Never underestimate the power of anticipation.
Fellow travelers have often remarked that looking forward to their next trip contributes greatly to their joy and enhances the experience of the trip itself. Anticipation stays lodged in our memories from childhood on…the excitement of birthdays and holidays, being able to drive a car (finally!), graduations, heading to college, marriage, having a child, buying a house…these are a small collection of major life events for which we often are so excited, and our excitement is part of what makes these events so special.
The excitement that your students can garner for an upcoming trip won’t happen automatically, though. Think back to something that you have happily anticipated in your life…most likely it didn’t just manifest on its own. If you have joyful holiday memories, odds are that people in your life talked those holidays up and did their best to make them special. Think of the food, the twinkling lights, the birthday candles, the days of preparation, the decorations, the special events – all of those things contributed to the anticipation and excitement you once felt.
Your job – spread the enthusiasm!
If you want to get students, parents, teachers, friends, or anyone else excited about a trip – you’ve got to spread the love! Are you excited yourself about the prospect of heading to Montreal or New York City in the fall? Great! Enthusiasm is contagious. Spread it around. Give details, answer questions, show pictures, don’t simply assume that everyone is already on board. You may mistakenly overestimate the interest in a trip and wind up regretting it.
For some, traveling can be a scary idea. It can help to have someone available to answer questions and offer information that can make the inexperienced traveler much more comfortable with the idea of leaving home and heading somewhere unfamiliar.
Gauging interest and keeping the spark alive
Sometimes it may be relatively easy to get a group excited about a trip – but take our advice and be sure to collect early deposits so that you know your travelers are serious. This will make it much easier to accurately gauge student interest and get a good idea of group size so that planning accommodations and itinerary will be seamless.
To keep enthusiasm fresh, use all the resources at your disposal! At Suburban Tours we are here to help you in any way we can. See our blog posts and destination pages for helpful information about group travel. Offer students time to do their own research (in class or at home) to spark dialogue and questions about your upcoming trip. Catch up on the local news from the area you will be visiting and try to get a sense of the people and local culture before you visit (yes, even if that place is just a few states away!) There are so many ways to build excitement and keep that spark alive.
In a nutshell
To sum it up, group trips will be most successful if you talk up your tour, take deposits early, and keep the enthusiasm alive. The anticipation is a big part of the fun!
