ToursByLocals’ Shore Excursions Are Sailing
As the cruise industry continues its comeback, Vancouver-based ToursByLocals, , is reporting its shore excursion business has increased tenfold over the same period in 2021.
To date in 2022, the company has booked more than 10,000 private shore excursions led by an experienced local guide, versus around 1,000 tours booked in the same period of 2021.
ToursByLocals shore excursions allow cruisers to step off the ship and meet their personal guide for a day of exploring. Each excursion is tailored to the traveller’s wishes, in contrast to the mass tours offered by the cruise lines.
According to ToursByLocals President, Luciano Bullorsky: “Across the board, we’re experiencing a swift recovery. The return of cruising is a strong driver of our business this year with shore excursions accounting for nearly 40% of our bookings so far into 2023.”
Rather than get lost in a crowded tour, seasoned cruise goers know that a private ToursByLocals tour is a valuable cruise hack. The personalized private tour allows travellers to experience a more tailor-made tour experience targeting their specific interests, away from the cruise ship crowds.
When shared by a group of four, the cost can even be less per person than the large group tour offered by the cruise line. Ships often warn cruisers away from booking independent tours, citing that the ship will not wait if they return late from their tour. But with the “No One Left Behind” guarantee offered by ToursByLocals, there’s no fear of ending up in this situation.
Luciano noted that: “Experienced cruisers tend to plan ahead. They know private guides get booked up quickly on port days. Looking at our booking data now, it’s interesting to see the diversity of destinations being booked well into 2023.”
The ToursByLocals booking platform has a Cruise Shore Excursion search function. Tours are filtered by cruise line, cruise ship, and port dates. Currently, 20 Cruise lines are included on the booking site with real-time information. Shore excursions are available in the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, the Americas, Africa and Australia/New Zealand – virtually anywhere there’s a port of call.
Travel advisors can help their clients design immersive experiences and earn a 5% minimum commission with each booking made.
Agents can register for this incentive here.
Once an agency has booked CDN$9,700 (US$7,500) worth of tours, the commission is raised to 10%, and applied retroactively to all tours booked that year.
