Interview with Scott Balesteri, Vice President of Strategic Planning at Olympus Tours
For Olympus Tours, taking groups on the path less travelled is a specialty. With nearly 20 years of high-level service, the destination management company has grown from one office in Cancun coordinating transfers and offering local expertise for travelers to a full-service DMC operating eight offices across Mexico and the Dominican Republic. Each city office can give a world of local knowledge for individual and group travel.
The DMC offers a complete transportation fleet, as well as access to activities like zip lining, jungle tours and dine-arounds at local eateries. Olympus Tours often has exclusive access to major attractions that can be reserved for groups.
Insider access
On a recent program in Playa del Carmen, Olympus Tours led a group to go snorkeling at Rio Secreto, an underground cavern not often seen by other tourists.
“Another recent program explored the Ruins of Coba up close…Mayan history that is still in the process of being unearthed,” said Scott Balesteri, Vice President of Strategic Sourcing at Olympus Tours.
The DMC owns and operates their own vehicles for transfers, ranging from private luxury cars to multi-passenger vans, all equipped with GPS systems for efficiency. Olympus Tours’ drivers are bilingual, so they can answer client’s questions about the destination while on the road.
All-inclusive and beyond
One of the growing trends for Olympus Tours is the interest in volunteer programs. Olympus Tours has created the Olympus Tours Foundation, a charity benefitting the local community. In Cancun, the foundation focuses on helping schoolchildren gain access to resources and enriching activities. Past corporate groups have built bicycles for the children, cleaned up a local park near the school, or helped serve a meal.
“We’re seeing more and more corporate groups want to include a volunteer activity with their program. It’s a fulfilling memory to have and a great team building experience.”
Commitment to service
Balesteri commented on the great communication between the eight offices, resulting in consistent service for clients, whether they are in Cancun or Santo Domingo. “We base our creed on hospitality. It’s the key to making our service memorable.”
For more information on Olympus Tours, visit olympus-tours.com or the Olympus Tours Foundation at olympus-toursfoundation.org