How to Travel
for Free by Leading or Promoting Tours
By 2004 by Jacqueline Corbett
If you have a
burning desire to see the Pyramids... or go on an African
Safari... or snorkel the Great Barrier Reef of the South Pacific...
and don't have the cash, don't worry.
There's a good chance that you can travel for free to just about
anywhere in the world your heart desires just by locating a group
of like-minded folks and convincing them to go with you.
And if you are really good at convincing a lot of fellow travelers
to join you -- and have chosen the right travel company -- you
could also earn up to $10,000 a trip for your efforts.
Not bad for doing something you passionately enjoy doing, and
meeting a whole bunch of people who enjoy the same kind of
traveling you do.
There are dozens upon dozens of travel
companies who are actively seeking individuals to help them
organize tours -- or promote existing ones.
Age is no consideration. Whether you are 16 or 70, there is a tour
or tour group that is bound to suit your travel interests.
Teachers are actively courted to promote tours to their students...
and even given handsome cash stipends to boot.
High school and college students are sought to promote grad trips
and spring break trips to their friends and classmates. Besides
free trips and "rock star" treatment, successful promoters can
often earn as much as $10,000 per spring break.
Ministers and church members are rewarded for telling church
members about pilgrimages and trips to the holy land. With as much
as $10,000 to be made per trip, booking and leading tours is a
wonderful way to raise cash for a church building fund ... or
augmenting a minister's meager salary.
Scuba divers can get a free trip by organizing a scuba dive
trip and promoting it to their fellow divers.
Lovers of the oriental culture can get free trips to Japan or
China, while connecting with a whole new group of friends and
earning enough cash to dine well and bring back lovely
souvenirs.
============================
Travel companies will often pay cash when you produce more
reservations than the minimum required to earn a free trip.
============================
The number of paid trips it takes to get a free one varies from
travel company to travel company.
Some require as few as 5. Others as many as 15 or 20.
Many companies will reward you with multiple trips.
Most will also offer a commission which gets bigger the more trips
you sell.
==============================
It doesn't take any experience to get started -- and most travel
companies supply you with marketing materials and support.
==============================
The degree of involvement in planning and promoting a trip varies
considerably.
For example, promoting a trip for a spring break can often be done
quite casually. Some spring break travel companies will even send a
representative to your campus to put on a meeting .
A few phone calls to friends. Some posters placed around the
campus. An ad in the school newspaper.
And voila, you could easily have 15 or 20 people signed in no
time.
Some companies don't even require that you collect the
deposits.
And most will do the follow through in collecting the balance of
the trip fee.
========================
The more aggressively you promote, the more trips and cash you'll
earn.
========================
According to some travel companies, it is not uncommon for a very
aggressive promoter to walk away with a free trip AND a very
sizeable amount of cash.
Some travel firms say their top producers earn as much as $10,000 a
trip.
=========================
There is no limit to where or how you can advertise a trip to the
general public. The more widely you advertise your tour or
pilgrimage, the more trips you'll book and the more cash you'll
make.
=========================
To maximize your chances for success, it is advisable to announce
and begin promoting your trip at least a year in advance of your
departure date, so that you have plenty of time to reach enough
people -- and to enable your prospects sufficient time to raise
fund and schedule the trip.
If you are already affiliated with a particular group such as a
school, a church, or a club, it makes promoting a trip all the
easier as you already have easy channels of communication in
place.
Writing letters or emails, making phone calls, announcements at
meetings or services, announcements in bulletins, etc.
=================================
If you are interested in making as much money as possible in
addition to a free trip -- either for yourself or as a fundraiser,
you might want to look at other ways of reaching a wider
audience.
=================================
-- Press releases to newspapers and other media.
-- Posters and flyers posted on community and church bulletin
boards.
-- Small ads taken out in newspapers and appropriate magazines.
-- Posting in special interest forums on the Internet
-- Holding public meetings and seminars.
=================================
Organizing a trip gives you rewards way beyond the trip and the
money. In the process of organizing a trip, you will also come into
contact with many like-minded people you might never meet otherwise
... resulting in friendships that last a lifetime.
=================================
For many, the best part of actively organizing and promoting a trip
is meeting new people who have at least some common interests.
Because you are the group leader, you are in a unique position to
have already "broken the ice"... so that when it comes time to
embark on your cruise or tour, you will often be on a first name
basis with everyone.
This feeling of camaraderie with a large number of fellow tourists
can contribute immeasurably to the success of the trip -- and can
often lead to lifelong friendships.
So don't put off traveling just because you don't have the
cash.
Look through the resources below for a travel company that suits
you.
Then get in touch with them, set a date and a destination. And
start making plans to take the trip of your lifetime... by helping
others do the same.
Bon voyage!
===========================================
Free Travel Resources
Travel for Free as a Tour Leader. Organize a safari... or a scuba
diving tour... or a world cruise. We have found travel agencies who
are ACTIVELY seeking tour leaders. Many extensive promotional
help... including brochures and websites.
http://www.thelivingweb.net/free_travel_tour_leader.html
Travel Free as a Church Tour Leader Earn a free trip or cruise or
pilgrimage... and in some cases earn as much as $10,000 per trip
for you or your church by organizing and leading a tour.
http://www.thelivingweb.net/free_travel_holy_land.html
Teachers Travel Free Leading Education Trips Cash Stipends often
available.
http://www.thelivingweb.net/free_travel_teachers.html
Travel Free and Earn Cash as a College Campus Rep. Promote Spring
Break Travel on your campus,. Earn trips and cash.
http://www.thelivingweb.net/free_trips_spring_break.html
Free Trips and Cash as a High School Trip Organizer. Top organizers
can earn as much as $10,000 promoting their graduation trip.
http://www.thelivingweb.net/free_trips_highschool.html
Travel Cheap by Exchanging Homes. You can travel anywhere in
the world for the cost of your plane fare or gas ... by setting up
a house exchange in advance. You can even exchange an RV ... or an
apartment... or a yacht.
http://www.thelivingweb.net/free_travel_exchange_home.html
About
the Author
Jacqueline
Corbett is founder and editor of The Living Web
(www.thelivingweb.net). When not hunched over her laptop finding
useful bits of information to help people live life better, she can
be found in thrift stores seeking great finds to ebay or give as
gifts and in grocery outlet stores seeking inexpensive delicacies
to contribute to the healthy but frugal gourmet meals she and Jason
enjoy preparing.
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