Religious Group Travel Facts

By:Rajinder Dogra

Based on a recent PhoCusWright study, group travel is one of the key competitive segments in the online travel industry and is projected to reach $175 billion by 2008. One key growth area is in the religious market. Groople (www.groople.com), the leading group travel website, has seen a rise in several distinct types of religious travel such as: religious tours, retreats, spiritual getaways and even clergy meetings. Some of these trips include pilgrimages to Holy sites throughout the world, religious communities organizing trips for their congregations, urban volunteer missions to help other communities throughout the U.S. and personal growth spiritual retreats for couples. Groople offers travelers tailored group options, trip ideas, and even a place for group members to collaborate and discuss their selections online. Below you will find additional information regarding religious group travel including tips and advice and top destinations.

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Religious Group Travel Fact Sheet

According to a recent PhoCusWright study, the group travel market will represent $175 billion by 2008; Groople, a leader in online group travel sees the religious group market as a growing segment in group travel.

The religious group travel market is expected to grow 6.5% in 2008; nearly twice the rate of group travel as a whole.

One third of religious group travel planners use online travel agencies such as Groople.

19 percent of survey respondents said they planned a religious event in the past year.

Key amenities for religious trip group travelers:
Moderate hotel
Meeting facilities
Breakfast available at hotel
Parking
Restaurant at hotel

The PhoCusWright survey found that religious customers are looking for quick response times, live customer phone service, group discounts, planning tools, and most importantly trip idea recommendations. Groople offers all of these services to religious group travel customers.

Grooples tips and advice for religious group travel include the following:

· Plan ahead. This ensures you find the group rates you need, the location you want and more importantly the dates that work better for everyone. Usually the larger the group the more in advance you should plan. Groople recommends at least 60to 90 days in advance.

· Remember your group members. Keep in mind the purpose of the trip as well as the people traveling. If you’re planning a trip for an elderly group, you should keep in mind any special requirements of the attendees. If you are planning a trip with children, you must be mindful of chaperones. In the case of planning for a retreat of personal growth, you should search facilities that encourage comfort, openness and relaxation.

· There are many services and tools Groople offers to plan a successful religious getaway such as:

· Ability to add amenities which suit your specific needs
· Recommended trip plans and ideas
· Available maps with location of hotels in relation to chosen area
· Available group travel planners able to assist with your searches

Top Religious Trip Group Travel Destinations:
Orlando
Atlanta
Columbus, OH
Nashville
Houston


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