Extra Credit
GO WITH A PRO
airline, insurance and other tourism partners—a risk-management
program that prepares group leaders for what is unexpected in their
world but expected in ours. The program also allows us to respond
and react when we are needed.
Maria
Manouvelos-Baker
First Choice Tours
Kaitlyn Dunneback
Witte Travel
& Tours
Marcie Ellison
Outerbridge
Ellison Travel
& Tours
Do-it-yourself is fine when it comes to changing the oil
in your car or building shelves for your storage shed.
But leading a group of students? On a trip?
It’s better to go with a pro. So we asked three:
Maria Manouvelos-Baker, president and owner of
First Choice Tours in South Deerfield, Massachusetts;
Kaitlyn Dunneback, tour operations coordinator
with Witte Travel & Tours in Grand Rapids, Michigan;
and Marcie Ellison Outerbridge, vice president of
operations with Ellison Travel & Tours in Exeter, Ontario.
“Field trips are a very effective form of learning, and
the best way to ensure a trouble-free, well-planned
trip for your class is to work with a professional tour
operator,” says Manouvelos-Baker. “With rising costs—
and shrinking school budgets—we know how hard it
can be to put together a field trip for your students.
When you work with a reputable tour operator, you’ll
save time and money.”
What can a tour operator can do for a group?
MM-B: We always give the customer more than they expect. We
know the right questions to ask and how to get the most value for
the class’ budget. Our all-inclusive tours cover every detail, and
because we have access to so many attractions, restaurants and
hotels, we make sure teachers have a full itinerary.
KD: We assist from the planning process all the way through to
booking details and executing the tour. We provide suggestions for
destinations, venues and itineraries that fit each group’s budget and
time frame. We handle everything travel-related so that teachers can
focus on the goal of their tour.
MEO: We have access to experiences that your typical group leader
does not, and our partners specialize in the student and youth market
and cater to their needs, interests and price points.
What do you say to parents who are worried about their
kids traveling without them?
MEO: Over the last 37 years we have developed—along with our
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NTA Trip Planner for Student Travel
KD: We provide professional tour managers with every group, and
we recommend at least one chaperone for every eight to 10 students
on the tour, so there’s no need to worry. We write itineraries so that
students have enough free time to experience the cities on their own;
however, they are always with a tour manager or chaperone.
MM-B: Safety is our No. 1 priority, and we give everyone our 24-hour
phone number in case they need to reach us. On all multi-day tours
we provide overnight private security at the hotel. And for motorcoach
groups we choose only the safest, highest-rated transportation
providers that employ drivers who have passed rigorous
background checks.
How do you use your connections to provide a better
deal—or a better experience—to a student group?
MM-B: We negotiate prices with hotels, bus companies, attractions
and other vendors to give students a first-class trip that’s educational
and fun—without the high costs. We pride ourselves as being the
worry-free way to travel.
MEO: It is not uncommon for our long-time vendors to assist our
groups with special requests or considerations that are outside their
normal service offerings. For music groups, we save our clients’
money by negotiating with the airline for transporting instruments, and
we have contacts for renting or borrowing instruments. We also can
request special timing or pricing to help meet the needs of our groups.
KD: We have good relationships in the industry that allow us to get
better prices, upgrades and offers. We work with NTA members to
provide a better experience for our student groups, and we’re often on
a first-name basis with the people at restaurants and hotels that we
work with frequently.
What does it take for a teacher to be an effective
trip leader?
MEO: Most of our group leaders are naturals for this role because
they are engaged, enthusiastic teachers and want to offer more
to their students. Trip leaders need to maintain their focus, as the
planning process can be long. And although we are doing all of the
work to plan the tour, they need to keep the students excited and
prepare them in the classroom.
KD: Group leaders must put students’ interests in front of their
own. They work closely with their tour operator to ensure the best
educational itinerary—as well as sightseeing—for their group.
MM-B: You want your students to return home inspired and a
little more connected to the world around them. We work hand-in-
hand with trip leaders to handle all of the logistics so that they can
concentrate on being an educator.
To learn more contact Manouvelos-Baker at [email protected],
Dunneback at [email protected] and Outerbridge at
[email protected].