Group travel can be a hard thing to accomplish because there are a lot of things to consider. Most of the time, plans just stay as plans and nothing happens because of contrasting schedules, different preferences and, of course, laziness. Well, for those people struggling to get their travels to materialize, here are some tips that might just help.
Vote for a Leader. Having a leader doesn't mean that everything should be planned by that person alone. It means that the leader would be the one to control discussions, designate tasks and keep everything organized. Everyone still has a say in the whole trip, but it's best for one person to spearhead the whole trip to avoid confusion and chaos.
Be Democratic. A big group might be a problem because each person would have different views. According to Travel & Leisure, the best way to solve this kind of problem is through voting. Also, if you're in a big place where there are a lot of activities, a good way of addressing varying preferences is dividing the group. For instance, one group goes swimming while another group goes hiking.
Organize Your Plans. According to Tripit, one of the main jobs of a leader is to organize plans. The leader makes sure that all the suggestions, comments and ideas of every member is organized into one concrete itinerary. Everyone should also help to make the organizing faster and more efficient. There are a lot of apps and programs that make organizing easier like Google Docs and Tripit.
Research About Group Fares. Some travel and airline companies offer group fares, which mean that your group would get a much lesser price than the usual. Basically, you need to meet a minimum number of travelers per group to avail the benefits. A few examples of airlines that offer group fares are JetBlue, Delta and Southwest.
Plan for Some Downtime. During your travels, most people in the group would want a time to do activities by themselves or rest for a bit. Set a time where your group can meet up after everyone is finished with their downtime.
Make sure that you follow these tips in your next group travel. Always remember that it's not that hard to get things done if everyone cooperates.
