News

Click to read this article: Destinations Magazine, December 2009:
Profile: Tours for All Seasons & Rearview - Fall for Vermont: Linda Edelman’s Favorites

Click to read this article: Destinations Magazine, February, 2009 examines Custom Tours’ retail partnership with Vermont Country Store

Click to read this article: The Burlington Free Press, Business Monday, September 8, 2008 discusses “Vermont Country Store Tours”

Click to read this article: Packaged Travel Insider, September/October 2008 profiles Linda Edelman of Custom Tours

Click to read this article: Packaged Travel Insider magazine (Sept/Oct 2004) looks at Linda Edelman and Custom Tours

Click to read this article: Custom Tours featured in Group Tour Magazine

Click to read this article: Destinations Magazine profiles Linda Edelman & Custom Tours, June 2004

November/December 2003

Custom Tours Introduces Winter Wonderland Vermont Package To Southern Senior Market

by Lani Duke

Custom Tours owner Linda Edelman is adding a third touring season to the packages she offers Vermont visitors. The new Winter Wonderland package targets already satisfied customers who have enjoyed her summer and fall offerings. Characterized under the heading “soft adventure,” the snow-time package aligns with a growing trend in motor coach tours, geared towards seniors and multigenerational groups.

“It’s what’s happening in the industry,” Edelman says. “It’s attractive to seniors and to second-and third-generation travelers who may come with them.”

Nearly eight out of 10 “active leisure travelers took at least one vacation with extended family, other families or friends” in the last five, a new survey by Yuesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell revealed. Cited in a recent Hotel & Motel Management magazine, the study dubs this trend “togethering.”

Seniors, a large percentage of the groups who sign on with Edelman’s bus tours, have the opportunity to see Vermont in the winter and sample the variety of activities that it offers. Snowshoeing, snowmobiling, dog sledding, sleigh riding and riding a gondola to the top of the mountain are among the possibilities for her guests.

Southern groups have the most successful market for her tours. Some of them may never have experienced snow or had an opportunity to see New England in winter. She feels certain the new offering “will take off - it may take a little time.”

Edelman floated a trial package of Winter Wonderland last year, offering it to two groups from Tennessee. “They loved it,” she reports. “To them, it was unique and different.” Ergo, she is making it a permanent part of Custom Tours’ calendar year.

Seniors are delighted to be able to take an excursion geared to their comfort and ability level, Edelman generalized. She tailors the tours to each group’s likes and dislikes, abilities and interests. No two tours are ever alike, she notes. As a Vermont receptive tour operator, she receives groups into Vermont from all over the country. Locally she works with the Rutland County Retired Teachers group, putting together two trips a year for them. Every December they travel to New York City, and take a trip in the spring. This year, they will go to Cape May.

Baby Boomers offer a great business opportunity for Vermont, says Dave Kaufman, president of Vermont Tourism Network. They have a “greater propensity to do more things actively, and have no intention of slowing down until they have to.” Outdoor activities are a strong attraction for this age demographic. Vermont has a unique draw for them by being able to offer outdoor activities against a backdrop that is rich in historical and cultural aspects, he noted. “Vermont faces its biggest challenge ever for the tourism dollar,” Kaufman comments. “We have no theme parks, no casinos. We are what we are.”

January 2003

Custom Tours Expands Service From Killington

by Marcia Stoller

Motorcoach tours are an integral part of tourism in Vermont. Locally, both Custom Tours, Inc., and Finer Vermont Tours are companies that attract visitors to the area through the services they provide. Linda Edelman, owner of Custom Tours, Inc., has discovered an opportunity in the local tour/coach industry that will enhance both her business and the enjoyment of locals and guests in the Killington/Rutland area. Edelman, a “receptive tour operator,” receives groups into Vermont and the New England area from anywhere in the world.

“Generally, tour or group leaders planning a visit to Vermont will contact me to set up their touring package,” says Edelman. Such a “package” as it is referred to, might include lodging, meals, attractions, touring itineraries, and motorcoach transportation. “I customize 100 percent. I don’t offer a service a prepackaged tours,” adds Edelman. Locally, Rutland County Retired Teachers and the Rutland Regional Medical Center have planned day and overnight excursions for their members and staff through Custom Tours, Inc.

Edelman, who originally started Killington Snowshoe Tours, realized there was strong interest for non-athletic activities for guests to the region, besides the major summer and winter activities of golfing, biking, skiing and snowboarding. While searching for a way to provide options using resources available, Edelman realized that “Montreal offered an opportunity to visit a foreign country with ease.” Through her already successful business, Edelman discovered that “people generally don’t realize how close Canada, and Montreal in particular is, or how accessible it is for a day trip.” With the Killington Ski Resort frequently hosting weeks geared to Canadian visitors, Edelman decided it was time to reverse that trend. Edelman approached area businesses with the idea of being able to offer guests or employees day trips to Montreal, and received an overwhelmingly positive response. Hotels, inns, and B & B establishments were especially excited to be able to provide a day trip to their guests, many of whom needed a break, for any number of reasons, from physical activity.

Custom Tours utilizes Premier touring coaches, comfortably seating up to 50 people. A bathroom and numerous video screens are on the coaches. There is a food and restroom stop en route. Tours leave at 8:00 a.m. and return at 10:00 p.m. A tour director will accompany each bus, and a local French/English speaking guide will be available in Montreal for a tour of city attractions and dining options. Group dinners can be arranged, or guests are free to dine on their own. Edelman is also extending the Montreal day trip to local residents and businesses at a nominal cost. Individuals may make reservations on a space-available basis up to the day before departure. “This is a wonderful way to say ‘thank you’ to a valued employee or group of employees, or as a gift for a special person or occasion,” adds Edelman.

Custom Tours, Inc. is a member of or affiliated with the Killington Chamber of Commerce, Vermont Chamber of Commerce, Vermont Tourism Network, National Tour Association, and the American Bus Association.