Over 1,000 people have travelled from around the world to attend the Ensemble International Conference in Orlando.
Member agents from North America, suppliers and representatives were in attendance as Executive Vice President Lindsay Pearlman opened the conference yesterday afternoon at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress.
Pearlman’s address focused on the need to ‘simplify vs. complicate’ and to consider ‘process vs. product.’ He also praised the success of the Ensemble concept in achieving a truly pan-North American membership, stretching from Nunavut to the Florida Keys, Halifax to Hawaii.
Bruce Poon Tip, President and Founder of Canadian adventure travel success story Gap Adventures, also addressed the Ensemble gathering, under the theme of what he calls the ‘triple bottom line’ of ‘people, the planet and profits.’
“Tourism has the ability to change lives and sustain economic development” said Poon Tip, but he pointed out that presently only $5.00 out of $100 of any tour from a developed country customer stays in a developing country.
Poon Tip suggested that in the not-too-distant future there will be only two types of travel customers: the last minute and the experiential. He says agents and suppliers targeting experiential customers face two imperatives: providing experiences that change our customers’ lives, and the need to engage customers beyond the travel experience.
As an example of the latter, Poon Tip cited Gap’s Planeterra Foundation that gives back to many of the destinations the company visits, with projects including improving eyesight in Tibet, a street kid program in Cuzco and a weaving school for women in Peru. Poon Tip stressed that the funding for these projects came from his customers through donations.
Poon Tip’s message and stories brought the Ensemble audience to its feet and many to tears.
