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TRENDS IN STUDENT TRAVEL
KEITH SNODE, KALEIDOSCOPE ADVENTURES
KEITH SNODE FROM KALEIDOSCOPE ADVENTURES EXPLAINS DEVELOPMENTS IN STUDENT TRAVEL AS THE SECTOR RECOVERS
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he last two years have been volatile and unpredictable for the student travel market. Thankfully, some stability has arrived, and educators are once again able to plan trips for their classes. Keith Snode from Kaleidoscope Adventures talked to us about trends he sees in the student sector and how schools are adapting.
Q: “How have travel patterns shifted for student groups during this recovery process?” A: There has been a noticeable so that raises the cost for everybody, shift in where the student groups are traveling to compared to prepandemic conditions, at least for the moment. Groups would typically travel to cities like Orlando or New York, and they would be on four-year cycles to involve every grade and keep prices down. And in the off-years, they would travel to a smaller market like Toronto or Cleveland if they were based in the Midwest, for example. But the motorcoach industry has changed significantly; gas prices are higher and there are fewer drivers,
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STUDENT TRAVEL PLANNING GUIDE 2022
and people aren’t able to afford trips that are as extensive anymore. So I’m starting to hear more feedback from educators and clients asking about alternate destinations, which I think has been a positive development since it spreads the profits around. For years, I’ve been saying cities like Savannah and Lafayette, Louisiana are great for students, but I think the current marketplace has opened lots of eyes about their potential since they tend to cost less for the traveler. ■
Q: “Do you notice new locations trending?” A: I think we’re in a period
where travelers are very budgetconscious, and when places like Disney World and Myrtle Beach are already popular with families, parents tend to think “why should I pay for this experience if my child has already been there?” So we challenge teachers to think outside the box. There was a recent school group I worked with that always had the same arrangement: one motorcoach that accommodated about 45 people and always went to Orlando. He was resistant, but I convinced him to create a new itinerary that combined trips to Nashville and Huntsville (where Space Camp is), and he saw nearly double the attendance than normal. I find this sort of thing very encouraging— when teachers learn that variety in the trips they offer can lead to more enthusiasm. ■
