This article is intended to help you organise successful group travel; whether you are new to group travel organisation or are simply looking to improve on your experiences. It is aimed at a variety of people in mind. You may be an allocated tour committee member, Social secretary, Club president; or you may be a manager having been asked to organise a corporate trip. You may also be a best man organising a stag ‘do’ or simply organising a holiday for a large group of friends.

Where to Start

If you have not organised group travel before you are probably thinking where do I start? If you have organised group travel before and it did not go so smoothly you should be asking – where should I have started last time?

The first thing you need to decide is who will be responsible for what, make sure those roles are clearly defined, and that the individuals understand their responsibilities. The number of people who need to be involved in organising group travel will vary depending on your group and destination. For small and informal groups you may decide that you will take responsibility for all the tasks. For large and more formal groups it is often best to assign tasks to multiple people.

You should consider:

Who will be responsible for collecting money?
For sports or performing arts groups – who will organise kit and clothing
Who will sell the tour to your group and convince them to go.
Who will organise your group – make sure they all have up-to-date passports, organise rooming lists, and carry out any other administration that needs to be done.
Fundraising- if required

Idea brainstorming

Once you have decided on these responsibilities you need to come up with some general ideas of where your group should go and what they should do. In some cases this will be easy as other factors will have already pre-determined this. If you are a sports group and are organising a trip for a sports tournament, your destination and main activity will have already been set. In this situation you should consider what other activities you may also want to do in order that you get the most enjoyment out of your trip.

In many cases brainstorming will be a much more involved process. If you are a music group wishing to go on tour then the options are almost endless with regards to destinations, concerts and itineraries.

You will probably need to do some research into ideas for your group and the brainstorming process could take several weeks. Why not get some ideas from the experts! There are a number of professional group travel organisers out there such as MyGroupTour who will be full of ideas and have probably done something similar before. Contacting a professional group organiser will not cost you anything and will enable you to pick their brains. MyGroupTour and a number of others also provide a large collection of pre-built itineraries on their web sites. You may be able to take one of these directly or adapt it to meet your needs. You can also do research in to destinations on the web by using web sites such as ‘Trip Adviser’ or ‘In Europe’ to help get some ideas. If you are travelling in Britain then use http://www.visitbritain.co.uk. This is a great web site with lots of useful information. As well as destination and itineraries you will need to think about approximate date of travel, likely numbers, accommodation type, and extra excursions that you might want to do.

Budget

A group’s budget is very important. If you create an over priced trip or holiday then no one from your group will be able to come. Equally if you set the budget so low, then you will end up in accommodation that no one wants to stay in, which again may put them off coming.

You need to agree a price range that you think your group can afford and create your trip based on that. If you want to go on a week’s tour to Europe but realise that your group can only realistically afford £100 each then you will need to consider fundraising or making an adjustment to your tour in terms of time length, destination or itinerary.

Remember any group can afford a tour it just takes the right amount of planning, creativity and preparation. Some members may have a particularly difficult economic background. You may want to consider subsidising these members from the clubs funds and fundraising. Some people may also be prepared to pay more in order to reduce the cost to others. You should also take into consideration free places for yourself. In most group bookings you should be able to get a free hotel bed for every 25 members in the group although coach prices are not normally affected.

Getting your group together

The first step is in persuading people to go on your group trip. There are three main factors that decide this. Does the trip appeal to them, is it at a price they can afford and how charismatic are you at selling them the idea! If you can get these three things right then you should have no problem in getting most of your group to go on the trip.

Administrating group travel can be quite time consuming and challenging. You can find your self having to ring people multiple times because they are not in. Chasing people up who have not done something you asked them to do, dealing with people who have dropped out or adding new members on to the tour who now want to come. You must be prepared for a complex and time consuming operation if you want to do everything your self. You can significantly ease the burden by using a professional group organiser. They can help to deal with these problems on your behalf. Depending on which company you go with and what you have agreed with them. If you want them to do everything then you should expect to pay a little extra. But this would free you up to do other tasks that might other wise be more costly to you by ignoring them. One solution that will be available to you from late summer 2008 is the website from MyGroupTour. They will be providing a series of online facilities to help you with collecting money, organising your trip and getting quotes from suppliers.

Raising finance and fundraising

Ok, if your group is going on a stag do then no one is going to give charitably to support your drunken antics! If you’re a corporation organising group travel, then the only way you are going to get some one else to pay for it will be if you offer commercial benefits to them.

With most groups though there is a multitude of ways to raise finance for your group travel. You can organise generic events, fun days or organise something based on what your group does. General events and fun days could include: – sponsored marathon/competition, Car washing at a local supermarket or School, Coffee morning for you local retirement home, put on a disco, create a night out, or organise an Easter egg hunt. The list is really only limited by your imagination. Also you should try organising something that relates to what your group does. If you are an orchestra then organise concerts for your local community. You can quite quickly raise the money you need for your trip; all it takes is a little enthusiasm and it can be lots of fun.

The thing people are most reluctant to do is part with their money. At the early stages it is important that you collect a deposit from every group member who has confirmed they are coming on the trip. With out this there is no commitment or incentive for them not to drop out at the last second and this could be embarrassing. By doing this, your trip will become far more manageable. You should make your members aware that the final amount due may be liable to change slightly if group members drop out or new ones join. A coach booked at £400 divided by 30 people is going to cost more per person than dividing the cost between 40 people. You will normally find that quotes are given in price bands as group travel operators will be aware the people may drop out or you may get additional travellers. You must also make people aware of cancellation cut off dates. Normally if you cancel with a hotel within 30 days prior to departure you will be liable to pay the full amount.

Law and the package travel directive

There have been changes in the Law relatively recently that you need to be aware of. If a consumer purchases more than one travel component, it is considered a package. As such, you must place this money into a trust account and cannot access the money until your group members have travelled. This applies to all non regular group travel organisers. However the definition of what is non regular is not clearly defined and has not been tested in court yet. To avoid the risk of breaking the law on this matter it can be easier to use a professional group travel organiser who already has systems in place to deal with the travel package directive. To find out more you can go to this guide that has been compiled by the government.

Industry bodies

If you do use a professional group travel organiser you should look to see that they are a member GTOA (Group Travel Organisers Association) or the ETOA (European Tour Operators Association) if you plan on making a European trip, for the example mietwagen deutschland.

Travel Insurance

As a group travel organiser or initiator for your group you will be viewed as responsible for everything that happens to your group members. Unfortunately from time to time things won’t go quite as planned. You must there for ensure you and your group members are protected against such instances. This is especially true with school and youth groups. Often travel insurance is not that expensive and it can be a legal requirement in many situations.

India is a country of great contrast, cultural traditions, several  language, amusing dress, tempting  cuisine and exiting lifestyle, which vary from state to state. This unity in diversity – seen in every day life makes India a leisure for travellers from all over the world.

Land of colors, country of contrast, mysterious India is rich with vibrant cultures, glorious splendors and little corners of heaven. India is the true paradise for the travel buffs, as it offers a diverse range of travel destination. From adventure to luxury, romance to bustling cities, peaceful retreats to wildlife, history to modernity, and scenic landscapes to interesting cultures – India has the remarkable destinations to offer.

A trip to this fascinating land will be a thrilling experience that will always be treasured because the sub-continent holds many wonders. Besides the phenomenal  Taj Mahal ,one of the seven wonders of the world, India travel destination  possess Massive forts, marbled palaces of the Rajput Kingdoms, the mighty Himalayan peaks with unspoiled Valleys, thousands of miles of virgin beaches and the most intricately carved old and new temples, magnificent churches, gurudwaras, mosques, synagogues of many different faiths.

There are many famed national parks, which abound in many kinds of wild life, in particular the Tigers, Leopard and the Asian lions. It has spectacular hill stations, which still reveal the memories of the bygone days of the Raj. A country as huge as India cannot be explored adequately within a few weeks. Here are some leisure travel destinations you shouldn’t miss if your time is limited to a month or less. Must see travel destinations India lists few  unforgettable sites like Goa, Kerala, Rajasthan , Leh Ladakh and Ooty which will make a lasting impression .

Enter in the glorious arena of stunning ambiance, imperial structures, splendid colors and extra ordinary cultural riches! Every Indian Holiday or Travel Destination tempt your senses to the once in a lifetime experience, be it the serene mountain valleys and sparkling beaches or the regal forts of royal Rajasthan and masterpiece architecture of tajmahal agra of the culturally rich country India,you will find every travel paradise that you can think of , Plan a tour to any travel destination of India with leisure wings to spellbind and enjoy the blend of beauty , adventure, culture and Nature at the price tag which is in reality affordable.

You are going traveling. You have lots of expenses to cover. You need to pay for your air fare, your accommodation, your food, your travel while away, cultural experiences and the list goes on. You want to save money so you decide not to bother with travel insurance. You are going on the trip of a lifetime so nothing will go wrong. It’s an unnecessary expense so you don’t need it. Wrong. Very wrong. Traveling with out insurance can be the biggest mistake you make when organizing your trip and a very costly one.

What is travel insurance? Well there are two kinds of insurance to look at when traveling.

1. Travel insurance, (sometimes called trip insurance) which covers cancellations, delays, lost baggage and emergencies.

2. Travel medical insurance protects you against any medical expense while traveling.

Ideally, you need a combination of the two when traveling.

Imagine these scenarios:

You are in Darwin, Australia when a cyclone hits the area. The city is devastated by the cyclone and all services shut down. You have to be evacuated and sent home. Your travel insurance will cover you for this. You do have travel insurance don’t you?

Your luggage goes missing in India. You need to buy new clothes and fast. Can you afford it in your budget? Of course you can, you took out traveler’s insurance – didn’t you? 

Or what if you go surfing in Hawaii and take a big wipeout? You are so severely injured you need surgery and major medical assistance, and then are airlifted home. But that’s okay – your travel medical insurance covers all that. You have got it, haven’t you?

Travel insurance is there to protect you in case bad things happen on your trip. It is a necessary expense. Overseas medical costs can be astronomical if you are not insured. And if you are injured in a developing country, medical attention may not be as good as at home. If you are insured you can get flown home and attended to at no cost.

Every year the government deals with thousands of cases of travelers being injured, falling ill or dying overseas. This is a distressing situation for all involved, but made even worse when the travelers are not insured, often leaving them with huge bills to pay. Hospitalization in other countries can cost over one thousand dollars a day. Medical evacuations can be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars and if you die in Europe, it can cost over ten thousand dollars to bring your body back home. If you do not have travel insurance you have to cover these costs yourself (or your family will have to find the money).

Travel insurance is a cost you need to budget for. If you don’t take it out, your medical expenses could cost a whole lot more. Insure yourself and travel safe.

Do I need a travel agent for my vacation? I guess it depends on your needs. Travel deals are available from many sources who have put together great vacation packages. Cheap travel has become an expectation, with vacation packages available all over the internet. Travel deals include cheap airline tickets, vacation packages and basically cheap travel any where in the world. When choosing any of the available travel deals you often wonder if a travel agent can provide cheap travel with any of the travel deals they have to offer.

A competent travel adviser can be your greatest asset when you’re planning a trip, and putting together travel deals for you to consider. I mean a bona fide, certified travel professional, a true travel agent. To say that a travel agent is important for your travel needs is not a popular position to take, I know. There is no shortage of travel agent stories making the rounds these days, most of them horrific in nature. There are stacks of grievances that follow the same basic narrative, cheap travel results in you get what you pay for, or do you? Most complaints about travel agents or advisors goes something like this:

I booked a trip through an online agency who had the best travel deals, cheap airline tickets and a great vacation package. Something went wrong, terribly wrong– my flight was rescheduled, my flight was over booked or there was a problem with the hotel reservation, like the reservation was never made, or it was not the hotel promised. After hours of searching for the right number to call, I phoned the company, I was transferred to half a dozen departments, or should I say I was passed off to several different people who had no interest in my problem, or no authority to do something about it, and ended up speaking with someone in OshKosh, India who I could barely understand. Five hours later, several different “agents” later I’m no closer to fixing the problem. This is a disaster and needs to be fixed.

Let me take a moment to say I mean no disrespect to online travel agencies, in fact I respect the job most of them do. Most of these agencies do a fabulous job, have great follow through, and will give you great value for your dollar, and a great vacation with your loved ones. Most of the airline seats, cruises and hotel rooms booked through these large sites are problem-free. It’s the way they address the inevitable problems, or should I say do not address the problems, that leaves something to be desired in the view of many consumers.

Good travel agents have an edge over almost any other seller of travel. Years of experience, inside secrets, and a good relationship with others in the industry. They know what travel deals and vacation packages you, the traveling public wants. They speak your language. A good travel agent will be there for you when you run into trouble, an event that is unlikely to happen.

While I may suggest a travel agent be involved for that European month long vacation, or your tip to the Middle East and of course your long waited for African Safari, a travel agent is not needed for the casual weekend trip or your summertime holiday or even spring or winter break vacations. There are lots of great bargains that can save yourself thousand of dollars, just by doing a little work on your own. These bargains are genuinely trouble free, great locations and fabulous travel deals. Finding the travel deals and vacation packages is getting easier everyday, book yours today. A few clicks of your mouse and you will have cheap airline tickets, cheap travel and a vacation package of a lifetime.