The Travel Club idea has started, with some brilliant ideas from Joan (Perth), Mary (Perth), Ronald Wie (retirement living), KT Wong and EleanorC.
On 4 Jan 2008, KT Wong called a meeting to discuss the idea of a Travel Club. I think we should take the various ideas further, and openly discuss the different ideas on this forum. We should discuss the different opportunities here, until one or two solid directions appear on the horizon. And, we can then put the ideas on a commercial platform. It is always difficult to move further, after the small group discussions, if participants see no commercial gains. I feel this project can benefit members who have retired, and would like to get into something financially meaningful, besides enjoying the fun of a Travel Club.
Topics of interests can include: accommodatioin for incoming travellers, tourist guiding, niche packages, an online Travel Club portal to take reservations, promotions and marketing, participation by SilverHairsClub members, costs, IR opportunities, etc.
Initially, we might get off hand in the discussion, but we will finally find an angle. So, if you feel you like this discussion topic, and are interesting to participate in the Travel Club, keep joining us on this thread. For SilverHairs with experience in travel or property rental, please give us your guidance. Do you see a business opportunity in a Travel Club?
If you personally have an area you can contribute to the Travel Club, please raise your hand, and make sure we see you. We are not expecting a free service, although we should be conscious of supply and demand forces. Let’s start.
* Comments which stray away from the subject may be deleted. We will close this thread for a consoidation on 31 March 2008.
Terence Seah
Joan (Perth) sees opportunities in inbound tours to S’pore, and she needs accomodation for the 2 nights. Needs airport transfers.
Fong Teng Meng likes the idea of a Travel club, although he sees much hard work needed for it to take off . Keen to join in
Joan (Perth)sees visitors to Perth come in on a 3 mth tourist visa unless they are on a business or retirement /working visa whereby they may have a 4 yr visa. Taking small groups around or assisting them with accomodation, airport transfer matters can be done in a social context.
Joan sees Singaporeans tend to travel overseas for leisure. For inbound tours into Singapore, the market is there. Tourists see Singaporean as a food and shopping paradise. There is also a need to help with accomodation as tourists do find Singapore hotels expensive.
Extracted from earlier discussions.
That’s right! In Singapore, you can go on a taxi tour conducted by taxi drivers who are also qualified licensed tourist guides. A first of its kind in Asia, taxi tours offer you a completely customised visit to Singapore with personal attention by some of the best informal travel guides around – taxi drivers!
Visit the sights along the Singapore River, or take in the view of the world-renowned Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay. Sample local dishes like satay (barbecued meat on skewers) or laksa (noodles in spicy coconut broth), or experience our culturally diverse heartlands where the locals live, work and play – the choice is yours!
I can arrange for Taxi Tour Guiding using MPV or MAXICAP that appeals to families and tourists with its space, comfort and power. Besides its luxurious leather seats, it is fitted with LCD SCREEN and DVD player, as well as a built-in audio system for better driver passenger communication. It can seat up to seven passengers and have a compartment for 4 ~ 6 luggages.
We can arrange for your arrival and departure to and from Airport / Hotel.
We are Licensed Taxi Tourist Guides.
Feel free to contact me for a special price quotation only for SHCians.
Have a Nice Day.
Patrick Yeo
TTG/STB License No.: 2701
H/P : 82318660
Website : http://www.singaporegoplaces.bravehost.com/
Email : pyeo888@pacific.net.sg
Hi Patrick,
It would be good if you enter all your services on the 2GreenDots.com website.
Call all other Taxi Tourist Guides, who are SHC members, to do the same.
Terence Seah
Keen to explore this. No comments yet till I know more about SHC and how it works
There is an interesting article in Straits Times 2 March 2008 “Students get down to business”. Here is an extract.
“Spice Tour Agency, for example, is a collaboration between Transimex Travel and students from Singapore Polytechnic (SP). Four SP business school students manage Spice’s operations, from planning tour itineraries to leading travel groups. Its office, rented at market rate, is located on the polytechnic’s Dover campus. Transimex, based in Coleman Street, provides the tour packages, which cover destinations as far away as South Africa. Spice has been operating since last September, and serves more than 400 customers a month. Student ‘co-boss’ Hong Bing Hui, 20, found that learning the ropes of a customer-oriented travel business first-hand was invaluable. ”
Even kids can do this. Shame on us. Some of us are older than their entire team of student stakeholders.
There is no reason why SHC cannot do the same. Senior travel needs are different and unique. We don’t like to share sleeping bags.
I am very interested in this area. It has enormous commercial potential in the wake of the IR economy. Anybody interested in leading this project. I am willing to help but I have to focus on a few SHC projects like the soya milk exchange for now.
Hi everybody,
Are you in the travel or hospitality business? If you have some thoughts of a Travel club, please contact me or you can address your thoughts here.
To get an idea of the interests on travel by SHC members, you can do a search “travel” on this website.
Terence Seah
Hi Terence
I read the proposed Kelong trip and it seems a good start to a sort of Travel Club. I was tempted to join but perhaps the dates are not suitable as I’m here.
Ron seems to be very organised and keeps those interested informed. Perhaps SHC members can use this as a platform to post travel activities they are organising and those who want to join just sign up with the one who posted the activity for that month. SHC can monitor and do the necessary check, if necessary.
Regards
Joan (Perth)
Joan,
Excellent feedback on the Travel club. We havent developed too much on this topic, but over time, I am sure it will be one of the key activities of SHC.
Ron Koh is very organised. And, we encouraged openness on this forum, while respecting other’s opinion and comment.
Please help to keep this topic alive too.
Terence Seah
Yes, Joan, you hv in me your 2nd seconder that RonK is a very organised chap, a boon to SHC and………………he keeps a baboon as pet to hone his patience.
Hi Terence and Tim
Great, we agree on the same thing about Ron.
Since there are many members with varied and many ideas about travelling, perhaps Travel can be under subgroups like:
Local travel
Overseas travel
Singles
Group
Family
with activities posted by the organisers themselves like in the Kelong trip.
For Mar, I’ve outlined activities for myself here, to watch a Dancing Horses show (El Cabello) up north, an hr’s drive away and perhaps do a short driving mystery trip with hubby and friend. Here Mystery tours are organised by clubs, advertised and people register for them. The Kelong trip is something like that tho venue is known. Here the aussies like mysteries, I think.
I’m wondering if I post activities that I am joining/ organising for myself here under overseas travel, will SHC be interested? They wld have to book their travel to Perth and I just help to link them to the travel club activities here. In S’pore/Thailand/Phil/Vietnam etc, other members can do the same so that SHC members have someone who can help them overseas.
I travel sometimes by myself and I certainly wld like someone, a SHC member, though not met before, to assist me with transfers, accomo, activities etc overseas.
Regards
Joan
Joan @ #10
We are there to help you. Dennis, Pat and moi’.
Together with the Scorebot infrastructure, transfers, accomo, activities etc overseas will be a walk in the central park.
Just like the flea market. You can operate and execute with all the legal protection of a corporation and more. This is a major plus given the underlying organisation SHC is not a formal entity. This is very important for the EO for something as significant and onerous like travel where you have financial and operational responsibility over your charges here and overseas.
With this “Two systems, One Club” execution mode, it gets rid of your issue in a troublefree operation.
Just call a meeting at Scorebot.
Hi Joan,
I think that many Singaporeans love Australia, and desire to go there for their holidays. When it comes to short one week holidays, I think the travel companies do a good job, and better still when budget travel is available.
In particular, I am keen to talk about longer term stays eg 3 months for SilverHairs who have retired fully or partially. Having been to Perth a few times, I see Perth has attracted many Asians there to stay and build a new second life. The air is clean; great fishing, and probably less stressful.
Other members may love Perth for its nearnest to Singapore. But, I would love to chat with you about how we can make Perth a possible 3-month destination for SilverHairs, taking advantage of the ease of getting a 3-mth visa, big houses to accommodate big groups, right-hand drive, and probably on the same cost as living in Singapore.
We have Mary Tan, also from Perth, and she comes to Singapore once or twice a year. We also have Ron Oz, from Melbourne, and there is another great area to develop for 3-mth short term retirement living.
What are your thoughts?
Terence Seah
Hi Mary (Perth),
Each time I talk about short-term living, I think of Perth. I like the open-air airconditioned country. But, importantly, I think it is great place to spend 3 months a year.
I know you have bought a nice beautiful place in Perth. Can you share with us what it is like to live in your part of the world. In particular, is it expensive? What is it like to go shopping for a week’s groceries?
At the back of my mind, I think that if the SilverHairsClub can structure a way whereby groups of 12 can take turns to visit and stay in Perth for blocks of 3 months.
I tend to get overboard talking about 3-mth short term living overseas. Let us hear from you.
Terence Seah
Hi Terence
From your comments, you really have a good idea of what and why Singaporeans like about Perth. If that’s what some SHC members are looking for, then I’m certain that together with Mary(Perth) we can come up with some plan.
I’m in S’pore from 17-19 May. If we all – yourself, Mary, Ron (Melbourne)can meet and chat, perhaps we can discuss more. Perhaps Mary and I can even meet up here in Perth if she is not in S’pore at that time.
Regards
Joan
Hi KT and all
Sorry for the late reply but was waiting for some more comments on Travel Club.
I’ve Perth friends who travel to S’pore a couple of times a year or more. Most end up booking hotel accomo and use their flybuys for flights. They can be ex-S’poreans or on stopovers. A few do have relatives and therefore stay with them.
With cost of travel rising, perhaps more will want to stay home and take up local interests.
Regards
Joan