Switzerland is calling!
Travel Courier chats with Chris Wilson of Typically Swiss Tours about how he’s engaging with agents during this challenging time and why the business of offering private guided tours of Switzerland may be a great fit for your clients’ post-pandemic travel needs.
From dramatic mountain peaks to stunning waterfalls, Chris Wilson of Typically Swiss Tours & More knows that the scenery found around the countryside of Switzerland is bound to impress travellers.
But the secret sauce to running a successful business providing private guided tours of the destination entails combining those memorable landscapes with unforgettable service.
“If you build into that a comfortable, friendly, safe environment, if you can mix in flexibility, mobility, exclusivity, privacy, and you throw in the odd mountain and lake, then the ingredients really make a nice recipe,” says Wilson, who started the company in 2018. “It’s all about making people feel comfy and relaxed and taking them to some absolutely breathtaking sights around Switzerland.”
I’m carrying on with the promotions, the networking, the distribution, the connections so when business and the markets do come back, I’m bigger, stronger, fitter, more reachable, and have a stronger network of clients and travel advisors around the world so that I am ready to take on that uplift in business.
Chris Wilson
Originally from Manchester, Wilson relocated to Switzerland in 2000, and says one of his favourite parts of the job starts long before clients even set foot in his vehicle.
Whether it’s six days or six months ahead of a tour, he likes to “tailor, customize and personalize a tour as much possible. I try to get to know what’s important to them.”
For example, upon learning a guest from Florida was a massive Starbucks fan, he arranged a behind-the-scene factory tour so she could see where their coffee machines were made.
“The lady, Sharon, was basically in tears when we went into this place because it was very private, very exclusive and you wouldn’t do it if you were a standard tour operator,” he says. “It’s all about providing them with unique experiences that are very personal and those are the types of elements I like doing best. Trying to establish relationships with the customers so that to some extent I am like their friend and they’re relaxed and there’s no ice breaking.”
Although bookings have taken a hit during COVID-19, Wilson is using this slower period to connect with travel advisors across North America and grow his network.
“I’m carrying on with the promotions, the networking, the distribution, the connections so when business and the markets do come back, I’m bigger, stronger, fitter, more reachable, and have a stronger network of clients and travel advisors around the world so that I am ready to take on that uplift in business,” he says. “I’m hoping to increase the brand awareness in North America so that if people want to book a tour in Switzerland in the next one to two or three years, they will think about me.”
In a post-pandemic travel market, Wilson also feels his product offering — exclusive and private — will align with what many Canadian travellers will be seeking from international trips in the future.
Wilson says he’s also keen to work with travel advisors by offering a competitive sliding scale commission starting at 10% and rising depending on the amount of bookings they bring in.
“With the uptick and demand for small group tours, Chris has been able to not only continue to provide tours, but along the way has captured a growing North American audience of travel advisors,” notes certified travel counsellor Linda Toth-Winterkorn of Northstar Travel & Associates. “His tours have gained stellar reviews on Trip Advisor and are the perfect choice for our River Cruise clientele that are doing a pre or post in Basel and want to see the hidden gems of Switzerland without the crowds. Exclusive, private and unique is what our clients are asking for, a niche market he’s mastered. He offers very competitive commission, another added bonus.”
