Anyone who started traveling on the accumulated in the office means, sooner or later will face the problem of a melting bill in the bank. No matter how you minimize your expenses, but if the financial inflow No, the fiasco is inevitable and sooner or later it’s necessary to return to homeland again to earn a livelihood and the continuation travel But is it always necessary to return? After all, there are methods earnings in transit. One of them – the organization of copyright tours, and Ivan Leshukov today will tell us first hand about this. way.
The content of the article
- 1 What is the author’s tour and why today they have demand
- 2 Which country to choose and which route
- 3 How to organize and conduct a trip
- 4 Where to advertise and how to unwind
- 5 Development Prospects
- 6 Cons and pitfalls
- 7 My experience
Contents
Author’s tour, or author’s trip – is any form. travel arrangements without a major tour operator, but with with the help of a more experienced person. It can be a hike in Caucasus Mountains, a trip to another country, rafting on rafts in the mountains Peru, an expedition to Yakutia and even a yacht cruise in the Caribbean. Such The author’s trip is a kind of intermediate link between the voyages on voucher and independent travel. They exist for a long time, but began to gain popularity only recently, since tourist firms are being ruined and shut down, not credible, and already tired of many go on trips. But decide on the full independence for the first time can not many, so the demand for copyright trips there and it grows. Moreover, often, copyright tours are in such a difficult region, where yourself going to be more expensive, harder and more dangerous. Papua, for example, or some regions of Africa, difficult mountain routes.
There are author tours like a package trip, but only with movements, adventures, all sorts of activities. There are and those in which participants are prepared for independent Travel: learn to look for cheap hotels, public transport, communicate with local, bargain, etc. Number of people too may be very different, I had from 1 to 9 people, but personally I know a person who leads groups to Indonesia for 12 people, and in Adygeya already 20 years old. I had a “group” of one person three times – in this case, the trip for me turned out what is called “zero”, or in a small minus.
My debut in Sumatra is the only client
In general, this is a fairly broad concept and must first decide on the form of your author’s trip. Maybe this there will be mountain hikes, maybe learning trips for beginners in Thailand, can serious expeditions to Papua or Madagascar, perhaps some kind of highly specialized trips, for example, ornithological tours to the wintering grounds of birds in Africa, photo tours in Iceland, etc.
Which country to choose and which route
If you decide to try making money by copyright tours, then you need to decide on a specific venue. It is best to choose the country that you best know where you spent most of the time, perhaps even learned a language. For me, for example, Indonesia became such a bridgehead – a huge country with sea of possibilities. This is just a tilled field, not a country! If a you know the local language – a huge plus. I am very rescued by knowledge Indonesian, because I often drive my tourists wherever no one speaks English at all and does not try to learn.
We go to visit the traditional village of Karo Dokan
A very promising country for authorial tours is Burma. Interest this country is growing from year to year, opportunities for interesting routes – the sea, while there is not much information. There are almost no competitors. Lafa! Grab until you have taken.
Having defined the country, you can prepare several routes. – easier, more complicated, of different duration. The most running Duration 10-14 days. More rarely there are routes lasting 3 weeks or more. For example, I had a tour on Sumatra for a month. But this is an exception. Now, in a crisis, go only short and cheap options – for a week, a maximum of 10 days The route needs to be thoroughly studied: pick up hotels, cafes, transportation, excursions, attractions.
There are tours in which tourists are given the opportunity choose the hotel, cafe, way to move. But such a form Organization is not suitable for every route and only for small groups. The larger the group, the harder it is to organize everything and plan so that there is no fermentation and wanderings.
How to organize and conduct a trip
Having made a route, you should drive it yourself, plan it out. time to make verbal agreements with hotel owners, drivers, if you plan to take the car for moving. Helpful create a certain algorithm for each route where it will be marked when, what and how, as well as the contacts of all local trip – guides, drivers, hotel owners. When the group get together, buy tickets, you need to call all these people and warn them about when and where they will be involved, book hotel rooms if necessary.
Agreeing with a local guide about trekking in Bukit Lavang
Well, then you meet a group at the airport and go ahead – to adventures. If some link in your route is unstable, It is necessary to warn customers in advance that overlays are possible, inconsistencies, some substitutions and improvisations along the way.
For example, I immediately write that the head of the trip has the right change the route depending on the weather, the condition of the participants and other circumstances without compromising the quality of the trip. On such the phrase customers respond absolutely adequately, but if something happens can make life much easier for you if something breaks. Warned guys!
The more people in a group, the harder you need to build people, alas. The crowd must be commanded, otherwise it will disperse, or even in general will arrange sabotage. Since I do not like to command, I prefer groups of 4 people is the optimal amount. But I know guys who drive and 10, 12 and even 25 people. Here, excuse me, without carrot, stick and leadership qualities are indispensable.
Payment of a trip can be upon, an advance payment, a part to, a part after. I do not adhere to any strict rules in this regard and happens in every way, usually – in fact in dollars or in Indonesian rupees
The trip can be carried out according to two schemes – open and closed. AT In the first case, participants pay for your fixed services. conductor, let’s say 10 thousand rubles per person, and everything else: food, accommodation, transport, entrance fees are paid by themselves. Such the scheme often causes more trust, but is not convenient, it is easier to take everything in their hands to pay for all of all accounts. Then in the announcement of the tour The price of the package is announced, which includes almost everything: accommodation, your services, transport, hotels, payment for excursions, entrance tickets. it closed form – tourists do not know what it costs, if not will be asked of course. No need to explain what it costs, collect money from participants almost every day, count everything a hundred times. I spent all my previous trips in an open pattern, but now I switched to a closed one, because I was already worried, and I started cooperate with tour operators of copyright tours, and they work only according to a closed scheme.
We climb into the cave on Sumatra
In the future I plan to conduct more trips according to the open scheme with bias in learning independent travel. So that participants showed more independence: they themselves were looking for hotels, transportation, attractions. And I will be the type of guru: instruct, correct shoals, point the right way. And I have fun and beginners travelers benefit and training on the ground. Especially, non-bali indonesia is not as light on the way as thailand and my knowledge can be useful even to travelers with experience. Have I, for example, have had clients who have been to Tae many times. independently, but still hesitant to go to Sumatra, or Sulawesi.
Where to advertise and how to promote
To pick up and make a route is a third of work. The most important thing – find people wanting to go. If there is a blog where you are talking about your trip – great. Blog is serious help You can have a separate travel website, such as my Let’s go to Indonesia.
The highest results in our 21st century show … word of mouth radio. At first, acquaintances of your friends and friends will come friends And this is a very important stage. In spite of the universal Internetization, the weight of spoken information is much higher, so talk more with people and tell me what you do it. If you have studied the country well, for example, the same Burma – restrain lectures in tourist clubs, libraries, yoga centers, antikafe, wherever possible. Use a projector, twist photos and broadcast.
If your blog is promoted, then you can and even need to meet with readers. The living word is a living word and not even one useful online writings will not replace him!
You can advertise in social networks, in the same VK. On its page in the communities of the region where you spend tours, for example, if you drive on tay, let’s advertise not only in groups of Thailand, but also Indonesia, Vietnam, other Southeast Asian countries.
Also as the advertising platforms fit themed forums. You can post on them announcements of tours (through admins), and they they will take a percentage from each client who came from them. What kind Can it be forums? For example, according to Ty, there are several tematic forums such as Ivan Susanin, Farangforum, on Cambodia – Barangforum. In my case – Baliforum.
There are wonderful search services for excursions, for example, Guided Tour There you can advertise your trips with lasting several days. Satellite and Thripster – only day trips. Therefore, if your route has some famous city, such as Bangkok, Hanoi, Beijing – develop a day trip and advertise on these sites. This will be an additional income and advertising your big tours.
It is also useful to arrange promotions, discounts, in every way creative. I, For example, now I am recruiting a group of Fairy Java, and I propose participate in this trip at cost for recall and advertising in Social networks, blogs, media of my future tours. Positive reviews mean a lot, so you can offer to periodically take participation in a particular round for a review or advertisement (if a person has promoted groups in social networks or something associated with the media).
In addition, I practice cooperation with my colleagues in other countries, for example, I post announcements on my website trips to India, Nepal and Sri Lanka from the travel workshop Other Roads, and they, in turn, make my announcements on their website trips around indonesia.
There is an idea to organize a trip to a remote part of Indonesia. for travel bloggers, like “Papua for bloggers is two weeks without Internet, “also at cost for recalling and advertising on their resources. A trip to such regions will cost you a pretty penny, here it is better to unite, and even without a language with a guide in such wild regions have nothing to do. While I have some doubts on this I don’t know how to organize everything better and how hardcore it is mode. If there are ideas and you have never been to Papua, but very would like to visit – comment, please. I know the language, ready работать гидом за еду отзыв. I would like to visit удалённых плёмен, типа короваев, которые живут на деревьях иедят людей, минимальная цена на такие туры – 5000 долларов сman, but at cost it will be much cheaper, pull any. But, most likely, it’s too hardcore for most, so as there will be not only the Internet, but nothing at all – only jungle, Papuan stone age and you with a backpack.
Development prospects
If your routes are interesting, they will be talked about, to share and it will even be possible that demand will exceed sentence. In this case, you can hire assistants who will to drive people on the most popular routes. You can also put person to conduct short day excursions in some large city. Let him drive your day trips through Guided Tour, Thripster, Sputnik and other resources. That is part work can be delegated. For example, famous Bangkok guide. Anton Dryanichkin is now working with two assistants. But he is already 5 years in the ranks, perfectly unwound, everyone knows him. I think to me need such an assistant in about a year and a half. So I’m looking candidacy If you know Indonesia well, even better – Indonesian language – welcome to work together.
You can cooperate with companies that aggregate author travels, or created their own powerful, promoted brand and even get settled there to work on a permanent basis. For example, this is the Association of Free Guides, Traveling Club “Worlds”, Secret Meridian, Shop Expeditions, the team of Mikhail Kozhukhov, CheapTrip, Paganel Studio and etc.
I, for example, cooperate with the Association of Free Guides, Secret Meridian and Expeditions Store. Forms of cooperation can be two:
1. You announce your programs on their resource and the travel agency takes a certain percentage for each client who came from them.
2. You work on travel agency programs as a freelance tour guide for salary (usually about 80 dollars a day + accommodation + flights by program).
Cons and pitfalls
It should be understood that working as a guide on the territory of another country, most often, you work illegally. I am not an expert on the laws of the countries of Southeast Asia, but in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia such work is not legal for sure. Therefore, you should always exercise a certain care and attention. It all depends for example, in Bali, the risk of burning down is much higher than Sumatra, Sulawesi or Papua. Where there are few tourists, the locals will glad that you give them at least some work and knock them on you it will simply not profitable, and it will not even come to mind soulful. In Bali, in Pattaya, Phuket people are more annoying, cops are more active and I, for example, just do not glare there at all. I drive customers by all of Indonesia but except Bali. Well, if only passing through.
It was the first minus, now the second. Earnings at first will be very unstable. Yes, and the current situation with the dying ruble stability in income does not add to anyone. So get ready in If you’re hitchhiking, live by каучёрфингу или на случайных вписках, питаться из помоекhomeless packages.
With 0 in your pocket, starting this business will not work, you need to have a certain amount of cash to maintain pants.
Even for someone it will be a minus that you need to dangle a lot around the country. First, in order to develop a route, agree with the right people (local guides, drivers, hotel owners and etc.), and then with clients. For my previous 10-month voyage I never stayed in Asia for more than a week. Perhaps at the proper level of promotion will be able to make a house somewhere, live there and sometimes to go somewhere, to conduct tours. And then back to the nest. But for the first time so surely will not work. Good guide legs fed! Movements in space will be very much.
My experience
I’ll tell you more about my experience. Most time in I traveled to Southeast Asia in Indonesia, especially on the huge Sumatra, whose territory is only slightly smaller than Thailand. At first earned in Russia, in a contact zoo, but about two years back I got the idea to try and make money Copyright tours, this is just contributed to Oleg’s tour to Thailand. Developed a simple route guide across Sumatra, announced it on My blog and in May 2014 spent. True, there was only 1 person. And earnings as such were not. But also a minus too.
One of my first trips: riding motorbikes on the lake Toba
Then I returned to Russia and spent the summer searching for clients and developing new routes. Created a site Let’s go to Indonesia, on which I am announcing my future trips and posting reports on held I scored several groups and successfully conducted them (Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi). Among them were even Orthodox pilgrims with a priest from Kemerovo. Pilgrims in Sumatra – can you imagine? Me and I myself still do not believe that this happens.
Russian pilgrims in the Orthodox Church of Medan
Here’s another thing for the Chukchi to bring to Papua))) Does anyone have friends in Anadyr?
Often they contact me directly with a request to prepare and do some special program in indonesia – i know Indonesian language and I can, in principle, to organize anything. Of my 6 trips, 4 were just such, unannounced anywhere else. AND 2 more programs planned for the upcoming season special trips. It’s just that people are apparently looking for a specialist in Indonesia and contact directly with their requests. This is another plus for popular blog on your topic and knowledge of the language of the country in which travel most often. The minus of such special programs is that often you have to change plans and go somewhere for exploration and training. But it is interesting and additional motivation to disrupt his ass with Suspended Guesthouse or Corp.
Now decided to specialize in eco-tourism and travel for entomologists (I am a biologist by education, so far not exactly breathe to all the bugs). There was one group of entomologists on Sumatra and one more are planned next year. Plus ask reconnoiter Halmacher – will have to go there someday.
A trip with entomologists – the camera is constantly in mode macro photography
My previous 10-month trip to Indonesia, Tay and Malaysia was carried out entirely on funds from the author’s tours. That is, on the full autonomy and self-sufficiency, I went through 1 year from the beginning. Now the task is to increase revenue, as in the plans travel not only in Southeast Asia, but also in China, Japan, Middle Asia, South America, Africa.
Now I have ambitious plans for Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi in near term and on Papua, Flores, Moluccas and Kalimantan in long term. Follow the news on my blog wandering naturalist
I would be very happy to answer all questions, help with advice, and if you had the experience of organizing copyright trips – to discuss the details. Want to become my companion and help me to travel on Indonesia – also contact.
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Choosing insurance is now unrealistically difficult, therefore, to help everyone travelers, I make a rating. To do this, constantly monitor forums, I study insurance contracts and use insurance by myself.
Insurance Rating
Life hacking 2 – how to find a hotel 20% cheaper
First, choose a hotel on Booking. They have a good base offers, but the prices are NOT the best! The same hotel is often possible find 20% cheaper in other systems through the RoomGuru service.
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