Book Direct or via Agent

Travel is a way of sharing as well as exploring. When you travel you are supporting the local economy. When you travel on adventure holidays, chances are that you are going somewhere out of the ordinary, generally somewhere more remote and maybe somewhere less developed. That is not always the case but in many adventure holiday you will visit cultures that are not in the mainstream. They may be less privileged in many way, and in some ways more privileged.

Support Local Business

When you book directly with the local suppliers in your adventure destination you are support the local economy with every dollar you spend. Booking through a tour operate or a large international firm often does not support the local economy to the same extent. Many tour operators take a big slice of the income for themselves, leaving less for the local people who are your hosts.  This is not always the case. Some Adventure tour companies do a fine job of building partnerships with local compnaies and fully support the local economy. Many cases they arrange transport and adventures that you just cant do on your own.

Adventure-Travel-destinations.com provides a low cost advertising and direct booking opportunity for local adventure holiday companies to compete for direct business at a fair price. Small local companies can advertise their services with us for just a few dollars a year. We offer direct bookings options that gives them access to the advantages of major international forms with out having to pay commission or negotiate merchant fees. In return we ask them to offer travels a share of their saving.

Booking direct has several advantages:

1. Best rates guarantees are often offered for booking direct with the hotel owner or tourism operator.

2. Local Hotel and tourism owner have special knowledge of adventure holiday package and all of its holiday option.

3. Real experts provide local advice on the package and the destination.

4. It is easy to upgrade and often owners may upgrade you when dealing direct.

5. It is easier to change dates and option, or even cancel.

6. Local Hotel owners have preferred arrangements & deals for booking local activities.

7. Local owners care. You are dealing with the destination hosts. These are people who are in the hospitality business. They go out of their way to make you feel at home because they enjoy being host. A local hotel managers, we know, actually paid for a wedding couple to go somewhere else as the OTA had sent them to a jungle hut when they wanted a Caribbean beach.

8. Because you are with your hosts, you get special attention and special privileges when on your holiday. They are the ones that provide the service, when you book direct it is more personal.

9. Local owners have insights and connections that can make your holiday. Like arranging a a trip with a lobster fisherman at Peggy cove in Nova Scotia. I don’t think many OTA can organised that but your Local Hotel Manager may very well be friends with the local fisherman.

 

Online Travel Agents and Adventure Travel Tour Companies.

There are many excellent Adventure Travel Tour companies from National Geographic, Abercrombie and Kent, Intrepid Traveler and G Adventures.  We use the best of the best in bringing you a wide selection of our hand picked Adventure options. When you link to these adventures from ATD we may get a small % of any booking you make. That helps us continue to build this site and bring you more options, from Tour Companies to Direct tours with the destinations.

G Adventures

You will find several G Adventure tours in our options. We like this company.  It has won several awards and is very grass roots, building sustainable business for the destination.

G Adventures was founded by Bruce Poon Tip, who has  been recognized for leadership and outstanding business practices. It Was  named by National Geographic Adventures as the best ‘Do It All Outfitter’ on Earth, and is among the Top 100 Employers and 50 Best Managed Companies.  Bruce has won Canada’s Entrepreneur of the Year and has been honoured as Canada’s 100 Leaders of Tomorrow. In Profit magazine, Bruce was featured as one of the Top 10 Entrepreneurs in Canada.