When I published my book, "The Traveling Professor's Guide to Paris" back in 2009, I wrote the book that me, Steve Solosky wanted to write.  After studying travelers to Paris for years, I found that a good percentage of us wanted a book that concisely gave practical information on how to travel to Paris.   Only a small percentage of leisure travelers stay in high-end hotels, but most people don't want low-budget either.    People wanted practical information about how to get around Paris, what to see and when to see it, how to prepare for a trip, and how to easily save money.    I didn't see the use of lugging a 740 page guide book around Paris, so I wrote a book with just the information the traveler needed in about 100 pages.  The Traveling Professor's Guide to Paris was a smashing success.   Now I see the "big guys" following suit.  

I never saw a need to churn out new editions of books every year just to make a buck.  Let's face it, Paris does not change that much every year.   So, I will come out with a new version of my book 5 years after the first. 

I actually never planned to run tours.  Upon people reading my book, they asked me to take them to Paris.  I agreed to do it if we traveled the way Steve Solosky wanted to travel.  That meant:

• Affordable but without sacrificing luxury or comfort
• Small groups of about 12 people
• I later added professional tour guides to make the most of our vacation
• Personalized and customized service from me, not from a customer service agent or call center

Now I see the other "big guys" following suit.  But, they charge about 40% more than me, and I still offer a better tour experience than they do.  We still run tours they way I would want a tour run.   I always put the travelers first.  Why?  Because that's how I would want to be treated if I were spending my hard-earned money on a trip.