Travelling with a group is a very different experience as compared to travelling with your family or travelling alone. That’s why I thought to share my group tour experience with my readers and make their group tour plan worth of enjoyable.
When the trip is plan perfectly, this creates a great and memorable trip. When you are travelling with a group several should be considered such as Where to go? Who is the leader of group? What is the budget? and much more. These factors should be well looked for better group tour.
Over the years, I have gained a lot of experience of group tours. Several of them was arranged by me. So, I thought to guide you with steps or strategies to organize an amazing group trip.
How to Plan a Group Trip?
There are some strategies to organize a proper group tour.
Choose a Group Leader
For any group it is very important to have a leader. A leader should lead or manage the group. But the leader should be according to the will of people. People should choose leader according to their wishes and to whom they think is eligible to lead them. A leader should be the person who knows how to plan, progress and what need to do next.
Also, you can choose different in-charge for different aspects. Such as one person manage the accommodation. The other one manages the transport and other for managing the trip or other activities. This should be done with the recommendations of group members so that everything will be organized.
If in the group who is good in planning then choose him to plan the trip. If the other has negotiation power it will work in booking the accommodation in a reasonable price. By this a single person will not be pressurize of handling everything and everything will be managed smoothly. Also, there should be a one person who will monitor all of them.
Decide Budget of a Trip
Usually, the most difficult part to set is a budget. Several people postpone or even cancel their trips due to low budget. That’s why it is very important to set the budget according to the people. Different people have different ideas about money when they are travelling. Such as some people consider better accommodation so they spend most money of accommodation and compromise on food.
As a member of a group, you should agree to the budget of the group and then stick to it.
Setting a budget of the trip depends on necessities such as accommodation, food and transport. After researching the prices of these, group sets a budget and then no surprise while paying. Some things are optional in tours such as shopping. It upon individuals.
Book flight and Transportation
Booking flights or on ground transportation is also a big challenge. The prices of the transportation greatly increase the prices and the budget of the trip. When you plan a trip and set the budget then ensure to book transport or flights as soon as possible with the best deal. Also, make sure that the transport should have enough space for the whole crew.
Several times it happens that airlines or other transportations set a deal for a group. In this deal the prices for group are low as compared to individuals. Check if there is a group rate then go for it and take full advantage. It will make a big difference in prices if booked for individuals.
As a leader also make a proper plan that how you will reach from airport or any other station to your booked accommodation. Also, it should be planned how you will travel your destination. Is it valuable to hire vehicle? If so then you need to get in early since large vehicles are booked very quickly.
Look for Alternative Accommodation
The accommodation is such a huge factor in any trip and can entirely change the experience. Other than hotels there are several accommodations such as resorts. If you are travelling in a group, it is important to book a resort rather than hotel. Hotels for group tours are not good options.
Staying in a flat or any other resort as a group gives you the opportunity to cook group meal and hang out together without overcrowded in a small hotel room. Moreover, you can also look for good houses that are more affordable prices than hotels.
Utilize Centralize Planning Tool
Use collaborative tools such as Google Docs or ant other special group travelling applications. These platforms help the group members to stay on the same page through out the trip. Communication is also very important. Due to this it is very important to create a group chat for quick discussions and updated during trip.
With the help of centralize tools a group leader can also handle the payment. Utilizing a payment method will easily solve the payment problems.
Plan the activities with Flexibility
When the destination is final you should plan the activities to do there. Have a detailed and proper research about the attractions and other activities you can do there. If you have more numbers of groups then it is better to book in advance.
While planning the activities consider the time as well. Do not over schedule. Plan the activities in such a way that you manage the time. Allow the time for members to explore on their own or split into smaller groups based on interest.
Prepare for unexpected
Hope for the best but prepare for the worst.
Also have a backup plan in case if something unexpected event occur then you implement the plan B. Some unexpected events such as flight delays or a group member gets missing. Ensure that every member of the group has travel insurance and the group leader has the contact detail of everyone.
And for the members as well always keep their ID card, passport or official travel documents with them. In case they get separated from their group they can ask for help from the legal authorities. This precaution is also important while you are travelling alone.
Conclusion
These steps are important to organize a group tour. If every thing is planned accordingly and communicated well with the people then the trip will have an amazing experience and creates the memorable memories with them. With organization and corporation, travelling groups can be one of the most rewarding ways to explore new destinations.