Everything you need to know about FIT tours
Travel was always in groups. If you take a peep into history, voyagers and travelers always traveled in groups. This was primarily to ensure safety as well as to stay on course when traveling to unexplored territories. Giant leaps in transport and communication, combined with increased safety has led to people undertaking more of travel for work and recreation purposes.
Though group travel is certainly still on, there is a growing genre of travelers called FIT, an acronym which stands for Free Independent Traveler/Foreign Independent Traveler/Frequent Independent Traveler.
Travel goals of an FIT
FIT travel involves traveling independently. You chart your itinerary, formulate your travel plans, make bookings and explore the place at your own pace.
An FIT doesn’t necessarily have to be a solo traveler. They can travel as a couple or in a small group ( less than five people, which could be family or close friends).
An FIT can be a retiree or a millennial, all that one needs is a passion for traveling and seeing the world and of course resources to fund their FIT travel. Compared to group travel, fully independent travel tends to be expensive.
Why FIT travel?
Mass tourism includes tours to popular places. Only the most visited and talked about places find a place in the tour itinerary. However, there are many unique and unexplored territories. FIT travel helps you to explore such places and experience their beauty and culture.
Plus, tour operators look for economic viability. They only include places that are in much demand and earns them good returns. If you’re keen to visit such offbeat places and don’t mind the higher expense, FIT travel is apt for you.
When traveling in a group, you don’t enjoy flexibility. You need to conform to the charter itinerary. Say, you love medieval architecture and love to spend more time at a museum, but the accompanying group might want to catch the theatre. The biggest advantage of an FIT tour is that you can explore a place at your own pace and savor the local cuisine and culture.
If you’ve enjoyed the freedom as an FIT, it’s more likely that you shun group travel.
Popularity of FIT tours
The desire to enjoy a unique experience combined with the quantum leap in technology has led to a burgeoning growth of FIT tourism. The Internet offers you options to research places, book tickets, make reservations, all at the click of a mouse. This access to the internet has enabled more and more people to plan out their travel independently.
To cater to this segment of tourists, travel agents have also begun to offer customized travel plans. These specialized agents put you through the contact resources, without hindering your independence.
So, what are you waiting for? Chart your travel itinerary and get set to explore the world.
