San Francisco, Calif. (PRWEB) January 12, 2012
Highly personalized travel experiences that involve private guide tours will be one of the most popular ways to explore destinations around the world in 2012, according to the team at Viator.com – the leading resource for researching and booking more than 9,000 tours and activities in 800-plus destinations in more than 150 countries. To help inspire travelers to explore more personalized travel options this year, Viator has named the top 10 private guides from among thousands within the Viator Private Guide network. Local professionals representing destinations from Bangkok to Barcelona help travelers create unique one-of-a-kind experiences. In addition, Viator’s selection of private tours around the world provides travelers with special opportunities to get below the surface of their destination with many VIP perks as well.
“Our goal is to help travelers have the best experiences where ever their journeys take them, and for an increasing number of travelers this means finding an expert private guide,” said Ms. Barrie Seidenberg, CEO and president of Viator.com. “Our private guide bookings sky rocketed last year – up 90% from 2010, as more travelers realized that they could find a professional private guide that could provide a custom tour tailored to their interests at a great value. When you read our guide reviews, you’ll see that a private tour is often the best part of any traveler's experience in a destination.”
Viator’s Top 10 Private Guides
Viator has compiled the list of the Top 10 Private Guides on the Viator Travel Blog as part of the 2011 Viator Travel Awards. The Private Guide ranking has been compiled using traveler reviews and ratings as well as booking and other business-driven data gathered from the Viator Private Guide Network, made up of more than 2,000 qualified local guides in more than 500 destinations around the world.
1. Most Popular Guide (most reservations): Irene K., Bangkok, Thailand
2. Top Selling Guide (most revenue): Anthony Jacobson – Barcelona, Spain
3. Most Favored Guide (most 5-star reviews from travelers): Satoko Kuroda – Kyoto, Japan
4. Top Contributor (most contributions to Viator via video and blog posts): Gavin Webb – London, England
5. Top Newcomer (most reservations for a new guide): Vivie Pan – Beijing, China
6. Top Guide Video (most interesting video submissions): Maricar Donato – Washington, DC, US
7. Top Blogging Guide (most read / reviewed blog): Gerardo Ham – Cancun, Mexico
8. Top Cruise Port Guide: Hakan Bogdaz – Ephesus / Kusadasi, Turkey
9. Most Photogenic Guide (best profile pictures): Chansarak Noun – Siem Reap, Cambodia
10. Top Veteran Tour Guide (longest listed and highest rated): Jean Liu – Shanghai, China
Private Tours
Viator has a selection of hundreds of private tours in popular and off-the-beaten-path destinations around the world. For travelers who have an idea of what they’d like to experience with a desire to keep their exploration intimate and personal, these tours offer a VIP-style experience under the guidance of local experts. Viator’s selection of private tours includes:
- Skip the Line Private Tour: Vatican Museums Walking Tour, Rome, Italy – 135 traveler reviews, 5-star rating
- Private Tour: Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi and Ravello Day Trip from Naples, Italy – 175 traveler reviews, 5-star rating
- Private Citroen 2CV Tour: Secret Paris, France – 21 reviews, 5-star rating
- Private New York Walking Tour with a Personal Photographer, USA – 113 traveler reviews, 5-star rating
- Private Tour: Angkor Wat and The Royal Temples Full-Day Tour from Siem Reap, Cambodia – 16 traveler reviews, 5-star rating
- Private Tour: Agra and the Taj Mahal Day Trip from Delhi, India – 12 traveler reviews, 5-star rating
For more travel inspiration and ideas as well as the latest deals, promotions, contests and Viator news, visit the Viator Travel Blog or follow the company on Facebook and Twitter.
About Viator
Viator® is the world’s leading online resource for travel experiences, providing access to more than 9,000 tours, attractions and activities in 800-plus destinations in more than 150 countries. Viator– the Latin word for traveler – offers a one-stop shop to plan, research and book trip activities via its Web and mobile platforms with resources such more than 300,000 traveler reviews, ratings and photos, suggested itineraries and the Viator Travel Blog. Viator’s in-house travel experts hand-pick trusted local operators to ensure quality, value and service, all backed by a low-price guarantee. Viator sells its products through Viator.com, the Viator Tours and Activities App for iPhone, the Viator Ultimate Experience Guide for iPad, eight local language sites for the European and Japanese markets and more than 2,000 affiliated sites that include major hotel chains and airlines, online travel agencies, city-specific sites and more. Viator is a privately held company, with lead investment from The Carlyle Group, one of the world’s largest private equity firms. Founded in 1995, Viator is headquartered in San Francisco with regional offices in Sydney, London and Las Vegas.
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