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Come-Along Trips Present New Revenue Stream for Stations
John Mercure, host of Milwaukee's 620 WTMJ Afternoon News, turned his passion for travel into revenue. His often-waitlisted come-along tours have generated nearly a million dollars, and he has traveled the world for free. Discover how come-along trips are booming post-COVID.
Come-along trips, while not a new concept, have seen exponential growth since 2021. "We are seeing some stations sell out not one or two, but up to three coaches of 40 travelers," said Jim Edwards, Vice President of Affinity Development at Collette, the travel company operating Mercure's trips. "The demand for travel is huge right now, and when a well-known on-air talent announces/ invites listeners or viewers to join them on a tour, it's almost always a home run."
One concern many stations like WTMJ Milwaukee raise when considering come-along trips is the extra strain on station staff. "The station wanted to make sure we wouldn't be overwhelmed with phone calls about the trips or having to collect money and paperwork," Mercure said. "When we met with Collette, they assured us they would handle everything from setting up a webpage and supplying promotional tools for the trip to taking all phone calls and registrations and handling all the details. All I had to do was talk about the opportunity on air. it was like, ‘Why wouldn't we give this a try?'"
As the need for more non-traditional revenue has risen in the past few years, more stations are trying come-along trips. "Our company has been in business for 107 years, but our relationships with the media industry over the last 30 years has helped us achieve amazing new growth," said Edwards.
"We started a new program right after COVID that gives stations an up-front ad buy, in addition to the $600 per traveler (on average) revenue share, and this has been really successful… Plus we like to advertise in January which is typically a slower advertising period for stations, so they use remnant space, and it pays dividends." Edwards also noted that the holiday season is a great exposure time for Collette; being seen by millions on the Hallmark holiday TV specials and in by 25 million viewers on the Wheel of Fortune game show in January.
He said, "Our brand recognition at that time gives the radio ads additional clout. Collette is now in over 60 markets nationwide, and while talk radio has traditionally been the sweet spot, other formats have also seen success. When we're talking about local talent, whether it's a morning show radio host or the TV weatherman, these are local celebrities that are the draw." One hundred, 30-second TV spots, or one hundred and fifty, 60-second spots in a talk format, over 5 weeks produce the best results and greatest traction in Edwards' experience.
As far as getting started, Edwards assures that it is a really simple process. "We have local business development managers (BDMs) throughout the country – more than any other guided travel company. When you contact us, our BDMs know the questions to ensure your trip is a good fit and to make sure it is a successful program."
He continues, "If the station and talent are right, the BDM will then give you a few choices of best-fit tours for you to choose from." As far as what's trending, Edwards said it's the three "I"s – Italy, Ireland, and Iceland. "Once you choose the tour, we make an on-air script for your talent and provide B-roll in addition to a landing page and 1-800 number for travelers to sign up, a banner for your website and social posts if needed, and you're ready to promote".
Many stations are now generating $50,000 or more in revenue for come-along trips without using valuable ad spots. One radio station described doing three trips a year, two with their morning host in spring and fall, and one with the afternoon talent during summer. The trips averaged 35 listeners on a 7-to-10-day itinerary and generated $100,000 in 2023.
If you are interested in learning more about come-along trips, you can visit Collette's media page on their website, and if you want to speak with a Collette representative, fill out the "Have an expert contact me" form.
For more information, email Jim Edwards at jedwards@collette.com.
