While inflation seems to be on a downward trend, higher prices in every area of life haven’t budged much. And the travel industry hasn’t been immune to the inflationary dynamics of the past few years.
So, in today’s post, we’re here to share all the ways we’re working to make trips more affordable so every student performer who wants to travel, can travel.
Family Company, Big Buying Power
We know that performance travel changes students’ lives, opening their eyes to the world beyond their neighborhood school. For over 40 years, we’ve been doing all we can to make travel possible for students.
Because we book so many trips in destinations around the world, we’re often able to negotiate better pricing on different elements of the trip – and we pass those savings along. Our longstanding relationships with vendors like hotels, transportation companies and attractions make those savings even more accessible to us and helpful for you.
We Listen First, Then Dream With You
Every trip we plan is fully customized to the group we’re working with. Our process is guided by our relationship with you, so we start by getting to know you, your program and your travel goals. We want to understand the why behind your trip before we dream up an incredible itinerary for you.
Because we listen and learn before we plan, we’ll never build a trip that’s beyond the financial realities of your school or program. This means that your trip will have an itinerary full of highlights at a price your students (and their families) can afford.
BRT Payments with Trip Donations
Paying for travel should be simple – but now, it’s also easier! We recently launched Trip Donations by BRT Payments, which makes it easy for family and friends to donate to a student’s trip.
This feature allows anyone to contribute to a student’s trip in just a few simple steps within our secure and intuitive payment platform. Donations have already made more trips possible for more students – while making the trip more affordable for their parents and lightening the fundraising burden for everyone.
Our Moments That Matter Scholarship
Years ago, we launched the BRT Moments That Matter Scholarship, to make sure that exceptional students with financial need can experience the excitement of student travel. Students traveling with their school or educational program on a future trip with BRT may apply for awards of up to $500 each. Find out more here.
What YOU Can Do
We’re doing all we can to fight inflation for you, but there are some ways you can bring costs down, too! A few suggestions:
- Book Early – This is the easiest way to inflation-proof your trip. Book travel at today’s prices so you’re protected from higher prices in the future.
- Communicate Early and Often – When parents have 12-15 months to steadily pay for their student’s trip, the expense feels more manageable. Give them as much information as you can, as early as you can, so they have time to plan, save and pay for this incredible experience.
- Lead the Charge for Fundraising and Trip Donations – The two combined can make all the difference when you’re fighting inflation, and sharing info on both can help more families to feel they can make the trip happen. Check out our Fundraising Guide for both insight and creative ideas!
We’ve learned so much in our 40+ years of serving music educators and it’s our privilege to share it with you. If you’ve been dreaming of traveling with your students, we’d love to connect with you and explore what’s possible. We look forward to getting to know you!