For a number of decades, tourism has been growing globally, giving rise to new trends. With the exception of the Covid years, over the last 20 years, tourism to Colombia has been increasing dramatically, with many years showing double-digit growth.
Traditional destinations such as the sun and beach are no longer the first option for many. Giving way to new experiences, and allowing people to connect with their newfound inspirations closer to nature and cultural understandings. Not only this, but today you can find many new destinations in Colombia full of unique and unforgettable journeys. Locations where you enjoy life-changing experiences and collect amazing memories every passing moment of every day.
So what traveler are you? How do you like to travel? What experiences do you crave to enjoy? What gives you that warm feeling that brightens your face, lighting your eyes and shining through your smile?
Read on to learn which traveler you are and what will be your perfect trip! Click here to start planning your Colombian Journey today!
Private or Shared Group Tours?
Everyone likes to have the time of their life while visiting a new destination, but this can be tricky and confusing. Especially during the early planning stages. You have a lot of questions in your head such as “Where to go?”, “What to visit?”, “Is it safe?”, “What if I don’t understand the language?” and many more.
That’s why travelers often look for expert advice with first-hand knowledge of the destination to create tailor-made itineraries. Now here comes your first decision, private tour or group tour?
Let’s start talking about Private Tours and what to expect:
you can enjoy private tour by yourself, as a couple, as a family, or with friends. This option can represent an exclusive, first-class service while you are planning your trip, in addition to when you are actually traveling as you’ll receive access to significant additional benefits.
This means that during the planning of your trip you will be led by your local destination expert, who will take care of all the traveling and planning logistics for you. Once you get to your destination a local professional group will be working 24/7 for you, to ensure you have the vacation you’ve dreamed of. You will experience the comfort of having your own private transportation and a local staff guide to escort you during your tours, in addition to filling your ears with expert information about not just what you can see and do. But about the history of events that have led to this experience and others throughout the destination.
Private tours allow you the freedom to change the itinerary as you please. The option to choose your personal style and speed of travel. Decide how much “me time” or free days are needed in different locations. What time you wish to wake up, enjoy breakfast, and depart for your excursion or transfer. Private tours provide you the opportunity to choose (with the guidance of your local expert) which experiences you will truly cherish and will provide you with a unique and unforgettable journey.
As well as all of the above, the initial itineraries provided by local experts are simply a starting point and not a finished product. They provide you with a number of options, and the chance to customize everything as you desire. With a private tour, you will have full control over what you will do, where you go, and when you’ll do it. All without the stress and time of planning the trip yourself!
Often these tailor-made tours are considered more expensive. And with good reason, as there is a lot more work put into creating and providing a unique customized experience that is tailored to the specific desires of a traveler. But this is not always the case, as it can be more economical to purchase what is usually sold as a shared group tour, as a private experience, and then customize it. The main reason for this is that in group tours there is a permanent tour leader that travelers with the group throughout the entire tour. But when purchasing as a private package tour, a guide is provided at each location, without the additional cost of paying for the tour leader’s transport, flights, food and accommodation away from home.
*To view, a range of our customizable sample package tours click here
What about group tours?
group tours can come with the same quality that you will experience with private tours. As the packages offered are created by destination experts, that have been designed for a specific type of group, often a similar age, with certain interests and lifestyles in common. They also can be enjoyed alone, as a couple, with friends, or as a family. But generally speaking, children are unable to join most group tours.
With this option, you will find that the trip dates are fixed with a structured itinerary that includes all transportation, accommodation, and experiences. Generally, a tour leader accompanies you throughout your stay, in addition to a local guide for the different places you visit. But occasionally if a tour leader is an expert in the destination, a local guide may not be required. This is an excellent option for those who are more budget consciouswant to join an experience with like-minded people, or just don’t have time to plan details beforehand.
*To view our Comfort Over 50 Shared Group tours click here, and to view our High-End Over 50 Shared Group Tours click here.
Choosing to travel as a group in a shared tour will provide you with a different experience, and the opportunity to create new friendships that cross oceans and last a lifetime.
Your journey begins with a dream, transforms into a plan, evolves into the discovery of a destination, and with expert help concludes with a unique, unforgettable life-changing experience!
Once you have identified the best option for you, it’s time to decide what kind of travel to enjoy:
When you start planning your trip, you will come to understand that there are many different options and that each of them has been devised for large and diverse styles of travelers:
- Sun and beach vacation: If you are one that takes a vacation to just relax, this will probably be your choice, as you will choose your destination focused on leisure facilities and sophisticated services within a warm setting.
- Urban Tourism: If you like to do some sightseeing in the big cities, visit museums, historic monuments, and architecture, this is the option for you. You’ll have easy access to all kinds of services you need during your stay and still get the opportunity to get deeper into the culture of the place.
- Cultural Tourism: Do you base your trips on the exchange of knowledge and the experience of understanding more about the cultural aspects of a destination? This type then is for you, your goal is to learn about cultural heritage assets through local and gastronomic festivals and immerse yourself with the local people to learn about their ethnic, folklore, customs, and traditions.
- Country Tourism: Just want to contemplate nature and take a relaxing walk and learn about the territory itself, totally disconnecting from the big crowds and the noise of the cities? This is for you. You can join activities like birdwatching, trekking, visiting farms, and learning about the local products (Agritourism)-
- Adventure tourism: This type is for those who like to go outside their comfort zone and explore remote and hostile areas where you’ll have complete disconnection and a real connection with nature. Here you can practice sports like rafting, hiking, speleology, abseiling, paragliding, bungy jumping, horse riding, and activities related to physical efforts.
- Eco-Tourism: Probably the most famous, and usually takes place in natural habitats, such as national parks or reserves. It’s the practice where you will make respectful visits and learn about the conservation of the territory, where you will appreciate all kinds of landscapes including all the fauna and flora.
- Business tourism: If you need to travel for business to another country, this type will provide you with facilities and services so you can go around the destination without any stress about the logistics.
Now that you have knowledge of the different types of tourism you can find, you should also know that all kinds of tourism can be well received if we use responsible practices. Everyone likes to enjoy a day at the beach and take some relaxing moments. But if you want to make a difference in your life or that of others you should explore those lesser-known places. Destinations off the beaten path can often be a lot nicer and much less crowded. You’ll find big cities can offer you a lot of culture on the streets, but you’ll discover the true heart of a destination in the small towns and in rural settings.
In the end, what kind of traveler you are doesn’t matter! As what is important is to recognize why you travel. You travel to explore, learn, and understand. And with this, you develop empathy and compassion for not just what you see and experience in destinations throughout the world. But also with what is happening in your own backyard and all around you.
