BY DINAH A. SPRITZER
NEW YORK -- Trafalgar Tours opened in London after World War II,
when former servicemen from the British Commonwealth wanted to show
their families where they served in Europe but needed help with the
travel arrangements, according to Arnold Tollman, Trafalgar
chairman.
"In 1970, when we decided to establish a North American
headquarters in New York, we already knew that our European tours
were far too long for the American market," he said.
Trafalgar had up to that point made its bread and butter on
monthlong sojourns across the continent.
At first, Tollman did not receive much encouragement in the
U.S.
"In 1977, an editor of a major travel newspaper told me that our
company would fail because the name was too British and too hard
[for Americans] to pronounce.
"In one way he was right because some people still call us up
and can't pronounce our name. But it's also ironic because the U.S.
has become our No. 1 market," Tollman said.
Americans make up 36% of Trafalgar's clients, followed by
Australians at 21% and Canadians at 10%.
Although escorted programs to Great Britain and Ireland still
dominate Trafalgar's tour offerings, Italy became its top-selling
product four years ago.
"Britain and Ireland now account for 40% of our bookings; these
countries were formerly responsible for 75% of our business," said
Peter McCormack, Trafalgar's vice president of sales and
marketing.
Today Trafalgar's top-selling tour is the 12-night Best of
Italy, which visits Rome, Pompeii, the island of Capri, Assisi,
Ravenna, Venice, Verona, Milan, the Italian lakes, Pisa, Florence
and Siena, and Lugano, Switzerland.
Each year the firm introduces several test products, such as
1997's tour of less-visited eastern European countries and
Trafalgar's first South Africa itinerary.
Trafalgar might be best known by agents for its traditional
western Europe destinations, but McCormack said the company is
anything but conservative.
"We were one of the first U.S. operators to go into the Balkans
and Russia," he said.
Trafalgar's biggest development for 1997 -- its 50th anniversary
year -- is the launch of a U.S. and Canada tour program.
The 13 itineraries, ranging from seven to 14 nights, were a
natural extension of Trafalgar's worldwide profile, Tollman
said.
"We have a 50% repeat client rate for Europe and many non-North
American clients, so it only made sense to extend our reach," he
said.
Another change for the company has been in the age of its
clientele.
"People talk about escorted tours being out of fashion with
younger travelers.
"But we find the opposite. We're now getting people in their 40s
and 50s; 10 years ago our clients were exclusively in their 60s and
up.
"These new, younger clients are busy working and don't have time
to plan out a trip on their own," McCormack said.
He acknowledged that Americans have become more adventurous when
it comes to travel, which some industry officials predicted might
add up to a desire to avoid packaged travel altogether.
"That's why we're putting a greater emphasis on eastern Europe,
[as well as] the Middle East and Africa, where most people feel
more comfortable on an escorted program.
"We're also giving people more free time and dining options," he
said.
But popular destinations such as France and Italy are a constant
boon for escorted operators, said McCormack.
"Americans might be more adventuresome these days, but they
still haven't become more skilled with languages," he said.
And despite the demand by some travelers for small, independent
hotels with character, Trafalgar's clients want something more
familiar.
"They want the big chains, something they recognize," McCormack
said.
McCormack said the "multi-cultural aspect" of Trafalgar's tours
probably was their best selling point.
"Our advantage is our niche -- first class -- and the
opportunity we offer Americans to travel with English-speaking
clients from all over the world," he said.
Trafalgar Tours' edge with agencies, according to McCormack, is
the operator's 50/50 cooperative advertising program.
The company spends "more than seven figures" annually on agency
advertising and education programs, McCormack said.
In fact, Trafalgar rarely does any advertising that is not in
conjunction with an agency.
"We're not one of those tour operators who only helps with the
promotions of large agencies or agencies who have sold hundreds of
our tours.
"If an agency shows an interest in selling our programs, we find
a way to help them promote the product," McCormack said.