PAWTUCKET, R.I.--Several years of research into travel trends and
competitor products led Collette Tours to come up with a new
motto--Experience It--and a logo to emphasize the firm's new
approach.
"Every product that is created focuses on the experience that
our customers will have and will remember forever," said Daniel
Sullivan Jr., president.
The new logo is similar to the former Collette logo, which shows
a globe, but was updated to portray a modern image. It also
features the new motto.
The Experience It theme is reflected in Collette brochures and
advertising, and in the products, which include more cultural
activities than before. For example, one of Collette's tours is an
Italian cooking program in which participants help prepare a dinner
under the supervision of a local chef.
Other facets of the tour include wine tasting and a visit to a
parmesan cheese facility.
Collette's Cyndi Zesk, director of marketing, said the changes
are a result of research, which shows senior travelers are "willing
to try new and different travel experiences."
And, she said, "Our research indicates that the senior market is
changing. It now includes 50-plus baby boomers who have different
needs than the 65-plus traveler. These consumers are looking for
the convenience of a preplanned itinerary that combines
experiential activities with options and free time."
In addition to tours with cultural activities, some programs
feature soft adventures, such as river rafting, now part of a Costa
Rica itinerary, or an optional balloon ride over the Serengeti
plains of Africa.