Keep students in your program – with travel!
Travel Notes
Every school faced unique challenges this year, but one that affected music programs consistently was a decline in student participation. Across the country, bands, orchestras and choirs had to navigate complicated logistics to meet, rehearse or perform. Many students either decided not to participate this year or didn’t enjoy this year’s online or hybrid instruction. Directors are hopeful students will return for the 2021-2022 school year – and that they’ll be able to keep participating students engaged.
We’ve talked about using travel for program recruitment, but it’s equally helpful for retention.
While travel isn’t the only reason students choose to join a music program, the exciting possibility of exploring new destinations with friends and classmates is a significant draw. Over 60% of students say that their program’s student travel experience is a big reason they decided to participate. Those shared experiences are what keep students talking about your program, sharing that excitement with their friends and basically “marketing” for you.
We have heard from many of our director friends about how having a trip on the books for the 21/22 school year is positively impacting their program’s enrollment. Here is some of what they had to say:
“It’s been a challenging year all around, but watching the impact the pandemic has had on student activities has been really unfortunate. I’m so thankful that we’ve got a trip on the calendar for next year, because I know how much impact it has on our program.”
“Students chose to stay in band this year in large part because they don’t want to miss out on the trip we have planned for next year.”
“Students can’t wait to get back to the norm of traveling and performing with their friends. We can’t wait either.”
Spring is about to, well, spring all over the country, which means students are choosing their classes and activities – once they’ve made those selections, it’s often difficult to change or add to those schedules.
So don’t wait. Make sure you’ve got a travel experience on the calendar that will get students excited about all this upcoming school year holds. This planning window is unlike any other, as so many cancelled trips are being rescheduled and lower prices and great availability will only last so long. Reach out today and we’ll walk you through all the incredible options available to you and your students – from destinations to attractions to performance venues. And we’ll answer any questions you have about safety on tour and protecting your investment.
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