12) refers to Section 63(12) of the New York Executive Law, also known as “63 12” or “63(12)”. It grants broad powers to the New York Attorney General to investigate and prosecute cases of alleged civil fraud. The law, often referred to by its shorthand, 63(12), which stems from its place in New York’s rule book, allows the state to find fraud even when there’s no evidence or even a victim. And there doesn’t even have to be an incident of fraud, but only to show that conduct created “an atmosphere conducive to fraud.” An atmosphere of fraud?!?

Here’s a breakdown of 63(12)’s key features:

Purpose:

  • To combat persistent fraudulent or illegal business practices.
  • To protect consumers and the public from harm caused by these practices.

Powers granted to the Attorney General:

  • Investigate potential violations through subpoenas and other tools.
  • Seek court orders to halt fraudulent activities and obtain restitution for victims.
  • Impose damages and penalties against those found to have violated the law.

Key points to remember:

  • 63(12) applies to businesses, not individuals.
  • It broadly defines “fraud,” including deceptive practices, misrepresentations, and unconscionable contracts.
  • It has been used in high-profile cases, including investigations against The Trump Organization and Martin Shkreli.

Truth in Travel Act

Now, let’s add on New York’s Truth in Travel Act. Found in Article 10-A of the General Business Law,  it supposedly aims to protect consumers when dealing with travel agents and promoters operating within the state. Here’s a breakdown of its key aspects:

Who it applies to:

  • Travel agents: Individuals or businesses selling travel services like vacations, tours, or cruises.
  • Travel promoters: Individuals or businesses advertising or promoting travel services on behalf of agents.

Key requirements for travel agents and promoters:

Registration

  • They must register with the New York State Department of State and display their registration number in advertising.

 Disclosures

    • They must disclose certain information upfront, including:
      • Full name and business address.
      • Whether they act as a principal or an agent.
      • Any limitations on their services or authority.
      • Any affiliations with specific suppliers or brands.

Prohibited practices:

    • They are prohibited from engaging in deceptive or unfair practices, such as:
      • Making false or misleading statements about prices, services, or destinations.
      • Failing to disclose cancellation policies, refund procedures, or other important terms.
      • Bait-and-switch tactics or using high-pressure sales tactics.
      • Failing to deliver promised services or providing them below advertised standards.

We’re in the business of travel, not law

So what are sellers of travel to think? There’s a patchwork of laws, none of them very clear, and it really doesn’t matter anyway because they can sue you for whatever they want whenever they want, regardless of where you are. After all, you sold something to a New York resident. So we have to ask ourselves, is it worth it? Businesses seem to think it’s not to the point where New York Governor Hochul says law-abiding businesspeople have “nothing to worry about” after questions on the state’s commercial climate. It’s funny how “nothing to worry about” and “really an extraordinary, unusual circumstance” become commonplace after it’s found to be an effective tool to punish whoever you want. (Remember 14 days to flatten the curve?)

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Is it worth it?

That’s for you to decide. Do you need a couple of $1000 in sales from a New York client more than you want to avoid unlimited prosecution from the state, costing you millions in fines and possibly your business? Do you want to spend thousands or tens of thousands of dollars working with an attorney creating a travel contract only to have it ignored completely should the client complain that the soup was cold or the state decides that they just didn’t like you? Here in our humble shop, we’ve decided it’s not worth the risk. If they can take on billionaires with impunity, imagine what they can do to the small seller of travel. New York has become a third-world dictatorship outside the rule of law and contract, and we have worked too hard to get where we are now to see it erased.

When Travel Lies

Pretty pictures, flowery language, and the promise of lifetime experiences! Throw in a few media influencers, and it’s all the marketing that a destination needs to attract travelers. But what happens when it’s all a lie? How does it affect not only that single destination or operator but all destinations and all operators? What happens to trust when the untrustworthy are spewing nonsense to the trusting? Where’s the line between positive marketing and outright fraud?

When Influencers Attack!

Gone are the likes of Rick Steves and his fantastically perfect trips. And the more realistic Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations.  They’ve been replaced by Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, etc., filled with “influencers” that crank out products without any real clue about what they’re doing. Their existence depends on clicks and clicks and clicks only. The more they get, the more businesses will hire them to say good things.

The audience woke up to the fact that entitled “influencers” actually have very little qualification to tell their audience what to buy, where to go and what to think, simply because they take set-up pictures. And, rightly so, people have woken up to this reality – Forbes

But what happens when everyone else believes the uninformed options of influencers? Well, that was best summed up by a tourist and vloger named Lexi Jordan.

The best quote from her vlog is, “Every single influencer and TikToker who put the Amalfi Coast on my for-you page over the last two months deserves jail time. It’s impossible to get here.” She goes on about getting there, lack of infrastructure, stairs, etc. She was roasted for not doing her research before she went, but in the age of the influencer looking for clicks, who cares? Pretty pictures, background music, and glowing reviews are all it takes. Can’t blame her, though. Who wants to read tiresome travel reviews and research hotels, weather, culture, etc.? Besides, they’re just influencers looking for clicks (and promotion of their sponsors)

Tour Operators Gotta Operate

Influencers can be excused because they don’t know what they are doing. But what happens when the people and businesses that are supposed to know better lie? Yes, we all have to make a living, but at what cost? When one of us breaks the trust of the traveling public, we all pay the price.

The best examples can be found on LinkedIn, where even the smallest operator can pitch to the public. Here are some of the destinations they’re pushing hard to bring clients to:

Iran

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Operator 1

#Iran, Friendly #faces, Open arms, #Ancient #cultures, Timeless charms
#viajes #tripadvisor

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Operator 2

Iran in 7 days is a way to visit Iran as it enables everyone visiting three major touristy cities such as etEsfahan, #Shiraz and #Tehran.

EU urged to clarify if states are funding mass executions in Iran | The ...

The reality

Do not travel to Iran due to the risk of kidnapping and the arbitrary arrest and detention of U.S. citizens. Exercise increased caution due to wrongful detentions.  

Ethiopia

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Operator 1

Ethiopia — and coffee was born
Our experience was one of deep hospitality, a long, proud culture, and warm and welcoming people… https://lnkd.in/gA2Arr2m
#onebiggislandinspace #coffee #BIGGBY #farmdirect #travel

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Operator 2

19 endorsed and sustainable inbound tour operators in Ethiopia, all on EthiopiaSpecialists.com. Learn more how to get in direct contact with our travel specialists.

#Ethiopia #sustainable #tourism #travel #collective #Africa

Ethiopian Christians executed by ISIS - CNN Video

The reality

Reconsider travel to Ethiopia due to sporadic violent conflict, civil unrest, crime, communications disruptions, terrorism and kidnapping in border areas.

 

When the government lies

The last thing you’d expect is blatant lies from government agencies promoting tourism. They almost want you to ignore what you read, hear, and see, but come and visit anyway. The best example is San Fransisco!

 

Now for the reality.

“Honesty is the best policy.”

Just be honest

In the information age, everything can be fact-checked. And you should expect everything to be fact-checked. Every lie and omission will hurt your reputation.

This is especially true when it comes to travel. People want to know where they are going and what they can expect. They want to be safe. So if you are a travel company, it is essential to be honest about your destinations.

If a destination is not perfect, be honest about that. Talk about the places clients will go (and won’t go) and what you offer to keep them safe. For example, if you’re promoting a trip to a destination, be honest about the crime rate and the health risks. But also talk about what makes the destination special, such as the culture and the natural beauty.

By being honest, you will build trust with your clients. They will know they can rely on you for accurate information. And they will be more likely to book a trip with you.