Tom Hale: The Evolution of Adventure Travel
A conversation with the founder of Backroads and chairman of the Adventure Collection.
DG: You were one of the pioneers in the adventure travel field. How and when did you and Backroads get started? How has the adventure travel world changed in the years since then? And how has Backroads changed in that time?
TH: In 1979 I woke up one night with an idea that I wanted to take people on bike trips. I got out of bed, took eight pages of notes on what it would take to make that happen, and as of breakfast had essentially made up my mind. In other words: concept to business plan in four hours. So much for seven years of higher education! I went on a 5,000-mile bike trip around the West and when finished, I dove into Backroads and haven't stopped thinking since about better ways to do what we do. I started on a shoestring and proceeded being fueled by passion, perseverence and an absolute belief that what we do is an unbeatable way to travel.
The basic ethic is still very much the same. We are incredibly guest-focused, and as we detect a shift in what our guests value, we try our darnedest to give them that value. While our initial offering was limited to bike trips, we soon moved into multisport and walking/hiking trips. We added trips for single travelers and families long ago. As people's interest in more upscale hotels became clear, we moved in that direction. And when it became clear that we needed to offer two tiers of accommodation (what we now call Premiere and Casual), we were not afraid to do so. And, of course, after first offering trips just in the West, we now travel the world to over 35 countries.
What kind of travelers take the trips you offer? What are people looking for when they take your trips?
Backroads guests are fun-loving people who like to be around other folks having a really good time. Our guests are predominately from the United States and Canada, with occasional residents of Brazil, Mexico, Australia and a handful of other countries. The people who travel with Backroads are looking for a very rich and full experience --being active and personally interacting with other cultures on a meaningful level. They want to go in deep in an area. The way we travel is, by its very nature, connective to the place and the people of that place. Our guests celebrate that. They like to travel comfortably, stay in nice places and eat well (and a really great bottle of wine doesn't hurt). Since we are out and about during the day experiencing the world in all its dimensions, an appreciation for the finer things in life takes on even more importance after a day of biking or hiking.
What's the current state of the adventure travel world, and what are the principal challenges facing the industry today?
It's now more evident how important it is that we all do our part to protect and preserve the culture, beauty and uniqueness of the areas where we travel. Leaving the absolute smallest footprint and helping everyone to see the value of our type of travel is a cornerstone philosophy of the Adventure Collection companies. We hope that more mainstream travel companies will get on board in terms of also seeing how important this is. Not just because it is good for business, but because it is simply right and good.
You just mentioned the Adventure Collection. Can you explain more about this association?
In 2000 a few of us who run adventure travel companies got together in the Sierra to share ideas. Before we had finished chatting over wine, it was apparent to all of us what a good thing it would be to continue to build on this newfound collegiality. Initially we thought it made sense to join together as a way to fend off some of the consolidation activity taking place at the time. It quickly became clear that what was more valuable was to share best practices, take part in innovative marketing efforts and exchange thoughts during crises such as 9/11. I know we all especially appreciate the chance to get together with fellow leaders who have so greatly influenced the adventure/active travel world. Imagine the dinner-time stories when the ten people at the table collectively have over 300 years of up-close experience traveling the globe in the most interesting of manners.
What principles and practices do all the Adventure Collection members have in common?
Each Adventure Collection company shares a common responsible travel ethic. We have all committed to five strategic principles supporting this ethic. These principles are described in detail on the Adventure Collection Web site. We believe that personal service is our top priority. We believe that comfort goes along with adventure travel quite nicely. And our trips are carefully designed first and foremost with one thing in mind: great good fun.
What would you say are the main advantages of taking a guided tour versus independent travel? In what circumstances would you recommend people consider taking tours?
The advantages of taking a guided trip are many. We take care of all the details. Really. We speak the languages. Have the contacts. Reserve the hotels, restaurants, local guides, special events. We train leaders to pull it all together and make it look easy even when it is not. We bring together really fun people to share in the experience. We have years -- decades -- of experience in areas where it's critical to know the lay of the land and the people. We know people who open doors. We provide experiences that often would be next to impossible to replicate on one' s own. We know how the logistics work so when things don't go quite right we can call on support to back us up so you're still able to have a great time. To make a long story short, if you don't have a few months off and if the thought of figuring out all of the above by yourself is not particularly interesting, you are a fine candidate for an Adventure Collection trip.
What's your feeling about the future of travel? Are you optimistic? What are the rewards of travel that keep you impassioned?
The type of travel Adventure Collection companies provide will become even more important. In this ever more fast-paced life we seem to have inherited, getting unplugged and connecting with something real is going to be treasured more and more.
*****
For more information on destinations and itineraries offered by Backroads and other Adventure Collection members, visit Backroads.com and AdventureCollection.com.
