"A lot of things have changed:" Insight celebrates 40 years

In some ways, 1978 and 2018 are not that different – a Trudeau was Prime Minister and Star Wars was generating plenty of pop culture buzz.

For Insight Vacations, however, those 40 years have been a constant period of growth and innovation in the guided vacation space.

It was April 13, 1978 when Insight first offered its European coach tours to Canadians, launching with three itineraries - Glories of Greece, Best of Italy and Highlights of Europe - all of which still continue to sell 40 years later.

To commemorate the occasion, Insight has created a special anniversary landing page showcasing a number of milestones from the last four decades, including a curated Spotify soundtrack featuring hit songs from 1978 to 2018.

Insight Vacations Canada President Brad Ford told PAX that from the very beginning, innovation has been central to the tour operator’s approach, which currently offers tours across Europe, North America along with Northern Africa and the Middle East.

“We were one of very first operators of how to look at how to put together a premium guided vacation,” Ford said, adding that “our belief is that on the ground and everywhere we go, we use the best travel directors.”

As the brand grew in the Canadian marketplace, with an increased focus on premium hotels and dining experiences plus the introduction of its EasyPace and Country Roads trip styles, one of the biggest innovations took place relatively recently; in 2004, Insight moved to smaller tours of 40 guests, a process which involved an overhaul of the tour operator’s coach fleet, reducing the number of seats and increasing legroom for travellers.

“It was about rethinking Insight experience,” Ford recalled. “Many of our travellers loved the legroom and our travellers tell us that feature really became something different when we introduced panoramic windows in our coaches. When travelling in far flung destinations, they can connect with the local environment.”

The tour operator has also been among the first to feature a number of popular destinations; in particular, Insight added Iceland itineraries to its line-up in 2008, anticipating the travel demand for the country by several years.

“We’ve gone into some destinations before others got there,” he said. “For example, we were one of first to look at an exclusive Croatia itinerary; before then, it was only part of other programs.”

New additions to Insight’s programs continue in this 40th anniversary year; among them, a partnership with Eat With was recently launched, a program pairing travellers with local foodies across Europe for a unique home dining experience.

Many of Insight’s innovations have been driven by customer feedback on its itineraries (Insight guests can rate their experience via Feefo, a platform posting uncurated customer reviews) and over the course of four decades, Ford notes that the average traveller has become increasingly sophisticated.

Brad Ford, president - Canada, Insight Vacations

“A lot of things have changed over 40 years and in that time, our travellers have become much more informed,” he said. “There’s a larger mainstream movement toward premium travel. The difference is that access to information, via the internet and social media.” And just as valued as travellers are the travel agents who help fill Insight’s coaches year after year and Ford explained that with Insight’s recent inclusion as a member of the Virtuoso network, the future is even brighter.

“In working with our agent partners and being welcomed into Virtuoso, we see there’s many enthusiastic champions for us. All of our sales are through agents - they all sell Insight like no one else can.”

For agents new to selling Insight, Ford provided some strategies to consider.

“The first thing to do is to take a look at your client demographic. Motorcoach or river cruise clientele has an easy crossover into our product,” he said. “Also, anyone looking at something that isn’t the cheapest but has the best inclusions or most authentic connections, we’re the easiest partner to work with in that regard.”

And to thank travel agents for 40 years of support, Insight is holding a month-long incentive with the chance to win several prizes.

For the month of April, agents will receive a $40 gift card for every booking made during the month. In addition, for every booking made, agents will be included in a draw for three prizes, including one night at a local five-star hotel, with a choice of an award-winning dining experience and a spa package for two; a $400 gift card; and a Swarovski Crystaldust cuff.

Winners will be announced on May 2, which is also Travel Agent Day 2018.

“We look to the next 40 years of success with each and every one of our partners!” Ford said.