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USA Tour Companies

Looking for an unforgettable USA tour? Book a fully-organized trip with the best tour companies in USA and let the tour operator take care of everything for you. Check out the tour details and read 195067 reviews from our customers to help you choose the perfect tour for you.

List of USA travel companies & tour operators with 195067 reviews

Bindlestiff Tours

• Excellent - 1,506 reviews for USA tours

112 Degrees!! A very enjoyable and well paced tour. Our tour visited Badwater and Devil's Golf Course before sandwiches at Furnace Creek and Zabrinske Point on the way out. The guide/driver was excellent with suitable but not intrusive commentary. Check pickup point with hotel personnel as these are hectic in Las Vegas resorts. The Aria has sign for Bus Tours, but not all do.

This was an incredible trip. We covered a lot of ground in 3 days with some amazing views and hikes. I couldn't have asked for a better experience. Everything went smoothly from start to finish. Safety was never a concern. My guide, Amber, was fantastic. She was very knowledgeable about the places we went, always positive and always willing to lend a hand (such as helping to set up tents). Highly recommend!

G Adventures

• Excellent - 19,173 reviews for USA tours

the tour itself was amazing. The national parks do not disappoint. The travel accomodations were very cramped and uncomfortable. I am only 5 foot tall and I was cramped in this 14 passenger van. Food opportunities were limited.

Fantastic experience - efficient use of time, great itinerary. Well-informed and interesting guide who is also just a great person.

Southwest Adventure Tours

• Excellent - 105 reviews for USA tours

Wonderful trip, beautiful area, great tour guide

Ja, our guide, was fun, professional and knowledgeable about the parks. Ja was well prepared with water, hotel reservations and dining options. This trip exceeded our expectations

• Excellent - 993 reviews for USA tours

Was never told people will be starting and joining tour constantly. Was told it was English speaking tour yet I was surrounded by no English speaking people. Tour guide never asked where everyone was from. People on tour the rudest I’ve ever found. Constantly pushing in or even pushing you out of way. Had a rude woman sit behind me two days on bus constantly belching not trying to cover her mouth once. Yet we are still in covid times.

Wonderful tour, highly recommend

BrushBuck Wildlife Tours

• Excellent - 23 reviews for USA tours

Although the tour was very expensive- over $2000 for 3 days is over the top- it wss a great experience, saw lots of wildlife and the guide was outstanding

What an amazing experience this was; from the greeting and pick up by our guide/driver, to the phenomenal sights and the historical references that accompanied them! I am so pleased. This was an exceptionally planned tour that successfully met all of my needs. I would not change a thing and look forward to future adventures with them.

• Excellent - 74,896 reviews for USA tours

This was our second trip on Globus and both experiences were fantastic.

I was skeptical of a group tour, particularly by coach. The experienced guide, Jason, along with driver Shauna, changed my view completely.

• Excellent - 5,578 reviews for USA tours

The tour was amazing, the manager did a top notch job, it’s great for making lots of friends, such a blast. A little rushed and fast paced, but it’s better than the stress of organising your own trip. Definitely doing it again

I thought it was great and would do it again any time!

Bamba Travel

• Good - 1,693 reviews for USA tours

The itinerary provided by tour radar was not exactly how the tour was set up. One of our stops said we would be doing a cruise on lake Powell. That was not provided with the tour. Also the hotels that they said we would be staying at did not line up.

Overall, the tour was very fun and we'll put together. The tour guides were all friendly, and seemed to work well as a team. Accomodations were not bad, but there were better options directly adjacent. Food options were pretty much all fast food, which makes sense for the tour concept. However, dinner options could have been a bit better. We really would have appreciated a little more hiking and exploring time, and a couple of the guides did the best to accommodate that. However, 20 minute stops are just not enough time to get "out and experience" the areas.

• Excellent - 1,918 reviews for USA tours

A very good tour the only comment I would make was although we enjoyed the piano recital at Natchez the explanation of the different types of notes was way above most peoples comprehension and was too long .

Excellent. Great guide, driver, weather, hotels, food. Great itenirary. Love love this trip.

National Geographic Journey…

• Excellent - 264 reviews for USA tours

Good time with lots of riding in the van going to interesting places

We had a wonderful time. The tour was well planned and well managed. The CEO was excellent ..good driver, good communicator, had good knowledge of the local attractions and made great recommendations for restaurants. The group we were with was also a very pleasant group which made the experience that much more enjoyable. That said, would have loved to see the accommodations updated.. most except the Denali cabins were old and "weathered".

Intrepid Travel

• Excellent - 11,752 reviews for USA tours

The trip on it self is awesome. The parks we visit were stunning. However as I booked with Tour radar, it was not mention anywhere the level of the trip. I knew during the trip that this same trip is advertised as a compfy trip with intensity 2/5 on intrepid website. I found my self with 65 Y+ while Im 35 Y and for the hikes it was inconvenient. Hope it will change on the marketplace.

We were fortunate to have Claire Kredens as our driver guide. She is a gifted leader and could cope with ant situation. Such a tour is useful to learn which cities you might like to re-visit because our time in each is very short. Four and five hour drives every other day is exhausting and maybe the number of places visited could be edited downward. On the whole, I enjoyed the trip altho the age range 15-99 is unwise. 15-80 would be much more realistic.

Insight Vacations

• Excellent - 641 reviews for USA tours

Overall it was a good experience. Excellent tour director and driver. The food was inconsistent as to quality and service. The lodgings were fine for the type of trip. Too much time was spent at Monument Valley/Mystery valley and not enough time at Grand Canyon.

My first experience with an organized tour like this. Expense alone will limit future trips. Much more walking than my wife was prepared for. This alone reduced her enjoyment. Tour guide was very knowledgeable and thorough with his planning and execution. Andrew has a fun personality and very personable. One item that disappointed me was the shuttle from airport to resort at both ends of the

Infinite Adventures

• Excellent - 118 reviews for USA tours

It was my first group trip and also my first camping trip. I have to say it was one of the best trips I've been on. It was an adventure! We were lucky enough to see the Northern Lights at Remote Camp. Tory and Dave took care of everything and made sure everyone had a great time. No matter what problem you had, they always helped each other! Dave cooked delicious food, we had marshmallows by the fire in the evening and it felt like family. It's a great tour and I can only recommend it to anyone! It certainly wasn't my last tour with Infinite Adventure! Many thanks to Tory, Dave and Natalie (who you could ask any question you wanted to know beforehand) for this unforgettable time! :)

Jump on the bus with Infinite Adventures for a magnificent Alaskan expedition! Dave and Tory are excellent guides and will keep you informed about the areas you visit and give expert advice. I found this to be a truly joyful experience!

The Coyote Trip

• Good - 11 reviews for USA tours

This trip was run like a school trip, we were told that we had to stick to the schedule rigidly even though I asked several times to visit a different museum/shop. Free time was limited and it seemed like the guide had specific ideas of what he wanted to do and see. Our guide also left us on a subway in New York to get home close to midnight and then we had issues getting checked into the hostel. FYI most tour guides make sure their group gets to the hotel safely and without hassle. Waste of time and money.

From a speedboat to the Statue of Liberty to fireworks on 4th July in Washington to hiking to Yosemite Falls, this trip showcased the very best the USA has to offer. I went on the 21 day Full Cyote trip from New York to San Francisco with my brother. With such a packed itinerary of included activities, it offered great value for money. The guides in every region we visited were excellent. A particular shout out to Ryan, who added in extra stops and experiences based on the group's interests. Other highlights included the Grand Canyon, Washington's museums, whale watching in Boston, cycling across the Golden Gate Bridge and sunset in Griffeths Park. I met a great group of people on the trip, and I wouldn't hesitate to book with the Cyote Trip again.

Bucket List Group Travel LL…

• Good - 16 reviews for USA tours

leider entsprach der Reiseverlauf nicht ganz der ursprünglichen Ausschreibung. Die kurzen Wanderungen in die Canyons waren gestrichen worden, was insbesondere für das Bryce canyon sehr schade war. Der Ersatz (Death Valley) war dafür lohnenswert. Die Toursprache "only in english" stimmte nicht, Englisch war nachrangig. Ein Großteil der Gruppe sprach kein Englisch, so dass man sich wie ein Aussenseiter fühlte.

Had a wonderful time - a lot of hiking, seeing the sites in Alaska and viewing the Northern Lights.

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• World's Best

The 15 Best Tour Operators in 2022

These are the companies Travel + Leisure readers trust to provide them with travel expertise and memorable experiences.

Note: If you’re looking for our most recent recommendations, check out the 2023 list of our favorite tour operators .

When it comes to an itinerary, Travel + Leisure readers want more than a string of photo opportunities — and the right tour operator makes all the difference in creating a trip of a lifetime versus one that simply checks off a list of sights. This year, our readers were especially drawn to companies that utilize local expertise and experience to thoughtfully design trips that will entertain as well as inspire.

Every year for our World's Best Awards survey , T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Readers rated tour operators and safari outfitters based on their staff and guides, itineraries and destinations, activities, accommodations, food, and overall value.

The top picks were noted for their deep knowledge of destinations and guides who "go the extra mile." One reader who has been traveling for more than five decades said a trip with Classic Journeys (No. 2) was the "very best" they had experienced. Others noted attention to pandemic safety details, while one who went to Norway was charmed by a "wonderful surprise dinner in Bergen out on the water that was fantastic."

Tour operators that seamlessly navigated the logistics of a trip also came out on top. Quasar Expeditions (No. 9) was noted "for really planning out every detail" so that "all you have to do is show up and have a great time." Meanwhile, of TCS World Travel (No. 10), a guest said: "You never lift a finger and just spend your time actually exploring the destination." They even added that they "learned so much" along the way.

Among the five companies on this year's list that weren't on last year's were two women-only tour operators that cater to travelers of all ages. AdventureWomen (No. 14) has multiday tours designed by women from Bhutan to Yellowstone National Park, while Explorer Chick (No. 15) has everything from day trips — like glassblowing in Baltimore and cave rappelling in St. Louis — to full itineraries in Machu Picchu and the Galápagos. One reader said her Everest Base Camp trip with AdventureWomen was filled with "like-minded women" who "bonded so well," while another said she felt it was a "safe tour group for women."

No matter which tour they chose, readers were most taken by the people they met along the way, as one said of Trek Travel (No. 13): "By the end of the trip, a group of strangers felt like longtime friends." Find out which other companies round out the list of the best tour operators below.

1. DuVine Cycling + Adventure Co.

A tour with DuVine goes far beyond just riding a bike — it's a way to really see the character of a destination. Case in point: even those who say they're not necessarily cycling fans have been converted. That's part of what helped the tour operator — which runs trips in Europe, the U.S., Latin America, and Africa — skyrocket from No. 14 last year to this year's top spot. Its "top-notch biking equipment" and "challenging but doable itineraries" didn't hurt either. One reader was especially taken by a guide picking figs off of a local tree in Puglia for an extra energy boost during a tough climb, as well as another guide singing to the group after dinner. As another reader put it simply: "They exceed your expectations."

Score: 99.12

More information: duvine.com

2. Classic Journeys

Score: 99.04

More information: classicjourneys.com

3. Artisans of Leisure

Score: 98.38

More information: artisansofleisure.com

4. (tie) Black Tomato

Score: 98.33

More information: blacktomato.com

4. (tie) GeoEx

More information: geoex.com

4. (tie) Wilderness Travel

More information: wildernesstravel.com

7. Inside Japan Tours

Score: 98.14

More information: insidejapantours.com

8. Kensington Tours

Score: 98.03

More information: kensingtontours.com

9. Quasar Expeditions

Score: 97.84

More information: quasarex.com

10. TCS World Travel

Score: 97.78

More information: tcsworldtravel.com

11. Butterfield & Robinson

Score: 97.33

More information: butterfield.com

Score: 96.95

More information: tauck.com

13. Trek Travel

Score: 96.90

More information: trektravel.com

14. AdventureWomen

Score: 96.11

More information: adventurewomen.com

15. Explorer Chick

Score: 95.87

More information: explorerchick.com

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Only One Tour Company Limited gives you an opportunity to buy tickets on special rates for our customers. We have availability to provide you with tickets for 95% of the show programs in Thailand.

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Only One Tour International is well-recognized as one of the top travel agencies in Thailand, a professional inbound and hotel wholesale operator dedicated to providing specialized hotel reservation service as well as leisure, Events, Conferences, Groups, Incentive, Series, Individual Tours, Package Tours, Combined Tours of any difficulty level, corporate and inbound services to clienteles from Asian and Worldwide Markets.

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8 Ways to Choose the Perfect Tour Company

Last Updated: November 3, 2023

That idea of tours being bad is an old and outdated perception.

These days tour groups have become more adept at the changing landscape. They feature smaller groups, more authentic experiences, a better environmental impact, and more local guides.

I love group tours.

Even though I am an independent traveler, I find group tours super fun, a great way to meet people, learn more from an informed guide, go to places you normally can’t, and wet your feet in travel. My first trip overseas was on an organized tour. I didn’t know the first thing about travel and that tour gave me the confidence to travel on my own. It was the taste test I needed to become hooked on travel. Tours give a lot of people time to adjust to the “travel lifestyle.”

Unlike in the past, today’s tours are eco-friendly, cater to all travel styles, over cheap, and make a point to use local transportation and guides. And many destinations (like Halong Bay, the Galápagos Islands, the Serengeti, Machu Picchu, Antarctica, Everest) are virtually inaccessible without an organized group tour!

In this article, I am going to tell you how to find the best tour company so you get one that is inexpensive, eco-friendly, provides local guides, and gives back to the local community:

1. Research the costs

With tour companies, it’s not always true that you get what you pay for. Many tour companies nickel-and-dime you, while some are really good at maximizing value for your every penny. Ask how your money is spent to find out if you are really getting the best value for your money. How much of your fee is their overhead? Are you paying for top-notch hotels but staying in two-star guesthouses? You want a company that is transparent with why prices are the way they are.

Moreover, make sure you ask if there are added fees to pay when arrive. Many companies require you to pay additional money when the tour starts or don’t include park or attraction entrance fees. That cheap tour won’t be so cheap if you have to pay for everything while you’re there!

2. Make sure you are the audience 

Is the tour geared toward older couples? Young people? Families? You don’t want to end up on a loud Contiki tour full of drunk twenty-year-olds when all you want is a quiet holiday.

There’s a tour company for everyone — just make sure you don’t end up on one that isn’t yours. Most tour companies list their guest demographics on their “About” page, and you can usually see from the photos of their tours who goes on it.

You can also tell the audience based on accommodation: if it’s hostels or guesthouses, it’s usually for backpackers and budget travelers; if it’s fancy digs, it’s for older travelers and families.

This is very important because these are the people you’ll be traveling with so you want to make sure it’s the kind of people you are traveling with. I’m still friends with the people from my first tour in 2003 because they were people like me. The tour in Japan that was filled with older families? Not so much. We didn’t have much in common. Wonderful people but we didn’t connect.

So, I always look for tours that have my demographic in them.

3. Get local guides

Guides can make or break your trip. They are going to explain everything to you and keep the flow of the tour going. I don’t want them hiring some young kid, non-expert, or someone who doesn’t know the place well. I’ve been on tours where the guide was a walking encyclopedia, and on somewhere the guide was a glorified timekeeper.

Make sure the company uses knowledgeable, local guides. The guide should be a local or at least a long-term resident, know the local language, have travel experience, and know life-saving techniques.

If you are unsure about the guides, call the customer service line and ask them about their guides.

4. Safety record 

Make sure the company follows all the proper safety requirements and is accredited by the local government, the government where they are registered, and any other appropriate trade organizations.

5. A balanced schedule 

You’re paying for them to fill most of your day. How do they do that? Are they doing that? Do they have a lot of activities organized, or do they leave you to your own devices?

That said, you don’t want a schedule that is crammed with things to do. Make sure you get a schedule of all the activities and pick a tour that is balanced. Running around will leave you wishing you had a holiday from your holiday, but you don’t want to be sitting around all day, either.

I love taking small group tours because they generally have a good balance. Any tour that requires you to be on a huge bus and hits 6 cities in 5 days is not a tour to take!

6. Environmental impact

There’s a growing trend among travelers called ecotourism . It’s about more responsible travel, not only toward the environment but also toward the locals in an area. This means using local guides, hotels, and services, and making sure to reduce waste and your footprint on the local habitat.

Moreover, these companies tend to offer better and more interactive tours that also give you a good degree of autonomy.

I think it’s important to pick a company that provides great value and gives back to the place you are visiting. After all, did you go there to ruin it for others? Doubtful.

Check with groups like the International Ecotourism Society for a list of companies that have been certified “eco-friendly.” With so much money pouring into the industry now, you have a lot of companies fraudulently saying they practice ecotourism but end up being involved in terrible labor practices, animal abuse, and waste.

7. Group size

Tour companies that have smaller groups tend to be much more mindful of the environment and the impact they are leaving. It’s a lot easier to meet people in a group of 10-15 than it is in a group of 60. I don’t like to go on tours with more than 15 people on them. However, I have friends who love Contiki tours with 40-50 people. Know what you are getting yourself into, so you don’t find yourself with a group too small or too large for your tastes.

Just remember larger groups tend to stay at bigger, more impersonal accommodations (they can only accommodate the numbers), eat at more touristy restaurants, and tend to travel to more destinations quicker.

In my expert opinion, small group tours are the best.

8. Check their reputation

How have other travelers enjoyed their time? Look for online reviews to see what a company’s reputation is. It might not always be what they claim, and it’s important to find out the truth before you book.

Remember that MOST people only write a review if something goes wrong. Someone might give a tour company one star just because their eggs were runny. Find the average. Someone might hate a tour because the weather was hot. Seriously. These are actual negative reviews from the tour operator company, Thomas Cook:

“On my holiday to Goa in India, I was disgusted to find that almost every restaurant served curry. I don’t like spicy food.”

“We went on holiday to Spain and had a problem with the taxi drivers as they were all Spanish.”

“We booked an excursion to a water park but no-one told us we had to bring our own swimsuits and towels. We assumed it would be included in the price.”

“No-one told us there would be fish in the water. The children were scared.”

“Although the brochure said that there was a fully equipped kitchen, there was no egg-slicer in the drawers.”

“When we were in Spain, there were too many Spanish people there. The receptionist spoke Spanish, the food was Spanish. No one told us that there would be so many foreigners.”

“We had to line up outside to catch the boat and there was no air-conditioning.”

So how can you trust the reviews you read online?

Take them with a grain of salt. You can read reviews on websites TrustPilot . The approval rating should look like a bell curve but with more A’s and B’s than C’s. I look for companies that average 85% or higher (or 4 out of 5 stars). If a company is that highly rated, the negative reviews are probably just outliers.  

My Recommended (Best) Tour Companies

Here are some of my favorite small, day-tour, or backpacker bus tour companies:

• Take Walks – This is my favorite walking tour company. They run a wide variety of insightful and entertaining tours around Europe and the US. What makes them so good is they get you inside access to attractions and places you can’t get elsewhere. Their guides rock too!
• Get Your Guide – A massive marketplace for tours, activities, and excursions. If you’re looking for something niche, you’ll find it here!
• Devour Food Tours – My go-to tour company for tasty food tours around Europe and the US.
• Kiwi Experience – A hop-on, hop-off bus tour company in New Zealand for backpackers!
• Baz Bus – A hop on, hop off again bus tour company in South Africa for all travelers.
• New Europe – Free walking tours throughout Europe.
• Free Tours By Foot – Pay-what-you-like tours throughout Europe and the United States. They are one of my favorite free walking tour companies in the world!

THE #1 COMPANY FOR MULTI-DAY SMALL GROUP TOURS

When it comes to multi-day, multi-week tours (think trips through Morocco, sailing in the Galápagos, etc.), I highly recommend using Intrepid Travel .

Intrepid is my favorite and best small group tour operator out there! I really love their guides, their small groups, off-the-beaten-track itineraries, and their commitment to the local environment and community. I always have an incredible time on their tours. They are my favorite multi-day tour operator and the only one I use now (the picture at the top of this page is me on their Patagonia trip). Intrepid is environmentally friendly, uses local guides and transportation, doesn’t rush their tours, and are quite inexpensive. I don’t even consider anyone else when it comes to multi-day trips.

I love tours. They are a great way to meet people, get a local to add value and knowledge, and see places you can’t get to alone! I don’t take them often but I do take them. And, since I follow the above rules, I always have a good time. Some of my favorite travel memories were when I was on a group trip. If you follow my tips above, you’ll never go wrong either.

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Leisure Travel

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Market cap of leading tour operators worldwide 2023

As of September 2023, German-based multinational group TUI AG was the tour operator company with the highest market cap worldwide. As of that month, TUI's market cap exceeded three billion U.S. dollars. UK-based tour operator Jet2 plc and Australian company Flight Centre Travel Group Limited followed in the ranking, with a market cap of 2.96 billion and 2.8 billion U.S. dollars, respectively. Meanwhile, Booking Holdings recorded the highest market cap of leading online travel companies worldwide as of September 2023.

Market cap of leading travel agency and tour operator companies worldwide as of September 2023 (in million U.S. dollars)

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Statistics on " Travel agencies in the United Kingdom (UK) "

• Annual output of travel agencies and tour operators in the UK 2010-2022
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• Travel agency, tour operator, and reservation services employment in the UK 2015-2021
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• Most popular amusement, cruise, and travel brands in the UK Q4 2023
• TUI UK Limited revenue 2015-2022
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• Turnover of Hays Travel Limited in the UK 2008-2023
• Key information on the online travel agency industry in the UK January 2023
• Revenue of On the Beach Group plc in the UK 2012-2022, by segment
• Net income of On the Beach in the UK 2014-2022
• Revenue of Tripadvisor worldwide 2012-2023, by region
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More From Forbes

The advantages of solo travel with group tour operators.

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Solo travel is on the rise.

Traveling solo is a profoundly liberating experience. It offers the freedom to explore at one's own pace, delve into personal interests, and embrace new cultures without compromise. However, navigating international destinations alone can sometimes be daunting. This is where group tour operators come in, providing a structured yet flexible travel experience that ensures safety, companionship, and deep cultural immersion. Trafalgar Tours is one operator that attracts a large number of solo travelers.

The Benefits of Group Tours for Solo Travelers

Traveling solo, but with a tour operator, provides comfort and security.

1. Safety and Security:

Traveling solo can occasionally raise concerns about personal safety, especially in unfamiliar territories. Group tours offer the reassurance of a structured itinerary, professional guides, and a group of fellow travelers. This structure minimizes the risks associated with solo travel, such as getting lost or encountering unsafe situations.

Travelers make meaningful connections with other travelers when on a group tour.

2. Social Interaction and Companionship:

One of the challenges of solo travel is the potential for loneliness. Group tours provide an instant social network of like-minded travelers. This social aspect can enrich the travel experience, fostering new friendships and shared memories. For solo travelers, this means not only having companions to share the journey with but also the chance to connect deeply with people from diverse backgrounds.

3. Expert Guidance and Local Insights:

Group tours are typically led by knowledgeable guides who are experts in the local culture, history, and geography. This expertise provides solo travelers with valuable insights that might be missed when traveling independently. Guides can offer recommendations, translate languages, and navigate cultural nuances, enhancing the overall travel experience.

4. Convenience and Peace of Mind:

Planning an international trip can be overwhelming, with logistics, accommodations, and activities to organize. Group tour operators handle these details, allowing solo travelers to focus on enjoying their trip. This convenience is particularly beneficial for those new to solo travel or visiting a country with complex logistics.

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Samsung just confirmed galaxy ring release date, feature list and u.s. sales, biden vs trump 2024 election polls biden leads major tracking poll for first time in a month, the appeal of shoulder season travel.

The appeal of shoulder season is cheaper tours, less crowds but still plenty of fun.

Booking a tour during the shoulder season—the period between peak and off-peak seasons—has distinct advantages, especially for solo travelers. Tour operators have more availability and the group size is smaller—in some cases half the size—during shoulder season.

1. Fewer Crowds:

Shoulder season typically sees fewer tourists compared to the peak season. This means less crowded attractions, more personal space, and a more relaxed travel experience. Solo travelers can enjoy popular sites without the overwhelming crowds, making it easier to connect with the destination and fellow travelers.

2. Better Value:

Traveling during the shoulder season often means lower prices for flights, accommodations, and tours. Group tour operators, including Trafalgar, may offer discounts or special deals during these times, making it a cost-effective option for solo travelers.

3. Pleasant Weather:

Shoulder seasons often offer milder weather, avoiding the extremes of summer heat or winter cold. For instance, traveling to Vietnam in the shoulder season means pleasant temperatures, making outdoor activities more enjoyable.

Picking a Destination

Halong Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, located in northern Vietnam.

There are so many places to go, but for many travelers it’s hard to narrow down the list. For solo travelers, picking a far-flung local like Asia, is appealing because it’s something many people want to do but it seems daunting to go so far alone. One of Trafalgar’s most popular itineraries in Asia is Vietnam.

1. Immersive Cultural Experiences:

Trafalgar’s Vietnam tour is designed to provide deep cultural immersion. Travelers have the opportunity to explore bustling cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, visit historical sites such as the Cu Chi Tunnels, and experience the serene beauty of Halong Bay. These experiences are enriched by knowledgeable guides who share the stories behind each destination.

Hoi An in Vietnam is a favorite city for many travelers because it's so picturesque.

2. Unique Insider Experiences:

One of Trafalgar’s standout features is its “Be My Guest” experiences, where travelers are invited into the homes of local families to share a meal and learn about their way of life.

3. Hassle-Free Travel:

Trafalgar takes care of all the logistics, from accommodations to transportation and activities. For solo travelers, this means less time worrying about details and more time enjoying the journey. Accommodations are selected for their quality and location, ensuring comfort and convenience throughout the trip.

Vietnamese women selling and buying fruits on floating market, Mekong River Delta, Vietnam.

4. Social Atmosphere:

The group dynamic on Trafalgar tours fosters a sense of community. Solo travelers are welcomed into a friendly, inclusive environment where connections are easily made. Whether sharing a meal, exploring a market, or enjoying a guided tour, the shared experiences create lasting bonds.

5. Flexible Options for Solo Travelers:

Trafalgar understands the needs of solo travelers and offers options like single room supplements to ensure privacy and comfort. Additionally, their small group tours are ideal for those who prefer a more intimate travel experience.

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Who is a Tour Operator? Know Roles and Responsibilities

If travel destinations and tourist places are something that interest you or fill you with enthusiasm, probably then, you must know about a tour operator. Tour operators advise customers about different travel options. They organize tours for individuals or different groups of travelers. As professionals, they prepare tour itineraries, and tour packages and coordinate with vendors for your holidays.

In this write-up, we delve into a tour operator’s roles and discuss the necessary skills, roles, and education qualifications for the job.

Who is a Tour Operator?

A tour operator is someone who belongs to the hospitality industry. He organizes tours and helps customers during trips so that they have positive reviews. Advising customers on different tour packages based on their budget and interests, and handling all logistics of a tour, such as booking tickets and accommodations, are some basic roles assigned to them.

Tour operators generally work for travel agencies or tour companies A tour guide will accompany tourists on their trips, but tour operators are solely available to answer their questions. They provide detailed information about tourists’ itineraries.

Types of Tour Operators

Here are some types of tour operators who can help you plan your holidays better and make them memorable!

1. Domestic Tour Operators

 Domestic tour operators provide tours and travel services within their own country. They serve tourists who desire to explore different regions or attractions within their country.

2. Inbound Tour Operators

These operators serve foreign tourists visiting their country. They plan and organize tours within their own country, and provide services such as transport, accommodation, guided tours, and activities.

3. Outbound Tour Operators

Outbound tour operators organize tours for residents of one country traveling to another country or countries. They arrange the trip, including flights, accommodations, transportation, and activities at the travel destination.

4. Special Interest Tour Operators

These operators specialize in planning tours catering to specific interests or hobbies, such as wildlife safaris, culinary tours, photography tours, adventure travel, or cultural immersion experiences.

5. Wholesale Tour Operators

Wholesale tour operators sell pre-packaged tour products in bulk to travel agencies or retail outlets. They often provide discounted rates to travel agents. Travel agents usually earn a profit by reselling the tours to clients.

6. Incentive Travel Companies

These companies organize travel experiences for corporate groups or organizations as rewards or incentives for employees or clients. They often tailor trips to meet the guided objectives and preferences of the organization.

Tour operators design and organize pre-packaged tours or holiday packages while the Travel agents help clients in booking individual travel components.

What is the Role of a Tour Operator?

Tour operators play a wide array of roles when it comes to planning holiday packages and dealing with tourists.

1. Planning Tour Packages

These professionals design and schedule travel packages for individual travelers or groups of tourists. They coordinate with their clients to discuss their likes and dislikes and then suggest a range of attractions, accommodations, and transportation options to enable the clients to select the tour packages that meet their preferences.

2. Negotiating Rates

Often the tour operators can try to book a group of room /blocks in a hotel for their bigger group. This leads to lower rates for the tourists.

3. Arranging Travel

Tour operators ensure that passengers have their train tickets to travel between the cities or even book a car rental to help customers visit the attractions according to their schedule.

4. Providing Customer Support

A tour operator offers travelers with the technical assistance that they may need before a trip. For example, they may reply to customer questions about a trip they are planning, tell them about currency exchange rates, or notify them if there are any changes in their itinerary.

5. Preparing Tour Budgets

A tour operator comes up with different price options with sample itineraries and counsels customers on the kind of lodging and attractions that are within their budget.

6. Researching Travel Options

Tour operators are specialists who gather and study data on traveling patterns to suggest itineraries to tourists about where they should go, where they will stay, and where they can eat on their trips.  

They read articles and browse online for details about travel trends and popular tourist spots that they can use to stay updated with what is trending currently.

Educational Requirements for a Tour Operator

To become a tour operator you need a high school diploma or equivalent. Some employers, particularly tour companies or travel organizations, may prefer to hire candidates with a bachelor’s degree.

Tour operators need a degree in tourism and travel services management or hospitality management. Many colleges and universities offer these undergraduate programs, and it typically takes four years for students to complete their degree. You can also consider doing short-term courses in the following streams.

• Hospitality finance
• Foundations of tourism
• International hotel management
• Tourism information technology
• Hospitality management strategies
• Sustainable tourism planning
• Revenue management
• Service technology
• Event planning
• Human resources management
• Hospitality sales and marketing

Difference between Travel Agent and Tour Operator

Tour operators and travel agents both play important roles in the tourism industry, but they have distinct functions and responsibilities. Let’s differentiate between the two.

Travel Agent :

A travel agent is an individual or a company that acts as an intermediary between travelers and travel service providers. They may specialize in certain types of travel, destinations, or services.

Travel agents typically earn commissions from the travel suppliers they book with, rather than charging clients directly for their services.

They assist clients in planning and booking the trip, including flights, accommodations, transportation, and activities.

Tour Operator :

A tour operator is a company that designs, organizes, and sells pre-packaged tours or holiday packages to travelers. Tour operators handle all aspects of the tour, including accommodations, transportation, meals, guided tours, and activities. They often work with travel agents to sell their tour packages to clients.

They may specialize in specific types of tours, such as adventure tours, cultural tours, luxury tours, or eco-tours. Tour operators also offer customized tour packages tailored to the preferences and needs of individual clients or groups.

Wrapping Up

The profile of a tour operator is special as it blends creativity, expertise, and impact. Tour operators have the privilege of turning travelers’ dreams into reality by crafting unique and immersive travel experiences tailored to specific interests and preferences.

They have an extensive knowledge of travel destinations, coupled with strong connections with local suppliers. This enables them to offer better service and access to exclusive travel opportunities.

Check also: Best Places to Visit in Kashmir

Moreover, tour operators play a crucial role in promoting sustainable tourism practices as they support local communities, and preserve cultural and natural heritage. Although they may face challenges such as changing rules and unforeseen circumstances, tour operators show professionalism in ensuring the safety and satisfaction of their clients.

A tour operator designs organizes, and sells pre-packaged tours or holiday packages to travelers. They plan and coordinate all aspects of the tour, including accommodations, transportation, meals, guided tours, and activities.

They also negotiate contracts with travel suppliers such as hotels, airlines, transportation companies, and tour guides. A tour operator promotes tour packages to attract clients.

Moreover, they assist and support to travelers before, during, and after the tour. They also ensure compliance with safety regulations and provide a high-quality travel experience.

While both tour operators and travel agents are involved in the travel industry, they have separate roles and functions.

A tour operator specializes in designing and organizing pre-packaged tours or holiday packages for travelers. They handle all aspects of the tour, from transportation and accommodations to planning activities and excursions.

On the other hand, a travel agent acts as an intermediary between travelers and travel service providers. They assist clients in planning and booking various aspects of a trip, such as flights, accommodations, transportation, and activities.

Travel agents may work with tour operators to sell their tour packages to clients, among other services.

A tour operator designs and creates pre-packaged tour itineraries tailored to specific destinations or themes. They negotiate contracts with hotels, airlines, transportation companies, and other travel suppliers to secure competitive rates and check availability.

They handle all logistics related to the tour, including booking accommodations, arranging transportation, and organizing guided tours and activities.

They market and promote tour packages to target audiences through online platforms, travel agencies, and promotional events.

A tour operator provides assistance and support to travelers throughout the tour, including addressing any issues or concerns that may arise.

Finally, they ensure compliance with safety regulations and industry standards to ensure the well-being and safety of travelers.

Last but not least, a tour operator continuously evaluates and improves tour offerings based on customer feedback and market trends to improve the overall travel experience.

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The 5 must-have characteristics of tour operators

By Blake Ng — 22 Apr 2018

characteristics   customer referrals   mobile   online booking software for tours   skills   tour operator   traits

Updated October 2023 – In the vast and ever-evolving landscape of the tourism industry, tour operators serve as the backbone of travel experiences. Whether you offer adventure activities, a tour guide that specializes in history, or an operator that offer all kinds of travel services, the role of a proficient tour operator cannot be overstated. In this article, we’ll explore the 5 must-have characteristics of tour operators that define outstanding operators and what sets them apart in the competitive tourism and travel industry.

1. Expertise in destinations and activities

One of the most prominent hallmarks of a distinguished tour operator is their unrivaled expertise in the destinations they offer. The travel industry is replete with travel agents, travel agencies, and tour companies, but what distinguishes a true tour operator is their deep-rooted understanding of the locations and the activities they specialize in. Their ‘know-how’ extends beyond the glossy brochures and websites; it encompasses a profound grasp of the history, culture, geography, and local customs of the regions they operate in.

This knowledge allows them to craft meticulously planned tour itineraries and travel components that go beyond the usual sightseeing spots, unveiling hidden gems and providing unique travel experiences. Travelers seeking authenticity in their journeys can benefit immensely from tour operators who are, essentially, passionate ambassadors of the destinations they promote.

2. Impeccable customer service

The cornerstone of any successful tour operator is exceptional customer service skills. The tourism industry thrives on creating memorable and positive travel experiences, and this begins with outstanding communication skills and a commitment to customer satisfaction. From the very first inquiry to the post-trip follow-up, a top-notch tour operator should exhibit unwavering responsiveness, attentiveness, and genuine care for their clients.

Effective communication skills enable tour operators to tailor their offerings to the unique needs and desires of travelers, ensuring that each experience is as individual as the travelers themselves.

3. Customization options

Travelers come in all shades of preferences and interests. Some may be yearning for a culinary adventure , while others may seek adrenaline-pumping activities or serene retreats. The ability to customize tour package holidays according to these varied desires is an essential trait of an exceptional tour operator. They understand that one size does not fit all and offer a spectrum of options to cater to different tastes and needs.

From crafting bespoke itineraries that cater to niche interests to accommodating dietary restrictions or arranging private or large group tours, the flexibility and adaptability of a tour operator can transform a regular vacation into an extraordinary one. By ensuring that each traveler’s unique desires are met, tour operators enhance the overall satisfaction of their customers, making them stand out in the competitive tourism sector.

4. Safety and reliability

Safety is paramount in the tourism industry, and a trustworthy tour operator prioritizes the well-being of their clients above all else. It’s important for tour operators to take rigorous steps to ensure that every aspect of the tour, from transportation to the activities, meets stringent safety standards and regulations. This involves collaborating with certified guides, reliable transportation providers, and vetted accommodation partners.

Furthermore, tour operators must possess effective time management and crisis management skills, allowing them to handle unexpected situations such as weather-related disruptions or emergencies swiftly and efficiently. With this in mind, your customers can rest easy knowing that their safety is in capable hands when they choose a tour operator with a strong commitment to safety and reliability.

5. Transparent pricing and inclusions

In an industry where pricing structures can be intricate and confusing, transparency is essential. An exceptional tour operator takes pride in providing travelers with clear and comprehensive information regarding the cost of their tourism services. They offer detailed breakdowns that specify what is and isn’t included in the tours, leaving no room for unpleasant surprises along the way.

This transparency extends to the management of finances, ensuring that travelers’ funds are handled securely and ethically. By establishing trust through open and honest communication, tour operators not only set themselves apart but also build long-lasting relationships with their clients, fostering loyalty and repeat business.

How to showcase your exceptional tour operator characteristics

To excel as a tour and activity operator, consider these additional tips:

Quality over quantity

In the quest for quality over quantity, it’s essential to have efficient tools and systems in place that help you manage your bookings and resources effectively. This is where a robust booking software like Rezdy can be a game-changer. By using Rezdy’s online booking system , you can streamline the reservation process, manage availability, and reduce the risk of overbooking, ensuring that each tour or activity remains a high-quality experience. The software allows for easy integration into your website, making it simple for customers to book and providing them with a seamless and reliable booking experience.

Marketing and online presence

In today’s digital age, a strong online presence is essential for attracting and engaging potential clients. Invest in an appealing and user-friendly website that not only showcases your offerings but also provides easy access to booking and inquiry options. Utilize captivating visuals, engaging descriptions, and clear pricing information to entice visitors.

Actively engage with potential clients through social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok . Regularly post high-quality content that highlights your unique experiences and the beauty of the destinations you cover. Use social media not only as a marketing tool but as a means of creating a community of like-minded travelers and adventure seekers.

Collaboration with partners

Forge partnerships with local businesses, travel agencies, and online travel platforms to expand your reach and gain access to a wider audience. These partnerships can be greatly facilitated through advanced distribution tools like Rezdy Channel Manager . With Rezdy Channel Manager, you can seamlessly integrate your tours and activities with the systems of your partners. This integration ensures that partners have easy access to your offerings, making it simple for them to include your experiences in their packages or promotions.

Continuous improvement

To stand out in the tour and activity industry, it’s essential to have a mindset of continuous improvement. Regularly evaluate guest feedback and reviews to gain insights into what aspects of your tours and services can be enhanced. This shows a commitment to delivering the best possible experiences and reinforces your dedication to providing top-notch service.

Consider conducting post-tour surveys to collect feedback directly from participants. This can help you pinpoint areas for improvement, whether it’s fine-tuning tour itineraries, booking processes, or enhancing safety measures. Additionally, staying updated on industry trends, best practices, and emerging technologies can help you adapt and stay competitive.

In a world with vast travel options, tour operators serve as the bridge between travelers and their dream destinations. They transform ordinary vacations into unforgettable moments by infusing expertise, personalization, and a dedication to safety and transparency into every tour package. As tour operators, it’s essential to recognize and prioritize these characteristics when running a tour and activity business, as they are the key to unlocking extraordinary travel experiences that will be cherished for a lifetime.

Whether you’re a domestic tour operator planning an inbound adventure in your home country or run an outbound tour operator business that explores far-flung destinations abroad, the right operator can make all the difference. So, embark on your next travel adventure with confidence, knowing that you have the knowledge and insight to select a tour operator that will turn your travel dreams into a reality. Travel smart, travel safe, and make the most of the incredible opportunities the tourism industry has to offer.

Curious to see how Rezdy can fit within your business? Start your FREE 21-day trial or book a demo today.

If you enjoyed this article, be sure to subscribe to the Rezdy newsletter where you’ll receive up-to-date learnings and news from the experiences industry straight into your inbox.

Take the tour operator personality quiz

Before you go, why not have a bit of fun and uncover the different types of tour operator persona that best match your style? Take our exciting Tour Operator Personality Quiz and dive into the world of travel and adventure with a fresh perspective. Discover your strengths, uncover hidden talents, and maybe even stumble upon a few surprises!

Are you an Adventure Enthusiast, a Cultural Connoisseur, or a Master Planner? There’s only one way to find out – take the quiz now! 👉 Take the Tour Operator Personality Quiz

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What is a Tour Operator?

When starting a travel agency , there is much to learn such as industry-specific terminology and best practices. One important nuance to understand is that tour operators can assist travel agents in creating great itineraries for clients. 

When you start looking at options, it is important to know that tour operators are often classified in different ways such as mainstream, boutique, or luxury; or by niche or activity, such as bike, rafting, cruise, or even bus. The specialties are mainly driven by the types of tours created for the client.

Tour operators know destinations intimately and take care of the logistics and details. Among the travel advisors interviewed for this article, they all agree that tour operators they have trusted relationships with are key to their successful businesses . 

Let’s start at the beginning and answer some common questions about what tour operators are and how they work with travel agents.

What Is a Tour Operator? 

At its most basic, a tour operator is a type of travel supplier that creates and sells tour packages. These packages typically bundle accommodation, transportation, activities, guides, and sometimes meals into one price. Flights are occasionally included as well. Tour operators often specialize in certain destinations or travel niches .

Several different terms are used for tour operators— inbounds, outbounds, DMC (destination management company), and suppliers. Here’s a closer look at these terms.

Inbound tour operator

An inbound tour operator is an operator who specializes in or is located in the country, region, or place where advisors are designing a client’s itinerary . Inbound tour operators receive clients into their country or region (though they may serve domestic travelers as well). 

Some inbound, or local, operators purely run day tours, while others also run multi-day itineraries. Some inbound tour operators may also be called DMCs. ( See more below on DMCs .)

Outbound tour operator

An outbound tour operator generally works with DMCs to design and package itineraries that they sell directly to consumers. These may be group departures, custom, private, or self-guided. They may use a DMC for part of an itinerary or different DMCs for different segments of a trip, for example, if different countries are involved. 

Destination management company (DMC)

A DMC (also called on-site) is a local company with deep knowledge and resources that puts together tours by working with local and inbound tour operators, guides, accommodation providers, transportation providers, and others. 

What’s the difference between a tour operator and a DMC ? A DMC is a type of destination/regionally specialized tour operator with boots on the ground whereas a tour operator may subcontract some or all of their tours.

Some DMCs only work B2B (business to business -- for example, booking a trip for an outbound tour operator or travel agent) while others may also work B2C (business to consumer, or direct to consumer). The DMC tour can be white-labeled for the outbound operator.

To further confuse matters, all these tour operators are also referred to as Suppliers. “Suppliers” is the umbrella term for all different kinds of tour operators ( in addition to other travel providers). Every travel consortium will have a list of what’s called preferred suppliers , which are approved and vetted suppliers that include tour operators and DMCs. 

What Type of Trips do Tour Operators Provide? 

Just as there are many different types of tour operators, there are a variety of trips they may provide. Here are a few examples of the different kinds of trips a tour operator might offer a traveler or travel advisor.

1. Group Tour

A guided trip package for travelers that has a common itinerary, travel date, and transportation. Group tours are usually prearranged and prepaid and include transportation, lodging, dining, activities, arranged experiences, and admissions to attractions.

2. Guaranteed Departure

A group tour that will depart no matter what (great for travelers with no flexibility or limited time off).

3. Private Tour

A guided tour for a pre-established group (or small group) of travelers that is catered to their specific schedule preferences.

4. Custom/FIT Tour

Tailoring each component of an itinerary (car, air, hotel, entertainment, day tours, etc.) to the client’s exact specifications.

5. Self-Guided Tour

A tour with no private guide, where travelers go at their own pace on a pre-arranged itinerary.

6. Charter Packages

An unguided packaged tour (common among sun-and-fun destinations with all-inclusives and include chartered air)

How do Tour Operators Work with Travel Advisors? 

Tour operators have itineraries for sale or options for the travel advisor to choose from to curate their client’s itinerary. There might be a booking area just for travel advisors and B2B partners on their websites. 

Advisors might work with tour operators to book into a set group departure date or to work with a custom/FIT consultant on their team who can craft a custom or private tour for their clients. 

PAYMENT STRUCTURES

For travel advisors, one of the biggest differences between tour operators is whether the tour operator works from net rates or commissions. 

Net Rate - Some DMCs and tour operators offer net rates, which allow advisors to determine the appropriate profit margin when setting the price for the client. In this case the advisor collects payment from the traveler and the travel advisor pays the DMC the net rate.

Commission - There is another option and that is a DMC giving a retail price for their tour to the travel agent and then collecting payment from the traveler. The travel advisor then earns a commission from the DMC.

Outbound tour operators usually follow a commission-based model. Some companies will create tiered commission structures that allow advisors to earn more commission based on sales volume for the year. (Note, this can be an advantage to working with a host agency as they can help advisors reach higher tiers with tour operators.) 

CLIENT COMMUNICATION

Most of the time, tour operators expect travel agents to be the touch point with the client. They direct communications to the advisor, who then shares the details with their client. Outbound tour operators maintain communication with the travel advisor from pre-travel all the way through post travel.

However, for inbound tour operators and DMCs, a travel advisor books the trip for the client and maintains communication up until departure. Once the client departs, the inbound or DMC communicates directly with the client during travel to ensure solid communication. However, it is important that there is trust and an agreement that the inbound or DMC doesn’t solicit clients for future business.

Where Do Travel Advisors Find Good Tour Operators to Work With?

Many consortia and host agencies will do the heavy lifting and find great operators for advisors to work with, however travel advisors may need to go outside preferred suppliers.

So where do advisors find that boutique DMC in Slovenia, Panama, or Japan or that outbound tour operator that offers everything the client has requested?

• Events - Attend trade events and meet with operators in new destinations. At those events, meet other advisors and learn what operators they like to work with. (Check out HAR’s article on how to make the most of a travel conference .)
• Host Agency - Utilize the great partnerships host agencies set up and also let them know when there’s a significant demand for new experiences. Some host agencies may have preferred DMCs advisors can utilize.
• Consortia - Virtuoso, Signature, and Travel Leaders among others vet operators, removing some of the barriers for advisors to build relationships with suppliers.
• Facebook groups (for example, Travel Advisors Selling Europe ) - virtual groups and communities centered around a travel niche can be a great place to ask questions or just listen for new operators. (Read Nikki Miller’s post on asking qualified questions to travel advisor Facebook groups.)
• Travel Trade Communities - Utilize and become active in travel trade communities such as group chats and webinars in order to connect and get to know your community members. Share your needs publicly and see what comes back!
• Referrals - Word of mouth referrals from fellow advisors can be a fast track to reliable operators.
• FAM Trips - Going on a trip with a potential tour operator can definitely create a pathway to partnership as the advisor can experience the tour operator’s service offering.
• Representation companies - If you know people at sales representation companies and they have similar values to you, this can be another way to vet out potential new partners. These companies are essentially the sales and marketing “arm” for boutique lodges, specialty operators, and DMCs. (e.g. Emerging Destinations and Kusini Collection)
• Tourism Boards / Destination Management Organizations (DMO)/ CVB (Convention & visitor Bureaus) - Often the official tourism board, CVB, or DMO for a region or place will have a marketing and/or management organization that is responsible for driving visitation, creating visibility, and developing healthy thriving local communities. These offices often have amazing relationships with local businesses and can be great options for discovering interesting travel opportunities for clients.

Once advisors find contacts, the most important thing is to start building relationships and trust. Doing research to understand the best questions to ask will help.

Vetting a Tour Operator? Here's what to Look for!

There are some simple ways to check to see if a tour operator is going to be a fit for you and a trustworthy business. Larger companies will have some of this dialed in more than some smaller businesses. Don’t count them out, just know you may need to ask more questions. Smaller boutique DMCs and operators can offer some amazing experiences for clients.

If you’re a travel agent, connecting with a tour operator that’s a good fit for your agency will help you provide stand-out service to your clients. 

“No matter who I called, someone always picked up. They were easy to talk to. It felt like a team.” - Judi Lombardi

Here's a checklist to use when vetting a tour operator:

• Consortium’s preferred supplier 
• Host agency’s preferred supplier - (Go to HAR’s host agency profiles . When you click into a profile, their preferred partners will be listed at the bottom!)
• Association Membership (examples USTOA, ASTA, IATA , ATTA) or connection to Destination Management Organizations (DMO) or Chambers of Commerce
• Awards from recognized industry leaders from media companies to associations
• Sustainability certifications, environmental projects or local community partnerships
• Positive reviews from clients or travel advisors
• Dedicated travel advisor portal - like this one from G Adventures
• Travel advisor dedicated number and staff 
• Travel advisor branding possible on materials to clients
• Visible Seller of Travel #  
• Insurance coverage, $1-2M in liability insurance is best practice. 
• Number of years in business
• Secure digital payment methods are available
• Sample trips, experiences, dates visible on their website
• Payment structure (net rate or commission)
• Business structure - B2B, B2C, or both? Do they currently work with advisors?

Tour operators are an important part of the travel ecosystem for the traveler and travel advisor alike. The variety of tour operators available offers advisors an opportunity to build partnerships to plan and book the perfect itinerary for their clients. 

Did we miss anything about working with tour operators that gives your business an added edge? Weigh in below in the comments with your experiences and tips! 

Casey Hanisko , executive coach, business consultant, and travel industry expert and Mary Stein from Host Agency Review collaborated on this post. Travel advisors, Erin Green, Pique Travel; Judi Lombardi, Memories on the Move Travel; and Laura Mandelkorn, Go Custom Travel graciously shared some of their business practices and tips to inform this article.

About the Author

Casey is the owner of Casey Hanisko LLC, a coaching and consulting business dedicated to helping women + purpose-driven travel executives be confident leaders, build profitable businesses and create healthy teams. She is the former president of the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) and has been an executive in the travel industry for over twenty years, spending 14 years at Zegrahm Expeditions, an outbound tour operator that operated education and conservation-focused tours around the globe. She is now not only an ICF ACC certified coach and writer, Casey is trained in Brene Brown’s Dare to LeadTM, Moementum's Leading People ProgramTM (LPP), Everything DiSCTM personality assessment, and the Pacific Institute’s Mindsetting for Well-Being and Performance. Casey believes in the power of values first, intentional leadership, with a strong mix of strategic planning. Casey coaches owners, leaders, and executives at SME tour operators, travel agencies, non-profits, and travel tech start-ups.

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The Difference Between Tour Operators & Travel Agents

28 Sep 2023 Quite a common question for anyone not working in the travel industry is about the difference between a tour operator and a travel agent. Both terms are, in effect, industry jargon and we expect the consumer to work out what the difference is. So let's clear that up. What Is a Tour Operator?   A tour operator is a person or company that thinks up ideas for holidays, researches the ideas, designs the holiday itinerary and content, contracts the services needed for the holiday, accommodation, transport, guides, tour leaders or resort reps and then markets the resultant package. They sell the package either directly to the consumer or use the services of a travel agent to do so. A tour operator sells the product that they themselves create. They do not sell anybody else's packages, they sell only their own creations. A tour operator is what in law is referred to as a "principal", meaning they take responsibility for the package that they create and cover that liability with (usually) an ATOL licence and / or some form of bonding to ensure that the consumer gets their money back if the tour operator fails, or is flown home if they are abroad when a tour operator fails.   It's worth mentioning that, with regard to bonding for financial protection, the law asks that certain items or services must be bonded; AITO demands that all its tour operators bond anything they sell to the consumer; this is in excess of what the law demands, to the benefit of the consumer. Who does a Travel Agent Differ?    On the other hand, a travel agent offers the consumer a range of holiday packages that have been put together by a tour operator. They do not, in theory, put together any of their own packages; they sell lots of different holidays put together by lots of different tour operators. They do not usually design or create the holidays they sell, and they do not act as a Principal. The tour operator whose product they sell takes the responsibility for the holiday; the travel agent does not. Therefore the agent usually does not have an ATOL licence or any bonding in place, but relies on the tour operator to cover this.   Nowadays it is fair to say, the difference between tour operator and travel agent is blurred. Some travel agents do create some packages, and therefore do act as a Principal and have the required licences, but they will also sell other product put together by tour operators.   A good analogy goes like this: if you want to buy a dining room table and chairs, you have two choices. You can go directly to the factory where one particular company makes the table and chairs and buy from the creator of the product. But you will only, at that factory, see furniture made by that one manufacturer. If you go to a high street store and browse their furniture department, you can choose from a range of furniture made by several different furniture makers, but none of the furniture has been made by the high street retail store.   In travel, the manufacturer, the factory, is the tour operator. The high street retail store is the travel agent. It's up to you whether you prefer to (a) talk to the creator or the product, or (b) have a wide range of product from different manufacturers to choose from.  Why Book With a Tour Operator or Travel Agent?   Another common question is why a potential traveller should book their holiday arrangements with a tour operator rather than doing it themselves. The answer to this question covers tour operators and travel agents - both are offering commercially assembled holidays.   It is possible to spend hours researching a possible destination, pondering over the best itinerary, checking for the best hotels and so on. Or you can book with a tour operator who has done all that research and chosen wisely based on their experience and knowledge. If you design your own itinerary it can be fun, but if something goes wrong then you are on your own. A tour operator has a legal responsibility to look after you if things go awry. Strikes, natural disasters, personal illness and several other disasters can befall the traveller, better to have someone to take care of things at such critical times. If your overseas hotel ceases trading when you are there, or on your way there, you are on your own; whereas a tour operator will make alternative arrangements. When the Tsunami struck in Thailand some years ago, all the clients who had booked with a tour operator were helped by their tour operator; they were moved to alternative accommodation or flown home. Travellers who had booked their own arrangements were left to fend for themselves. "It's always the individual travellers who we can't locate and help", said someone at the Foreign Office Travel Unit, "since they don't tell us where they are going".   If you want to assemble that dining room table and chairs yourself it's perfectly possible to buy some wood or other, practice a bit with a saw and then start creating your furniture masterpiece (have some bandages and some glue handy just in case). Or you can go to a furniture factory or retail shop and buy a carefully crafted piece of furniture. Most people do the latter when it comes to furniture - why be any less careful when it comes to making travel arrangements? Make it yourself or buy from a professional - it's your choice. What is the Role of AITO?    A third question is why look at AITO for holiday ideas and help? Imagine if you could get over 100 tour operators all in one place, each with their own special holidays. Imagine if each operator had specialist knowledge about one particular destination or style of holiday. And imagine if each of the tour operators was independently owned. That is, each was run by the people who own it and who are passionate about what they sell. If you actually want all that, visit aito.com and it's all here in one place. 

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Quite a common question for anyone not working in the travel industry is about the difference between a tour operator and a travel agent. Both terms are, in effect, industry jargon and we expect the consumer to work out what the difference is. So let's clear that up.

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What is the difference between a DMC and Travel Agency or Tour Operator?

A Destination Management Company (DMC) is a company that contracts with local service providers (tour guides, restaurants, hotels and other vendors) to prepare and deliver custom itineraries for a travel agent’s clients. The purpose of a DMC is to provide an all-inclusive service to a client by coordinating and contracting the travel services that their client needs such as travel, lodging and entertainment while they are at their destination. A tour operator is similar to a DMC in that they offer customized tours and trip planning services on behalf of a brand or destination. 

DMS stands for Destination Management System . A DMC is a company that contracts with local service providers (tour guides, restaurants, hotels and other vendors) to prepare and deliver custom itineraries for a travel agent’s clients. It is not uncommon to see two or three different companies working together in this way.

In contrast with a tour operator who provides lodging, meals and transportation for individual travelers as well as providing specific services such as booking air/bus tickets or car rentals; DMCs focus on providing an experience that takes you off the beaten track of your typical tourist destinations.

A DMC is a company that contracts with local service providers (tour guides, restaurants, hotels and other vendors) to prepare and deliver custom itineraries for a travel agent’s clients.

A DMC is a company that contracts with local service providers (tour guides, restaurants, hotels and other vendors) to prepare and deliver custom itineraries for a travel agent’s clients. The term “DMC” is often used interchangeably with “travel agent,” but there are many differences between these two industries.

Travel agents typically work with wholesalers or other agencies that specialize in booking travel packages; they act as middlemen between the client and the supplier of their choice. Travel agents can be based out of one particular city or country but may also have offices elsewhere in the world so they can provide additional services such as suggestions for hotels or restaurants on each destination visited by their clients.

The purpose of a DMC is to provide an all-inclusive service to a client by coordinating and contracting the travel services that their client needs such as travel, lodging and entertainment while they are at their destination.

A DMC is an all-inclusive service that provides clients with a travel experience, managing all of their travel needs such as airfare, lodging and entertainment. DMCs also help you manage your business by finding new clients and saving money on marketing expenses.

A DMC will be able to provide the following services:

• Finders Fee – This is when we find the best deal for you from different suppliers in order to save money on your trip or vacation package. We do this by looking at various factors such as flight times, dates available etc., so that we can make sure that everything works out well without any extra charges later down the line (such as cancellation fees).
• Advance Bookings – If there are specific items which need to be pre-booked prior to arrival at destination then this would be done automatically through our system once payment has been processed through Stripe/PayPal account number associated with booking activity!

A travel agent can use a DMC to maximize profit by purchasing a certain package that meets the customer’s needs while minimizing the cost.

A DMC can provide a variety of services such as custom itineraries, hotel reservations, tour packages and more. It also helps in maximizing profits through strategies like bulk buying and reselling tickets at lower prices than what they are currently selling online or offline.

With this kind of service available through your local travel agency, you’ll be able to save money by getting exactly what you want at an affordable price point!

A tour operator is similar to a DMC in that they offer customized tours and trip planning services on behalf of a brand or destination.

A tour operator is similar to a DMC in that they offer customized tours and trip planning services on behalf of a brand or destination. However, unlike a DMC, which can be used as an umbrella term for any company that provides travel services (such as hotels), there are specific differences between the two:

• A tour operator typically offers more than just transportation to your desired destination. In fact, most have their own accommodation and activities planned for you during your stay. They will also be able to help with things like making reservations at restaurants or shopping for souvenirs while you’re away from home!
• Unlike most traditional travel agencies (which usually focus only on booking flights), many tour operators also offer guided tours around their city centers; this allows them access into areas not otherwise accessible by tourists who don’t want anything too strenuous while still being able see everything they came here looking forward too!

A tour operator or travel agency is a company that offers tours and activities. Travel agencies usually specialize in one type of activity or another, such as cycling tours or scuba diving trips. A good example would be Footprints Tanzania , who offer safaris in Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park.

A DMC (Diver’s Management Company) is an organization that provides safe diving locations and equipment for divers on their vacations around the world. These companies are often affiliated with dive shops in each destination where they operate so that you can use them as your local contact point when booking your trip

If you’re looking for an exciting way to explore some of these amazing places without having to worry about getting along with other people, all at once, then I highly recommend looking into setting up something like this!

If you serve travel agents, you may want to consider using DMS software.

If you serve travel agents, you may want to consider using DMS software. DMS is the most efficient way to manage your inventory, and it will help you grow your business by making it easier for clients to find the right tour or package. It also makes it easy for them to pay online so they don’t have to wait in line at an office or travel agency. And with an integrated payment solution like PayPal’s Braintree (which is used by over 150 million consumers), there are no additional fees!

There are many options to choose from when looking at DMS software. We hope that this article has helped you understand the differences between Destination Management Companies (DMCs) and travel agents or tour operators. If you do have any questions about our product or would like more information.

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Multi-Day Tour Operators 2021: Reshaping Supply Chains and Distribution

Seth Borko + Skift Team

Report Overview

Perhaps no sector has been as badly hit by the pandemic as tour operators, given their intrinsic connection to cross-border travel as well as  human interaction. Based on our research and discussions with over a dozen executives we see an industry on the precipice of major changes. 

This report will focus on the global multi-day tour operator sector with a heavy emphasis on itinerary-based guided tours. We will also briefly touch upon packaged tour sales. Multi-day tours are one of the last truly offline spaces of the travel industry. But that isolation cannot last. This report will cover the structure of this complex and fragmented industry. We see an ecommerce revolution occurring in the next five years that will reshape the way the industry supplies and distributes its products. 

We will also discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the industry and how we see the types of tours offered, and the operators themselves, evolving as a result.

What You'll Learn From This Report

• How the complex supply chain of the multi-day tour industry works and the different kinds of businesses and tours that exist within it.
• How digitalization is disrupting the industry and where the biggest new opportunities exists
• How tour operators have responded to the pandemic
• What we think the new multi-day tour landscape will look like as COVID-19 fades

Executives Interviewed

• Matt Berna, Managing Director, North America for Intrepid Travel
• Murray Decker, Chief Executive Officer of Tour Amigo
• Gavin Delaney, CEO and Co-Founder of TravelStride
• Tom Hale, Founder and President of Backroads
• Travis Pittman, CEO and Co-Founder of TourRadar
• Catherine Prather, President of the National Tour Association
• Massimo Prioreschi, CEO of MT Sobek
• James Thornton, Chief Executive Officer of Intrepid Travel
• Gavin Tollman, President of The Travel Corporation
• Enrique Velasco Jr., Chief Commercial Officer of Coltur Peru
• With special thanks to Jared Alster and Tom Buckley, Co-Founders of Dune7 for their background contributions to this report

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Understanding the difference between tour operator and travel agencies: a comprehensive guide.

• October 15, 2023
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The travel industry is a huge and complex network of companies that each play a unique role in meeting the constantly changing requirements of tourists. Travel agencies and tour operators are two major participants in this market. Despite their frequent interchangeability, they have distinct roles, duties, and effects on your trip. In order to help you make wise choices the next time you embark on a journey, this book seeks to make those distinctions clear.

Overview of the Travel Sector Environment

Prior to getting too technical, it’s important to comprehend the overall travel business scenario. It includes travel agencies, hotels, rental car agencies, tour operators, and airlines, among others. Everybody has a specialty and works together to provide passengers with a smooth experience. Although they serve different purposes, tour operators and travel companies in particular serve as a middleman between the tourist and other service providers.

What is a Tour Operator?

A tour operator is a business or a person who designs and plans package vacations. These packages often include a variety of travel-related services, such as lodging, transportation, sightseeing, and occasionally meals, into a single item. These packages are created by tour operators using their knowledge, research, and connections to other service providers.

Key Functions of a Tour Operator

1. package creation.

They create distinctive travel packages for a variety of passenger types, including families, couples, and adventure seekers.

2. Coordination with Service Providers

To deliver a seamless travel experience, tour operators communicate with lodging establishments, transportation providers, and local guides.

3. Bulk Booking

They frequently reserve services in large quantities to get lower costs that they can then pass along to the client.

4. Quality Control

Monitoring lodging, transit, and other services on a regular basis to ensure that they meet quality standards.

What is a Travel Agency?

A company that represents passengers as an agent is known as a travel agency. They handle and market travel-related goods and services, ranging from hotel reservations and airline tickets to whole vacation packages (which are occasionally obtained through tour operators).

Key Functions of a Travel Agency

1. booking services.

They assist clients in making reservations for buses, trains, airplanes, and other forms of transportation.

2. Accommodation

Travel agencies have the ability to reserve hotels, resorts, or other types of lodging for their clients.

3. Itinerary Planning

While not as comprehensive as tour packages, they can assist in organizing an itinerary according to the requirements of a visitor.

4. Providing Insurance and Other Services

A lot of organizations provide currency exchange, travel insurance, help with visas, and other services.

Key Distinctions Between Travel Agencies and Tour Operators

1. the type of service.

Travel agencies mostly offer individual services or serve as sales representatives for travel items, whereas tour operators concentrate on the entire experience by designing multi-day vacation packages.

Tour operators engage directly with service providers like hotels and airlines, operating on a greater scale. Conversely, travel agencies may have closer relationships with certain clients.

Tour operators may provide better packages because of their direct relationships and large booking volume. Although they could provide more alternatives, travel agencies might not have the same pricing advantage for packages.

4. Expertise

Tour operators may create more personalized packages since they frequently have extensive understanding of particular trip locations or itineraries. While their expertise may be more general, travel companies may not have a focus on a particular area.

Which One Is Better to Select?

Your choice between a travel agency and a tour operator primarily comes down to the type of trip you’re looking for.

• In Search of Tailored, Stress-Free Experiences: A tour operator that specializes in these areas could be a better option if you’re searching for a more specialized experience, like a safari in Africa or hiking in the Himalayas.
• For freedom and Variety: A travel agency can provide you the necessary freedom if you would rather plan your own itinerary and choose specific components such as hotels, airlines, and excursions.

The Development of Travel Agencies and Tour Operators

In the past, there was a clearer distinction between the functions of travel agents and tour operators. Travel agencies served as middlemen in the early stages of contemporary tourism, mainly handling bookings and ticket sales. On the other hand, tour operators arose alongside the popularity of package vacations, particularly following World War II when leisure travel took off.

However, both groups have had to adjust because to changes in passenger behavior and technology improvements. Their operations have been changed with the introduction of internet booking platforms and direct-to-consumer marketing tactics. These days, a lot of travel companies sell package packages, and tour operators offer individual services, so the roles they play are pretty much interchangeable. However, there is still a fundamental distinction between their respective roles.

The Industry’s Reaction to Digital

Travelers have access to more resources than ever before in the digital era. Travel packages, lodging, and even flights may be booked instantly using websites, applications, and online platforms. The transition to digitalization has affected travel agents as well as tour operators.

These days, tour operators may reach out to customers directly through their websites, blogs, and social media accounts. Through user feedback, virtual tours, and video material, they may highlight immersive experiences. However, through internet portals where clients can compare costs, read reviews, and personalize their vacation plans, travel companies have increased the range of services they provide.

Ecological and Conscientious Travel

The emphasis on sustainability and responsible travel is one new trend in the travel business. In order to promote and engage in sustainable tourism, both tour operators and travel agents are involved.

It is possible for tour operators to design packages that emphasize ecotourism, help out local populations, and make sure tourism doesn’t negatively impact the ecology or customs of the area. They can collaborate with eco-friendly lodging establishments, advertise low-impact events, and instruct tourists on ethical behavior.

In addition to offering bookings and information, travel firms may help guests make sustainable decisions. They may give suggestions for environmentally friendly lodging, cultural sensitivity advice, and even flying carbon offset alternatives.

The Future of Travel Agencies and Tour Operators

The importance of the human touch endures, even as consumer behavior and technology continue to transform the travel business. Personalized services, professional guidance, and a sincere concern for tourists’ experiences are things that technology and direct reservations cannot provide.

Travel agents will persist in creating distinctive, niche experiences, providing tourists with immersive expeditions tailored to particular passions. Conversely, it is probable that travel companies will adopt a more consultative role, functioning as consultants who offer suggestions grounded in their own experiences and areas of expertise.

Tour operators and travel agencies play a vital role in providing everyone with hassle-free, engaging, and unforgettable travel experiences, regardless of how the travel industry changes.

Sometimes it’s difficult to distinguish between tour operators and travel agencies, especially since so many companies provide a combination of the two services. Nonetheless, being aware of their main distinctions and advantages can help you select the best traveling companion. Knowing each company’s responsibilities will make the trip go more smoothly and pleasurable, whether it’s through the flexible services of a travel agency or the all-inclusive care of a tour operator. Travel safely!

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U.S. Open: Nine things to know about Pinehurst No. 2

14 Min Read

Need to Know

The 18th hole at Pinehurst No. 2. (David Cannon/Getty Images)

The U.S. Open visits a historic venue that still provides a unique challenge

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Few courses in this country can match the pedigree of North Carolina’s famed Pinehurst No. 2, the Donald Ross gem that will host this week’s U.S. Open.

Home of the North & South Men’s Amateur since 1901 and the North & South Women’s Amateur since 1903, Pinehurst has also been the site of the North & South Open Championship (1901-1951), the U.S. Amateur (1962, 2008, 2019) and the U.S. Women’s Amateur (1989). Pinehurst No. 2 also was home to the PGA Championship in 1936.

The 1951 Ryder Cup was played there, as was the PGA TOUR’s Hall of Fame Classic/World Open (1973-1982) and the TOUR Championship (1991, 1997). This year’s U.S. Open follows previous incarnations of that event in 1999, 2005 and 2014, the latter year when No. 2 also staged the U.S. Women’s Open a week after the men’s.

That most recent U.S. Open at No. 2 also was the debut of a new look for Ross’ gem, with the Bermudagrass rough replaced by sandy waste areas that gave the course a more rustic feel. This will be the second time the U.S. Open has been played under those conditions. Before play gets underway Thursday, here are nine things to know about this historic venue:

1. Fantastic finishes

Though tournaments have been played at Pinehurst No. 2 since the start of the 20th century, it wasn’t until the end of it that the U.S. Open arrived. The first U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 also produced one of the most famous finishes in the tournament’s history, one that is still memorialized in a statue that stands behind the 18th green (though the statue will be moved during the tournament so that it is more accessible to fans).

Payne Stewart holed an 18-foot par putt on 18 to win the 1999 U.S. Open by one over Phil Mickelson and finish two shots ahead of Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh. It was a memorable finish, immortalized by the tragedy that followed shortly after. Stewart died in a plane crash just four months after winning his third major championship.

Payne Stewart celebrates victory after sinking his final putt during the last day of the 1999 US Open at Pinehurst No. 2. (Tom Able-Green /Allsport)

Woods came close at Pinehurst again six years later. He finished two shots behind New Zealand’s Michael Campbell, however. The 2005 U.S. Open at Pinehurst was Campbell’s lone PGA TOUR victory. Campbell’s final-round 69, which Woods matched, allowed him to pass an eclectic trio that held the 54-hole lead. Retief Goosen, winner of the 2001 and 2004 U.S. Opens, was atop the leaderboard entering Sunday alongside two players who had to go through Final Qualifying, Olin Browne and Jason Gore.

Goosen played in Sunday’s final group alongside Gore, who was on the Korn Ferry Tour at the time. Goosen and Gore were a combined 25 over par Sunday, clearing the way for Campbell. Gore would win three consecutive starts on the Korn Ferry Tour (and shoot a 59), then win his lone PGA TOUR title later that year.

Ten years ago, the USGA broke new ground by holding the men’s and women’s U.S. Opens on back-to-back weeks at Pinehurst No. 2. First, Martin Kaymer rode a hot putter to separate from the field as Erik Compton and Rickie Fowler tied for second, eight back. They were the only three players to finish under par.

Michelle Wie then broke through as a major winner by recovering from a double-bogey on the 16th hole Sunday with a birdie on 17 to secure a two-shot victory over Stacy Lewis.

2. More than 'turtle backs'

You’ll often hear the putting surfaces at Pinehurst No. 2 referred to as ‘turtle-backs.’ This is an oversimplification and not Ross’ original intent. There is good reason to believe that the centers and some of the edges of Pinehurst’s greens have risen over time through aggressive top-dressing, sand splash from greenside bunkers, and some aggressive reconstruction work in the late 20th century. The results have been greens with more of that domed, convex, turtleback effect than is evident in the early photography – and more than Ross intended. This has contributed to the myth that those turtle-back greens are either the products of Ross’ design or characteristic of his work elsewhere. In both cases, they are not.

A view of the ninth hole at Pinehurst No. 2. (David Cannon/Getty Images)

Ross took pains to build green with rolling contours and did not rely only on simple convex, turtle-back shapes.

3. Ross' writings

Ross may have been a Scotsman, but he transformed the American golf landscape. He’s credited with more than 400 course designs, expansions and renovations starting in 1900. The North Carolina sandhills were especially important to him. He wintered at Pinehurst, where he expanded the resort to four courses. Pinehurst No. 2 evolved slowly, not reaching its current routing until the run-up to the 1936 PGA Championship when its sand greens were converted to grass. It achieved its current routing when Ross created the current fourth and fifth holes, replacing two others that were taken out of rotation.

In the 1936 PGA Championship program, Ross wrote one of his rare, detailed analyses of his own designs. The essay, “Architectural Features of the Championship Course,” highlights four elements of play that have stood the test of time.

Ross focuses first on the importance of “long and accurate tee shots.” He believed there should be a penalty for straying from the short grass and an advantage for properly positioning. “The landing area should be more exacting for a longer hitter,” Ross wrote. That means narrowing down fairways or cutting off the preferred landing zone with bunkers or rough.

Secondly, Ross declared the pre-eminence of “accurate iron play” as the ideal measure of shot-making. By that, he specifically said, “I consider long iron play to be the ultimate test of a player’s skill.” In those days (1936), players generally faced approach shots on par-3s and par-4s of 180-220 yards, which would have meant anything from a 5-iron and longer. Second shots on par-5s would have been at least as long to leave one in a proper position for a short-iron third.

Ross’ third point focused on putting strategy. He gave players a “good opportunity on shorter putts” by having simple contours closer to the holes. Longer lag putts would face “complex, vexing problems” by forcing players to go up, over and around sweeping slopes. Ross took particular pains to build interesting green contours and did not rely on anything as simple as the convex, turtle-back shape that is sometimes compared to an upside-down saucer.

Finally, Ross believed in “interesting greenside contours, especially for shorter holes.” He believed the recovery from a missed approach should require precision. As someone who had grown up and apprenticed on the classic Scottish links of Dornoch, St. Andrews and Carnoustie, Ross appreciated how Pinehurst’s sandy soil could be shaped to replicate the “humps and hollows of Scottish seaside courses.”

4. A new look

The Pinehurst No. 2 of the 1999 and 2005 U.S. Opens is no longer.

In the run-up to the 2014 U.S. Open, Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw undertook a meticulous restoration of Pinehurst No. 2. They brought back a scruffier, tawnier look, feel and playability that Pinehurst had before becoming lush, soft and green in the 1970s. In the absence of Ross’ own design plans they had to rely upon photographic evidence and the occasional map – like the one showing the old, single line of steel irrigation pipe. That unlocked the key to the restored irrigation plan, which entailed reducing the number of sprinklers in use from 1,100 to 450. The fairways became defined by the reach of the sprinklers. The areas outside of their spray returned to nature, featuring the sandy soil and native plants of the region.

A view from tee on the17th hole at Pinehurst No. 2. (David Cannon/Getty Images)

Tree management and the removal of 20 acres of bermudagrass rough led to widened fairways and extensive areas of sandy, wiregrass native areas lining the holes. This led to greater uncertainty -- and sometimes stiffer penalties -- after wayward drives.

Since 2014, the native wire grass areas have filled in, producing even more hazardous unpredictability. Competitors at this year’s U.S. Open will see more wiregrass around the landing areas than a decade ago and the additional growth of local plants, adding even more penalty for those who miss the fairway.

The greens have also been converted from bentgrass to Champion Ultradwarf Bermudagrass, a species more tolerant of warm weather.

Pinehurst No. 2 does not look like your standard lush resort layout. It now sports a classic Sandhill look because it is not overseeded in winter and looks semi-dormant: frittery at the edges in season and firm and fast year-round.

5. Firm, fast and shorter?

Pinehurst No. 2 will have a scorecard yardage of 7,550 yards, though it will likely play shorter because of the firm conditions, allowing extensive roll-out of tee shots that hit the fairway. Relative to today’s distances, Pinehurst will actually play shorter than it did in its U.S. Open debut a quarter-century ago.

The average drive on the PGA TOUR through this year’s PGA Championship was 297.1 yards. Twenty-five years ago, Pinehurst measured 7,175 yards, and the average drive was 271.6 yards.

In other words, the golf course is 5% longer while drives are traveling 11 percent longer.

At the 1936 PGA, the course measured 6,879 yards and had a par of 72, two strokes higher than today. We can safely estimate that the average drive went about 240 yards – certainly no farther. When we measure 1936 against 2024, we come up with some interesting data.

The course is now 10% longer, while PGA TOUR drives are traveling 24% longer. If we take the total percentage of course yardage covered by an average of 14 drives played per round, we find that in 1936, the driver comprised 49% of all distance traversed; today the driver accounts for 55%.

Even with today’s length, players will be hitting more short irons into greens, not the long irons Ross so admired.

6. Three holes that typify the test

The beauty of Pinehurst No. 2 is that every hole is interesting and demanding. This is not the kind of course where obvious disaster looms; water is not in play, and out-of-bounds does not loom. And yet, you can quickly look foolish around the greens after a wayward approach. Here are three dramatic examples of the test that makes Pinehurst No. 2 unique.

No. 3: This short par-4 is listed at 387 yards, but if previous form is any guide, it will be made drivable at least one day. A deep, punitive bunker extends out into the fairway on the right at the far end of the waste area ranging at 305 yards to carry and to be avoided at all cost. The green here is perched up dramatically over a trio of protecting front bunkers and falls off steeply behind. It does not make for a receptive target.

A view from the tee on the par 4, third hole at Pinehurst No. 2. (David Cannon/Getty Images)

Unless it’s within drivable range, the likely play is to lay up to the fairway and, from there, hit a very precise wedge. On the left, just beyond a boundary fence, is the stylish two-story cottage where Ross lived from 1925 until he died in 1948. Local lore has it that the third green’s proximity to his yard led him to spend a lot of time there, making this a particularly devilish putting surface.

No. 5: There might be something to that tale about Ross’ continued tinkering with the third green because Pinehurst’s other extremely vexing green, on the 588-yard fifth hole, sits next to No. 3 and thus also near Ross’ cottage.

A view from behind the green of the par 5, fifth hole on Pinehurst No. 2. (David Cannon/Getty Images)

The left side of the putting surface seems to collapse into the native wiregrass area. A ridge down the middle creates a divide such that any right-to-left approach may slingshot across the green and down the steep slope on the left. Compounding the difficulty on approach is a slight fall-off toward the back of the green that makes it hard to stop a shot struck with too much velocity or too little spin.

The shape of the green and hole location require care in the angle of approach and, to set that up, the angle of the tee shot. The ideal entry line is from the left side of the fairway; this maximizes the width of approach and creates a better incline to support the shot. But the fairway canters from right to left, and the low left side kicks steeply into a long sandy waste area. It’s a classic example of the ideal line of approach bringing a player closest to significant trouble.

No. 16: This is the longest par 4 at Pinehurst, measuring 536 yards. While it plays slightly downhill from tee to green, the putting surface is propped up modestly and is extremely well bunkered on the sides and behind. Along the way, this hole is classic Ross, requiring a variety of shot shapes.

Throughout the course, players will find situations calling for a right-to-left tee shot followed by a left-to-right approach shot — and vice versa on the next par 4 or 5. The sequence can change depending on which side of the green the hole is cut on that day.

A view from behind the green on the par-4 16th hole with the par-3 17th hole at Pinehurst No. 2. (David Cannon/Getty Images)

On the 16th hole, the ideal drive is a right-handed player’s draw to make use of the natural fairway slope, followed by a left-to-right iron shot into the convex putting surface. There’s little point to flag-hunting on this hole, as throughout No. 2, a smart player who aims for the center of the green will continually face manageable putts while reducing exposure to trouble at the margins. That means playing more for pars than for birdies. At U.S. Opens at Pinehurst, par is always a good score.

7. Lessons for your own game

Folks spectating on-site or watching from home can learn a lot from observing play at Pinehurst No.2, starting with creativity around the greens.

Sole reliance on a lofted wedge will not suffice around the greens; players will have a variety of options for their short-game shots.

Historically, Pinehurst has not been a bomber’s paradise, serving as a reminder that there are many ways to excel. Yes, length is an asset, but only length with accuracy. Seeing how relatively short hitters and classic shot-makers can fare against the power players will be fascinating.

Finally, the aesthetics of the course remind that the ultra-green look of a course doesn’t always translate to the best test of shot-making. The turfgrass coverage of Pinehurst No. 2 is healthy, dense and ideal for providing tight lies that truly test the crispness of a player’s contact with the ball.

8. There are no design plans

Ross started his career in the early 1900s and became known for meticulous documentation of full routings and hole-by-hole elements. Yet for all the time Ross pored over the evolution of Pinehurst No. 2, much of it with longtime Pinehurst superintendent Frank Maples — Ross’ construction coordinator in and around the Carolinas — there are no surviving drawings or plans for the course, if they were ever drawn up at all.

An aerial view of the par-4 eighth hole (L) with the par-4 16th hole (center) and the par-3 17th hole (R) at Pinehurst No. 2. (David Cannon/Getty Images)

We have pretty good photography of the course from the 1930s, plus basic two-dimensional look-down schematics of the holes from that 1936 PGA Championship program. But otherwise, there are no scaled drawings showing bunker depths, green heights or slope percentages.

9. Agronomic advantages

Now a second home to the USGA, Pinehurst has long been a catalyst for agronomic advancement. In the 1920s, Ross set up test plots throughout the resort in his search for a suitable turfgrass to thrive in that warm climate – including a multi-species plot just outside the front steps of the downtown Holly Inn.

The basic tool for the 1999 U.S. Open was the Stimpmeter. A prototype firmness meter was used at the 2005 U.S. Open. Moisture meters to probe below the surface were introduced in 2014. The technology in beta-testing this year is the G-3 golf ball.

The G-3 is a dimple-less ball that doubles as a digital information storage unit, measuring the greens' smoothness, speed and firmness.

That information is then fed into the USGA’s proprietary Deacon software to help create a comprehensive database. The database will, among other things, help superintendents monitor how aerification and top-dressing programs impact putting surfaces.

It helps to have a new operations building near the parking lot where the old tennis courts stood. USGA Golf House Pinehurst now houses the USGA Green Section, the Research and Test Center, and the Word Golf Hall of Fame. An outdoor testing range and pavilion are now under construction to facilitate more accurate equipment research.

As for tending to Pinehurst No. 2, the course will be in the very capable hands of veteran superintendent John Jeffreys (16 years at Pinehurst), golf course maintenance operations manager Kevin Robinson (27 years) and director of course and grounds management Bob Farren, CGCS (44 years). They are aided by a staff of 40 full- and part-time employees, 30 volunteers from other Pinehurst-area courses, and another 30 volunteers from a wider net of courses, as well as alumni employees and industry partners.

Bradley S. Klein is a veteran golf writer and author of 10 books on course design. A former PGA TOUR caddie, he was architecture editor of Golfweek for over two decades and is now a freelance journalist and course design consultant. Follow Bradley S. Klein on Twitter .

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• Postmarket Drug Safety Information for Patients and Providers

Medications Containing Semaglutide Marketed for Type 2 Diabetes or Weight Loss

Reporting issues to fda, what is semaglutide.

Semaglutide belongs to a class of medications known as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. It mimics the GLP-1 hormone that is released in the gastrointestinal tract in response to eating. One role of GLP-1 is to prompt the body to produce more insulin, which reduces blood glucose (sugar). GLP-1 in higher amounts also interacts with the parts of the brain that reduce appetite and signal a feeling of fullness.

There are currently three FDA-approved semaglutide products:

• Ozempic injection and Rybelsus tablets are approved to lower blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus, in addition to diet and exercise. Ozempic is also approved to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, or death in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus and known heart disease.
• Wegovy injection  is approved to help adults and children aged 12 years and older with obesity or some adults with excess weight (overweight), who also have weight-related medical problems, to lose weight and keep the weight off, in addition to diet and exercise.

All three medications are only available with a prescription, and there are no approved generic versions.

Can semaglutide be compounded?

When a drug is in shortage, compounders may be able to prepare a compounded version of that drug if they meet certain requirements in the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act. As of May 2023, Ozempic and Wegovy are both listed on FDA’s Drug Shortages list .

Are there concerns with compounded semaglutide?

FDA has received adverse event reports after patients used compounded semaglutide. Patients should not use a compounded drug if an approved drug is available to treat a patient. Patients and health care professionals should understand that the agency does not review compounded versions of these drugs for safety, effectiveness, or quality.

Additionally, FDA has received reports that in some cases, compounders may be using salt forms of semaglutide, including semaglutide sodium and semaglutide acetate. The salt forms are different active ingredients than is used the approved drugs, which contain the base form of semaglutide. The agency is not aware of any basis for compounding using the salt forms that would meet the FD&C requirements for types of active ingredients that can be compounded.

On April 27, 2023, FDA wrote to the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy expressing the agency’s concerns with use of the salt forms in compounded products. On Oct. 10, 2023, FDA sent additional letters to the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy and the Federation of State Medical Boards expressing similar concerns. The letters also explain the conditions under which compounded semaglutide products may be permissible under the law, and note that compounded drugs are not FDA-approved or evaluated for safety and effectiveness.

What should patients know about compounded semaglutide drugs?

Patients should be aware that some products sold as ‘semaglutide’ may not contain the same active ingredient as FDA-approved semaglutide products and may be the salt formulations. Products containing these salts, such as semaglutide sodium and semaglutide acetate, have not been shown to be safe and effective.

Patients should only obtain drugs containing semaglutide with a prescription from a licensed health care provider, and only obtain medicines from state-licensed pharmacies or outsourcing facilities registered with FDA.

What should health care professionals know?

Health care professionals who are considering working with compounders to obtain semaglutide products should be aware that compounders may be using salt forms of semaglutide. FDA is not aware of any basis for compounding a drug using semaglutide salts that would meet federal requirements.

Has FDA found illegally marketed semaglutide online?

Yes. FDA vigilantly monitors the internet for fraudulent or unapproved products and has issued warning letters to stop the distribution of illegally marketed semaglutide. These drugs may be counterfeit, which means they could contain the wrong ingredients, contain too little, too much or no active ingredient at all, or contain other harmful ingredients.

Has FDA found counterfeit Ozempic in the U.S.?

FDA is aware and is investigating reports of counterfeit Ozempic being marketed in the U.S. The agency investigates any report of suspect counterfeit drugs to determine the public health risks and the appropriate regulatory response, and remains vigilant in protecting the U.S. drug supply from these threats.

How should patients protect themselves?

While we understand certain drugs are in short supply and patients are having difficulty obtaining their medication, FDA urges patients to obtain prescription drugs only from state-licensed pharmacies that are located in the U.S., where FDA and state authorities can assure the quality of drug manufacturing, packaging, distribution and labeling. FDA’s BeSafeRx campaign helps consumers learn about how to safely buy prescription medicines online. FDA recommends patients to talk to their doctor if they have questions about their medicines. 

FDA encourages health care professionals, patients, and compounders to report adverse events or quality problems with these or any medications to FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program:

• Complete and submit the report online ; or
• Download and complete the form , then submit it via fax at 1-800-FDA-0178.

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At 70, Cyndi Lauper Has Nothing Left to Prove

She’s plotting a farewell tour. She’s starring in a documentary about her life. And she could only ever be herself.

At 70, Cyndi Lauper is charging back to action with a road show and “Let the Canary Sing,” a film that tells her life story. Credit... Thea Traff for The New York Times

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By Amanda Hess

• June 4, 2024

One Friday afternoon in May, Cyndi Lauper stepped out of her Upper West Side apartment building and into the streets of New York City. She wore glitter-encrusted glasses, sneakers with rainbow soles and a stack of beaded bracelets on each arm. A rice-paper parasol swung in her hand. As she walked, she examined the crowds and remarked when glints of interest caught her eye.

“Of course, up here it’s fashion hell,” she allowed of her tony neighborhood. And yet, every few blocks she rubbernecked at another woman’s look, her famous New Yawk accent lifting and tumbling in pleasure at what she saw:

“Look at these dames, how cute are they?”

“Did you love those pants? I kind of loved those pants.”

“Look at this lady,” she said, stepping off the curb and clocking a passerby. The woman moved nimbly, tomato-red streak in her silver hair, body draped in shades of fuchsia and cherry as she pushed the gleaming metal frame of a walker. “Fabulous,” Lauper exclaimed. “Come on!”

At 70, the pop icon and social justice activist isn’t just charging back into the streets. On Monday, Lauper announced her final tour, the Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Farewell Tour, which will have her headlining arenas across North America from late October to early December. And “Let the Canary Sing,” a documentary about her life and career that premiered at the Tribeca Festival last year, is streaming on Paramount+.

Lauper has not staged a major tour — “a proper tour, that’s mine” — in over a decade. But now her window of opportunity is closing, so she’s leaping through it. “I don’t think I can perform the way I want to in a couple of years,” she said. “I want to be strong.”

And until recently, when she finally agreed to sit for the director Alison Ellwood, she could not envision committing her life story to film. “I wasn’t going to do a documentary because I’m not dead,” she said. More to the point, she did not feel particularly misunderstood. From the moment she danced across the city in the 1983 video for “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” she felt that she had articulated precisely what she wanted to say.

“Everything I wanted them to understand was in that video,” she said of her fans. She has a lot of people who get her: The clip has been viewed on YouTube more than one billion times. Forty years later, she holds it up as a thesis, the key to decoding her artistic perspective and understanding everything that followed. After all, “You never have to wonder where a New Yorker stands,” she said. “They’ll tell you, straight up.”

CYNDI LAUPER, BORN in Brooklyn, raised in Queens, bopped around the house to the Beatles’ songs, her older sister, Elen, singing McCartney’s parts and Lauper taking Lennon’s. It was her earliest lesson in harmony and song structure. But when she left home at 17, it was with a copy of Yoko Ono’s feminist conceptual art book “Grapefruit” in her hands.

Ono taught her that “you can create art in your head, and then you can view things differently,” Lauper told me. This attitude served her well as she tried (and often failed) to work as a painter, a shoe saleswoman, a racetrack hot walker, an IHOP waitress, a gal Friday at Simon & Schuster and the singer in a cover band.

Singing other people’s music in Long Island clubs and dive bars, Lauper struggled to find her place. She tried to channel Janis Joplin, but “I was stuck inside her body, and she didn’t like it, and I didn’t like it,” she said. She tried to sound like Gene Pitney, and “it came out sounding like Ethel Merman.” After a while, “You start to feel that you’re just not good enough.”

But really, she was just no good at being anyone other than Cyndi Lauper. When she started writing and arranging songs for herself, “I told the stories that I knew about the women that I knew,” she said. “About my mom, my aunt, my grandmother.” They guided her back to the rhythms of her own life, even if, in the beginning, few were interested in listening. “My first concert was to 14 people,” she said, “and I did the encore, OK?”

The documentary’s title is a line ripped from a real-life courtroom drama: Early on, Lauper’s career got entangled in the ambitions of an ex-manager, who sued her to retain control of her music. She sank into bankruptcy trying to escape him. When the judge sided with Lauper, he banged the gavel and said: “Let the canary sing.”

Once freed, Lauper connected with Robert Hazard, who had written a track called “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.” He’d arranged it as a rock song from a man’s perspective — the girls were the ones he imagined sleeping with — and Lauper had some edits. She recast it as a gleeful public announcement, calling out a sexist double standard (“Oh mama dear, we’re not the fortunate ones”) while claiming liberation from the workplace, the home and the patriarchy. And she rearranged the notes, pitching her voice so high that it could not be ignored. “I sang that high because I was trumpeting an idea,” she said.

And then there was the video. “That video was what you call ‘inclusive’ nowadays, and that was the most important thing,” Lauper said. In addition to the Italian American pro wrestler Lou Albano, Lauper featured her mother, her lawyer, her manager, a crop of record-company secretaries, and a racially diverse group of singers and dancers. “I was sick of the segregation” of the music industry, she said. “It’s people together that create a style.”

MTV was still in its infancy in 1983, and it was fortuitous that Lauper’s debut album, “She’s So Unusual,” came out just as the network was ascending. She saw her public image as a visual art form. Her makeup artist was a painter, and her stylist was a vintage buyer.

“People sometimes get the wrong idea that it was very thrown together,” Laura Wills, the founder of the vintage shop Screaming Mimi’s, said of the singer’s style. “People just didn’t look like that.” In the early ’80s, Lauper worked for Wills, often bartering her labor for clothes. When her career took off, Wills started styling her, and the pair often constructed Lauper’s outfits as if sliding chips across a poker table, as in, “I’ll see your polka-dot socks and striped capris, and I’ll raise you a plaid top,” Wills said. “I’ll see your polka-dot socks, striped capris and plaid top, and I’ll raise you a paisley hat.”

Lauper seemed to shoot to fame as a fully formed feminist icon. She refused to tell interviewers her age (“I’m not a car,” she said), and she insisted that they recognize the politics behind her aesthetic choices. “I wore the corset to undo the power of the binding of women,” she told the press. She graced the cover of Ms. Magazine and recorded the 1986 song “True Colors,” which resonated with her in the wake of a friend’s death from AIDS.

“I know that I probably lost business because I talked about AIDS a lot,” she said, but figured “I ought to stand up like any good Italian and stick up for my family, you know?” In 2008, she founded True Colors United to help combat homelessness among L.G.B.T.Q. youth. And in 2022, she created the Girls Just Want to Have Fundamental Rights fund to support abortion access and other reproductive justice movements.

In 1985, Lauper won the best new artist Grammy after the release of “She’s So Unusual.” The album — and songs like “Time After Time” and “All Through the Night” — broke records. But something odd was happening. She looked around and saw versions of herself everywhere. “When I first became famous, I felt like the whole world just kind of went” — here Lauper made a sharp slurping noise — “and sucked everything up. The jewelry, the color, the corsets on the outside, the whole thing. And then used it. Spit it out. Next!”

Lauper was accused of being a manufactured package. “No, it was me. That’s how I dressed. That’s how I looked. That was my community,” she said. “I have a brain.”

When Lauper got a call that a movie studio was adapting her big hit into a movie, she balked at its fluffy premise. “I guess it was about a couple of girls … trying to have fun,” she said. (Sarah Jessica Parker and Helen Hunt starred.) Lauper refused permission to use her song, so it featured Hazard’s version with other vocalists instead. “For me, it sucked,” she said. “You took my style. And it had nothing to do with me at all.”

In the ’80s, Lauper was compared so closely to other female musicians that it was implied there was not space for all of them. She was pitted against other women — mainly Madonna, who released her debut album the same year. On chat shows and in schoolyards (and even on the charity single “We Are the World” ), celebrities and fans were asked to choose one. “It was like apples and oranges,” Lauper told me. Or as she put it in Newsweek in 1985: “She’s just doing her thing. My thing happens to be different.” It was a shame, Lauper said: “I would have liked to have a friend.”

Though she fought her battles mainly alone, Lauper has inspired generations of women. Among her acolytes are Nicki Minaj, who in April brought her onstage in Brooklyn to duet on the song that samples her, “Pink Friday Girls.” When an interviewer asked the 26-year-old singer-songwriter Chappell Roan, “How does it feel to be called the Gen-Z Cyndi Lauper?” she replied, “I think Cyndi Lauper is the Gen-Z Cyndi Lauper.”

Lauper made 11 more albums after her debut — among them a blues record, a country record and a dance record. In the early 2000s, she walked over to Broadway, starring in “The Threepenny Opera” and writing the music and lyrics to the musical “Kinky Boots” after Harvey Fierstein, who wrote the book, tapped her for the gig. “There’s a small group of people I consider my children; she’s one of my daughters,” the actor and writer, who turns 72 this week, said. Fierstein told me that he had suspected Lauper’s talents were underused in rock, and he wanted to see what it was like for her to write a song that she would never sing herself.

“My favorite was a recording she made on her phone, in the beauty parlor, with her head in the dryer,” he said. (Lauper was often multitasking.) Her autoharp competed with the salon noise. “It’s really hard to sell a $10 million production on a recording of an autoharp song with a dryer background,” he said. “But that’s what we did.” Lauper won the Tony for best score, the first woman to win alone.

In an industry that requires the rapacious pursuit of the new and the cynical extraction of identity, Lauper was never willing to abandon herself. She had forged the revolutionary style, sang the totemic song. She inspired millions, billions, of fans to be themselves. Why should she have to change who she was?

AS LAUPER AND I traversed the Upper West Side, we ducked into an exhibition about the abstract artist Sonia Delaunay, passed the original Screaming Mimi’s location (now a dry cleaners), and wound back to her apartment, where she invited me up.

Past the doorman, past a cheetah-print doormat and a cheetah-print curtain, two little pugs named Lulu and Ping awaited Lauper’s return. She disappeared to arrange a plate of ginger cookies, the same kind Jackson Browne always sent her on Christmas, while her husband, the actor David Thornton, told me about their meet-cute on the set of the 1991 film “Off and Running.” She played a fake mermaid, he played a murderer. Off the set, he was struck instantly by her winning sense of humor.

“She’s the Rodney Dangerfield of rock ’n’ roll,” he said. As in, she is so funny that she does not always receive the respect she deserves. “I don’t think anybody has any idea how hard she works,” he said.

To prepare for the tour, she blasts the stereo in her apartment and dances and sings, vexing the pugs. She works with a vocal coach four days a week. And she trains like it’s a sport. Her weekly exercise routine includes physical therapy, weights, stretching, physical therapy, weights, yoga, more weights, yoga, aerobics, physical therapy, weights again. She’s been chomping on enormous salads that make her feel like a horse.

“But when you’re a singer, you have to be an athlete,” she said. “You can’t [expletive] around. When you’re 20, yeah. But when you get older? No.”

As the tour approaches, she’s been daydreaming about “all the crazy stuff I tried that didn’t work” in the long arc of her career. The butterfly-winged black dress that she was meant to reveal as she stepped out of a cocoon. The bit where she was supposed to change behind a backlit screen like an old cartoon character. A kind of mechanical skirt that resembled a globe, slowly spinning her around as she sang.

She’s not exactly sure what she’ll pull off this time. Whatever changes, one thing remains the same: “Who the hell I am is who the hell I am.”

Amanda Hess is a critic at large for the Culture section of The Times, covering the intersection of internet and pop culture. More about Amanda Hess

The Great Read

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2024 U.S. Open One and Done picks, purse, sleepers, field, strategy: Top PGA Tour predictions, power rankings, expert golf betting advice from DFS pro

The third major golf tournament of the year has arrived, with the 2024 U.S. Open set to begin on Thursday at Pinehurst No. 2. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is the 11-4 favorite in the 2024 U.S. Open odds, followed by Rory McIlroy (10-1), Xander Schauffele (10-1) and Bryson DeChambeau (10-1). Other 2024 U.S. Open contenders include Viktor Hovland (12-1), Ludvig Aberg (14-1) and Collin Morikawa (14-1). Last year's champion, Wyndham Clark, is 33-1. The total 2024 U.S. Open purse is $20 million, with the winner's share payout listed as $3.9 million. The winner will also earn 750 FedEx Cup points.

Before locking in your 2024 U.S. Open one and done picks,  you need to see what SportsLine DFS pro and PGA expert Mike McClure has to say. 

The One and Done format is growing in popularity. It has several noticeable similarities to NFL Survivor pools, with the main difference being entries are not eliminated with a bad week. Players pick one golfer per week and earn points based on their selected golfer's prize money for that tournament. Golfers can only be used once per season, and the point format makes nailing majors and big money tournaments critical.

McClure is a DFS legend with over $2 million in career winnings,  and he's been RED-HOT on his PGA picks dating back to the PGA Tour restart in June of 2020. McClure uses his proprietary simulation model to analyze the field and crush his golf picks.

McClure has been on fire with his One and Done picks in 2024. At The American Express he backed Justin Thomas, who finished in third place and took home $635,600. At the Genesis Invitational, McClure tabbed Patrick Cantlay, who finished in fourth place at the signature event, as his top OAD pick. At the Cognizant Classic, McClure's top one and done pick, Min Woo Lee, finished in a tie for second place. Finally, at the Arnold Palmer Invitation, another signature event, McClure recommended using Scottie Scheffler and Will Zalatoris. The Result: Scheffler won the event by five strokes, and Zalatoris finished in fourth place.

His hot steak continued at the Players Championship, where McClure again recommended using Scheffler (if was still available) and Xander Schauffele. Both players were in contention until the end, with Scheffler coming out with the win and Schauffele finishing in second place! Then, at the Valspar Championship, McClure listed Cameron Young, who finished in second place, as his top OAD pick.

More recently, at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, McClure recommended using 50-1 longshot Alex Noren in One and Done pools . Noren would go on to be in contention until the end, before finishing in third place, two strokes off the lead! And at the PGA Championship, McClure targeted Viktor Hovland and Collin Morikawa, who finished in third and fourth places, respectively . He targeted Morikawa again at the Memorial Tournament, where Morikawa finished second.

Now, McClure has his sights on the 2024 U.S. Open and just revealed his optimal One and Done picks. They are a must-see for any player looking for an edge in their One and Done pool.

We can tell you that one of McClure's  favorite One and Done picks for the 2024 U.S. Open is Rory McIlroy.  McIlroy has 10 top-25 finishes in 2024, including a win at the Wells Fargo Championship. He has four career major championships, and is currently sitting at No. 3 in the Official World Golf Ranking. 

McClure is also targeting another golfer for his 2024 U.S. Open one and done picks who has a long track record of success against elite competition!  Picks like these could be the difference between winning your One and Done pool or going home with nothing. You ABSOLUTELY need to see who it is before locking in your pick!

So what are the top One and Done picks for the 2 024 U.S. Open   at Pinehurst ,  and which under-the-radar golfer offers HUGE value? ...  Join SportsLine here to see the top 2024 U.S. Open One and Done plays, all from the expert who nailed Nick Taylor's epic RBC Canadian Open victory and Rickie Fowler's win at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in 2023, and Scottie Scheffler's wins at The Players Championship and Masters in 2024 !

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