Q: Can you introduce Tour4U to us and give us a little background on your own history and experience with incentive activities and strategies?
Tour4U is a Bratislava-based DMC providing a complete range of incentive options while operating some attractions itself. During its 23 years of operations, it has become one of the leaders in the incentive and meeting industry, covered by 8 experienced event managers. It operates worldwide unique Presporacik-Oldtimer© sightseeing vehicles totaling 200+ seat capacity and motorboats on the Danube under the SpeedBoats.sk brand.
Q: Which would you say is the most effective incentive programme at Tour4U?
This really depends on the season and profile of clients. Let me just name some of the activities which are popular among our clients: getting acquainted with the city by Presporacik vehicles, then experiencing the mind-blowing Matej Kren Passage, the Bratislava castle with its restored baroque garden, and dinner in the UFO restaurant overlooking the Danube and the historical center. Next day a comfortable ride on the Danube with our SpeedBoats.sk, with a dose of adrenalin if desired, to the rafting resort combined with Danubiana Gallery visit for those preferring art experience. For wine lovers, local varieties of vine existing only in Slovakia can prove the top level of viticulture in Slovakia, combined with visits to historical castles, chateaus and vine cellars surrounded by the Small Carpathian Hills. Surely there is much more available, and the programmes are tailor-made to the desires of individual groups.
Q: You work with some big brands – have you found that there a particular industry or sector that uses corporate events/incentive activities the most, and is it perhaps private sector companies rather than public?
We are proud to have serviced big brands like Generali, VW, Tupperware, Dell, Siemens, Bayer, Accenture, Johnson Controls and much more, with financial, pharma, IT and automotive industries dominating the list of sectors. We are recording growth especially in the automotive sector, which is steadily growing in our country, where the most cars per capita are produced in the world. Public sector follows the suit, where we organize conferences and leisure time activities for delegations coming to Slovakia, including heads of states, ministerial visits, and VIPs.
Q: Is there any advice you would like to give to companies planning a corporate incentive event?
There are several important points, which help to improve the overall experience. First, they need to know why they plan to undergo the activity so that we know what the real aim is. They need to estimate capabilities and preferences of their staff/participants, down to individuals, so that we can finetune the program and style/difficulty levels accordingly. It is strongly advised plan well ahead and consider proper timing, i.e. avoiding or joining an important festival may have a significant impact on the overall satisfaction of participants and the client.
Q: What feedback do you get from groups at the end of their incentive events in Bratislava?
In general, Bratislava is exceeding their expectations. It is because of two reasons – the quality of the services has significantly increased during the last 7 years when 10 international hotel chains entered Bratislava, and because they do not expect anything special. Bratislava is special in terms of its atmosphere, easy availability, innovation, execution and willingness of the people. It is not the typical busy and jammed metropolis; it is a comfortable city on the Danube below the Small Carpathian vineyards on the border of 3 states. You can be active and you can relax in Bratislava with ease and comfort.
Q: What did you learn to do last week?
Last week, I have discovered how to make “orange” wine. It is actually made of white grapes using a similar method as for how the red vine is produced. I also bought and started to operate a professional waterproof camera to capture moments for our guests (and private too) on our SpeedBoats.sk and rafting.
Q: What makes you smile?
I smile when people are “wowed” during boat rides on the Danube and I return smiles whenever they smile and my staff smiles. In general, our “travel” industry is a very positive industry – we provide joy and memorable experiences for our clients and along with them also for us. Here and there busy and difficult times occur, yet, by definition, we smile a lot.