{"id":19273,"date":"2021-05-05T09:15:18","date_gmt":"2021-05-05T08:15:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/?p=19273"},"modified":"2021-06-24T10:51:46","modified_gmt":"2021-06-24T09:51:46","slug":"tip-inclusive-holidays","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/tip-inclusive-holidays\/","title":{"rendered":"The Tipping Point – Tip Inclusive Holidays"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content”][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_empty_space][vc_video link=”https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=1–tJa7kMCQ” align=”center”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Is there a p<\/span><\/span>roblem\u00a0<\/span><\/span>w<\/span><\/span><\/strong>ith Tipping?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

Why Experience Travel Group is pioneering <\/span><\/span>\u2018<\/span><\/span>tip inclusive<\/span><\/span>\u2019 h<\/span><\/span>olidays<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

I think it was noticing Kapila\u2019s awkwardness that first got me thinking about\u00a0<\/span><\/span>whether the tipping \u2018system\u2019\u00a0<\/span><\/span>for tailormade holidays in Asia\u00a0<\/span><\/span>was quite right.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>I know him well and he has driven me on many of my work trips to Sri Lanka an<\/span><\/span>d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>had\u00a0<\/span><\/span>guided\u00a0<\/span><\/span>my family\u00a0<\/span><\/span>on<\/span><\/span>\u00a0holiday too<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0We get on well and\u00a0<\/span><\/span>he\u2019s<\/span><\/span>\u00a0a highly valued member of\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the elite ETG\u00a0<\/span><\/span>team<\/span><\/span>\u00a0of chauffeur-guides<\/span><\/span>. But at the end of\u00a0<\/span><\/span>one\u00a0<\/span><\/span>trip<\/span><\/span>\u00a04 years ago<\/span><\/span>, I noticed he was\u00a0<\/span><\/span>uncomfortable<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>accept<\/span><\/span>ing the tip that I offered.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>He took it<\/span><\/span>;<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>it<\/span><\/span>\u2019<\/span><\/span>s<\/span><\/span>\u00a0a fundamental part of his expected income<\/span><\/span>\u00a0after all<\/span><\/span>, but I could\u00a0<\/span><\/span>see<\/span><\/span>\u00a0he was conflicted in doing so.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0Partly, I suppose due<\/span><\/span>\u00a0to<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>his feeling\u00a0<\/span><\/span>that he was\u00a0<\/span><\/span>part of the ETG team, and partly\u00a0<\/span><\/span>because of his<\/span><\/span>\u00a0friendship with me \u2013 but\u00a0<\/span><\/span>then he was doing his job so deserved\u00a0<\/span><\/span>it<\/span><\/span>. I was getting paid to be\u00a0<\/span><\/span>out\u00a0<\/span><\/span>there\u00a0<\/span><\/span>in Sri Lanka\u00a0<\/span><\/span>after all<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span> The idea of tip inclusive holidays made its way into my mind.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Tipping o<\/span><\/b>n<\/span><\/b> holiday c<\/span><\/b>an be s<\/span><\/b>tressful<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

I\u2019m<\/span>\u00a0one of th<\/span>o<\/span>se British people who finds tipping a terrific source of stress. It\u00a0<\/span>doesn\u2019t<\/span>\u00a0come naturally to me. Is it too much? Is it not enough? Do I want to splash out this level of money now? How\u00a0<\/span>do I get the cash together without looking like\u00a0<\/span>I\u2019m<\/span>\u00a0making things horribly commercial?\u00a0<\/span>I\u2019m<\/span>\u00a0sure I over-worry about it.\u00a0<\/span>I\u2019ve<\/span>\u00a0also had a great deal of experience.\u00a0<\/span>I\u2019ve<\/span>\u00a0travelled to Asia a few times a year on average<\/span> for the past 15 years and during those trips, I\u2019ve always needed to tip and to do it generously \u2013 lest our company be seen as unreasonably tight<\/span>-f<\/span>isted!\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Is there a t<\/span><\/b>ipping\u00a0<\/span><\/b>culture in Asia?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

In much of Asia, there has never been a tipping culture (India is a notable exception).\u00a0<\/span>But\u00a0<\/span>in the past\u00a0<\/span>10<\/span>\u00a0years or\u00a0<\/span>so,\u00a0<\/span>the trend has been for\u00a0<\/span>industry pay rates for guides\u00a0<\/span>to remain static\u00a0<\/span>which\u00a0<\/span>has\u00a0<\/span>led to ever increasing \u2018suggested tipping\u2019 amounts.\u00a0<\/span>In short, as an industry we are hiding the real cost of labour\u00a0<\/span>from the upfront holiday cost and letting travellers cover the extra in-country. It works very well for the travel industry.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_single_image image=”11279″ img_size=”full”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

The tipping system <\/span><\/b>d<\/span><\/b>oesn\u2019t<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>s<\/span><\/b>erve\u00a0<\/span><\/b>our customers or our c<\/span><\/b>olleagues<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

I bec<\/span>a<\/span>me convinced that it is a system that\u00a0<\/span>doesn\u2019t<\/span>\u00a0serve\u00a0<\/span>our\u00a0<\/span>customers\u00a0<\/span>or\u00a0<\/span>our colleagues in Asia<\/span>. A majority of British (and I would\u00a0<\/span>guess<\/span>\u00a0\u2013 French and other Europeans too) find the whole\u00a0<\/span>tipping\u00a0<\/span>process tortuous and awkward. It can add considerable stress to the end of <\/span>an excursion or trip and<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>can put a barrier between the customer and their\u00a0<\/span>guide when<\/span>\u00a0a guide<\/span>\u2019<\/span>s job is to break\u00a0<\/span>d<\/span>own those cultural barriers for their clients.<\/span>\u00a0We kn<\/span>e<\/span>w\u00a0<\/span>from our local partners\u00a0<\/span>that tipping cause<\/span>d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>issues from the guide\u2019s perspective\u00a0<\/span>too,\u00a0<\/span>but<\/span>\u00a0we\u00a0<\/span>struggled with<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>ho<\/span>w<\/span>\u00a0to solve<\/span>\u00a0them<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>For example,<\/span>\u00a0g<\/span>uides\u00a0<\/span>were<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>unwilling to take on longer\u00a0<\/span>itineraries<\/span>\u00a0(the daily\u00a0<\/span>tip\u00a0<\/span>amount tends to go down for a longer trip as the total feels huge<\/span>\u00a0to the client<\/span>\u00a0\u2013 but guides\u00a0<\/span>expect\u00a0<\/span>to work every day in season)<\/span>. G<\/span>uide<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0complain<\/span>ed<\/span>\u00a0about not being tipped for \u2018days at leisure\u2019<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>or even tried to persuade\u00a0<\/span>their\u00a0<\/span>clients to do something\u00a0<\/span>(guides are still working away from their families, even if we choose to have a day at the beach)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>the clincher:\u00a0<\/span>guides show<\/span>ed<\/span>\u00a0a\u00a0<\/span>big\u00a0<\/span>preference for our American customers over\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>British<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>(sorry guys, our American friends tip FAR more than us despite\u00a0<\/span>receiving\u00a0<\/span>the same\u00a0<\/span>guidelines<\/span>!)<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Being transparent<\/h2>\n

I\u2019ve<\/span>\u00a0also\u00a0<\/span>had a\u00a0<\/span>n<\/span>agging sense that as an industry,\u00a0<\/span>we\u00a0<\/span>a<\/span>re<\/span>\u00a0not being entirely open and transparent. We talk about \u2018suggested<\/span>\u2019’\u00a0<\/span>tipping amounts as if it\u00a0<\/span>were<\/span>\u00a0a truly optional extra.\u00a0<\/span>I<\/span>n most countries in Asia<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>it\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>not<\/span>\u00a0(Thailand\u00a0<\/span>and Singapore are<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>notable\u00a0<\/span>exception<\/span>s<\/span>)<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>Most\u00a0<\/span>guide<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0in Asia expect a decent\u00a0<\/span>tip at the end of the day. You might have spent the best part of your\u00a0<\/span>life\u00a0<\/span>savings on the trip upfront<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0but that\u00a0<\/span>guide will\u00a0<\/span>likely\u00a0<\/span>view the tip as an essential part of their daily wage<\/span>\u00a0and have expectations accordingly<\/span>. Guiding is a\u00a0<\/span>profession,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and it requires a great deal of investment in\u00a0<\/span>training, travel\u00a0<\/span>(necessitating long periods away from their families)\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>often<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>a\u00a0<\/span>vehicle\u00a0<\/span>as well<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>Some people tip very well and some less so.\u00a0<\/span>S<\/span>hould\u00a0<\/span>habitual high tippers subsidise the rest of us?\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_single_image image=”10936″ img_size=”full”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

We d<\/span><\/b>on\u2019t<\/span><\/b> pay commissions for our consultants on principle: is this the same? <\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

The \u2018aha\u2019 moment came when we cancelled\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>commission scheme for our\u00a0<\/span>travel consultants. We wanted them to be able to focus on building the best trips for our customers,\u00a0<\/span>without\u00a0<\/span>being\u00a0<\/span>distracted by<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>a higher value\u00a0<\/span>trip they were working on at the same time or\u00a0<\/span>being\u00a0<\/span>under pressure<\/span>\u00a0to\u00a0<\/span>persuad<\/span>e<\/span>\u00a0a customer to\u00a0<\/span>commit to\u00a0<\/span>a<\/span>n imperfect<\/span>\u00a0trip\u00a0<\/span>bec<\/span>ause<\/span>\u00a0they had bills to pay at the end of the month.\u00a0<\/span>We had\u00a0<\/span>studied\u00a0<\/span>Dan Pink\u2019s theories on motivation<\/a> and agreed that money was not a gre<\/span>a<\/span>t motivational tool\u00a0<\/span>over an<\/span>d<\/span>\u00a0above \u2018a fair day\u2019s wage\u2019<\/span>\u2013 a<\/span>n<\/span>d\u00a0<\/span>that bonus schemes\u00a0<\/span>had unintended consequences. What if the same was true for our guide colleagues?\u00a0<\/span>What if the main justification for tipping \u2013 the incentive to provide excellent service \u2013 was in fact\u00a0<\/span>not an effective incentive at all?\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The problem was that this form of practice is thoroughly ingrained in our industry. I know of some group tours <\/span>that include tips, but none in the \u2018tailor-made\u2019 sector (or\u00a0<\/span>FIT\u00a0<\/span>\u2013 \u2018free independent travel\u2019\u00a0<\/span>as\u00a0<\/span>the industry jargon has it<\/span>)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>at least none\u00a0<\/span>outside\u00a0<\/span>the u<\/span>ber-luxury<\/span>\u00a0level<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>D<\/span>id we really want to rock the boat when we could just opt for the quiet life and stick with the status quo?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>The tipping system\u00a0<\/span>didn<\/span>\u2019<\/span>t<\/span>\u00a0feel\u00a0<\/span>quite\u00a0<\/span>right\u00a0<\/span>n<\/span>or sustainable and – as well as wanting to do right by our wonderful guides – we suspected that the current situation was actively detracting from the quality of our clients’ travel experience.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Never one to shirk a challenge, we embarked on a journey to see what could be done about it.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_single_image image=”19295″ img_size=”full”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

How We Started Looking at Tip Inclusive Holidays<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

W<\/span>e decided\u00a0<\/span>after much consideration,\u00a0<\/span>that\u00a0<\/span>\u2018<\/span>tipping inclusive<\/span>\u2019<\/span>\u00a0bespoke, private holidays would greatly improve our customer experience,<\/span>\u00a0our holiday<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0generally and would be beneficial to the lives and well-being of our guides<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>We had decided that it was\u00a0<\/span>the \u2018right\u2019 thing to do<\/span>\u00a0and it should be relatively straightforward to implement right?\u00a0<\/span>Erm…\u00a0<\/span>I<\/span>n a word<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0no<\/span>!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>This is the story of what we did next.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Research\u00a0<\/span><\/b>with the ETG Community\u00a0<\/span><\/b>on the\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u2018<\/span><\/b>Tip Inclusive Holiday<\/span><\/b>\u2019<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Firstly<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0we talk<\/span>ed<\/span>\u00a0to\u00a0<\/span>our local partners,\u00a0<\/span>asking them about the problems\u00a0<\/span>and benefits\u00a0<\/span>they\u00a0<\/span>associated with<\/span>\u00a0tipping.<\/span>\u00a0We\u00a0<\/span>also\u00a0<\/span>discussed<\/span>\u00a0the\u00a0<\/span>possible\u00a0<\/span>mechanics of\u00a0<\/span>including a\u00a0<\/span>tip<\/span>\u00a0up front or raising salaries\u00a0<\/span>or day rates to a level where the tip\u00a0<\/span>stopped being an integral part of a guides expected income.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>We studied the different\u00a0<\/span>cultural norms on tipping across our destinations.\u00a0<\/span>W<\/span>e<\/span>\u00a0also\u00a0<\/span>aggregated our\u00a0<\/span>guidance<\/span>\u00a0for \u2018suggested tipping\u2019\u00a0<\/span>across our\u00a0<\/span>region<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>found\u00a0<\/span>that it came to a whopping\u00a0<\/span>\u00a3<\/span>30<\/span>\u00a0per day\u00a0<\/span>per couple on\u00a0<\/span>average\u00a0<\/span>over the course of a 14<\/span>–<\/span>day holiday<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0once you included\u00a0<\/span>drivers, daily guides, local site guides and so on<\/span>\u00a0(ranging from\u00a0<\/span>close to zero in Oman to\u00a0<\/span>\u00a3<\/span>5<\/span>0<\/span>\u00a0per day in Bhutan).\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Following that, we talked to our clients<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>survey<\/span>ing<\/span>\u00a0a panel of\u00a0<\/span>30 customers<\/span>\u00a0about our idea of tipping-inclusive holidays<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0We gave them zero\u00a0<\/span>background context<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and simply<\/span>\u00a0asked them to answer a series of questions<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>W<\/span>e<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>also\u00a0<\/span>consulted\u00a0<\/span>our guides themselves. We ran a\u00a0<\/span>full day\u00a0<\/span>session with 30 guides in Vietnam<\/span>, hijacked a training seminar in Sri Lanka<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and individually surveyed guide<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0in India, Indonesia,\u00a0<\/span>Cambodia,<\/span>\u00a0and Indonesia too.\u00a0<\/span>Finally<\/span>, in 2018,<\/span>\u00a0we\u00a0<\/span>trialled<\/span>\u00a0a\u00a0<\/span>set of\u00a0<\/span>holidays in Vietnam\u00a0<\/span>in which we<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>pre-<\/span>pa<\/span>id<\/span>\u00a0the\u00a0<\/span>tips upfront and\u00a0<\/span>ask<\/span>ed<\/span>\u00a0our clients not to tip locally. We wanted to\u00a0<\/span>see<\/span>\u00a0how<\/span>\u00a0things would play\u00a0<\/span>out\u00a0<\/span>in\u00a0<\/span>reality<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_single_image image=”19294″ img_size=”full”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

What\u00a0<\/span><\/b>W<\/span><\/b>e Learn<\/span><\/b>t<\/span><\/b>\u00a0From\u00a0our\u00a0<\/span><\/b>T<\/span><\/b>ipping Investigations<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

O<\/span>ur\u00a0<\/span>sample<\/span>\u00a0panel of customers<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>were 80%\u00a0<\/span>in\u00a0<\/span>favour,\u00a0<\/span>with\u00a0<\/span>10% neutral and 10% against<\/span>\u00a0tipping-inclusive trips<\/span>. T<\/span>h<\/span>ose<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>in<\/span>\u00a0favour cit<\/span>ed<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>embarrassment<\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>awkwardness\u00a0<\/span>around tipping most frequently. Some mentioned their \u2018surprise\u2019 at the very high \u2018suggested tips\u2019 locally and\u00a0<\/span>one suggested that this\u00a0<\/span>\u2018<\/span>could be seen\u00a0<\/span>as<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>unfair<\/span>\u2019<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>That said, no-one blamed\u00a0<\/span>ETG\u00a0<\/span>for this\u00a0<\/span>state of affairs<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u2013 feeling that it was \u2018the way it\u00a0<\/span>works<\/span>.\u2019<\/span>\u00a0Others mentioned\u00a0<\/span>feeling\u00a0<\/span>stress\u00a0<\/span>when<\/span>\u00a0working out who should be tipped or not and\u00a0<\/span>assessing\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>\u2018right\u2019 amount<\/span>\u00a0was an issue for almost everyone<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>One of t<\/span>he neutral\u00a0<\/span>respondents<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>said<\/span>\u00a0that\u00a0<\/span>they\u00a0<\/span>didn\u2019t<\/span>\u00a0have a problem with tipping<\/span>\u00a0themselves<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>b<\/span>u<\/span>t could see some benefits to\u00a0<\/span>our<\/span>\u00a0idea.\u00a0<\/span>Another person in favour of the idea<\/span>\u00a0mentioned that he would be concerned a<\/span>bout\u00a0<\/span>the tip\u00a0<\/span>not\u00a0<\/span>g<\/span>etting<\/span>\u00a0to the\u00a0<\/span>guide<\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>worried for us that it would make our holidays less competitive.\u00a0<\/span>Th<\/span>e\u00a0<\/span>people against\u00a0<\/span>tipping-inclusive\u00a0<\/span>thought<\/span>\u00a0that the tip was a useful motivational\u00a0<\/span>tool,<\/span>\u00a0and<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>without it the guide would be unlikely to perform at the highest level.\u00a0<\/span>One of them said they enjoyed tipping.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

From a\u00a0<\/span>sample size<\/span>\u00a0of about 60 across our destinations<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>guides were 90% in favour.<\/span>\u00a0We suggested an amount to them which was\u00a0<\/span>roughly half\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>lo<\/span><\/i>wer<\/span><\/i>–<\/span><\/i>end<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span>of our suggested tip<\/span>ping range<\/span>\u00a0\u2013 so considerably less than they\u00a0<\/span>would expect from\u00a0<\/span>many\u00a0<\/span>clients<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>normally<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>The main thrust of the feedback was that a \u2018bird in hand is worth two in the\u00a0<\/span>bush<\/span>\u2019 and that\u00a0<\/span>it would mean they<\/span>\u00a0could relax and focus on the job<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>knowing that the tip was guaranteed<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>A few of them suggested that waiting for a tip at the end of the\u00a0<\/span>day was slightly demeaning and that they would rather\u00a0<\/span>not\u00a0<\/span>do so.\u00a0<\/span>A small number\u00a0<\/span>did say that they enjoyed the element of \u2018working for a tip\u2019\u00a0<\/span>and found it motivational<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_single_image image=”19293″ img_size=”full”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Events Kept getting in the way of the Launch<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

We<\/span>\u00a0finished\u00a0<\/span>our<\/span>\u00a0test<\/span>–<\/span>and<\/span>–<\/span>research\u00a0<\/span>in\u00a0<\/span>early 2019\u00a0<\/span>but<\/span>\u00a0decided the time was<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>n<\/span>o<\/span>t quite right to implement this\u00a0<\/span>radical\u00a0<\/span>change.\u00a0<\/span>We intended to look again in the summer of 2019. Disaster struck w<\/span>ith<\/span>\u00a0the Sri Lanka Easter bombings and we\u00a0<\/span>needed<\/span>\u00a0to focus all our efforts on\u00a0<\/span>recovery from\u00a0<\/span>that. We\u00a0<\/span>postponed the<\/span>\u00a0launch\u00a0<\/span>again<\/span>\u00a0until spring 2020 \u2013 and we all know what happened next<\/span>\u2026<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0That said, our local partners in Vietnam (where we carried out the test) and many individual guides chased us through this period to ask when we were going to implement the scheme as they\u00a0<\/span>were\u00a0<\/span>strongly\u00a0<\/span>in favour<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Our last stage was to talk through the way it would\u00a0<\/span>work in detail with our local partners. We anti<\/span>cipated\u00a0<\/span>cultural differences<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and needing to make allowances for those. By and\u00a0<\/span>large we were able to iron out the challenges<\/span>, work out a system to ensure that our guides saw this additional amount in their wages,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>decide if there were any countries where it would not work.\u00a0<\/span>We decided to roll\u00a0<\/span>out\u00a0<\/span>the system out everywhere, with exception<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>for\u00a0<\/span>Oman,\u00a0<\/span>Singapore<\/span>\u00a0and Hong Kong. The reason in those cases was that\u00a0<\/span>the<\/span>\u00a0guides were already paid sufficiently\u00a0<\/span>to mean they were not reli<\/span>an<\/span>t\u00a0<\/span>on tips to top up their daily wage<\/span>\u00a0and tipping truly was optional and\u00a0<\/span>not-expected<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We were ready to go!\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_single_image image=”19292″ img_size=”full”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

What are the benefits of a<\/span><\/span> Tip Inclusive Holiday?<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

We believe that the benefits of a tip inclusive holiday in Asia greatly outweigh any disadvantages.\u00a0<\/span>The<\/span>s<\/span>e<\/span>\u00a0benefits are the reasons why we are the first UK travel company to implement tip inclusive, private\u00a0<\/span>tailor<\/span>-made holidays.\u00a0<\/span>It is an example of a win-win situation: the local guides benefit from the greatly enhanced certainty around their wage<\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>our\u00a0<\/span>customers\u00a0<\/span>get a better holiday experience at no additional cost (on average).\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

W<\/span><\/i>e<\/span><\/i>\u00a0have summarised\u00a0<\/span><\/i>the main benefits\u00a0<\/span><\/i>of a tip include holiday\u00a0<\/span><\/i>as follows:\u00a0<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n