Harry Fine - Harry Fine Associates“If it’s one of Harry’s, it’s fine”
Tuesday, 11 January 2011 10:58
“If it’s one of Harry’s, it’s fine”
‘You can arrive at the airport in Istanbul, board a boat at a marina just ten minutes away and then, with a glass of bubbly in your hand, sail along to your hotel with Asia on one side of the boat and Europe on the other’.That is an example of how groups could be greeted and transferred by a creative DMC according to Harry Fine. It is not surprising that his example is located in Turkey, because when, in 1988, he founded his business, Harry Fine Associates, the first company contracted to be represented was MEP DMC, based in Istanbul.
Harry Fine Associates now has a portfolio of DMCs in nine countries. In addition to Turkey they are Argentina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, Romania and South Africa.
‘Of course’, Harry continues, ‘organisers can go through various channels to locate a DMC in a new destination. But these can be hit and miss. If they come to a reputable representative of DMCs they are assured that the company’s reputation is on the line every time a DMC is introduced to a client. I do not see myself, actually, as representing my DMCs but rather as an integral part of their operation. I am their UK Office. I may not have the prettiest neck in the world, but it is the only one I have and I have no desire to lose it, so I must ensure that our DMCs are cost-effective and creative. A DMC has to add value to the whole project on behalf of the client’.
This process starts at the earliest moment, Harry emphasises. ‘We don’t say “yes” to everything in a client’s brief. I am confident that I know our destinations very well and we prefer to give good advice and not just say what we think the client wants to hear’.
He tries to make that clearer by explaining: ‘We offer incentive quality, not tour operator quality. There are no off-the-shelf packages that we try to push. Everything is designed around the best interests of the clients to achieve their objectives – and more. We get behind the words of a brief to the core of what has to be achieved. And the DMC has to have the knowhow and experience to add something that money could not buy without them’.
Harry confirms that his services in no way add to the cost of a project. He receives annual fees as the UK office of the DMCs. ‘My constant aim is for the UK organisers to say that a DMC must be OK as it is one of Harry’s. I have to ensure that our UK clients are our best salespeople.’
Tweet
