How to Organize a Travel Group

Whether you are the class president or team captain or corporate manager planning a school group, a sports group or an executive outing, there are some initial planning considerations for a travel group.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Computer Guide books
Computer
Guide books

Step 1

Decide who will be going, where the group will be going and the purpose of the trip. Consider the maximum number of people attending the trip.

Step 2

Get the group to meet together. Including them on the decision processes will engage and empower them to take an active role in contributing to organizing the trip. If the trip appeals to them and if financially feasible, you will be able to include the group through the rest of the steps.

Step 3

As a group, discuss budget limitations and expectations. If you will need to do some fundraising for additional costs, include the group in brainstorming how to come up with funds.

Step 4

Decide the range of the physical exertion you want to experience as well as your goals for the vacation. Observing animals at a wildlife refuge in Africa for a few days, compared with hiking the Appalachian Trail for a month, spans a large range of physical exertion. Know your body's limits and expectations for exploring the outdoors. Discuss these expectations with the group to ensure everyone is prepared.

Step 5

Meet with the group participants. Assign roles, such as fundraiser, logistics-coordinator or communications. If the group has many participants, you may want to divide the group into committees for these roles.

Step 6

Decide how the group will function. You may want to pay a group travel company to coordinate activities and itineraries. If you will be designing it yourself, research vacation resources. Guidebook series such as Fodor's and Frommer's include a large range of information, including hotels, car rentals and restaurants.

For budget travel with an honest insider's perspective, check out Lonely Planet, Rough Guide and Let's Go books. Each of these books includes specific geographical areas, such as Latin America, Central America or Nicaragua. These books offer guided itineraries framed for weekends, week-long or month-long expeditions for groups.

Step 7

List the equipment and other essentials necessary for your travels. The equipment you will need differs based on whether you will be car camping or back-country skiing in Colorado. Divide the equipment list among the group, as you will find that each person will have something the group will need. Purchase new gear if necessary.

Step 8

Obtain documentation. Depending on your travel needs, you may need to purchase group travel insurance, obtain visas and secure passports.

Resources

Article Written By Kay W

Kay W has more than 10 years of freelance writing experience, including technical papers, grants for youth and environmental nonprofits and consulting materials. With a Bachelor of Science in environmental engineering and a Master of Arts in environmental organizational leadership, Kay W has a diverse educational and technical professional background.

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