Confessions of a package tour snob

Package tourists do have the power of choice - and they use it. The competition in the package tour market is intense.

The difference is primarily in the timing - package tourists make their choices much earlier than independent tourists. Packagers choose well in advance what they want to do, when and who with, while independents generally leave it all to the last minute.

Another big difference between packaged and independent tourists is quantity: the number of people who travel with you.

Package tourists travel in a flock, while independents are lone eagles.

But while “lone eagle” travelling can be romantic, and feel heroic and pioneering, it can also be frustrating, difficult and sometimes downright lonely.

Package tourism also has the benefit of generating economies of scale for the Thai tourist operators and hospitality industry.

The Thais (as any good capitalists) would clearly rather hire 30 sets of snorkel, fins and flippers to one person (the tour guide) rather than hire 30 sets to 30 people. Who wouldn’t? If I was a Thai tourist operator/restauranteur/resort operator, I would want as many package tours through my doors as I could handle. And if I couldn’t handle it, I’d get bigger doors.

And certainly greater numbers can allow for economies of scale and cheaper prices for the tourists.

So my trip opened my eyes to the benefits of package tourism. But I still wouldn’t choose a package for my next holiday.

Why not?

While I can see the upside of a package, I prefer to make my holiday choices daily, even though it often results in a lot more hassle, more waiting, more expense, more trudging around looking for a place to sleep, and more missed boats.

I prefer to pretend that I’m exploring new ground, even if my path has been practically trammelled before me by an army of independents. And I prefer the idea of travelling as a lone eagle, even though it’s often a lot more romantic in the fantasy than in reality.

But the main reason is, and I’m happy to admit it: I’m an irrational, disorganised, anti-social, fantasy-prone, committed package tour snob.