Why Group Bookings Might Be First to Bounce Back

Winston Churchill once said you should “never let a good crisis go to waste.”

Bruce Hodge, Founder and President of Goway Travel says that’s been a driving force behind Goway’s operations during the pandemic. Though the company had to let go nearly seventy five percent of its staff which is hopefully temporary, they’re not wasting time. They’re investing in infrastructure like a new reservation system and LMS system and regrouping on overall strategy.

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But then there is group travel. Bookings are booming, so much the company is now exceeding the number of bookings over last year.

Barbara Norton, who has been with Goway Travel for thirty six years, thirty four of those working in the groups department, says small group travel has been growing for years.

“It’s not the old days of group travel of 30, 40 years ago with large busloads of people,” Norton says. “We started to see a trend even pre-COVID five to seven years ago, for smaller groups but now it’s that 10-14 person bubble. The majority of our requests are to accommodate a more intimate experience for ease of movement and to be able to include truly unique activities only suited for small groups.”

Norton says the majority of bookings are for mid to late 2021 and beyond.

“It’s the bubble mentality, celebratory, multi-generational events, those are the groups that are ready to go.”

Hodge and Norton both say it’s an area agents can look to grow their business.

“Every time I do presentations, I remind agents groups are everywhere in your community,” Norton explains. “Everyone wants to travel somewhere, whether it’s golf pros, cooking classes, book clubs – you name a group or club association and there’s that common interest that will get them together.”

Goway is also seeing a rise in private bookings and charters. Groups are renting out entire small boutique cruises with ten to twelve cabins and the same group booking a boutique hotel. Both say however that there will be a surge to travel as soon as there’s a vaccine and that it could be difficult for supply to meet demand. In those cases, the company suggests booking now, as they are flexible with changes, including changing destinations.

“If people have booked with us for future travel, we have told them if they cancel and book another destination with us, we’ll make that happen,” says Hodge.