Exam Project about Culture Travels (read description before answer)

[MRFREAK]

In my exam project, i am going to "start" my own business. So i decided to start up a travel agency, that sells culture travels, were the travellers travel in a group with a guide, for an example to Kyoto, Japan. Were they will "feel" "taste" and "smell" the culture of Japan and Kyoto. You will attend in their traditions such as festivals, try to make traditional japanese cuisine, learning a little japanese and so on. The core idea is to go "behind the scenes" of the worlds cultures, instead of just "skimming the top of the cream." As you do when you just travel alone and see things such as the eiffel tower, Burj al-khalifa etc.

So please help me out here, with my market analysis. Vote on one of the three options and throw up a comment about what kind of destination you would like.


On beforehand thanks
MR.FREAK 

[alexgv1]

Yes I tend to prefer more cultural holidays than the traditional British "p*ss ups" in Malia, Ibiza, etc.

I usually prefer to have a friend from there or know a local who knows the local ins and outs.

But I don't have a friend in every country so don't see a problem with a guide.

One thing - wouldn't you consider these more of a family holiday type?

[MRFREAK]

No, it's more like "just finished my education, dunno what to do now, so i might just travel the world" exploring/adventuring/discovering and in the same time educational travels and at the same time meet new people. aimed for the youth. Since that the youth is starting to become more internationally, so they want to see the world.

Also it's not just 1 week, it's more +4 weeks were you stay with the group at a hostel and a night or two in some clay cottage in south america, africa or at a traditional ryokan in japan


So basically it's like:
The customer buys the trip, and then my company sends the group of youths to let's say, Japan. Then the group will be accompanied by the guide, were he/her will learn them about the traditions and culture by letting the customers do different activities and take them to some events etc. The goal for my company is to make the customers "feel, taste and smell" the true meaning of the japanese culture and still let them have a great time not only with their trip, but also together with the group.

[LemonButt]

In my exam project, i am going to "start" my own business. So i decided to start up a travel agency, that sells culture travels, were the travellers travel in a group with a guide, for an example to Kyoto, Japan. Were they will "feel" "taste" and "smell" the culture of Japan and Kyoto. You will attend in their traditions such as festivals, try to make traditional japanese cuisine, learning a little japanese and so on. The core idea is to go "behind the scenes" of the worlds cultures, instead of just "skimming the top of the cream." As you do when you just travel alone and see things such as the eiffel tower, Burj al-khalifa etc.

So please help me out here, with my market analysis. Vote on one of the three options and throw up a comment about what kind of destination you would like.


On beforehand thanks
MR.FREAK 

The fact is 18-29 year olds don't have the time or money for something like this.  I'm 27 years old and I make very good money, but could not find the time to fly to Japan (from the US) to visit and if I had the time, I probably couldn't afford to do it.  It may seem like most younger adults travel to see the world, but the truth is they stay in $16/night hostel's and beg their parents for money every step of the way.

In regards to the concept, I think you're a bit off on the target audience.  The first thing is that if you are talking about a group tour with a guide, the only places that can accomodate groups of any size your traditional tourist stops.  If someone really wants to see the local culture, it would have to be with a personal guide/escort to show you the country.  I have an acquaintance who travels extensively for work and found himself in the DR.  He wanted to experience the voodoo culture and he and his wife were taken by a taxi driver to Haiti in some crazy back alley of the slums to experience voodoo rituals.  There is no way this would have been possible in a "group" setting, but was undoubtedly the real deal and authentic--which is what I think you're going for.  The target for people who would have an interest in really seeing the true culture versus tourist stops are going to be wealthy businessmen or the 55+ crowd with the money, time, and interest in doing so.  Most people (at least in America) bust their butts their entire life working hard at their career so they can retire and do leisurely things like this.

Also, travel agencies are a dying breed with expedia, travelocity, etc. where information is readily available and people can book their own trips.  When you say travel agency, I presume you mean a website portal where people can browse destinations and book their own adventures?

[MRFREAK]

The fact is 18-29 year olds don't have the time or money for something like this.  I'm 27 years old and I make very good money, but could not find the time to fly to Japan (from the US) to visit and if I had the time, I probably couldn't afford to do it. 

It depends on what country you live in. Here in Denmark, youths usually set their goals early in what they want to do after they are done with their education. So they have alot of time to save money if they decide to travel somewhere. Also many get a sparetime job at the of 13/14/15 years of age. As for myself i got a sparetime job at the age of 13.

But i spent some money on a computer, some games and a drivers licence, so i didn't really have that money left anyways since i already had a goal. But october last year. I decided to save money for a 4 week trip to japan this summer (not going anyways due to the nuclear accident).

And then i haven't really worked that much lately due to alot of school work, but i've almost managed to save enough money for it in 8 months. So here in Denmark it's not that difficult or hard to earn that kind of money for such trips.

[[ATA] - lilius]

I can give you some input also. I think kids have alot more money than we think these days and dont ask me where they get them. But for example, plenty of teenagers go to england to learn english during a month or so. If you can make the trip "serious" and educational I would even believe that parents would finance the whole thing. edit :Just realized you wrote 19-29 in the poll. Forget about parents.

I myself love traveling all alone but Ive got plenty of friends who are a bit more shy and insecure who would enjoy a setting where they can feel safe but still do some adventure.

[slither360]

I can give you some input also. I think kids have alot more money than we think these days and dont ask me where they get them. But for example, plenty of teenagers go to england to learn english during a month or so. If you can make the trip "serious" and educational I would even believe that parents would finance the whole thing.

I myself love traveling all alone but Ive got plenty of friends who are a bit more shy and insecure who would enjoy a setting where they can feel safe but still do some adventure.

+1

This is the whole idea behind the "people to people" high school student travel ripoff.

[alexgv1]

No, it's more like "just finished my education, dunno what to do now, so i might just travel the world" exploring/adventuring/discovering and in the same time educational travels and at the same time meet new people. aimed for the youth. Since that the youth is starting to become more internationally, so they want to see the world.

Also it's not just 1 week, it's more +4 weeks were you stay with the group at a hostel and a night or two in some clay cottage in south america, africa or at a traditional ryokan in japan


So basically it's like:
The customer buys the trip, and then my company sends the group of youths to let's say, Japan. Then the group will be accompanied by the guide, were he/her will learn them about the traditions and culture by letting the customers do different activities and take them to some events etc. The goal for my company is to make the customers "feel, taste and smell" the true meaning of the japanese culture and still let them have a great time not only with their trip, but also together with the group.

Well I know a lot of students who do these "Gap Years" of travelling in the UK either before university, or after (or both!). So I think there is a good market there, only problem is there are a few companies already doing these kinds of things (although many focus on charity/community projects in poorer parts of the world).

The fact is 18-29 year olds don't have the time or money for something like this.  I'm 27 years old and I make very good money, but could not find the time to fly to Japan (from the US) to visit and if I had the time, I probably couldn't afford to do it.  It may seem like most younger adults travel to see the world, but the truth is they stay in $16/night hostel's and beg their parents for money every step of the way.

I'd have to disagree, in the UK at least there is a large middle class community in the age range 17-22 who will go on these trips, either funded by their parents or sometimes they will work for 9 months and travel for the other 3. And with the job scene looking worse graduates end up finding the time to do these things being jobless.



I understand it is different in USA, but so as far as this company working for European/UK there is already a firm market.

[MRFREAK]

Oh yeah, also forgot, here in Denmark, students over 18 years of age gets some financial support from the government each month. until they end their education. Which depends on your own and your family's financial situation. You can get from 200-700 US Dollars.

[LemonButt]

Fair enough.  I'm going to refrain from any additional comments because you're not going to like what I have to say about these additional replies and it will take everything off topic

[MRFREAK]

It's okay Lemonbutt. 

To be honest, im glad to hear about how the the situation is for youths in America is. Since i had simply no idea of what the youths of america have and don't have. And that made it easier for me. This minor discussion have made me confirm that it is possible for this in Denmark.

Also i think that it's a shame that you have to pay to go to school in the US unlikely here in Denmark were the schools are getting payed through taxes.

[slither360]

Also i think that it's a shame that you have to pay to go to school in the US unlikely here in Denmark were the schools are getting payed through taxes.

As them idiot conservatives would say, "That's socialism"

As if socialism is an inherently bad thing. I'm telling you, neo-McCarthyism is getting worse by the day.

[mtnlion]

The fact is 18-29 year olds don't have the time or money for something like this.  I'm 27 years old and I make very good money, but could not find the time to fly to Japan (from the US) to visit and if I had the time, I probably couldn't afford to do it.  

I agree with others that it's not about the money or "time" here in Europe (Finland at least). I'm 20 myself and have done a lot of traveling in Asia and around Europe, sometimes alone and sometimes with friends. In fact in two weeks I'll be traveling to Asia for few weeks. This time I couldn't get anyone (of my friends) to join me, as most of them are in the military.

But like I said, it's not about the money. The flights are the biggest expense but there are bargains out there, like few years ago when Ryanair had 10 euro round-trip fare to Dublin. Long-haul flights are of course more expensive, but it's not too difficult to find round trip fares that cost less than 600euros. Aeroflot anyone?   (Actually some time ago Lufthansa offered flights from Helsinki to Tokyo for 550 euros ).  Finland is very expensive country to live in and I've noticed that often when I leave my house I easily spend over 50 euros to something useless (like alcohol   ). That same 50 euros equals for two (or more) days in SE-Asia including accommodation.

Where do I/we get the money from? Well, I usually work hard during summers or after school and try to save as much as I can and because I still live in home, I don't have to worry about paying for rent or food. Oh, and I don't own a car, which is a big one if you want to save money. I was an exchange student in USA few years ago and couldn't help but notice that every teen had their own car.  But in addition to the salary from the work I have to give credit to my grandparents because they are very generous.  And of course to the Government as well, because they always "over tax". Though it's nice to get some money back a year after.   This December I'll be getting a check of 400 euros as tax refund.

Of course this changes a little bit after I move on my own, but I'm positive that I'll keep traveling, I just have to save harder and spend less.

Interesting article concerning vacation in USA. This clarifies why we have time to travel and you don't.
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/TRAVEL/05/23/vacation.in.america/index.html

But that's enough of off-topic. I voted "no", because I like to travel on my own. I could never travel on a group which has a schedule of some kind, because planning the trip is half of the fun! I always do a throughout research about the culture and history (and often language) of the destination where I'm traveling anyway so that I can enjoy the holiday even more.

[LemonButt]

It's okay Lemonbutt. 

To be honest, im glad to hear about how the the situation is for youths in America is. Since i had simply no idea of what the youths of america have and don't have. And that made it easier for me. This minor discussion have made me confirm that it is possible for this in Denmark.

Also i think that it's a shame that you have to pay to go to school in the US unlikely here in Denmark were the schools are getting payed through taxes.

Milton Friedman popularized the phrase that there is no such thing as a free lunch.  Personally, I think it's deplorable that people earning minimum wage in the US who never went to college are paying taxes that go towards federal assistance to pay for someone else to go through college.  Schools aren't free in Denmark--someone else is paying the cost for you.  The government isn't just devaluing their currency so they can give students $200-700/month stipend--that money is being confiscated from those who earned it through taxation.  There was a popular catchphrase during the healthcare reform debate in the US--if you think healthcare is expensive now, wait until it's free.

The problem with the 17-29 age group in the US is not that they don't have things, it's that they have everything (such as cars they didn't pay for etc.).  Everything has been given to them without working for it and as a result, they appreciate nothing.  Due to this, they don't understand the value of a dollar and are lazy as hell.

Margaret Thatcher was famous for saying socialism works until you run out of other people's money.  Socialism is bad because it promotes equal results instead of equal opportunity.  In the US, everyone has the opportunity to go to college, but it doesn't come without financial and time commitments.  Many choose not to make those commitments and don't goto college or worse: choose to goto college and rack up student debt while majoring in unemployment (AKA history, liberal arts, philosophy, poetry, etc).

Not to get off topic, but that's my speil for now  I've got to get back to work...I'm in the 53% of US workers who actually have a tax liability and someone has to pay for all these free lunches.

[slither360]

Milton Friedman popularized the phrase that there is no such thing as a free lunch.  Personally, I think it's deplorable that people earning minimum wage in the US who never went to college are paying taxes that go towards federal assistance to pay for someone else to go through college.  Schools aren't free in Denmark--someone else is paying the cost for you.  The government isn't just devaluing their currency so they can give students $200-700/month stipend--that money is being confiscated from those who earned it through taxation.  There was a popular catchphrase during the healthcare reform debate in the US--if you think healthcare is expensive now, wait until it's free.

The problem with the 17-29 age group in the US is not that they don't have things, it's that they have everything (such as cars they didn't pay for etc.).  Everything has been given to them without working for it and as a result, they appreciate nothing.  Due to this, they don't understand the value of a dollar and are lazy as hell.

Margaret Thatcher was famous for saying socialism works until you run out of other people's money.  Socialism is bad because it promotes equal results instead of equal opportunity.  In the US, everyone has the opportunity to go to college, but it doesn't come without financial and time commitments.  Many choose not to make those commitments and don't goto college or worse: choose to goto college and rack up student debt while majoring in unemployment (AKA history, liberal arts, philosophy, poetry, etc).

Not to get off topic, but that's my speil for now  I've got to get back to work...I'm in the 53% of US workers who actually have a tax liability and someone has to pay for all these free lunches.

While I agree with some of this, you are completely ignoring the fact that the money "confiscated" by taxation eventually gets spent right back on society, and therefore has more societal value than allowing the glorious corporations to rule the country.

I agree that people earning minimum wage who never went to college should not be paying towards federal assistance for someone else to go through college. This is exactly why a progressive tax system works. The people who can afford to pay towards federal assistance do, and those who can't don't

[MRFREAK]

Lemonbutt.... I seriously didn't know that. About teens getting "gold and green forrests". 

But i might have been written the thing with "american youths don't have that much" might have been a little offtrack from my side, didn't know how to express it. And theoretically it's true that school isn't free in Denmark, but since it's getting payed through taxes it's like you feel it doesn't hit your financial state. And i admire it since, EVERYONE has the rights to go to school if they like, in Denmark you even have a law that says, you HAVE to go to school in minimum 9 years. After that you are free to study further, get a job (not easy) or be a bum if you like. It is a great mix of liberalsm and socialism act.

But the food in the cantine is not free.

[slither360]

Lemonbutt.... I seriously didn't know that. About teens getting "gold and green forrests". 

But i might have been written the thing with "american youths don't have that much" might have been a little offtrack from my side, didn't know how to express it. And theoretically it's true that school isn't free in Denmark, but since it's getting payed through taxes it's like you feel it doesn't hit your financial state. And i admire it since, EVERYONE has the rights to go to school if they like, in Denmark you even have a law that says, you HAVE to go to school in minimum 9 years. After that you are free to study further, get a job (not easy) or be a bum if you like. It is a great mix of liberalsm and socialism act.

But the food in the cantine is not free.

No, you were in some ways right. The american youth have their cars and their iPads and whatnot, but they don't have what I think they need most - education, and experiences that can broaden their worldview (like your Japan program). Some Americans are happy to stay just as they are, without doing anything special, the slaves of the grand corporations. They fight about whether people are "working hard enough" whether they have "good christian values" and American Idol. The country is the most beautiful example of Panem and Circuses at work in the world. People think that they're happy, but they miss the true culture and beauty of the world. I was fortunate to move here only after I had experienced the true culture of my home country (India), and I can see all over the place in my classmates that people don't know what true happiness really is. We can have a fight on which theories work, and all of that, but it's a waste of time at the end of the day.

[MRFREAK]

No, you were in some ways right. The american youth have their cars and their iPads and whatnot, but they don't have what I think they need most - education, and experiences that can broaden their worldview (like your Japan program). Some Americans are happy to stay just as they are, without doing anything special, the slaves of the grand corporations. They fight about whether people are "working hard enough" whether they have "good christian values" and American Idol. The country is the most beautiful example of Panem and Circuses at work in the world. People think that they're happy, but they miss the true culture and beauty of the world. I was fortunate to move here only after I had experienced the true culture of my home country (India), and I can see all over the place in my classmates that people don't know what true happiness really is. We can have a fight on which theories work, and all of that, but it's a waste of time at the end of the day.

I see. I've been to the states 4 times. But i never knew that.

while writing the sentence over this one. It struck me. I've been to the states 4 times, just to check the things out and just have a great time. And seen a little about the culture. But i haven't seen behind the scenes, like you who live there. And that is exactly what my company is going to change. LOL! 

[slither360]

Well keep in mind that it is my very subjective viewpoint. It's an opinion, not really something you can "know"