18
JOURNEYS magazine
Volume II, 2016
TRAVEL SPOTLIGHT
to see with your own eyes?
Are you part of a book club?
Why not explore some of the places
where your favorite authors and
characters live? Are you a runner?
There are many marathons and half-
marathons across the globe that are
waiting for you and your running
group to earn their medals — can you
think of a better souvenir! Are you a
fan of
The Sound of Music?
Then a
guided tour of the movie’s many
settings throughout Austria is for
you. Is country music, 80s music,
bluegrass, jazz, classical, or rock
more your style? Check out the many
popular ocean and river cruises that
headline some of the music industry’s
most popular bands and musicians.
For faith-based groups, there are
countless religious and spiritual
destinations and guided tours that
provide an enlightening itinerary for
all beliefs. And if you have a special
group trip that requires a customized
itinerary to meet your needs, no
sweat. With a little planning, most
customized itineraries can be created
quite easily.
No matter what type of group
vacation you choose or where you
decide to go, be sure to allocate
plenty of free time in the schedule
each day so that everyone can have
time to relax or explore on their own,
if they choose. Couples and families
go on vacation to spend time
together as a unit, so they should be
allowed to do so. Also, it’s always nice
to work in a group dinner on one of
the nights and maybe an activity or
two during the course of your trip.
business, and depending on the
size of group, a variety of upgrades
or amenities may be available to
travelers. The minimum number of
people that constitute a “group”
varies between hotels, airlines,
cruise lines, and tour companies.
Before beginning your search
for a destination, take some time to
come up with a budget and what you
think it will approximately cost each
person who is taking the trip. You
may find that if you try to pick the
destination first, before coming up
with a workable budget, that the
destination is either too expensive,
or, that you could actually aord a
more exotic or longer trip.
If the trip is being decided upon
by a majority of the group traveling,
then it’s best to get a consensus on
how much should be budgeted.
Then, when picking your destination,
come up with three ideas that
everyone would enjoy and then take
a vote — majority rules. This will give
any potential participant the ability
to back out if they are unhappy with
the package before you get to far in
the planning process, which could
cause major problems such as
incurring costly cancellation fees.
Now, on to the really fun part —
group travel ideas. If you’re unsure of
where to go or what type of travel
adventure works best for groups, just
use your imagination and think about
what makes you most passionate
when it comes to exploring the
world. Do you have a particular
hobby you want to further explore or
is there a place that you’re just dying
roup travel is perfect
for those who are looking to get
away on vacation with their family
and friends while discovering
new places and having a ton of
fun. Whether it’s for a family or
school reunion, a company trip, book
club, faith-based group, or just
because you enjoy being with others
who share your love of travel, group
travel is the way to go. In fact the
options and reasons for planning a
getaway with your selected crew are
limitless, as are all the great memories
everyone is certain bring home.
Group travel can incorporate
an entire travel package (flights,
accommodations, cruises, and
guided tours) or just one segment
of a package. When you book
as a group, there are many travel
benefits, the greatest being
significant discounted pricing. It is
often possible to lock in exceptional
group hotel rates, especially if you
have a sizeable group. Most all
travel providers oer great group
rates and incentives that aren’t
available to those just traveling on
their own. Typically, the more
people you have traveling in your
group, the better discounts you will
receive. For example, many hotels
define a “group” by the number of
rooms in a reservation. The
minimum size group booking is
often between five and 10 rooms.
Most hotels welcome group
