Montana-based adventure travel company Zephyr Adventures has dramatically reduced the prices for kids on its Family Adventures, with the price of its Yellowstone multisport family adventure down 38% from last year for kids.
Zephyr Adventures owner Allan Wright says the price drop is not in response to the countrys recent economic worries. “We have been planning this price decrease since the fall,” says Wright. “This is more a long-term plan to make guided family tours more affordable than it is a short-term response to the economy.”
In the world of travel, families have a number of options with a range of prices. Road trips in the family minivan can be relatively inexpensive, especially if camping is on the agenda. On the high end, organized guided tours with hotels, meals, activities, and guides can run thousands of dollars for a vacation per family member.
“We just came to the realization that our family tour offerings were unaffordable for most families,” explains Wright. “And yet the concept of an organized family tour is so fantastic, it didnt make sense to restrict this to just higher-income families.”
So Zephyr Adventures dropped its prices for kids and, in some cases, for adults. The five-day Yellowstone Multisport Adventure, priced last year at $1600 per person, is now priced at only $1400 for adults and $1000 for kids staying in the same room.
Zephyr manages to do this by being local and remaining small. The company is based near its Family Adventure destinations, right outside Yellowstone in Red Lodge, Montana. Zephyr also drastically reduced office expenses by going “virtual,” with all employees working from a home office.
All Zephyrs family trips include such activities as river rafting, horseback riding, hiking, canoeing, and watching for wildlife. “Our tours still come loaded with historic National Park lodging, expert guides, great meals, and fun activities,” says Wright. “Only now, our Yellowstone tours are priced $600 to $1700 less per child than the tours of our competitors.”
Kids are always attended by professional guides and tend to bond with other youth participants within the first hour. Parents are free to participate with their kids or spend time with other adults, going for an extra hike or relaxing with a glass of wine.
For more information about Zephyr Family Adventures visit http://www.zephyradventures.com/types-family.htm
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".