| I recently had a chance to talk to Chris Ronneseth of | | | | 7. What type of accommodation is offered? |
| Trek Holidays (see interview preview) who gave me a | | | | We offer generally speaking anything from 2 star |
| good overview of adventure travel, an area of travel I | | | | budget accommodation to 6 star lodge experiences in |
| definitely would like to explore sooner than later... | | | | Africa and everything in between. However what is |
| 1. Tell us how you got into the adventure travel | | | | common to all places we stay is that they must be |
| business. | | | | clean, comfortable, centrally-located and most |
| I grew up around travel. My father, Allan Ronneseth | | | | important have character that is reflective of the |
| founded the company in 1972 and with a passion to | | | | destination. |
| see the world in a different way than the norm, we | | | | 8. How do these tours work for single travellers? Do |
| had the opportunity to travel to countries that were | | | | you provide a travel-mate matching service? What |
| considered exotic at that time and to some extent still | | | | happens if I prefer single accommodation? |
| are today. Venturing out on my own traveling while | | | | Our tours are designed with single travellers in mind. In |
| attending University I became more and more | | | | fact 50% of all our travellers come by themselves. |
| passionate about the world beyond North America. | | | | We match people up of the same gender and like age |
| With a degree in marketing, I ventured off first to New | | | | to share and avoid charging them a supplement. If |
| York and later to Toronto working in sales and | | | | clients prefer their own room, we can do this on |
| marketing for technology companies during the tech | | | | approximately 60% of the tours, usually the more |
| boom. Having learned the skill of sales in an industry | | | | upmarket ones, but at a rate that is fair and affordable. |
| outside of travel but backed with an upbringing rooted | | | | 9. What about meals? |
| in adventure travel, I made the progression to heading | | | | Depending on the trip we generally include breakfasts |
| up sales in Eastern Canada for the family business | | | | and some dinners but almost never lunch as many |
| where I now provide support to our network of travel | | | | people like to be out at midday making their own |
| agents across Eastern Canada as well as compiling | | | | discoveries. However when trekking or in the |
| our monthly newsletter on adventure travel trends. | | | | countryside or where alternatives do not exist we will |
| 2. What countries have you traveled to? | | | | always include meals. |
| Africa: Namibia, South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, | | | | 10. What are the unique benefits of adventure tours as |
| Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, Egypt, Morocco | | | | compared to other types of travel? |
| Europe: UK, Greenland, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, | | | | A sense of achievement, quality of experience, |
| Austria | | | | traveling with a small group of just ten people on |
| Asia: Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, | | | | average, generally better value than comparable bus |
| Laos, Cambodia, Hong Kong | | | | tours, camaraderie with individuals that share a passion |
| South Pacific: Australia, Cook Islands, Tonga, Fiji | | | | for this type of travel. |
| Americas: Canadian High Arctic, USA, Mexico, | | | | 11. What type of activities are offered in your tours? |
| Jamaica, Cayman Islands, | | | | Sightseeing is a major part of every tour but beyond |
| Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, | | | | that we want to include as many cultural experiences |
| Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia | | | | as possible such as homestays with local families, |
| 3. Please share with us your top three travel | | | | village visits, etc. We also have many optional activities |
| memories of all times. | | | | available such rafting, sailing, jeep safaris, day treks, |
| A. Peru -The last descent into Machu Picchu on the | | | | etc. |
| famed Inca Trail from the Sun Gate after seeing | | | | 12. Is there such a thing as adventure tours for |
| sunrise over the site, being the first to enter the site at | | | | families? |
| daybreak and having a feeling of peace, harmony and | | | | We now have tours built especially for families to |
| strong magic in the air. | | | | travel with other families where children are age six |
| B. Vietnam - Travelling the countryside of Vietnam by | | | | and up. There is a large demographic of 'late-starter' |
| motorbike and stumbling upon a hidden and seldom | | | | families who never had children until in their 30s. Many |
| visited Buddhist Monastery resulting in a three-hour visit | | | | of these people traveled with us in their 20s or |
| with a young Buddhist monk learning and understanding | | | | backpacked independently and now want to give that |
| each other's ways. | | | | experience to their children. They are not interested in |
| C. Namibia - Skydiving at sunset at Swakopmund on | | | | introducing them to the 'coca-cola' culture pervasive in |
| the coast where the Atlantic Ocean meets the | | | | today's society. These have been met with great |
| blood-red sand dunes for as far as the eye can see. | | | | success. |
| One of the most tranquil moments of my life. | | | | 13. Please share with us practical advice for someone |
| 4. What is adventure travel and how has it evolved | | | | who's never tried adventure travel. |
| over the last few decades? | | | | Safety is a state of mind. Most people who elect not |
| Adventure travel used to mean high adventure back | | | | to travel to exotic destinations do so because of a |
| when the company was founded in the seventies, it | | | | fear for their safety while in the destination. If you heed |
| was time when the 'hippie-trail' was hot and buses | | | | the advice of your tour leader and be practical almost |
| used to travel across Asia from London to | | | | any destination in the world can provide a safe, secure |
| Kathmandu with itineraries that were largely invented | | | | and memorable experience. Where we have had |
| along the way. Today it is about the small group | | | | problems with safety it has almost always been a |
| experience and about experiencing a destination rather | | | | disregard for common sense and advice. Don't be |
| than simply seeing it. It is about participation and | | | | afraid of experiencing other cultures, you will almost |
| understanding of cultures, history and customs and | | | | always find that your curiosity will be the best guide |
| being able to take that experience away as | | | | though it all and that same curiosity will be reciprocated |
| enrichment to your daily life. | | | | by the people we meet along the way. It is about |
| 5. Who goes on your adventure travel tours and why? | | | | learning and understanding other people as much as |
| What is the age, gender, nationality and income level of | | | | they need to understand us. It really does shrink the |
| the people that go on your tours? | | | | world. Our second biggest problem would be |
| Adventure travel is largely about the passion to do it. | | | | dehydration, when traveling to hot, dry countries or |
| For this reason it crosses boundaries of age, gender | | | | where activity is involved such as trekking ensure you |
| and income since the common goal of the travelers is | | | | drink lots of water! |
| the experience regardless of their life at home. | | | | 14. How much time do you travel yourself these days? |
| However the largest demographic for us and the most | | | | Generally 5 or 6 weeks a year. It is imperative to my |
| important growth demographic is the baby-boomers | | | | sales knowledge and experience and I owe it to my |
| who have experienced the traditional beach vacation | | | | customers to be the expert in what we do! All of our |
| several times over and now have the time and | | | | employees are given wonderful travel opportunities |
| disposable income to travel to more exotic | | | | which goes straight to our company motto: Expert |
| destinations. Nationality is generally made up of largely | | | | advice from those who have been there! |
| English-speaking nations with the makeup in order of | | | | 15. Where are you going next? |
| numbers being Brits, Australians, Canadians, New | | | | I plan this year on escorting a trip back to Egypt in |
| Zealanders, Americans, some mainland Europe, some | | | | April, to South Africa in May to experience some of |
| Latin American countries and the odd Asian traveler. | | | | our new properties we work with and to hopefully |
| We offer more than 120 countries worldwide generally | | | | take a side trip to Mozambique. Later in the year I plan |
| just about everywhere. However countries currently | | | | to make my way to Turkey and the Patagonian |
| deemed to be unsafe for travel (eg. Iraq, Afghanistan) | | | | outdoors In Chile & Argentina. |
| are not included but we expect they will be in the | | | | Thanks, Chris, for all your information, and have fun on |
| years to come as the situation stabilizes. | | | | your trips! |