Inflation remains a hot topic these days, as 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 nearly 45 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.
We also help you communicate the value of the experience to both administration and your students’ families, equipping you with both stats and stories of what travel means for students like yours.
BRT Payments with Trip Donations
We’re committed to making travel accessible and affordable for every one of your student performers. With our BRT Payment System, your students’ families can easily schedule payments and you’ll have a bird’s-eye view of who’s paid and who hasn’t, taking all the guesswork out of trip finances.
But perhaps everyone’s favorite feature is Trip Donations by BRT Payments – our crowd-funding (and crowd-pleasing!) tool that allows friends and family 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. This makes travel possible for more students, with an average of over $350 in donations per student!
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 decades 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!