Natalia Khvatova, director of the Caravan Luxury Tour travel operator, told the World Travel journalist about the attractiveness of individual tourism and the rules of the game. And also about what destinations are in demand in this very peculiar sector of the travel industry.
Natalia, how did you get into tourism and how did Caravan Luxury Tour come about?
In the 90s, everyone was looking for something to do to make a living. The salary of a university teacher was not very high. So I agreed to work as a manager in a travel agency. Then I organized my own company. I am still working in this field. Only the methods and forms of development are changing. I have always liked to create a tourist product, so I obtained a tour operator's license immediately after opening the company. And the Caravan brand began its creative journey in 2001. Now we have two offices - in Dnipro and Kyiv. We work with corporate clients and serve several large companies. We have ticket offices and are a member of IATA. But our main profile is clients who need an individual approach to their travel. Those who need (and can afford) exclusive hotels, special excursions with a personal guide, unusual experiences that can be obtained from football, concerts or theater, tickets for which we will help you buy. We will charter a private jet within a few hours, provide a car with a driver. And all this is accompanied by the work of a manager 24/7, that is, the possibility of constant client-manager communication during the tour.
What is individual tourism in your understanding?
A customized tour is a tour that is completely created according to the client's preferences. It can be a unique route, any cities and hotels, any combination of transport that is convenient for the client and a number of additional services. There are no standards or templates. But our company has such a concept as an individual approach to everyone. This is when we treat any tour, even if it is a package tour, with great responsibility: we will recommend an operator and find the best price.
But if a person knows what they need, can they book flights and hotels without the help of a travel agent?
Of course it can. We are not a competitor to Booking.com or other travel portals, but exist in parallel with them. And if a traveler turns to us, it means that it is so convenient for him. And we respect the fact that they have contacted our company, since there are many nuances when choosing a hotel, flight and creating an itinerary. VIP tourism is a complex area with many subtleties. We can professionally make a trip individualized. The way our client sees it.
What destinations are in demand for individual tourism?
In general, we follow the client's requests. Of course, Europe is the most popular destination: Côte d'Azur, Sardinia, Sicily, Greece. In Spain, they choose Mallorca and the south of the Iberian Peninsula - Malaga. Many of our clients go to Africa, on safari. And to Latin America. The Maldives, Seychelles, and Mauritius are very popular. These islands are often combined with Madagascar.
Tell us more about Africa...
Africa beckons us with its pristine beauty of nature and diversity of animals: crocodiles, hippos, monkeys, lions, tigers, elephants and a great number of bright and wonderful birds. We have direct contracts with lodges located in the national parks of South Africa and Zimbabwe. Sometimes tourists combine several countries to travel, for example, Kenya with Tanzania and Botswana. Several times we were interested in a trip to Rwanda, we wanted to see gorillas. By the way, a luxury hotel called One & Only was opened there. But I have never sent travelers to the Sahara...
But Lemur Island can't boast of exclusive hotels, can it?
Individual tourism is not a 5* hotel, it's a 5* trip. Madagascar attracts tourists with its originality. The lack of infrastructure does not scare tourists. He goes to see the baobab thickets and feel like a traveler in this abandoned world of exclusive experiences.
We have talked about warm countries. Are VIP clients interested in cold countries?
I have a circle of clients with a select, special mindset who dream of visiting the «top of the world» or its mirror - the North or South Pole. These are the most inaccessible places on the planet, but also the most expensive destinations. These are places of attraction for enthusiastic tourists, for the elite who can afford to see glaciers, icebergs, the northern lights, ice caves, polar bears, seals and walruses. Taking this opportunity to announce a unique cruise expedition to Antarctica in December 2020, the cruise will take place on the luxury mega-yacht L'Austral, built in 2011. It involves crossing the Arctic Circle and obtaining a polar explorer's passport. It will be a full-scale expedition: daily landings and outings on motorized rubber boats, visits to the operating Ukrainian Antarctic station «Akademik Vernadsky». And you will see places where mountains and wildlife form a truly unique landscape of the White Continent.
What destinations in individual tourism will become popular in the near future?
The world is developing in a spiral. And so is the demand for tourist destinations. Japan, Mexico, the Caribbean, Peru, and the Galapagos are now popular again. Only Turkey, Greece and Egypt remain unchanged, where many new and luxurious hotels are also being built.
To conclude our conversation, can you tell us a little about the intricacies of working in individual tourism?
We have a club style of work. Over 20 years of work, we have certainly gained regular customers. By the way, we have a good return rate. A client may not buy anything for 2-3 years. And then they ask for a trip again. We are always happy to see everyone and will gladly share our experience with anyone who can benefit from it. Even if they don't buy anything from us. For us, tourism is not only about the trip itself, but also about sharing experiences and dreaming about it. We use social media for advertising: Facebook, Instagram. Early booking works well for individual tourism. This is due to the fact that the segment of the most expensive and cheapest vacation is very narrow. If people like to vacation in the same hotel year after year, they cannot do without early booking. And it's not about saving money. It's just that otherwise it's impossible to confirm the room or villa that the client has chosen.
Share your plans for the future ...
I have a lot of plans ... But today I devote most of my time to creating the concept of a travel hub - a kind of club communication on tourist problems and the creation of an association in the field of individual tourism.
Do you have any favorite hotels or destinations?
Yeah. Yes, of course. This is Mauritius and the Beachcomber hotel system.
Natalia Nikolaevna, thank you for the informative conversation.
I wish you and your company success and prosperity. And to your customers, we wish you wonderful and exciting travels.
The conversation was conducted by Andriy Mazur
