NEW ORLEANS -- As near as 25 minutes from this city's French
Quarter, travelers can discover one of the most fascinating
ecosystems in the world, teeming with life from microbes to
alligators.
The swamps of Louisiana provide an ideal soft-adventure/ecotour
getaway for visitors to the Crescent City.
A number of operators offer swamp tours and will even pick up
passengers in the city. Some of the operators pay travel agent
commissions; others offer net fares.
The tour experience is available in a number of ways, either via
small boats, covered barges or airboats.
"Travel agent needs to sound their clients out to find out what
they are interested in and not just go on the basis of 'a swamp
tour is a swamp tour,'" said a spokesman for the Louisiana Office
of Tourism.
Barges are slow-moving, about 5 to 10 mph, with comfortable,
covered seating. They can hold up to 60 passengers.
Because they run noiselessly, the guide can give a continuous
narration. However, a disadvantage is that barges must stay in the
deeper waters of the canals and bayous.
Airboats, which are relatively new to the swamp environment,
come with their own advantages and disadvantages.
They can travel in much shallower water, even across land, but are
powered with fans on the back rather than propellers under the
water's surface.
"You don't have to worry about logs or mud or grass," said Chris
Raggio, owner of Airboat Adventures of Gramercy, La. "It allows us
to get places you couldn't even imagine in a regular,
propeller-driven boat."
However, some find the noise an intrusion in the natural
environment.
"The airboat moves about 40 mph," said Paul Bair, general
manager of New Orleans Paddlewheels. "You see a lot more area, but
you can't hear over the noise of the boat when it's moving, so you
don't get the same narration.
"It does make several stops, though, and then the guide gives
talks about the swamp lands and Cajun culture."
Raggio said business is booming. "Sept. 11 didn't affect us," he
said. "We get a lot of return business, a lot of word-of-mouth
passengers."
The tours have a wide appeal, Raggio said. "We get people from
all walks of life: white collar, blue collar, CEOs. We had David
Packard of Hewlett-Packard, [comedian] Dennis Miller, even a couple
of rap groups."
Swamp guides are passionate enthusiasts, eager to convert
visitors to their love of the swamp.
"It's tremendous," said Raggio. "It's a dynamic ecosystem that
literally changes by the hour. You could go out at 7:30 a.m. and
get a whole different mood or lighting than at 3:15 p.m. or 6
p.m."
Added "Capt." Tommy Vanacor, owner of Airboat Swamp Tours in New
Orleans, "We give two talks on the tour, one on ecology and one on
alligators, because we're alligator hunters."
For swamp tour guides the love of the swamp is a lifelong
interest.
"When I was a kid I used to skip school and go out in the
swamp," said Raggio. "When I had a regular job, I used to stay home
from work to go in the swamp."
The guides' enthusiasm for the swamp infects the passengers,
some of whom log onto the Comments section of the company's Web
site at www.airboatadventures.com.
"They say it's not like they expected, a thrill ride in the
swamp," said Raggio.
"They call, no doubt, because of the airboat, but by the time
the tour is over, the airboat is second fiddle to what's out there
in the first place."
Airboat companies compensate agents
NEW ORLEANS -- Three airboat tour firms offer either commissions
or net fares to travel agents who book their product.
Airboat Adventure, which uses six-passenger airboats, charges
adults $60 for a tour, $85 with transportation from New
Orleans.
Children under age 12 go for half-price and children under the
age of 5 are free. The company pays 20% commission.
Airboat Swamp Tours pays a $15 commission on bookings of its
"intermediate" boat, which costs $50, or $60 with transportation
from the center of New Orleans.
On its small boat, the company charges $65, or $75 with
transportation, and pays $25 commission.
A swamp tour in the "Cajun Cadillac" costs $40 ($50 with
transportation) and pays $20 commission.
New Orleans Airboat Swamp Adventures works with agents on a net
basis, offering a $10 discount (or commission) on a $45
booking.
Airboat Swamp Tour Operators
Airboat Adventures
Phone: (888) 467-9267 (GO SWAMP)
Web:www.airboatadventures.com
Airboat Swamp Tours of New Orleans
Phone: (800) 511-2930
Web:www.airboatswamptours.com
Louisiana Swamp Tours
Phone: (888) 30-SWAMP
Web:www.louisianaswamp.com
New Orleans Paddlewheels
Phone: (800) 445-4109
Web:www.neworleanspaddlewheels.com
For more information contact:
Louisiana Office of Tourism
P.O. Box 94291
Baton Rouge, La. 70804-9291
Phone: (800) 334-8626
Web:www.louisianatravel.com