Group Tour Companies

For most people, the first place to start looking for a group tour is through commercial tour companies. If not having to worry about the details is one of the benefits of group travel, then choosing which commercial group travel company to use can be one of the biggest headaches.

Tour Associations

It would seem that the easiest way to choose a tour company would be to check with an established tour group association or industry trade group, but that can be just as confusing. There are dozens of local, regional, national, and international trade organizations. Perhaps it would be best to start looking at a more general level, such as the local tourism board or a broad-based organization like the Travel Industry Association of America. Another good source for news and information is CrossSphere, formerly called the National Tour Association. It bills itself as “the global association for packages travel.”

Another source to check is the tourism agency in the locale you plan to visit. While this might be more difficult for international travelers, remember that these so-called Destination Marketing Organizations, or DMOs, want you to get there safely and enjoy the trip so you will come back. Any negative comments from them about a tour company should be taken seriously.

Tour Specialties

An Internet search for group tour companies will bring up hundreds of results, many of which are specific to a certain destination or theme.

Religious Tours

Aside from destination, tour companies also specialize in theme tours. Perhaps the most common of these are religious tour groups. These conduct trips to the Middle East and the Holy Lands of Christians, Jews, and Moslems. Other group tours visit holy sites around the world, and some companies specialize in helping groups set up “mission tours” to various spots around the world.

Theme Trips

Tours based on special themes are even more varied and offer both long and short trips. While not too many people would want to book a weekend getaway to the Middle East, lots of people go off in groups for weekends at shopping meccas or to sporting events.

These shorter theme trips can be less structured than most group travel. For instance, a weekend getaway to a nearby NFL city might be based around the football game, but also might offer accommodations at a fancy hotel with reservations at a nice restaurant. While the sports fan is at the game, the rest of the family is free to see the sites, shop, or visit other tourist attractions in town.

Itineraries

Commercial tour companies also offer vastly different itineraries. Some tours schedule each day almost down to the hour and some just open the bus doors when you get there and do not bother you again until they herd you back on to leave.

Price is the governing factor here. If you want to pay for your fun all at once, shop for a tour that offers a lot as part of the package price. Otherwise, choose an open-ended tour that offers members of the group more free time, at the cost of having to pay for your thrills as you go.