Hostel tour desks

[Hostels]

This section of the HostelManagement.com forums is about tour desk operations.

Many backpackers want to go on tours. Offering tours or tour ticket sales can bring in additional revenue, as well as help backpacers to have a good time.

There are a couple of ways to offer tours:

• Offer tours directly for a price like at Arnott's Lodge in Hawaii: http://www.arnottslodge.com/activity.htm
• Offer tours for free like at this Maui hostel: http://www.mauihostel.com/tours.html or a combination of free and paid tours like at HI New York: http://www.hinewyork.org/activities.shtml
• Sell tickets for tours at an activities desk by establishing relationships with local tour operators. The hostel's tour desk would probably be able to take a 20% to 30% commission on the tour sale.

One advantage of the last method is that it can be used to offer additional income to the front desk at no cost to a hostel. Employee morale at some hostels is not good partly because of low wages. Offering commissions on tour bookings to front desk staff can be a way to help that situation.

[thlodge]

Hey have you considered Elder Hostel? they offer tours of an instructional nature to seniors. can be weekend, or as much as week long .. they have a huge catalogue. you design your unique instructional tour and offer it thru them to a wide customer base. the offers are widely varied .. and some seem more touristyu that instructional. .. but something on the design of covered bridges in new england ... or nature life on the calif. sea shore might work ..

[Hostels]

Originally Posted by thlodge

Hey have you considered Elder Hostel?

I don't know much about Elder Hostel, but I will look into it. Sounds interesting.