Travel Case Study  

    Keeping 19 travellers on track to Tanzania

    An independent school in Sydney, Australia, organised a volunteering trip for 16 year 10 students and three teachers to Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. The group's itinerary included volunteering at two local community schools, helping teach English, sharing knowledge and culture, and wrapping up with a safari experience. Safety, communication, and flawless flight paths were key priorities for this group of travellers.
     

    Industry: Education | Travellers: 19 | Location: Tanzania

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     Approach  

    Planning for this trip began nearly a year in advance, with the FCM Events group travel team involved from the very start. A dedicated group travel expert acted as the school's direct line of support, designing a flight plan around the school's preference to fly with minimal stopovers, while navigating multiple visa pathways for a group of mixed-passport holders.

    Every logistical detail was handled with care and a personal touch, including:
     
    • Ensuring the school were familiar with the visa requirements
    • Aware of the safety and risk factors specific to this destination.
    • organised official letters from parents to satisfy customs requirements.
    • Reserving group seating so students could travel in clusters with teachers.
    • Regular communications with the school reassuring parents that every detail of their children's journey was accounted for.
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     Challenges  

    Originally booked on a straightforward itinerary, the group's plans were disrupted just days before departure when tensions in the Middle East led to the closure of Qatar airspace. While trips of this nature usually take 8-9 months to plan, for the FCM group travel expert, this meant rerouting all 19 travellers, including 16 minors with only three days until departure.
     
    Within hours, the FCM travel expert sourced alternative routes across several Australian and African carriers, secured refunds, and rebooked the entire group. While it may have appeared to be a straightforward adjustment, managing multiple stopovers across two continents, navigating complex time zones and airport schedules, and supporting a group of students with limited international travel experience required careful coordination and expertise.
     
    Challenges included:
     
    • Rebuilding the entire flight program within hours, balancing cost, safety, and school requirements.
    • Working closely and quickly with the school to navigate new visa and embassy requirements.
    • Securing group seating on near-full flights, so students and teachers could remain close.
    • Anticipating customs delays and preparing the school with back up plans.
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     Outcomes  

    With the guidance of the FCM group travel expert, the school had complete confidence that every stage of the journey was under control. Despite the last-minute changes, FCM successfully did the following:
     
    • Rebooked the entire group onto a new itinerary in two days, keeping departure and return dates on schedule.
    • Maintained parent confidence through deep expertise, regular updates, and clear seating plans.
    • Secured refunds and supported insurance claims, minimising additional costs for the school and families.
    • Helped review risk and safety requirements to align with new routes, ensuring the school's duty of care obligations were fully met
    Resulting in a successful volunteering trip where 16 students and their teachers travelled safely and enjoyed an experience they'll never forget.
     
    Source: FCM Travel