D-Day Crossing:London and Normandy via the English Channel Crossing the English Channel as the Allied Forces did on June 6, 1944 is on the bucket list of many family members of the Greatest Generation. For this reason, we have operated D-Day programs for over 30 years. Each 5th commemorative year, the experience takes on added poignancy, and is now the jewel in the crown of ATA’s military history-themed programs. Participants visit key Churchill sights in London, like the War Room itself, and learn about the Enigma Machine at Bletchley Park that deciphered the German’s encoded messages. During anniversary years, they also attend official D-Day ceremonies alongside of British, French and American dignitaries. In many cases, family members of D-Day veterans return home from this trip understanding for the first time the true nature of their loved one’s wartime experience. Previous Next This program highlights how ATA can take a well-told story and skillfully weave it throughout an itinerary. The places we visit are carefully curated and showcase the destination through the lens of history. It also demonstrates the seasoned organizational skills required to manage a myriad of details, including securing official invitations for travelers to attend the official D-Day ceremonies. Our planning for the 75th anniversary began two years in advance, allowing us to secure prime hotel space and add departures as space filled up. After travelers were booked, we also communicated extensively with them to set expectation vis-à-vis traffic logistics, security concerns, and Brexit! In the end, all nine groups had very memorable experiences.
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Why We Attend Women in the World
One snowy evening back in the winter of 2015, I made my way to a gathering of women in a DC hotel ballroom called “Women in the World.” The panels—made up of impressive women representing a variety of fields—gave me my first taste of “live journalism” as legendary writer and editor Tina Brown defines it: “vivid storytelling, stirring videos, and provocative discussions.” I was hooked! The following spring, Kate Simpson, ATA’s President, and I attended the 3-day WITW summit at Lincoln Center in New York, and have attended each year since then. This year, Kate summarized the activists, politicians, CEOs and changemakers that we saw on stage: “From Stacey Abrams to Hillary Clinton, from Ashley Judd to the Soloway sisters (creators of Transparent), from a Uighur woman fighting the detention camp policies of China to a Jordanian woman who established the first self-defense school for women in the Middle East, from exiled Masih Alinejad who started a social media campaign in Iran for women to remove their hijabs to Ibtihaj Muhammad, the Olympic medalist in fencing, from Indra Nooyi (former Pepsico CEO) to Cindy McCain and Glenda Jackson… The list of women changing the world was long and powerful.” Not only does this mini-retreat in New York feed our souls, it has been the catalyst and inspiration for us to continue to make our company better and stronger. Here are some of the changes we’ve made since attending the conference. We offer paid parental leave: Kate and I are both mothers who strung together vacation leave and sick days to fashion our maternity leaves, as many, many mothers before us have done and continue to do. We knew we could do better for ATA’s new parents, and set out to find a way. What began as a new staff policy of two weeks of paid maternity leave four years ago has become a new benefit of 8 weeks of paid parental leave for either father or mother. We no longer request salary history from job candidates: Requesting salary history in the hiring process disproportionately harms women who exit the work force more frequently than men in the course of their careers to raise their families. As a result, women can fall behind in salary. Our own instincts were validated at Women in the World when we heard Chirlane McCray, wife of New York City major Bill DeBlasio, speak passionately about her work to ban the practice entirely in New York. As a result, our hiring practices are more transparent than ever, and salary history is never a factor in determining a new employee’s starting salary. We established a diversity and inclusion committee: We are a company that embraces difference and celebrates diverse cultures, and we believe in learning from those who do not share our backgrounds, our viewpoints, our experiences. We embrace these values both within our work and our workplace. Diversity within the workplace engenders enriched innovation and creativity, as well as better-informed decisions and well-rounded perspectives. The ATA Diversity and Inclusion Committee, founded formally a couple of years ago, has drafted recommendations on promoting diversity in our recruiting practices and continues to lead our staff training curriculum. We remain committed to our philanthropic goals: Attending Women in the World reminds us that the world’s problems need passionate advocacy and a steadfast commitment to find solutions. We remain committed to our areas of philanthropy: diversifying the field of study abroad through our sponsorship of The Fund for Education Abroad, advancing the travel industry’s positive social and environmental impact with Tourism Cares, supporting displaced peoples through the International Rescue Committeeand conserving our local environment with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. We can’t wait for next year!
A Trip Concept We Didn’t Expect: Yellowstone During the Government Shutdown
Airline strikes, lost passports, political unrest: dealing with the unexpected is probably the most predictable part of the travel business—and we pride ourselves on being prepared for whatever comes our way. This past January presented a conundrum of a different sort: we had nearly 40 travelers booked on two New York Times Journeys departures of Winter in Yellowstone—and the U.S. government was shut down indefinitely. We immediately contacted our partners on the ground and were able to run the full itinerary with a few logistical adjustments. As the first group arrived, our quick-thinking tour manager Caroline Ogden made contact with an area non-profit and found out that local businesses and vendors had come together voluntarily to keep the park running—cleaning and stocking the bathrooms, emptying the trash, providing freebies to the furloughed park staff. In the evenings, our groups sought out those businesses, including two restaurants in Gardiner, Montana. We ended up meeting the owners and getting to know members of the local community who were volunteering their time to take care of this national treasure. Over the past 50 years, ATA has faced its fair share of crises great and small, and we’ve weathered them all by being nimble, creative, and building strong relationships with our partners. Instead of being hampered by the shutdown, both of these trips became something more than any of us expected: our travelers forged an intimate connection with Yellowstone’s community and became involved in the inspiring local effort to help the park. Says Caroline, “When things don’t go as planned, there is almost always a silver lining if we reach out and talk to people. I think ATA does a great job at building connections whenever possible. Those are the unexpected experiences that participants will remember, and I will too!”
Meet Our Newest Program Managers
When you have discerning clients like we do, your team has to be discerning too—but also creative, well informed, perceptive, and above all, passionate about travel. Our creative team comes to work each day with a tall order: to craft unique travel itineraries that embody our clients’ individual attributes and core values. This often means teasing out pertinent themes—from architecture to military history to culinary traditions—or putting a fresh spin on iconic places. They know how to craft seamless and engaging travel experiences, build strong relationships with our overseas partners, keep up with current events and foresee the unexpected. And they have to wear all kinds of hats: researcher, events coordinator, negotiator, dreamer, writer and diplomat. We’re excited to introduce you to three new program managers on our team. Two are familiar faces at ATA, and one comes to us from the world of environmental consulting. Between them, they have lived in Costa Rica, England, and Madagascar; visited 34 national parks on one road trip; sailed to 12 ports during a semester at sea; and set out on a bucket-list trip to seven European cities as far-flung as London and Istanbul. Without further ado, we present our newest travelsmiths: Jennifer Kefer, our new Senior Program Manager, joined us this past January. An inveterate traveler, she spent three months in an immersive field studies program in Costa Rica, has been to five continents, and takes summer road trips all over the U.S. with her family, exploring everything from factories and roadside attractions to national parks. Her love for travel and her passion for preserving the planet drove her into environmental consulting, where she spent nearly two decades working on climate change and energy policy. Jennifer earned a BA from Brandeis University in environmental studies, a master’s in environmental management from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and a law degree from Yale Law School. She considers herself a life-long student with a deep curiosity about the world—which is what led her to put her skills to use at ATA, researching, building coalitions, and inspiring others to care about the world by experiencing it firsthand. There’s a chance you or your travelers have already spoken to one of our new program managers, Megan Burden. She joined ATA in 2012 as a reservations agent, booking travelers on the trips we operate for our clients. In 2016, she was promoted to manager of the entire Guest Services team. Her experience directly communicating with our clients’ guests gives her a valuable perspective when crafting itineraries. A native of Seattle, Megan developed her passion for travel during a Semester at Sea, when she explored 12 ports on four continents. After achieving a B.A. in international affairs and history from the University of Colorado, she joined the Peace Corps as an English as a foreign language teacher in Madagascar, and was posted to a village in the island’s remote central highlands. She has worked as a staff intern at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., and at International Peace Initiatives, a non-profit in Kenya that works to improve local livelihoods. Baltimore native Julie Elias came to ATA in 2015 as a program assistant, helping the team with background research and development for new and existing trip concepts. She was promoted to program coordinator in 2017 and became a full-fledged program manager this January. Julie has a B.A. in American Studies from Dickinson College, and a wide range of interests that include cooking, film production, books, trivia nights, and of course travel. She studied abroad in Norwich, England, and set off after college on a far-ranging trip that took her to a number of places on her bucket list, including Istanbul, Israel, Salzburg, Budapest, France, Germany and back to England. We are pleased to welcome Julie, Megan and Jennifer to our team of program managers, and look forward to the compelling adventures they concoct for our clients!
How to Launch a Successful Travel Program
Try not to panic, but imagine launching a new travel program from scratch. There are so many details to consider! What is your target market? Where will you travel? How much should a trip cost? How much revenue will the program generate? What do your travelers want? Are you overwhelmed yet? Creating a new travel program can be a daunting task, but if it is done properly, it will pay off for years to come. Here at Academic Travel Abroad, we’ve been navigating the travel industry and providing guidance to our partners for over 65 years. We are experts in the field and have a few tips to share that will help even the most seasoned travel planner launch a new travel program. Get the Whole Team on BoardMany organizations often designate a small team to champion the development of a fledgling travel program. While it is important to have individuals focused on the success of your new travel endeavor, it is equally important to have support all the way up the ladder. Be sure to set clear and definable goals and seek buy-in at all levels of the organization. Give Yourself Enough TimeRome wasn’t built in a day and neither is a successful travel program! It takes an average of 18-24* months for most organizations to get a new travel program off the ground. While this may seem like a long lead time, there are several important decisions to make before marketing trips. After establishing brand standards and designing core programs, trips should enter the marketplace 12-14 months before departure to maximize enrollment. Cutting corners may hinder the success of your program’s initial year, leaving stakeholders questioning its value. This can be avoided by working with a tour operator to clearly outline a timeline from conception to launch. Research, Research, ResearchYou can’t have a successful travel program without travelers. Researching your target market is arguably the most important factor to your success. We cannot stress enough the value of gathering data to support your initiatives. You may already have several innovative ideas for trips that align with your company’s mission and goals, but will your patrons be interested? Analyze your customer list, send out a preliminary survey, and gauge interest in the early stages of program development. Ask questions to identify key market demographics and get a sense of the price point, destination, and trip duration your travelers are most interested in. Work with a Trusted PartnerLast, but certainly not least, find a trusted tour operator to help you navigate your way. Tour operators have an in-depth knowledge of the industry and experience launching new travel programs. They can offer advice and guidance, collaborating with you throughout the process. When you work with a tour operator you gain an invaluable resource and partner. If you are still searching for a tour operator, you’re in the right place because we happen to be one! To learn more about our process and how we can help visit: https://acadtrvlp.wpengine.com/about/what-we-do/. *Please note: A shorter time of only 12 months is generally required when launching only a single trip.
2018 Year in Review
Happy New Year! 2018 kept us on our toes in so many ways. As we settle into a new year, let me highlight a few wonderful things that happened last year. ATA IN THE WORLD In 2018, we fulfilled our mission—to create unique, enriching experiences for intellectually curious adults and students—for thousands of travelers, all over the world. Some of our proudest moments of collaboration included: Building a basketball court for a local community in Vietnam (Duke Engage) Managing a culinary experience to Tuscany, led by the world’s only Pulitzer-prize-winning restaurant critic (Los Angeles Times Expeditions) Overseeing a Madrid-based conference for 400+ alumni, thought leaders, and entrepreneurs (Babson College) Winning a diversity award nomination for our Hmong language and culture short term study abroad program in China (University of Minnesota) Sending an enthusiastic group of adult “students” to Oxford University (Smithsonian Journeys) Taking a deep dive into Middle East politics and the regional effects of the Syrian refugee crisis during a trip to Jordan (The Nation) NEW RELATIONSHIPS We welcomed the following new partners to the ATA family last year: Babson College, Dartmouth, Dickinson, Leadership Greater Washington, Osher Life Long Learning Institute, and the publication The Nation. BACK IN DC: OUR PRIORITIES AT HEADQUARTERS New Technology! We completed a two-year journey of implementing six new technology platforms across the company—from reservations to account management, to website performance, collaboration tools, and even human resources! This investment will allow us to serve our partners, students and travelers even more effectively. Diversity and Inclusion These concepts have informed our work since 1950, when we began to facilitate exchange between peoples of different cultures and backgrounds. However, we have been working to amplify these values within our workplace, as diversity enriches innovation and creativity, and broadens the perspective of all staff. All staff took part in a workshop this summer, and now we have a growing D&I committee to set new goals and provide additional training and resources to our teams. OUR INCREDIBLE TEAM Twenty one new team members joined us this year! We had fun on scavenger hunts, at parties, celebrating milestones and in the field! GIVING BACK Many staff and colleagues increased access to study abroad by supporting the important work of the Fund for Education Abroad. We also lobbied our Congressional representatives on Capitol Hill and discussed critical issues facing the travel and study abroad fields. OUR THANKS AND GRATITUDE We are so grateful for the travelers who count on us to enrich their lives by creating theme-based educational trips; for the colleges and universities who entrust us to shape their students into global citizens, and to the professional associations who ask us to help advance research across borders. Our best wishes for a wonderful year ahead!
