Thank you for your feedback on this issue. There are indeed many issues that must be considered if attempting to serve the last-minute booking for a tour. With so many people making such requests, I fear a cutoff time would exclude a growing segment of requests. But the reality is that few organizations are of the size that they can handle the person that calls and says I want to travel today.
In Ghana, I believe it will be the online booking sites that will come to manage the room availability. The Ghana Tourism Authority has shown little interest in working with the actual providers of travel services to assist with growing tourism. Unfortunately, our experience with one well-known online site resulted in a disastrous experience. They are still learning Africa, but eventually they will probably manage the majority of room booking.
I agree that the most important thing is to establish clear communications with the client about the nature of a last-minute booking. Being able to explain that substitutions of any aspect of the tour may be required due to the late request.
Thank you for your feedback on this issue. There are indeed many issues that must be considered if attempting to serve the last-minute booking for a tour. With so many people making such requests, I fear a cutoff time would exclude a growing segment of requests. But the reality is that few organizations are of the size that they can handle the person that calls and says I want to travel today.
In Ghana, I believe it will be the online booking sites that will come to manage the room availability. The Ghana Tourism Authority has shown little interest in working with the actual providers of travel services to assist with growing tourism. Unfortunately, our experience with one well-known online site resulted in a disastrous experience. They are still learning Africa, but eventually they will probably manage the majority of room booking.
I agree that the most important thing is to establish clear communications with the client about the nature of a last-minute booking. Being able to explain that substitutions of any aspect of the tour may be required due to the late request.