For many teachers, it can be a challenge to get enough students signing up to allow your tour to go ahead. Many schools have a tour group minimum to ensure the tour is a viable venture, and of course, the more students sign up, the more affordable the tour becomes for each family! Boosting the numbers of your tour is definitely in your interests, so we’d like to share a few of our tips on maximising group numbers for overseas school tours.
Cross-curriculum tours
A great way to get students joining your tour that might never have otherwise is to combine your tour with another subject or activity. You can combine similar subjects to destinations that offer in-depth exploration of both, or you can create a varied tour that broadens the scope of students from either discipline. St Mary’s College, Ipswich recently did just that, with a tour that sent the school choir as well as the netball and futsal team to New Zealand. The groups were able to participate in exchanges with schools, and watch and support each other as well!
Or you can take two subjects that go hand in hand, like Rongotai College did with their History and Geography tour to Vietnam and Cambodia. Between the fascinating culture, ancient history and natural beauty, there was plenty that both subjects could gain from a combined tour. Other popular subjects to combine for a tour are History with Language or Art to Europe, English Literature and Performing Arts to the UK, or multi-sport tours, such as Netball with Basketball or Rugby.
We can tailor tours to your requirements, so you can be sure of a tour that will cater to each of the groups and subjects that you choose to include.
Information evenings
An important step in the tour booking process is the information evening that your Tour Development Specialist will set up for interested families. This is a great way to get students and parents excited about the tour, and your specialist will be able to answer any questions they may have. At the end of the information evening, families will register their interest, giving you a more accurate idea of how many are serious about booking a place on your tour.
We provide the teacher in charge of the tour with material to advertise the information evening to students and their families, and the more you can spread the word about your tour, the better! We recommend sharing details about the information evening across a variety of different channels, so as to reach as many people as possible. Some ideas for this include putting your Student Horizons flyer up around the school and on the school notice board, sending an email to parents and students, advertising on the school’s website and social media pages, and in the school newsletter or magazine.
It’s also a good idea to think carefully about the date of your information evening. Make sure it doesn’t coincide with any other school events, such as performance rehearsals, school camps, or sporting events. This will ensure that the most students possible will be able to attend. This is also something valuable to keep in mind when choosing your tour dates as well. Students have been reluctant to miss out on events such as school balls in the past!
Fundraising
Educational travel experiences are a big investment for parents, which can be a bit daunting. Fundraising is a great option to make tours more accessible for all families, but we know that without experience or expert advice, it can be a slow process. That is why we provide an exclusive Fundraising Better Practise Blueprint, a comprehensive guide to making the most out of your fundraising efforts. The blueprint will simplify the fundraising process for parents, teachers, and students, helping you to achieve your targets easier and faster.
With better information on how to maximise your fundraising profits, your tour group will be opened up to even more students. Our blueprint is exclusive to Student Horizons, meaning that our groups can earn more from their fundraising than any others. Spreading the word amongst your students about the unique fundraising tools we offer will make the reality of touring much more achievable, and encourage more families to sign up for your tour.
Blog: Maximising group numbers for overseas school tour
