I have just had an interesting conversation with a leading Finnish golf travel agency. We were talking about the challenges of golf travel agencies.
She mentioned that too many golf travel agencies are popping up. This made me think about how can I help you to find & select the best golf travel agency that is in line with your golf holiday expectations.
Euromonitor International expects international arrivals to amount to 1.8 billion trips by 2024. I am expecting that those golf travel agencies will succeed who understand that we are looking for meaningful and memorable experiences and highly personalized services.
I would like to share with you as an interesting insight in the finding of the European Travel Commission:
55% of travelers select destinations based on the country’s & region’s gastronomy offer. The importance of pursuing hobbies and interests are also important driver of tourism to Europe.
In the following, I will try to give you a checklist on how to find the best golf travel agency for your next golf holiday.
10 characteristics of a superb golf travel agency
Give a personal touch
Savvy golf travel agencies are going well beyond to convert golf travelers’ data (online & offline) to personalized data. They are using, for instance, surveys to learn about your preferences and tastes to delight you.
They also care about your reviews not just on their own social media channels, but also on review sites by responding to them properly.
These smart golf travel agencies know the power of personalization of services. So far, I have only received such an above-mentioned survey from Tee Times Golf Agency.
Selling experiences and not packages
The real added value in golf travel agencies’ services when they can offer us really unique experiences. As golf travelers, we are looking for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
This is why I highlighted in previous posts to combine golf experience with wine experience or with active holiday opportunities (e.g. hiking, biking, SUP, etc.).
Be knowledgeable of your markets – inspire trust!
The real value comes when the golf travel agency knows more that is available on the Internet and on Google.
It is not so simple to find golf travel agencies who are operating more than 25 years in this industry plus fit the above-mentioned criteria.
Selecting a golf travel agency also entails trusting them. Check out what kind of reviews and other social proofs are available on their services!
Be flexible!
As we are engaging with companies in an always-on approach, it is good to find such golf travel agencies who are not just available in the classic hours and in the classic communication channels.
A good response to this expectation is to be available 24/7 hours and on the seven days of the week. But the better ones already offer a live chat service on their website or even create WhatsApp group.
Save time & money!
One offer for a golf holiday is not an option. A serious golf travel agency today is proposing at least 3 options based on the golf traveler’s specifications.
Complex services & offers are needed
It is a no-brain thing to plan a simple golf holiday. For this, you might not turn to a golf travel agency.
But when it is about a complex golf holiday then you will need the golf travel agency’s energy and specialization. Test their capabilities!
Curiosity
A smart golf travel agency is constantly looking for new experiences and places that they can recommend in the near future. We golf tourists like any other tourists are looking for unique offers.
Engage in social media
Most of the golf travel agencies have got social media presence. But not all of them are striving to engage with their followers and invest in creating informative and useful content (e.g. live streaming from a golf course or golf tournament visit, etc.).
I would also check if they respond within a reasonable time (e.g. 20 minutes) to your questions, comments, and reviews.
Invest in relationships!
It is very good if the travel agency is at our disposal during the golf holiday. The better ones invest in their relationship with us throughout the year.
Maintain a high standard of quality
A high standard of quality can come from the knowledge of the local market, but also from the organizational culture.
In the case of the above-mentioned Tee Times Golf Agency, I know how important to them to be fair and straight to their clients and sensible to the market.
This article is brought to you by Tee Times Golf Agency.