Planning Your Trip

We understand that running a school tour takes significant planning, and that is why G.E.T Educational Tours is here to support you every step of the way. Below is a guide to some of the major steps involved in tour planning, so you can see what you need to do and how we can help:

Step 1: Define the purpose of your tour, gauge student interest and gain approval from your school’s leadership team.

Step 2: Contact G.E.T to discuss an itinerary with your dedicated consultant, and obtain a quote.

Step 3: G.E.T and/or school to hold an information evening for parents and students. Remember to advertise the meeting in your classes, via intranet, e-mails, posters etc.

Step 4: Collect expressions of interest and deposits. We suggest collecting deposits within two weeks of the information night and setting up a payment schedule.

Step 5: Arrange attendee name list and provide G.E.T with copies of participant passports. Check if anyone is travelling on a non-Australian passport. If so, do they need a visa? Collate all participant medical information.

Step 6: Speak with G.E.T to confirm your final itinerary. Itinerary needs to be confirmed at least 16 weeks prior to departure.

Step 7: Prepare risk assessments and register your group with DFAT.

Step 8: Hold regular meetings with your students to keep them engaged and excited about the trip. With the help of your students, plan excursions, public transport, code of conduct, set tasks, organise tour shirts and learn about the history, language, and currency of your destination/s.

Step 9: Pay final invoice, approximately 90 days before departure.

Step 10: School to hold a pre-departure meeting with students and parents to finalise any last details.

Step 11: Arrive at the airport in plenty of time at pre-arranged meeting point.

Step 12: Have a great time and a wonderful educational experience.


PRODUCT MANAGER UPDATE - JAPAN

This year all travel organisations have experienced difficulty in securing accommodation for school groups in Japan at the schools’ preferred accommodations, in particular, Tokyo and Kyoto.

This difficulty was due in part, to the public holidays in Japan falling at the same time as our school holidays. However the increase in tourism to Japan from Asia has caused the hotels and ryokans (normally requested by schools) to be booked our earlier than normal and unavailable.

Just over 13m foreigners, 11m of them from Asia came have come to Japan in the last 12 months. This represents a 30 % increase in numbers from the previous year.

Accordingly, 2015/16 will follow a similar pattern.

Schools who are wishing to travel to Japan in 2016 are urged not to leave your decisions until the last minute, but rather book 12 month in advance to try and secure the style and price of accommodation you desire.

If you have already started planning your Japan school tour for 2016 then we look forward to securing your arrangements as soon as possible. Please contact us for further information.