Promoting Your SA Tour or SS Trip?
There are many great ways to promote your tour and recruit students, but no matter which ones you use, one fact remains true… PREPARATION PREVENTS POOR OUTCOMES!
As a general rule of thumb, groups who book tours 6–12 months in advance of their travel date recruit twice as many students as groups who book less than six months early.
Our Favorite Promotion Strategies
Class Announcements
As soon as you choose your tour destination and date, acquire and confirm all necessary approvals from your administration. Immediately start making in-class announcements daily, followed up by email reminders to your students and parents. Announcements should include all important details: dates, destinations, main attractions, purpose, accommodations, price and payment schedule. Create a handout that lists the important dates and deadlines, any fundraising projects, and events such as parent meetings.
Parent Letter & Email Announcements
ABC Travels will provide you with a Participants Guide that includes a parent letter, your itinerary, the tour price, registration information, payment information, a list of everything included on your tour and a bit about what students can expect from their tour experience. While traditional hard-copy letters can be sent out, there are many advantages of communicating through email. For the enrollment form, the email can include a Google Doc that allows them to easily type in the required information.
Weekly Email Blasts
Following your initial announcements, continue to keep parents and students in the loop about your tour by sending emails to remind them of upcoming deadlines, fundraisers, fun facts about your tour destination, and frequently asked questions.
Social Media
Facebook can be a great way to post reminders for parents and act as a forum where students and parents can ask questions. Start a Twitter page for the tour and tweet "live" from the trip. Encourage students to use a hashtag and post pictures to a private Instagram group. Compile photos and videos into a short movie to show parents and students what they'll be doing during the tour.
Posters & Flyers
Once you've booked your tour, ABC Travels provides you with promotional items such as a downloadable poster to hang up in your classroom and a flyer to copy and distribute.
Student Ambassadors
Select motivated, creative students to be Student Ambassadors. Their role is to help their teachers make the tour a reality by spreading the word within the school and community. Student Ambassadors share their enthusiasm for the trip and earn a 10% discount off of their tour or even a free trip! Every Student Ambassador will be automatically entered to participate in contests for the chance to win cool prizes like a GoPro camera, Beats by Dre, fun travel accessories and free trips!