Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 11

FAST LANE | OPERATOR PROFILE | Behind the scenes of the most successful operators

Traveling Together Is More Fun!
Frequent travelers are key to the success of Nagel Tours

I

t could be the plot of a Hollywood
movie: A husband-and-wife team
leads motorcoach tours of over55-year-old adventurers on trips
throughout Canada and the United
States, including California, Nevada,
Maine, British Columbia, and the villages of the Maritime provinces of Canada.
He drives the bus; she sets up and runs
the tours. One trip that starts in Eastern
Canada and dips down to the States lasts
28 days. Along the way, there are tons of
laughs, unexpected moments, and even
some tears.
But this is no made-up fairy tale. In
fact, that's exactly what Ruth Drynan and
her husband, Aubrey, did together (he
passed away six years ago), working for
Nagel Tours Ltd. in Edmonton, Alberta.
During those years, they developed
close relationships with their clients-
sharing jokes, watching movies, and
telling stories.
It's not completely surprising, then, that
two people who met on one of Drynan's
tour itineraries ended up getting married
in Niagara Falls.
"Everyone is so close," she says. "They
make many friends, and there's always
somebody they know. We have one
couple that has traveled with us 41 times."
Another woman has taken 38 tours
with Nagel.
The over-55 clientele Drynan has so
lovingly served all these years feels safer
traveling by motorcoach, she explains.
Because they always travel in groups,
they never have to be alone, but can
find quiet moments by choice. Nagel
Tours takes care of the tiniest details,
from baggage handling to mealtime
options, hotels, and even a special farewell dinner.
"Everything is set up for them,"
explains Drynan. "They like the meal
stops and coffee breaks. They don't have
to drive, but can enjoy the scenery and
relax. They always look forward to the
next tour." Clients trust Nagel Tours to be

PROSPECTUS
Operator
Nagel Tours Ltd.
Location
Edmonton, Alberta
Services
Charter and Tour Bus
Transportation
Website
www.nageltours.com
Phone
(780) 475-6666

Ruth Drynan
attends industry
conferences such
as IPW to get
tour ideas.

reliable and provide what's promised, says
Drynan. "They know they're going to get
what they paid for," she says.
The Reno, Nev., tour has been so popular that Nagel Tour hosts a yearly reunion
trip for the folks who've done it many
times. One year, four busloads of people,
including Drynan and the company's
owners, Bob and Pat Nagel, went along
and threw a big party celebrating those
who had gone on the trip for years.
Since 1977, Nagel Tours has remained
a family business, run with the same
warmth and care that characterized
the business when it started. "The staff
is treated like family, and Pat is always
worried if anything is wrong in our personal lives. The atmosphere is great, or
I wouldn't have been here for 25 years,"
says Drynan.

For a long time, Drynan was busy in
the office scheduling tours, and then, she
and her husband would spend days on
end traveling. "One winter, we spent more
nights in Reno than in our own home,"
she laughs. "It was fun. Pat and I would
set up the tour; my husband and I would
go out and do the tour, figure out what
worked and what didn't, then tweak it and
do it again."
Today, though she no longer leads
tours, Drynan is still hard at work discovering new opportunities for Nagel.
She travels on familiarization (or "fam")
tours and to conferences to see what areas
would be interesting to Nagel's clients.
"I find it exciting to plan a new tour that
people are going to love," she says. "I
help edit and publish the new catalog
every year."
Her recent explorations have led her to
Texas, Wyoming, and Utah. Nashville is
a big attraction lately-the October tour
sold out completely, says Drynan.
With so many options within the
United States and Canada-which
Drynan describes as "totally different
from one end to the other"-there's no
doubt that she'll be busy discovering new
adventures as long as she chooses.
"I have no urge to travel overseas
because I haven't seen everything that
there is to see here yet," says Drynan.
-Emily Rogan
NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2017

\ DESTINATIONS 11


http://www.nageltours.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017

Fun on the Farm
Gems of the Hudson Valley
Rolling Strong … and Healthy
Stones River National Battlefield
Traveling Together Is More Fun!
#ABACharlotte Action Items
Shop for a Great Cause!
Be Ahead of the Curve!
Snow ’n Sun Fun
It’s Never Too Late to Learn!
ELDer Care
Tour Stop: Temple Square
City Guide// MONTRÉAL
Travel Resource
Receptive Operators
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - Cover1
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - Cover2
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 1
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 2
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 3
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 4
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 5
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - Fun on the Farm
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - Gems of the Hudson Valley
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - Rolling Strong … and Healthy
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - Stones River National Battlefield
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 10
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - Traveling Together Is More Fun!
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - #ABACharlotte Action Items
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - Be Ahead of the Curve!
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 14
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 15
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - Snow ’n Sun Fun
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 17
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 18
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 19
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 20
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 21
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - It’s Never Too Late to Learn!
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 23
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 24
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 25
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - ELDer Care
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 27
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - Tour Stop: Temple Square
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 29
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 30
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 31
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - City Guide// MONTRÉAL
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 33
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - Travel Resource
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 35
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 36
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 37
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 38
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 39
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 40
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 41
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 42
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 43
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Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 70
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 71
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 72
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 73
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 74
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 75
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 76
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - Receptive Operators
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 78
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 79
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 80
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 81
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 82
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 83
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 84
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 85
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 86
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 87
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - 88
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - Cover3
Destinations Magazine - November/December 2017 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pohlyco/marketplace_wrapup_2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pohlyco/marketplace_wrapup_2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/mcneill/abamarketplace2011_wrapup
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/mcneill/go_wv2011
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com