Operators of escorted tours face many challenges in programming
their trips. One of them is in determining how much leisure time to
schedule.
Some portion of their customers want ample free time to break
away from the regimentation of group travel while others dislike
the idea of having to figure out what to do and then spend
additional money doing it. So the tour operator has to strike a
delicate balance between too much leisure time and too little.
Even when clients are satisfied with a tour's schedule before
they depart, many discover that the programmed activity becomes too
arduous after a few days and skip some events even if they've
prepaid for them. The customers often incur additional cost in
breaking away from a group but it's worth it to them to have more
time on their own.
The tour operators sometimes make more money when this happens
because their obligation to pay suppliers at the destination may be
based on how many people actually use the services. So the
operators may be in a position to benefit from "breakage," a term
meaning that they pocket a part of the money prepaid for services
that aren't rendered.
The balance between too much and too little free time can depend
on a number of factors including the tour price, the demographics
of the tour group and the destination.
The less expensive the tour, the greater the likelihood that
much free time will be available because the operator has fewer
dollars to work with in setting up program elements. If the tour is
likely to appeal to a high proportion of first-time travelers, the
operator might be more inclined to pack the schedule with activity
in order to reassure inexperienced tourists that they won't be left
to their own devices for long.
If the destination is off the beaten path, the chances are that
the operators will fill up most of the time to allow escorts to
inform the group members as much as possible about unfamiliar
sites.
The question of how much programming to include is a tricky one
because of the diversity of passengers in any group. Operators know
that however they deal with this issue, there always will be
clients who think they've either had too much or too little free
time on a trip.