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Choosing the Right Student Travel Company & Applying for a Passport

By Josette BonafinocloseAuthor: Josette Bonafino Name: Josette Bonafino
Site: http://www.cqtours.com/
About: Josette Bonafino is the founder and Director of Culture Quest Tours, an educational tour company that specializes in custom-tailored travel programs. Since 1993, Culture Quest has worked with hundreds of American high school and college groups traveling to Europe, Latin American and beyond. Josette is also the co-founder and Executive Director of MYX: Multicultural Youth eXchange, a nonprofit organization that uses the arts to help youth explore cultural diversity and social issues relevant to all people. A native Philadelphian and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Josette is an avid traveler and frequently spends time in Iceland and Montserrat where she and her husband own homes. The Global Travel Guru welcomes all travel questions at josette@cqtours.comSee Authors Posts (3)

Regular contributor to the Gazette
August 1, 2009

I’m a new Spanish teacher and attended the ACTFL conference in November for the first time. Boy was I surprised to see how many student travel companies are out there! I’m about to plan my first educational trip but am concerned about getting stuck with the wrong company. Do you have any selection tips?

Vanessa Motter
Memphis, TN
Dear Vanessa,

There sure are a lot of companies out there – all claiming to be the biggest, the best or the oldest. All these superlatives are enough to make your head spin. Before you sign on the dotted line, go through my little checklist:

See if your student tour company belongs to a professional association like SYTA, USTOA, ASTA or even its local BBB. Membership demonstrates that the company is adhering to strict industry standards and is constantly working toward self-improvement.

Get a copy of the company’s liability insurance policy. The limit should be at least $1,000,000, and your school should be listed as an additional insured.

Find out how the company manages student deposits. Is there an escrow account or are student monies commingled with company funds – definitely not a good sign.

Read your company’s cancellation policy carefully. Some student tour companies are known to charge steep penalties even if a student cancels six months or more before the departure date.

Do a little one-to-one research on the company’s reputation, it’s greatest and most reliable marketing tool. Get references from other teachers who have used the company before, and find out what they liked and didn’t like about working with that company.

Consider working with a smaller company, which will be more inclined to take the extra time needed to guide first-timers through the entire process. You’ll also have more luck negotiating a better deal with a smaller company. They rely on your repeat business much more than the big guys and will do whatever it takes to win you over.

Be sure you understand exactly what your students are paying for. Sounds obvious, but many student itineraries are notoriously bare-boned, forcing the kids to pay for lots of “optional sightseeing” on the spot.

And finally, remember the old adage “you get what you pay for.” If the price seems too good to be true, it is. Ask if your “centrally-located hotel” is within walking distance of the Eiffel Tower or (more than likely) located outside of the Boulevard Périphérique. Find out if you’ll be dining at a local trattoria or (more than likely) a local fast food chain. Even though a penny saved is a penny earned, cheapo trips leave students burned.