In my last post I talked about When a Safari Loses its Spark. Every single one of us can become jaded with our jobs and safari operators are no different, even with the best job in the world. Humans need novelty.
How can a safari keep it fresh? This is what I’ve observed on the 40+ rides I’ve been on (the most important point is the last one):
Offer new routes. Exploring and discovering them is great fun and new routes bring back guests. It’s fun for the guide and fun for the guests. Namibia Horse Safaris is great at doing this. They have an exploratory ride each year just for returning guests that they know will be up for it.
If you offer trails, offer a centre-based option and vice versa. Estancia Los Potreros have organised a ‘Crossing the Andes’ trail ride and it was a hit. Similarly if you offer trails why not try a residency at a safari or hunting lodge in the area. Guests will return to try something new with you and it’ll be a nice change from the usual. A lodge version will attract the riders who aren’t up to camping or roughing it in shared accommodation. Hekluhestar in Iceland and I created a hotel version of one of their trails and it’s a huge hit and sold out faster than the more rustic version I have on Black Saddle. Check out the Lupine Trail.
Do less and charge more. It might seem counter intuitive and scary but it’s worth it. If you’re confident you’re a market leader (your agents can share how your pricing and ride fits into the market - believe me, they know!) and you’re nailing all elements of your ride or if you have a well loved guide that everyone is essentially paying to come and see - don’t burn yourself out by maximising yourself. Go ahead and charge a premium. I would much rather ride with an amazing guide than spend less and get a generic experience.
Go on other rides. See how other people do it and feel the thrill of travel yourself. You might gain perspective. When you stay somewhere nice you sometimes realise how dated your place is or, on a more positive note, you learn some new tricks. Hotties (water bottles not people) in the beds at night and horses in the garden when you wake up, bonfires and fire torches add a lot of magic. It’s very common for guides to visit each other with a group of paying guests on their off-seasons. Everyone wins and you make strong connections in the industry.
Get in the right volunteers and back up guides. They are your future and your back up plan. Be careful with who you let into your world and don’t overwork them. This one might sound a bit preachy because of course you know this already and it probably plays on your mind all the time. Whenever I sign up a new ride I ask who will guide if the head guide wins the lotto and takes off. You won’t live forever and you deserve a break.
Don’t take your foot off the gas. I mentioned in my last post that a sure sign of fatigue in a safari is when the speed is slowed right down. Some safaris are slow and mountainous like The Great Trek in Kyrgyzstan, that’s not what I mean. The rides that are 90% walk on flat land with experienced riders are boring. It’s that simple. Ride to your guests’ ability and don’t find yourself just repeating the same pattern each journey. Feed off of their energy!
This is most important of them all: Attract people you like.
Be Social. Social media can seem boring - especially to horse people - but posting consistently with good photos and video full of action, will find your ideal client. If you’re not willing to learn - outsource to an agent that is social media savvy. Post photos with your ideal guests in the shot. Don’t post people that can’t ride and are unbalanced and dressed in inappropriate clothing. Show people what you offer and who might enjoy it.
Invest in good photography. Your ride might be epic but no one would know with those ten year old photos. Young people will be turned off by doddery photos. How you’re perceived is everything. Have your ideal clients in your promo shots. Get a lot of smiles and eye contact with the camera - horses and people. If you ask a photographer to come in return for a ride make sure you can freely use their photos and give them to your agents. It’s no good if they are locked up for use with one newspaper. That doesn’t sell rides like social media does. You should be posting regularly to your story with explicit info on how to book. More on that in a future post.
Be real. Post about the behind the scenes. Show your personality - every ride has one. That’s how travel agents like Black Saddle get a rider onto a ride - by sharing what you’re actually like. Work out what makes you unique - it could be fast riding, incredible theatrical meals, ancient castles or just you as a person (usually it’s this). Lean into it. If you’re trying to find your ideal riders then show who you are. People like you will sign up to ride with you.
I’m not an operator so excuse me for being so bold here, but I do host many rides each year for my agency Black Saddle and finding people I actually like to go riding with makes all the difference. The more I’ve restricted the guests on Black Saddle rides (and, key point here, told people who is right for Black Saddle) the more fun I’ve had on rides and the business is growing rapidly with so many amazing people signing up for safaris.
It can be hard to find the time to share your story but it’s worth it and people really want to know!