Consumer Guide to Selecting your Horse Racing Tour

One of the most successful things we have done is to create a 24 hour free recorded message explaining how to go about selecting a horse racing tour and some of the benefits of using a Horse Racing Tour Operator like Horse Racing Around the World versus going out there and trying to do it yourself. We have reproduced this information here for those of you who prefer to read the information. If you prefer, please call 1-800-707-5006 ext 3253 to listen to this information.

So you've decided to escape for a while and go racing. You've selected a big race occasion such as the Dubai World Cup, Melbourne Cup, Triple Crown event or Royal Ascot and you're full of excitement! However, before you select your horse racing tour, just step back and consider something. All horse racing tours are not created equal and if you don't chose your tour carefully, you may be in for a rude awakening!

Here's how to avoid 5 horse racing tour ripoffs:

Yes, the price is cheap but are all the costs covered in the price? If you are comparing trips, are they for the same number of days? Will you be staying in 5 star hotels and watch the races from beautiful hospitality suites? Are your meals and drinks covered or will you have to purchase these separately? Is the flight included in the price?

Check your itinerary and ensure you understand which costs are covered and which are not

The tour may well promise the best of everything but sometimes operators stretch the truth! In order to guard against this, please check that your operator is reputable and has a long history of operating tours and providing hospitality. Check that they love and support horse racing at all levels and have more to gain through offering a honest service than by driving people away with poor service. Check that the Operator offers trips to many locations around the World and will provide you with the experience of a lifetime. If so, you will want to come back for many more trips in the future!

A sound and knowledgeable Operator has developed credible and trustworthy links with all his contacts. He can negotiate great rates often for airfare, accommodation and hospitality through bulk purchases. When you consider the time and expense you will have to exert to research tickets, hotels and hospitality in distant corners of the world versus going to a one stop shop, you can quickly see that it will pay you to work with an Operator who has experience in the country you plan to visit and knows which vendors to deal with.

The tour package says you will have a guide but every moment he can, he leaves to complete his own agenda.

Careful selection of a professional organization with a track record in the hospitality and travel business makes sense. Check for referrals on the tour company web site to see how attentive they are, how professional they are and how much attention they pay to detail.

If you are away in a distant country and something goes wrong, it is often comforting to know that you have an experienced guide who knows their way around the place and knows who to contact and where to get help immediately. You will never be on your own when the chips are down and never left to sort things out yourself.

Again, it is vital to check out the longevity of the company. Have they been around a long time offering races to all corners of the globe? Have they shown commitment to racing through support and sponsorship? Will they provide referrals on request?

Not true! Most tour companies are trying to make a honest living. The best of them realize that far more money can be made through offering fantastic value travel with great levels of service.

If this model is duplicated, people will return year after year yielding more and more profit. In the horse racing tour business, we know that a large number of clients return year after year and Turf Tours provide great levels of service to encourage you to keep on coming back.

Check that your tour has a history of delivering outstanding service and value. Check the itinerary between different groups - does the cheaper tour include airfare in the price? Do they leave you to pick up a lot of hidden expenses? Do they provide additional trips and dinners/drinks in the tour cost?

This is also not true. Reputable guides understand that their position is to serve clients. Check that your tour company provides references and that the company has a long history of experience in hospitality together with reams of compliments regarding their service.

3. Tours lie about features and benefits

For the best companies, lying about features is counter productive to repeat business.

Reputable tour companies live up to and often over deliver on their features so that people will continue to return every year.

Again, check the itinerary and see that it will meet your needs. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Check that the company has a long history of success in the business.

Carefully consider the value of all of the individual components of the package. Could you buy the airfare, research and book the hotel, purchase the hospitality on offer and entertain yourself in the same way if you do everything yourself for less money?

Even if you can, how many man hours would it take of your valuable time to do it so that everything is perfect? How much is that time worth to you in the time starved society we live in? We find when clients try to consider our tours versus doing the arranging themselves, they often forget to include the cost of their time or more importantly overlook some of the hidden benefits. Are there events and locations listed which would not be available if you are booking the event as a single person or couple? Do you know enough to be able to sort out transport on the big race days without getting overcharged or without having to stand in line for hours with everyone else attending the event! Do you have enough local knowledge to get the best value for every product and service you require in every country or city you might visit? This can be a very risky proposition to ask of yourself.

One of the most often overlooked benefits of joining an organized horse racing tour is that the tour will put you in contact with other like minded racing enthusiasts. May be you will develop a life long friendship with someone who lives near Del-Mar who will give you the opportunity for a cheap vacation at track time?! May be you will find a friend to partner with in Thoroughbred ownership?! The possibilities are endless!!

Tours leverage their buying power to get discount rates and the best companies pass these on to their clients to "wow them" with the value offered.

If you can, find a company who truly loves and appreciates all the great racing locations around the world. A company with a history of performance in the industry and one that puts something back into the sport via sponsorship. HRAW is passionate about the sport and is involved in race sponsorship.

Does your proposed tour clearly list all the events involved in your tour? Do they clearly show which parts of the tour costs are covered and which parts are not. When comparing tours, does one tour have events included in the price while others do not? Does the cheap trip you are considering last only 3 days versus the more expensive 7 day tour offered elsewhere? Is the Tour Operator flexible and able to offer you multiple levels to suit different pockets? Do they clearly articulate the differences between the trips?

The long and short of it is to make sure you are comparing apples to apples when you are shopping by price.

Many regular travel companies offer horse racing tours and just treat it as another vacation. Your host may take you to the races then leave you to look after yourself!

If your Guide is not service orientated and doesn't love the game, he/she may try to save money at every conceivable opportunity - If you are not careful, you will get a poor hotel, poor view of the track, be late for events and go home disappointed and frustrated.

First make sure that you compare the lengths of different tours and the features offered. Make sure you get the best value for money rather than the cheapest tour available! There may be cheaper tours out there but do they last as long as other tours and do they have the same benefits included?

Look at the breadth of tours the company offers. Is the Tour Company a general specialist in vacations or are they a specialist focused on horse racing travel and hospitality?

Check out the company for referrals and their history in the business.

Does the company have a long history in the sport? Do they provide sponsorship of races? Do they have a proven track record providing quality horse racing occasions? If not, they may not be passionate and committed to delivering a great horse racing experience to you.

Firstly, you want to see some great horse racing! You are a fan who loves the big races and the excitement involved.

Secondly, you want to experience new cultures and new events - it broadens your horizons, refreshes the brain and opens up your mind to a different way of life.

Thirdly, you want to relax and enjoy a high quality experience! Our tour guides will pamper you and help you relax and enjoy the experience.

Lastly, you will meet like minded people with similar interests and gather great memories for years to come.

On the face of it, this may seem like a difficult task but if you break it down into individual tasks, you will see that it is very straight forward:

Step 1 Commit yourself to going on one trip - ideally make this commitment to yourself a year in advance. Availability may be possible closer to the event but booking early avoids disappointment and guarantees the best seats and prices.

Step 2 Decide what you want:

- What country/time of year?

- How much do you want to spend?

- What level of luxury?

- What length of trip would you like?

Step 3 Compare the available packages. Ask for details - what is covered, what isn't?

Step 4 Check out the company track record and book the trip.

We hope you have enjoyed this Consumer Guide and that it will help you select a horse racing tour and operator that meets your needs. If you have any questions, please e-mail us.

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