We all know how accessible travel has become. The whole world seems to be a click away. But that also means that travel has become less genuine. It is easy to book flights, accommodations and activities while never having any authentic experiences during your trip. You can visit a whole country while being in a bubble. The beauty of joining a group tour is the opportunity to truly interact with locals. If you happen to choose the right type, you might be fortunate enough to even see the country from multiple locals’ perspectives. Here at The Hybrid Tours, we advocate for all travel, but it is important to understand that some types of travel are more responsible and valuable than others. Here are our top 7 reasons to join a group tour.
1. Stress-Free Travel
Travelling on your own is project management. You have to book accommodations and activities. If others are traveling with you their feedback and needs have to be taken into account. You have to navigate making reservations in places that you’ve probably never been to before, all while deciphering a map. You have to read through reviews and take your budget into account, all while knowing that your travelling expenses will probably be higher than what you budgeted for in the first place. And of course, you have to manage the logistics of your trip and how to move around your destination.
Traveling is fun but it can also be exhausting. How often have you come back from a trip even more tired than when you left? A group tour is a fantastic way to get rid of all the stress of planning a trip. You pick an itinerary that you find attractive and has suitable dates, and that’s it. All you have to do is show up and have some extra spending money for personal expenses and shopping. Everything else is taken care of by the experts on the ground. This allows you to fully immerse yourself in the trip without having to worry like you would on a proper holiday!
One of the common misconceptions about tours is that people assume that you won’t be given any time off. The reality is, this depends on your tour operator. Larger companies are known to have big travel groups in which you’re timed at each destination. Many of these companies also receive a commission from your shopping, so they are obliged to take you from shop to shop and push you into buying. The Hybrid Tours does not deal with any of that nonsense. Since we run small groups, we take into account your wishes and can easily adapt our itineraries on the road. Most importantly, you will be given personal time during the trip to go shopping or out for drinks at your leisure.
2. Cost-Effective Adventures
Travel agencies and tour operators have contacts on the ground that you as a tourist normally don’t have access to. If you were to go to a destination and book accommodations, transportation, and a guide to be with you throughout your whole trip, the costs of organizing this yourself would be much higher than on a group trip. By pooling resources and booking for a large group, they can negotiate better prices. Additionally, some expenses such as guides and transportation, are distributed among the group, which results in significant savings compared to individual travel.
Most importantly, you know how much you have to spend upfront, and the rest will be optional expenses. Self-planning sometimes equates to higher expenses due to unforeseen costs. Joining the right group trip allows you to truly experience a destination cost-effectively.
3. Access to Exclusive Experiences
Some travel experiences can only be accessed with the right contacts. Some examples include access to restricted sites, unique cultural opportunities, hidden gems that only locals know about or simply getting to meet people who have lived through history. This is our speciality here at The Hybrid Tours.
Through our local contacts, we provide the opportunity to meet with people from all walks of life at every one of our destinations. This enables you to get a deeper insight into the country, in a way that no YouTube video or interview online would give you. These are the encounters that we pride ourselves on the most. Not only will you leave your group trip with cherished memories, but also with friendships that will naturally happen through these meetings.
4. Safety in Numbers
Travelling in a group provides an extra layer of security, especially for those travelling alone. We at The Hybrid Tours are big advocates for solo travel and encourage anyone looking to join to do so alone if they have no one else to join them. Group travel ensures that you always have local experts and other fellow guests looking out for each other, especially in what is at first an unfamiliar territory. The best part about this is knowing that there will be other people to bond with who are in a similar position to yours.
5. Expert Local Knowledge
When you join a group trip, you automatically get access to the expertise of the people on the ground. These experts have a wealth of knowledge about the history and culture of the places that you’ll visit, and can also show you the hidden gems that only locals know about. Most importantly, you will be able to experience the passion that they have for their country. Why visit an archaeological site on your own when you can have a professional guide walk you through history with them? Imagine going to the best restaurants in town and being greeted like a regular and served like a king - that is the power that local guides have. Their insights will enrich your travel experience, and it will allow you to better experience a destination.
6. New Connections and Bonds
As adults, I think we can all agree on how difficult it can be to make new friendships. After leaving our hometowns and finishing university, access to new connections can be difficult. Unless you’re a social butterfly and have a very active life outside of work, making new friendships can be challenging for many of us. The beauty of joining a group tour is being able to meet other like-minded individuals who share your passion for adventure and travel. This creates a sense of unity and companionship that makes the entire journey even better.
Group trips can often lead to lasting friendships, as you share laughter and emotional moments, and live through an adventure together. The Hybrid Tours prides itself in catering to the whole world, which means that you’ll be travelling with an international group of people that you normally would not have the chance to meet. Most importantly, there is no division between you, the guests, and the locals we encounter. The people we work with on the ground have become like family to us, and we hope to instil that same feeling of togetherness with the local guides too. Warning: there might be platonic, romantic or bromance relationships arising.
7. Enhanced Personal Growth
Travelling is not just about visiting a destination. It requires courage and self-determination. Joining a group trip challenges you to step out of your comfort zone and it fosters personal growth. It will help you further develop your adaptability, teamwork and communication skills while navigating different cultures and landscapes. These shared experiences will not only boost your confidence but will also broaden your perspectives and transform you into a more open-minded individual.
In conclusion, we know the benefits of travel. We know how life-changing it can be. The bonds you’ll make, the ease of not having to plan, and the priceless connections on the ground, are just some of the many advantages of travelling as part of a group. We have seen how accessible travel has become, but we have also witnessed how difficult it can be to have authentic experiences while travelling. This is why we encourage you to take part in a group trip - to allow yourself to travel in a better way that will leave you with long-lasting memories and the trip of a lifetime.
