Travel & Tourism Awards 2024

50 | LUXlife Magazine Tour Operator of the Year 2024 - Southern Thailand & Customer Service Excellence Award Started in 2013, small private tour operator Tours With Jo is a specialist in the providing of quality, tailored, and unforgettable experiences to a worldwide client base in Phuket and other regions in southern Thailand, offering a personalised and relaxed experience that is wholly centred on the client and eliminates the stress of travelling in a larger group. Such a pinpoint focus allows itineraries to be tailored and adapted to the wishes and wants of the group, culminating in a more memorable experience. Patthanant Lecourt (Jo) tells us more about the excellent customer service and even better tours that are on offer from this double-award-winning provider. Offering a number of tours that are all meticulously planned around visits to the traditional sites as well as those more obscure areas of the local community which afford an unrivalled cultural experience, Tours With Jo is anchored in a quality over quantity style of tour delivery, and entirely committed to providing its client with unique and memorable experiences. While the company holds the belief that perfection is not obtainable, it still strives to provide every client with a highly memorable getaway, as demonstrated through the luxury and superior quality that is afforded at every turn, such as the high-quality products and services that run throughout the tour, even extending to the hidden little details. The company’s commitments extend further than just providing terrific travel adventures, and as Jo tells us, “we value the environment and creating sustainable tourism, which means we focus on reducing our carbon footprint and environmental waste like plastic.” She continues, “consulting closely with [the] local community, we aim to reduce our environmental impact while ensuring we achieve our prime core value of providing a unique and memorable experience.” Working closely with these local communities is key, particularly those that are remote, as it develops the level of support that the business is able to provide to them, something Jo takes great pride in. Another element of Tours With Jo that Jo is particularly proud of is the staff, a team that are described as being, “critical to achieving our core values and the success of the business.” This team is brimming with affable and outgoing personalities, the impact of which is clear with clients who are put at ease and revel in the fun and enjoyable atmosphere that is created. Every member of this team is fully qualified and licensed accordingly, and Jo prioritises an open culture where there are no stupid questions and mutual respect is afforded across the board. Only through such an exemplary team and a textbook internal culture can this touring operator accurately deliver on its promises of a truly unforgettable time. Having such a stellar team at her disposal is instrumental as Jo seeks to navigate some of the challenges that her business faces. As she tells us, “the largest challenge we face is from international and national tour operators that provide less expensive tours and have a larger advertising base.” She maintains, “we will not compromise on the quality and service we deliver to our clients so reducing the costs of our tours is not an option.” How then, does Tours With Jo ensure that it stands out from the competition? For Jo, “our strength is that we are a small company and able to provide specialised and unique experiences that larger operators cannot provide.” As for what the future is set to hold for this wonderful small business, Jo doubles down on the commitment to furthering the environmentally friendly tour offerings that support the local communities in need of the tourism. By bringing smaller groups to said communities, less of an impact is had on both them and the wider environment, ultimately protecting the very thing that clients come to see. For the rest of 2024 specifically, continual development is set to take place on the specialised tours offered in Phuket particularly, further streamlining the client experience. Finally, Jo is excited to announce further expansion into the south, with major destinations such as Krabi, Khao Lak, and Koh Samui all now included. Wherever it is in southern Thailand that a person wants to visit, there is no better way to experience it than with Tours With Jo, an operator that is committed to catering to a client’s every need and leaving them with terrific memories that are sure to last a lifetime. Contact: Patthanant Lecourt (Jo) Company: Tours With Jo Web Address: www.tourswithjo.com

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