Josh Cotton, founder of Cotton Travel, has revealed the secrets behind his 100% rebook rate for escorted tours, having generated an estimated return on investment [ROI] of £200,000 from one of the trips.
The East Yorkshire native hosted his first guided trip to the River Danube with APT Travel Marvel earlier this year, after realising the best way to build a rapport with his customers was through a “shared experience.”
Since then, he has taken loyal clients to Japan and Lapland, respectively, and already has group journeys to the Douro and the Mekong confirmed. These “bucket-list trips”, while admittedly time-intensive, have had significant payoff for Cotton's business.
The businessman told TTG Luxury that just one tour yielded approximately £200,000 in ROI, arguing that this revenue outweighs what would have been made in the office.
The trips have also had a knock-on positive effect on the community; the clients on Cotton's inaugural journey to the Danube have remained in regular contact, meeting every two months for a meal in an Indian restaurant or drinks in the local pub.
These earnings don't come easily, however. Cotton plans each escorted tour meticulously, ensuring everything from the guest list to the destination makes sense. He also completely immerses himself in the trips, using the transfers, meals and excursions as an opportunity to get to know his clients better.
When done correctly, the travel specialist says these experiences are hugely powerful in gaining extra business – which is not necessarily a group booking. "On the back of Lapland alone we had so many bookings to places like Japan, Canada and Borneo," he explained. “These were all sold within a week of the clients returning!”
Cotton has now shared his six golden rules for pulling off a successful escorted tour – including the do's and don'ts that every agent should know.
Cotton took his clients to Lapland after noticing a spike in Arctic enquiries
1. Cherry-pick your guests
For any escorted client tour, Cotton advises against social media marketing and to instead, opt for a “closed-door" invitation model.
“It’s essential to cherry-pick your guests,” said Cotton. He recommends choosing people with ‘like-minded’ interests, adding that his group were all of a similar age and from the same area. “We cautiously made sure it was personal invitations, all it takes is one bad egg to change the mood of the trip.”
This decision to be picky paid off: “On the last night of Danube, the clients were in tears leaving each other because they’d bonded so much," Cotton recalled. “It’s lovely to have an impact like that and have your role within the community.”
2. Identify the 'sweet spot' size
For Cotton, intimacy is the currency of luxury. He limits his escorted tours at 25 travellers, arguing that it's easier to maintain high standards with smaller groups.
“We kept it under 25, because that’s the sweet spot,” he said. “The bigger the group is, the more impersonal it feels. You need to connect with every single customer on the same level, and if you overstretch the group, you just won’t get that quality time.”
3. Don’t do it last-minute
Despite the temptation of late-market deals, Cotton warns that rushing an escorted tour is a recipe for disaster.
Last-minute bookings often mean limited availability of the top suites or cabins, as well as a lack of choice for flights and expert guides. Short windows also leave zero margin for error regarding visa processing, permit applications, vaccinations, and the disruption of international public holidays.
To minimise the risk of travel disruptions, Cotton always begins planning at least nine months in advance.
Cotton says lifelong friendships have been formed from the trips
4. Choose risk-free destinations
Cotton’s strategy has always involved selecting bucket-list destinations that align with his current sales trends.
"Go for something that is an easy sell, for example, if you are already selling a lot of river cruise, go with that. These are risk-free destinations that you already have the client base for," he said. "We chose Lapland because the market is booming for the Arctic right now, and the clients hadn't been there before."
5. Pick the local airport
Selecting the airport with the cheapest fares may seem like a cost-saver, but according to Cotton, it's likely to yield unintended consequences. Instead, he always chooses the airport that is physically closest to his clients, ensuring they don't have to wake up too early or travel a long distance for the outbound flight: “Customers buy from convenience, so it’s so important to pick the local departure.”
6. Be personable
The final rule is a shift in mentality: the agent must connect with their clients. Cotton argues that it's crucial to ditch the "transactional" mindset and, instead, to show your authentic self throughout the trip.
“The biggest advice of all is to be personable and let the clients know who you are – not your brand. They will come back and they will buy. People buy from people."
