The love of travel is what brings many group travel clients to you, but have you ever thought of traveling for love? Romance travel doesn’t sound like a group event, but with 15 percent of all weddings being destination weddings, love can help you grow your group travel business.
Destination weddings are not the only occasions based on celebrating love. Anniversary trips with vow renewals also are lucrative group options for planners. Couples sharing their special occasion with friends and family means multiplying what may have started as a two-person holiday to booking upward of a hundred people.
As a group travel planner, you understand that organizing a group of people together at the same time is a complicated process. You need to take into consideration a variety of budgets as well as different departure locations and dates. With many destination weddings or vow renewals taking place in exotic locations, facilitating details such as travel documentation, travel insurance and transfers are areas of expertise you provide giving peace of mind to the less experienced travelers in the group.
Coordinating transportation and accommodations for the group are only part of a destination celebration. Group excursions and events beyond the main occasion are additional revenue streams for group planners. Make the trip memorable for all guests by incorporating personal interests into the events. Suggest a destination to an ancestral location or theme an anniversary celebration around the year the couple was married. Learn as much as you can about the individuals in the group to offer a variety of outing options. Added personal touches for the celebrated couple, such as offering to place an announcement in their local paper, or an addition of an extended vacation in a different location can go a long way and may encourage repeat bookings.
The “big day” celebration itself means coordination of details such as ceremony venue, catering, floral arrangements and photography. Many destination wedding locations have onsite coordinators to help facilitate these special details. For couples getting married, onsite wedding coordinators can help with legalities such as waiting periods for a marriage license, blood test requirements, identification and necessary documentation. Working with the coordinators on behalf of the group, a savvy planner can negotiate special package deals with incentives and free perks at the resort that can be passed on to the travelers.
Finding prospective romance travelers can be as easy as attending bridal shows and dedicating space to the option on your website. Feature the beneficial services included in coordinating the group such as processing payments, assisting with cancelations and being a competent contact for all the guests from planning through their stay and back home again — allowing the happy couple the luxury of focusing on love!