Group Travel Communication Tips

Planning travel for a large group can be a big job - but with the right amount of planning, you can conquer it! Get out a calendar, write down some goals and hold yourself to them! That can be the biggest motivator to help keep you on track.

Here’s a few tips to get started planning travel arrangements for your group. 

Group Travel Planning Goals

• 6-9 months out - Ensure your team has prepared the necessary forms and travel documents
• 6+ months out - Book flights, cars, and other transportation needs for the week (remember, the earlier you book travel, the cheaper it will be!)
• 2-4 months out - Prepare your team each meeting for the challenges of group travel

Travel Focused Meeting

Next up, let’s start planning for your first travel-focused meeting! Here’s a sample email and text you can use to prep your team for their next meeting.

Sample Email

Hello Team, 

Our next team meeting will be (Date/Time) at (Location). During this meeting we will begin making plans to prepare for our trip travel! Please be prepared with the following information:

• All forms previously handed out, completed and ready to turn in AT THE meeting

• All information pertinent to your travel, including passport (if international travel) and drivers license (for domestic trips) so copies can be made at the meeting

• Any questions or concerns you may have about our travel arrangements

It will be important for us to secure the proper travel documents and begin reserving transportation to and from the ministry location as soon as possible. At the meeting, we will cover all the details surrounding our expected travel schedule!

Thanks for your help with this! See you at the meeting!

Sample Text Message

Team meeting on (date) at (time)! We will begin discussing travel arrangements, please come prepared with all forms previously handed out completed, passport and/or DL and questions you may have!

At The Meeting

• Collect all forms previously handed out, ensure they are completed.
  
  
• Collect all information pertinent to travel, including passports (if international travel) and drivers licenses (for domestic trips). 
  
  
• Make copies of everything to keep in a separate file - this will become your base of knowledge and you can bring this along on the trip, to have paper copies of important documents in the event you need them.
  
  
• Answer any questions or concerns the team may have about travel arrangements
  
  
• Over communicate
• You can never over communicate, especially in terms of travel arrangements. Research tells us, most people need to hear a message 7 or more times before they internalize it. A group setting will require each team member to be fully informed and comfortable with how to navigate each phase of the trip with the team. We suggest spending intentional time during each team meeting discussing the details of your trip in addition to regular communication outside of meetings to reinforce what’s been communicated. 
  
  
• We always travel as a group
• Explain to your team the importance of traveling as a group. Just because some of your team may be more comfortable flying or driving long-distances, it’s important for the morale and safety of the group to stay together.
  
  
• Identify some veteran fliers in your group who can serve as small group leaders. They can help 4-5 people navigate the airport together. This helps take all the stress off of you as the leader.
  
  
• If something happens to one of us - someone accompanies them home.
• Make a plan and pact with your team, before the situation arises while traveling, that if something were to happen with illness of a team member or emergency back home, that no one returns home alone. That someone else will volunteer to accompany them home. This is about unity and community.
  
  
• Remember the trip starts during travel!
• We know that travel days can be long, but we want to encourage you and your team to think of those travel days as a part of your mission trip! The best way to keep a travel day from getting stressful is to be well prepared as a team and go into it with a great mindset. Start the morning with prayer - prayer for your team’s hearts to be joyous and without complaint. How great would it be if those you come across as you travel leave your presence happier because of meeting you?
• How you treat others you meet, the attitude of your group and the words you speak to the people sitting next to you on the airplane are all direct representations of Jesus Christ! Maybe God has a special plan for the people you will meet along the way to your location, be at the ready to pray for others and show the love of Christ even while you travel!

Meeting Follow Up

• Ensure each team member has turned in the proper forms and supporting documents at the meeting.
• Via email or text, send a review of the meeting and any actions steps your team needs to take. 
• Ask them to respond to your texts or emails, just to know they have received them. 
• And remember, what God has called you to, He will equip you for! Trust the He will take care of everything and have faith that He is with you, every step of the way!