SETO ARTICLES

School expeditions and learning outside the classroom are all designed to challenge students on a physical, social, morale and mental level.  It is not only an inspiring and collaborative time with their friends but allows students to engage in global issues introduced in the classroom in real-life situations.  

The greatest opportunity for schools and teachers to empower young adults to give back is by incorporating learning outside the classroom programmes that encourage them to interact with local communities and develop essential life skills by exploring meaningful experiences overseas. Life skills and teaching our students to become responsible and contributing citizens are important - and involving young adults in experiential travel is an excellent way of teaching our future leaders the ropes in a guided and facilitated manner.

Why immersive school expeditions?

Authentic Experiences

Going ‘off grid’, away from the tourist trail coupled with authenticity from meaningful local interactions makes an immersive school expedition impactful. This, along with educating student travellers on cultural differences, engenders mutual respect between travellers and hosts and allows students to challenge their perspectives.

Meaningful Contributions

When young adults are given the opportunity to help build public amenities, plant trees or find practical solutions to ease food shortages, they learn how to overcome real-world challenges. They also gain first-hand experience of how their personal actions can contribute to the sustainable improvement of communities and the environment.

Creating Global Citizens

To be an effective Global Citizen, young adults must be flexible and proactive. Immersive expeditions provide the environment to develop life skills such as problem solving, decision making, critical thinking, communication and teamwork. 

Personal Development Journey

They enable students to step outside of their comfort zone, gaining extra-curricular experience highly regarded by universities and employers. In addition, the health benefits are vast; improved positive mental health and wellbeing, greater resilience and self-awareness and lessened anxiety and stress for instance.

Camps International understand the need to provide these opportunities for your students and are passionate about delivering exceptional immersive school expeditions that connect you and your and students to the real world in destinations such as Kenya, Borneo, Cambodia and Peru.

While Camps International work towards achieving a number of UN Sustainable Development goals through sustainable projects, opportunities are abundant for students and teachers to make a difference, and the advantages are numerous, both for the traveller and the global community.

 

"Going on expedition has completely changed my global perspectives. It has made me a lot more determined to search for ways to help other people and go out of my comfort zone with new experiences.” – Emily Betteridge, 2019 travelling student to Kenya

 

About Camps International

Having operated for 20 years, Camps International offer life-changing school expeditions at their permanent camps across seven countries, in Africa, Latin America and Asia. Since its inception, 30,000 students and teachers have been on expeditions, working across 400 projects, impacting more than 120,000 lives across the globe. By participating in these expeditions, students and teachers develop essential real-life skills such as collaboration, decision making, analysis, and moral and cultural responsibility while developing a stronger sense of belonging to a sustainable cause for their future.

More information visit: www.campsinternational.com.au

Business name: Educating Adventures 

Where are you located? Melbourne, Australia and Queenstown, New Zealand

Brief summary of your business?  Educating Adventures works with schools to prepare tomorrow's global citizens, by providing bespoke international travel experiences for students. We offer a wide variety of tours tailored to inspire and educate students, with focus areas such as STEM, Arts, History, Cultural, Ski, and more - all mixed in with lots of fun! 

Which destinations do you specialise in? New Zealand, USA, Europe, Asia

What are the advantages to your business as a SETO member? Everyone coming together to work for the greater good of the industry and create a voice for our niche. 

What have been the greatest challenges to your business in 2022? Flight costs, staffing, the strength of the USD, and re-establishing some of our overseas relationships, especially in the US, have been challenging. Oh, and the high cost of hotels in NYC! 

Consumer travel forecasts, where are your customers enquiring to travel? New Zealand, USA, Europe – some schools are very keen to return to travel, whereas others will wait until 2024 or 2025. I imagine 2024 will finally feel like a semi-normal year again. It would be good to see Western Australia returning to school travel too – I think they are being a little more cautious.

How has your business changed and adapted since the global pandemic hit? Less staff, flexible working, reduced costs etc. Less face-to-face meetings and greater use of Teams and Zoom for meetings and information nights, which gives parents and students the opportunity to join in from the comfort of their home and reduces our carbon footprint, a win-win.

Looking forward, what are you excited about over the next 12 months? We’re excited about facilitating incredible overseas experiences for students again, as they’ve missed out on so much. I really admire the Principals who are leading the way, allowing and encouraging their students and staff to take the opportunities offered by overseas tours again. I recently visited Europe with my family, and it was so exciting to be travelling again and experiencing different cultures. Happily, none of our flights were delayed and no luggage was lost!

Business name: Estilo Sport Travel 
 
Where are you located? Northern Beaches NSW.
 
Brief summary of your business? 
We are a bespoke group operator, with all Estilo tours customised to suit the requirements of each group. Our staff specialise in groups travelling to participate in a particular activity. Whether it be sport, academic or service, staff from Estilo can organise a tour that meets all of our client requirements. 
 
Which destinations do you specialise in? 
Pre pandemic passengers with Estilo travelled to all four corners of the globe. Post pandemic, we have found most tour groups favour destinations closer to home, including Fiji and New Zealand. In April 2023, we will send tours to New Zealand, Fiji, Europe and the USA for sport, drama and academic purposes.
 
What are the advantages to your business as a SETO member? 
As a member of SETO, Estilo Travel can rely on the expertise and support of industry professionals. Financially, we are accountable for client payments and our staff can rely on industry leaders for advice and direction when required.
 
What have been the greatest challenges to your business in 2022? 
In 2022, we have found supply to be a major hurdle. Pre 2020, flight costs would remain quite stable, with passenger amendments completed swiftly and inexpensively. We are finding in 2022, with greater passenger demand, increases in group size to be a challenge to accommodate. Unfortunately, the pandemic forced the closure of some reputable international suppliers, some of which we have been using for over 10 years!
 
Consumer travel forecasts, where are your customers enquiring to travel? 
We expect the South Pacific (New Zealand and Fiji) to be busier than ever in 2023
 
How has your business changed and adapted since the global pandemic hit? 
Our head count has decreased since the start of 2020. We had developed an outstanding team of travel consultants, specialising in sport, service and academic. With travel now resuming, we are in the process of rehiring extra staff to work with our existing and future clients. 
 
Looking forward what are you excited about over the next 12 months? 
With international travel now back in full swing, staff from Estilo are looking forward to working with our existing and potential clients in assisting them with their next tour.

Business name: World Challenge 

 

Where are you located? 

Melbourne is our Australian HQ, supporting our World Challenge representatives across the country. We’re also fortunate to be part of a global World Challenge team with a UK HQ just outside London and a wider Travelopia Group with offices and staff across the globe. 

Brief summary of your business? 

Founded in 1987 and incorporated in Australia in 2003, World Challenge understands the many varied needs of educators and students when developing trips, so we offer a very wide range of educational travel options, including expeditions, curriculum tours, sport tours and learning service journeys. 

We recognise that these trips are often amongst the first that young people undertake without family, and so our mission is to deliver truly life enriching experiences that will stay with them forever.

We’re committed to providing the most secure financial and physical safety assurances available, as demonstrated by our legacy of accreditations, awards, and positive customer reviews, and are committed to the important journey of travelling in such a way that ensures a brighter future for both people and planet.

Which destinations do you specialise in?

Australia, New Zealand and a further 40 or so countries throughout Asia, Europe, North and South/Central America and Africa. 

Have you won any awards or had any special recognition acknowledgment of your business?

Of all the achievements we’ve enjoyed, we’re probably most proud of our journey to becoming climate positive. It’s been a long and arduous journey to this point, but certainly an important one that we’re all very committed to continuing.  

What are the advantages to your business as a SETO member?

As a member there’s a real sense of ‘being stronger together!’ The world (and the world of educational travel) has changed significantly over the past few years, making SETOs main pillars – Governance, Advocacy and Education – more important than ever before. 

What have been the greatest challenges to your business in 2022?

Recruitment. Sadly, many people left the industry given the challenges of the past few years. However, it’s also been very pleasing to see more excellent candidates appearing as we’ve built back over the past few months. 

Consumer travel forecasts, where are your customers enquiring to travel?

Enquiries have really increased significantly in the past six months. Previously almost all enquiries were for Expeditions within Australia, but now there are many varied enquiries, particularly for Curriculum Tours to Europe, Sports Tours to New Zealand and of course Expeditions too many different parts of Asia.

How has your business changed and adapted since the global pandemic hit?

We’ve really worked very hard on our overall proposition, developing significant capability to deliver Curriculum and Sports Tours alongside our Expeditions and Learning Service Journeys, together with the systems and processes to enable this. We have a new bespoke reservation system enabling a real breadth of trips, a custom Learning Management System to deliver educational outcomes and many new partners around the world.

Looking forward what are you excited about over the next 12 months?

Student Travel is what excites and unites us all, so it’s great to be back operating trips – bring it on!

This article was originally posted on syta.org

It’s no secret that travelers are becoming increasingly environmentally conscious in their daily lives and while on the road. They want their travel experiences to not only be fun and memorable, but meaningful and authentic, as well. More than ever, travelers are concerned about the lasting impact made on the destinations they visit.

To delve into this topic further, new global research from Expedia examined what can be learned from consumer attitudes, values and motivations in making conscientious choices. Encouragingly enough, research found that 90% of travelers look for sustainable options while traveling.

But what do travelers see as part of sustainable travel?

Of those surveyed, 69% said sustainable travel included lessening environmental impacts, 66% said supporting local economies, 65% said supporting local cultures and communities, and 52% said visiting lesser-known destinations.

While travelers are talking about sustainability, their personal commitment to making more conscientious choices is already being demonstrated through their actions.

Findings indicate that over the last two years, 3 in 5 travelers have opted for more environmentally friendly transportation or lodging, while 7 in 10 consumers have avoided a travel destination or transportation option due to skepticism that their commitment to sustainable practices was real.

In addition, while on the road over the last two years, 49% of travelers bought from local stores and restaurants rather than chains; 46% visited local cultural or historical sites; 42% bought from local cultures, communities or minority groups; and 37% paid more for sustainable options such as carbon offsets. When it comes to future travels, the percentage for all of these options increased across the board for travelers who intend to make more meaningful decision making.

However, it’s important to note that 74% of respondents indicated that it costs too much to be more sustainable while traveling. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t willing. Half of respondents would pay more for transportation, activities and lodging—if the options offered were more sustainable.

If cost wasn’t indicator enough of how much sustainability means to travelers today, research found nearly 70% of travelers are willing to sacrifice convenience to be a more sustainable traveler. Half of respondents said they’d make choices like walking versus driving; 49% said they’d sacrifice comfort; and 47% said they’d sacrifice time to travel to a destination along with convenience associated with lodging (distance from a destination, amenities, etc.).

Group tour operators and industry professionals can meet travelers where they are by providing more information to help them feel empowered to make informed decisions. Two in three travelers want to see more sustainability info from lodging and transportation providers. According to those surveyed, 50% would like trusted information to come from a destination itself, tourism or visitor resource groups, while 41% said they would like trusted information from independent travel agencies or providers. This type of information could include recommendations for:

• Locally-owned business and restaurants.
• Transportation options with lower environmental impact.
• Engaging with local cultures and communities.
• Eco-friendly activities and walkable/bikeable destinations.
• Packing more sustainably.

To see the research in its entirety, visit Expedia.

Originally written by Sarah Suydam for Groups Today.

 

Where are you located? 

We are based in Melbourne as our hub here in Australia but have representatives across the country.  We are part of the larger Camps International Group of companies which has offices in UK and Dubai, and our on the ground operations around the globe.

Brief summary of your business? 

Camps is a tour operator that delivers life enhancing and educational travel experiences for thousands of young people across the world.  We build camps with local people on land that we buy or lease from communities. Our camps are located in spectacular areas of cultural and environmental diversity.  We employ and train hundreds of people in rural areas where there is little or no employment and shape all our experiences to contribute to community development, wildlife and environmental conservation. 

Which destinations do you specialise in?

We have 3 main geographical regions in which we operate – SE Asia, East Africa and Latin America. 

What are the advantages to your business as a SETO member?

Being an organisation that deals almost predominantly with schools, we are quite a niche market.  We operate between the lines of education and tourism, and up to now have always felt on the margins of both areas.  SETO brings together all similar operators, enabling us to have a presence at a higher level hopefully helping with policy development and travel guidelines, helping schools to make informed decisions towards working with reputable providers.

What have been the greatest challenges to your business in 2022?

The main challenge for 2022 has been gauging when to kick start our activity, and hence our cost base, post covid.  We have had to hunker down for the past 2 years to get through covid, and like many other tourism industries, we are only now starting to see a re-bound.  Schools are generally risk averse and so there remains a reticence to travel and commit.

Consumer travel forecasts, where are your customers enquiring to travel?

For those that are starting to think about future plans, it's mainly our Asia experiences and not until travel in late 2023 and beyond.  Schools are literally just starting to consider their options now and there remains a lot of confusion within schools as to whether they are permitted to travel yet. 

How has your business changed and adapted since the global pandemic hit?

We have definitely shrunk in size like every other tourism operation, and our systems have become more flexible.  In particular, we are more focused on remote meetings with clients as opposed to face to face.  This was something we were considering in any case to reduce our carbon footprint, so covid has accelerated us to a more flexible and less travel heavy operation for our sales team.  This has coincided with a general acceptance globally of the benefit of video calls, of course. 

Looking forward what are you excited about over the next 12 months?

It's really about getting back to normal business, welcoming new clients and teams to the benefits of travel.  We have already had our first post covid teams in our camps around the globe in July this year, so now it’s a case of filling the order book to be able to sustain the activity.  But being able to start to grow the team again and sell is what we really hanker for. 

Rory Hall - Director Asia Pacific at Camps International Limited

Impact on Communities

Transforming lives through volunteer travel

By: Camps International

Over the past few years, life has been disrupted for everyone in ways that were unimaginable However, as the world opens up there are many reasons to be optimistic that we can start making plans for our next long-awaited adventure and learn to adapt to our new normal.

The ripple effects of Covid-19 have reached every corner of the world, but nowhere is this more keenly felt than in developing countries, where employment is the only pathway out of poverty and sustainable tourism provides essential opportunities for cultural preservation and conservation. Previously struggling communities that rely on the physical presence and support of international volunteers, as well as the economic benefits that come with them are now facing the added burden of extended periods of unemployment, lack of essential project progress such as school builds and sanitation, and the interaction, exchange of ideas and wellbeing derived from working with a diverse team of young volunteers. This has inevitably resulted in driving some people deeper into poverty and globally there has been an increase in dangerous and environmentally damaging practices like logging and poaching.

“This is why volunteering, if done in the right way, has never been more needed or meaningful.”

Travelling overseas, living and working alongside local communities, building equitable relationships based on mutual respect and trust, sharing ideas and building a strong global community are just some of the incredible benefits that empower volunteers and their host partners. But volunteering should provide even more than that. It’s an opportunity for individuals to really create lasting positive change, by working together to develop capacity and protect the environment according to local needs for generations to come.

Thinking of volunteer travel with your school?

If you are thinking about offering your students the opportunity to play their part, or you yourself want to make a difference, here are some tips for finding the right volunteering provider:

•     Research - make sure that you thoroughly research potential organisations and ensure that they are operating in an ethical and sustainable way.
•     Impact - ensure that they have a strategic, long-term plan in place for creating positive change and that this is designed to deliver maximum benefits to the host communities and not just their commercial endeavours.
•     Collaboration - do they work in an equitable way with their host communities or do they simply offer ‘help’?
•    Evidence - many companies claim to be ethical but struggle to back up their statements. Make sure that there are proper procedures in place for measuring their positive (and negative) impact and that they can provide information on this. Check for external accreditations and endorsements.
•     Ask questions - Don’t be afraid to ask questions if there is something you are unsure about or would like further clarification. Ethical companies should always be forthcoming with information so you can make an informed decision.

It’s a rare privilege in this digital world to take a break from social media and online communications.

Many young people have not known a time without the pressure of constantly being present online. So, when phones are down, eyes should be up, allowing them to disconnect from devices and connect to the world around them and themselves – it’s truly a gift.

To maximise the benefits of their school trip abroad, students need to be free to be fully in the moment, engaging in the activities on offer and focusing on the people they are travelling with. For this reason, World Expeditions Schools strongly advises against the use of mobile phones during all school trips abroad.

Below we would like to list four reasons why we think students should refrain from using their mobile phone while on an experiential learning experience.  

• 1.      Gain more opportunities

Students embarking on a travel experience with World Expeditions Schools are being given the opportunity to learn important values of teamwork, to build their self-confidence and to develop an understanding of other cultures and ways of doing things.

In most cases, your students are travelling to a destination they have not travelled to before and are taking part in new and different activities. It’s an incredible opportunity to make long-lasting friendships with travel companions, learn new skills and understand themselves a little better. It’s no wonder that the experience often has profound, life-changing effects on students.

• 2.       Get them more engaged

Without the distraction of technology and the urge to scroll on screens, students are more free to look around and notice things. Without mobile phones, students are open to receive information from all their senses. This allows them to fully engage in the travel experience, to maximise the potential for learning and growth.

At the same time, it gives them the chance to top up their creative fuel by being in tune to their own thoughts and responses in a way that is not possible when they are beholden to the phone.

• 3.      Build their resilience

Being reliant on themselves and overcoming challenges they encounter during the school trip will help build resilience. By encouraging your student to step away from online communication, you are giving them the space to grow their confidence and build independence.

• 4.      You can find alternative ways to connect without phones

Your school may wish to make arrangements to keep parents and friends in touch with how the journey is going. Alternative, more structured ways to do this are via blogs on your school’s website or via Facebook groups. This information can be updated on rest days in major towns or cities, where access to the internet is commonplace. The added benefit is that this allows for very clear lines of communication between the group, school and parents.

This article was written by Scott Pinnegar, General Manager of World Expeditions Schools. 

Planning overseas educational travel for your students? Consider these five things so that their return to the world is a smooth and safe one.

As the world welcomes back travellers, knowing the ins and out of visiting certain destinations in a new post-pandemic climate can be tricky to navigate. There are things like what requirements are necessary and what happens when there’s a Covid case on tour?

We list five key things to consider so your student’s return to overseas travel is a smooth and safe one.

While it is a completely different travel landscape from what it was pre-pandemic, one thing that hasn’t changed is the importance of consulting with those in the know. The expertise of educational travel professionals and travelling with financially sound organisations is more critical now than it has ever been to ensure you offer your students not only a rewarding experience but a safe and well managed one.

If you are planning a return to overseas educational experiences for your school, or perhaps looking to venture on your first foray into this exciting world, here are some top tips to take into account.

1. Where can my students go? 

Which countries are open? Which countries require testing? What is their testing procedure?

As we’ve all learned during the pandemic, the goalposts keep moving, and they can move quickly. It’s a cumbersome task for most people to stay up to date with the rules and regulations of their own country let alone those overseas. 

Choosing a destination is often the first step for most school travel organisers. This is where you would benefit from dealing with an organisation, such as World Expeditions Schools, who have experts to monitor such things daily and can utilise their extensive network of overseas contacts.

2. What happens when there’s a Covid case on tour?

Risk management strategies need to be updated to cater for Covid cases. 

School travel organisations that have carefully navigated through the pandemic should have updated and strengthened risk management plans to deal with a potential Covid case before and during a trip.

World Expeditions Schools have been fortunate enough to assist some schools with educational experiences within Australia during 2021 and 2022 where they have successfully managed Covid cases that occurred. 

3. How to protect your communities’ funds

Some of the largest school trip providers were not able to financially manage their way through Covid. When researching who to use, it is important that you query any provider about how they plan to keep your monies safe. What is their policy? 

Pre-pandemic, some experienced school travel organisers felt comfortable dealing directly with smaller local companies in their destination to save some money. Such a scenario offers zero financial protection and the pandemic highlighted what a risky move it is.

Working with an established organisation within your own country, that has a transparent policy on how they will protect your funds, removes several key obstacles, reduces stress and gives you peace of mind that you are providing the best possible scenario for your students and their families.

 

4. Be ready to be flexible with services

Many service providers (hotels, transfer services etc) are not as resourced as they were pre-pandemic. It will take time for the world to build up capacity again, especially in some developing countries.

There is a large staff shortage in many areas and last-minute changes may occur. Flights can be cancelled at short notice, baggage lost, and hotels overbooked.

Expert travel companies have back up plans for their back up plans as per their risk management. Having an experienced guide and team behind you plus 24-hour support in your destination of choice is incredibly important in the current environment. Be sure you organise your school program through a reputable company that offers all the support you need.

For the best chance of a smooth experience, it is important to start planning now to ensure the program and service you want to provide your students can be achieved and fulfilled. 

Post-pandemic planning requires advance consideration and meticulous planning. If you are considering a return to international travel in 2023, start the conversation with an expert today.

5. Talk to an Educational Travel Expert

There’s so much more to consider now than there was pre-Covid. You’re busy enough dealing with the situations that arise at your school courtesy of Covid.

This is where organising a student’s once-in-a-lifetime experience simply cannot be left to chance. Speak to an expert for the best knowledge and travel with a company that has stood the test of time and that can comfortably answer all of the above considerations to you comfortably for your added protection.

This article was written by Scott Pinnegar, General Manager of World Expeditions Schools