Students on tour

As I was reviewing the articles for the student travel issue of Spotlight, the e-magazine published by Group Tour Media, as well as interviewing tour operator Kirk Troen for that issue, I was struck again by the advances in the student travel industry.

A long time ago, I was a member of a high school band that made an overnight trip several hours away. The tour involved one or two overnights, two or three performances, and a museum visit. While I am fuzzy on the details, it was a fun experience, and I remember the band played great on the road. The next year the band was going on a week-long performance trip to Ontario. I was looking forward to my first international experience. Unfortunately, my appendix burst just before the tour departed. While the band traveled, I stayed home and recuperated.

I imagine the fundraising and preparation for today’s student tours is somewhat similar to what it was back in those days of yore. I know students today look forward to tours just as much as I did. But student travel has also changed. For one thing, now there are many companies that specialize in organizing and conducting tours for students in general and for bands, choirs, and orchestras in particular. An association made up of those companies and travel suppliers, the Student & Youth Travel Association, known as SYTA, is dedicated to improving student travel. A number of attractions, accommodations, and restaurants actively court the student market.