Competitours – Travel for Competitive People

If you are one of those people who turns everything into a competition, have you thought about competing during your next vacation for $9000 in prize money. No this is not the Amazing Race, but instead a new tour company called Competitours founded by Steve Belkin. I caught up with Steve and asked him about Competitours.

What’s the idea behind Competitours?

We are transforming passive tourists into active and dynamic reality travel contestants. We are transforming the herd mentality of following a group leader on a fixed cookie cutter schedule into the independent mentality of making snap decisions about customizing your own daily itinerary. We are transforming sites, places and people from just being part of your ‘bucket list’ to being an integral part of a mission/purpose to get immersed in unfamiliar surroundings and tasks while also being motivated to compete and win.

Who is your target audience?

Our target audience is anyone that has a zest for travel,who is intrigued by the spontaneity and mystery aspects of not knowing where you will be going and what you will be doing.  No previous travel, foriegn language or physical fitness are required.  Past travelers have ranged from 18 to 75 years old with a mix of married couples, inter-generational teams, childhood friends, siblings and even singles paired up as impromptu teams.

How do I know if I am Competitours material?

If you are high energy, outgoing, curious, resourceful, creative, clever then Competitours might be for you.

What are some of the challenges?

Some example challenges include:

• After touring the chocolate factory, you’ll be led to the much anticipated tasting room. Put the local chocolate to the test by administering a blind taste test against a good ol’ mass produced Hershey bar.
• At a Viking Ship display, incorporate two fellow tourists into a mock TV commercial promoting a 9th century viking ship as a 21st century cruise vacation.
• While spelunking during an ice caving exploration, find a fascinating ice formation, name it and conjure up a fictional legend about its discovery.

Where does Competitours go?

The 2010 tours are targetting Western and Central Europe. Each trip has its own unique itinerary spanning 4 countries with a terrific mix of must-see big cities, off-the beaten track cool spots on the outskirts of a big city and the under-the-radar countryside. Challenges will relate to everything from culture/history to culinary to myths/legends to offbeat sites to immigrant marketplaces among others. An example trip is

What will a Competitour cost me?

The tour price is  $2675 per person including:

• Roundtrip Airfare: From East Coast gateway airport to surprise European city; return travel from different European city.
• 7 Nights Lodging: Double occupancy/private bathroom European Standard; 2, 2.5 or 3 Star lodging in center of town, convenient to public transport.
• Intercity Transport: Eurail point to point train tickets and short haul intra-Europe airline tickets where applicable.
• 2 Days of Admissions: For group challenge sessions
• 2 Receptions: Welcome and Awards
• 65-70 Challenges
• Prize Eligibility
• Game Administration