The Journal
Everything we
have published.
Reported pieces on the operations side of travel, plus dispatches from the places where the theory meets a mountain road.
Start here
What Is a Destination Management Company?
The complete guide: the eight functions of a DMC, the four pricing models, when you need one, how to brief one, how to vet one, and the three contract clauses that cause most disputes.
The DMC Files · a five-part series
Everything a trip planner needs to know about hiring the ground.
- 01 DMC vs Travel Agency vs Tour Operator: Who Actually Does What? Three job titles, one expensive misunderstanding. Who owns the customer, who owns the ground, and who carries the risk when a coach fails to arrive. 11 min
- 02 How to Choose a DMC: A 14-Point Vetting Checklist Legitimacy, capability and commercial checks — plus the three questions that expose a reseller in about four minutes. 13 min
- 03 How Much Does a DMC Cost? Pricing Models, Decoded Net rates, gross rates, management fees and per-person fees — and why the cheapest percentage is routinely the most expensive quote. 12 min
- 04 MICE Travel Explained: Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Events Four letters covering four genuinely different businesses, with different budgets, lead times and people signing the cheque. 12 min
- 05 Planning a Corporate Incentive Trip: The 12-Month Playbook A month-by-month operating sequence, from the sentence that defines the objective to the debrief nobody remembers to run. 14 min
Destinations
Dispatches from the ground.
The Sacred Valley in Seven Days: A Slower Route Through Peru
Sleep low, climb high. An itinerary that respects the altitude and stops in the villages the coaches drive past.
Northern Portugal and the Douro, publishing this autumn.
Our next dispatch is being reported now.
The Atlas Mountains, beyond the day trip.
Reporting begins in October.
The dispatch
One letter a month. No listicles, no affiliate links.
Reported notes on ground operations, a destination worth the detour, and one contract clause that could have cost somebody a lot of money.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. We never sell reader data.