• Home
• About

Things to Watch Out for in Inclusive Travel Overseas

So you have been hired to plan a trip for a three-person sales team that has helped the company achieve more than ever before. These are star performers, and the company wants to reward them with an overseas trip. You should wait until you have the team back home–and happy–before you congratulate yourself too much.

Why? Because much can go wrong with an overseas trip. Not only do you have to be concerned with price and quality of the package, you have to be concerned with the entry requirements, local custom, and for some countries even etiquette. Here are some things to be cautious of.

Entry

You have worked your tail feathers down to the quills to make a trip to the United Kingdom go smoothly. However, at the last minute you find out that one of the people needs to apply for a visa because she is a national from a country where it is necessary for entry into the U.K. Had you done your homework early, you would have gone to the U.K. website that lists such countries and would have also checked to make sure all guests were citizens of the United States.

Etiquette

Going to the U.K. for the above group is not a cultural change, but what if you are going to a place like Paris? Sure, it’s almost like home in many ways, but there are things your travelers might want to know to make their trip more comfortable. For instance, did you know that when you go into a shop in Paris, you should greet the shopkeeper or staff first? Here it’s different, but if you don’t do it there you may get funny looks. Things like that can make normally good service go bump in the night, and put a damper on the trip–and your reputation. Make sure you create a list of cultural considerations for your travelers, and maybe some beginning language.

Culture

Although you are unlikely to book a trip to India, an example of cultural differences can be found in the country’s performing arts traditions. For instance, where we arrive early at a classical music concert and expect it to begin on time–and don’t interrupt the performance with comings and goings–it is different in some parts of India.

You may go to a six o’clock concert in India, have it start at seven (and sometimes go until midnight or later!), and have people come and go constantly. While that might drive us crazy, they enjoy the laid-back atmosphere–some of them even take their dinners. Warn your people ahead of time so that they are not annoyed with local customs and behavior and can enjoy the culture to its fullest.

Those are just three things to consider when booking international inclusive travel. Make sure that you inform the group about all entry and exit requirements, good manners, and the cultural practices regarding the activities you book.

Did you enjoy this post? Why not leave a comment below and continue the conversation, or subscribe to my feed and get articles like this delivered automatically to your feed reader.