In addition to offering trips to the public through our brochure program, we have been designing custom journeys for private groups for over 40 years. We have worked with art galleries, alumni groups, non profits and corporations to tailor make programs that appeal to the specific interests and demographics of their audiences. We understand the challenges of working in these kinds of partnerships, including the appropriate allocation of risk, division of labour and distribution of the rewards. We are sensitive to the desire of our partners to balance generating revenue with protecting the integrity of their brand. 

If you are interested in putting together a private trip for your clients, then please review our Private Trips section for Travellers. If you are interested in organizing a private trip yourself or on behalf of a company or organization, please read on below. It would be a pleasure to discuss what departure and partnership options might be available in more detail. Please do not hesitate to contact me directly (awhite@horizon-co.com) or simply fill out and return the Private Trip Application Form. I look forward to working with you in the near future.   

Sincerely,

Andrew White
Director of Sales

The Private Group Process

There are two basic types of decisions that need to be made when planning a private group trip -- trip choices and business choices.  Trip choices will generally affect the quality of the product offering.  Naturally these decisions will directly affect the tour cost.  Business choices will outline the nature of our relationship.  Rewards available from running a profitable trip will be balanced against our shared risks and responsibilities. In addition to these two choices, there are a series of standard terms & conditions which apply to private label trips. 

To start the process of creating a Private Trip with Horizon please download and fill out the Private Trip Application Form.

Trip Choices:

Block Trips:  The first option is to take one of our past, present or future itineraries and block it off for your group. Since we have already done the research and planning, we are able to offer the itinerary to your group at the standard brochure price (please note that any substantive changes to the existing itinerary that result in additional costs would be added to the price of the trip).

Custom Trips:  The second option is to work with us to design a totally new trip. Since the research and planning must all be done from scratch, these trips tend to be more expensive, because we will need to spend time, energy and resources in the development of your itinerary. Furthermore, since we will be not able to recoup any of these costs if you decide not to proceed with the trip, we generally require a non-refundable deposit of $500 before we begin working on your proposed itinerary (this fee will be applied to your final balance if you proceed). 

Guides:  Typically our tours offer two Horizon guides.  This greatly enhances the quality of service and personal attention our travellers receive.  It also eliminates “dead time” and allows for a wide range of activities to be available.  We encourage our partners to have a staff member or host along to provide a connection between the experience and your brand.  Ideally the host will also bring an educational or value-added component to help in selling the trip.  If this host is also able to fill some basic guide roles, then we are comfortable with only one Horizon guide, which will naturally be reflected in the tour cost. 

Group Size:  We prefer to run smaller trips (under 30), but we have also run significantly larger trips in the past (upwards of 600 on charter ships), and we are open to doing so again as long as the ratio of guides to travelers allows for a quality experience.

Private Events: Our tours typically include both welcome and farewell receptions, cultural events, and a surprise inclusion or two along the way.  We are glad to organize any additional events or special value-added experiences for your group.   

Food and wine:  Our tours typically include most meals in a combination of a la carte and table d’hote dining (wine is generally not included).  Some of these meals could be eliminated, or alternatively, the menu could be upgraded to exclusively a la carte private dinning with “premier cru” wines. 

Hotels:  We try to stay in the best hotels available and choose superior class rooms.  This could be upgraded to all suites or specific properties to suit your needs. 

Business Choices:

Marketing:  Obviously the trip needs to be sold.  We can help with every aspect of the marketing process.  Ideally we would manage the design including writing and photography and our partners would provide and carry the costs of production and distribution of the marketing pieces.  For obvious cost reasons, being included in an existing newsletter or communication vehicle is less expensive than a stand alone piece. A decision has to be made regarding the level of prominence Horizon & Co. will receive in your materials. We obviously prefer a co-branding relationship, but we are happy to cede primary branding title to our partners.  Click to download a Sample Private Label Itinerary that could be used to sell your Private Trip.

Reservations:  In most cases we will handle the reservations process.  Our call center will take sales enquiries and bookings, accept major credit cards, offer the clients travel insurance, prepare and deliver the pre trip documents and make flight and hotel arrangements. 

Revenue:  Apart from building loyalty to your brand the obvious motivation for offering these trips is to generate revenue.  We can structure the deal in a number of different ways, but the simplest is usually a pure commission per person, with a performance override as the numbers on the tour increase. The exact percentage will depend on the allocation of labour and risk, whether or not there are additional costs associated with the departure (staff, marketing or selling costs, etc) and whether these costs are passed on to the travellers in the final pricing.

Risk: Most of our trips have little to no advance risk associated with them; however, whenever a partner chooses to charter a boat, a train, or an entire property, there is often a charter risk that must be addressed.

Terms & Conditions

There are a number of general terms and conditions that apply to all departures. Some of these terms are flexible and open to discussion; others are more rigid – let us know if you would like to discuss changing any of the standard terms and conditions.

Minimum Group Size: 15 travellers

Maximum Group Size: 29 travellers (more or less on some destinations)

Price: The price is based on your itinerary and the number of participants in the group – if the group size falls below 15, then the other members of the group will have the option to pay a supplement in order to run the departure at a smaller group size or open it to the public. 

Group Deposit: $1,000 non-refundable deposit per group is due upon approval of the itinerary and selection of the tour date.

Individual Deposits: A deposit of $500 per person is required to confirm each reservation.

Payment: Full payment is due 90 days before departure

Cancellation Terms:

Days Prior to the Trip                                               Cancellation Fee per person

• Outside of 90 days                                                                 $500
• 61-90                                                                          25% of total price
• 31-60                                                                           50% of total price
• 0-30                                                                             100% of the total price