Congratulations on closing out another successful school year! As you head into a well-deserved summer break, I hope you find time to rest, recharge, and enjoy the things that bring you the most happiness. May sweet summertime leave you feeling refreshed for the new school year ahead.   

Once you've had a chance to recharge after a busy school year, shift your focus to promoting the trip. I know it seems like it might not be productive to continue to promote over the summer when the students aren't in school. Families are vacationing and busy with summer sports, BUT I can assure you that investing a little time in your trip over the summer will pay off. In my opinion, summer trip promotion is key to a successful and full trip.  

I connected with several of our most successful group leaders to gain insight into how they consistently fill their trips and use the summer months to set the stage for another successful tour with School Tours of America. Here's what they shared:  

Tip 1:  

"While on my School Tours of America Trip, I post on social media a recap of what the group is doing each day. I do my best to tag all the parents of travelers that are with me to ensure that parents back home are seeing the trip in real time and to gain excitement for what their student could experience should they choose to sign up to join us. I also have my principal post on our school's social media pages for me as well, while we are touring; just one or two posts on the school's social media really do help to gain attention for my trip. We have an amazing PTO, and they always share my posts about the trip. Once we return, I send an email to parents of the incoming class with steps on how to register, the trip meeting PowerPoint, and a copy of the digital registration packet.  

Tip 2:  

"Shortly after returning, I connect with my school administrator to share photos for our school's social media, showcasing the memorable moments from the trip. At the same time, I send out the flyer for next year's trip. This often sparks interest, and I begin receiving inquiries via email about our upcoming travel plans. In response, I send families the same presentation materials I used during our spring parent promotion meeting, including a slideshow and handouts."   

Tip 3:  

"I host a meeting at our local park in early June for any parents who could not attend the trip meeting I had at the end of the school year. By offering the meeting on a summer evening, I can reach some of those busy parents who I know want to give their kids this opportunity but are too busy in May to attend a meeting. Giving up an hour of my time in the summer for a meeting in the park helps me to see registrations boost before my July 1st deadline, so for me, it's absolutely worth it."  

Tip 5:  

Fun Fact Friday – Share an interesting and engaging historical fact with each registered participant through your portal. To increase visibility and engagement, consider also posting these facts on your school or trip social media channels. It's a great way to spark interest and potentially encourage a few more registrations!  

In conclusion, taking just a few simple steps over the summer can make a significant impact on your tour registrations—and give your summer money earnings a boost! Most importantly, enjoy your well-deserved summer; we look forward to seeing you and your students on tour with us soon!