When working with families, budget usually comes up in conversation. A family vacation isn’t an inexpensive thing to do, and several clients voice concerns when approaching the topic. The Compass spoke with three travel advisors who are experts in this area, and they have a handful of tips to share when navigating these types of concerns with your own clients.
For Kathy Barkauskas, concierge vacation planner at Teddy Bear Travel, it starts with setting expectations from the start, prior to even jumping into any sort of consulting.
“Setting realistic expectations from the start helps alleviate pricing concerns from the start of planning,” she said. “I start by sending potential clients a form to gather as much information about their trip as possible up front. This way I can start with options that best align with the trip my clients are looking to have.”
It’s also important to meet families where they are at. Not every family can afford all the bells and whistles, but this doesn’t mean they can’t afford to take the trip. Once you know what they value, you can build the trip accordingly.
“People have a wide range of budget expectations; my goal is always to have a wide range of options to try to fit every budget,” Barkauskas said. “Most families expect to pay several thousand dollars for a vacation. If their budget is extra tight, I try to shorten the trip, change up resorts or limit the number of planned activities to keep the budget in check. I believe a vacation is within reach for every family, as long as the trip is structured with their budget in mind.”
In addition to qualifying clients, Dana Zificsak, CTIE, travel agent educator at Guts Grit Goals LLC, said she offers payment plans for clients who don’t want to pay all at once.
“I use suppliers’ payment policies to create payment plans for clients who would prefer to break up payments over time,” she said. “For example, packages booked through the Walt Disney Travel Company require a $200 deposit to lock in the room and ticket prices. The remaining balance is not due until 30 days before check in, so depending on how far out clients book, they can break it up into however many payments they'd like.”
She also lets her families know that she can keep an eye out for any promotions that may pop up to add to the reservation to lower the overall price. “I never promise future discounts, but this lets them know they can lock something in before prices go up (because they always go up, right?).”
Speaking to your clients about value is also important. Everyone has most likely experienced sticker shock at some point in their life, and this happens a lot with family vacations. But knowing how to talk about value can help alleviate some of the surprise.
For Cailyn Kison, travel advisor at Elm Grove Travel, it’s important to help families see the bigger picture. When she works with the larger theme park companies, she knows there are multiple hotel tiers, ticket lengths and dining options, which allows her to tailor the vacation experience to all different budgets.
“One of the biggest value points, especially at Walt Disney World, is the ability to bundle everything into one upfront price,” she said. “When families add a dining plan, they’re not constantly pulling out their wallet for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It creates a smoother experience because so much is prepaid. Parents can relax and focus on being present instead of calculating every meal.”
Not only is everything built into an upfront cost, but the entertainment options are endless, especially when it comes to visiting theme parks. Paying for each individual experience would add up, so it’s a great way to show additional value.
“Theme parks also deliver built-in entertainment from morning to night. You are not spending money trying to piece together activities each day,” she said. “The rides, shows, character experiences and attractions are all there in one place. When you factor in the level of service both Disney and Universal are known for, the value becomes very clear. The experience matches the investment.”
Setting expectations, offering payment plans, showing the value … these are all important things to incorporate when navigating pricing concerns for family travelers. To learn more about this topic, visit the Family Travel Resource Center on VAX VacationAccess.
About the Author
comments