Free Article: How to Travel for Free by Leading or Promoting Tours

How to Travel for Free by Leading or Promoting Tours

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Whether you're 16 or 60, you CAN travel just about
anywhere in the world for free -- and even with a nice
stash of cash in your pocket -- by telling like-minded
people about a trip and convincing them to go with you.
Get 5 to 20 to book the same trip, and your trip is free.
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© 2008 by Jacqueline Corbett, editor
www.TheLivingWeb.net

If you have a burning desire to see the Pyramids... or go
on an African Safari... or snorkel the Great Barrier Reef
of the South Pacific... and don't have the cash, don't worry.

There's a good chance that you can travel for free to just
about anywhere in the world your heart desires just by
locating a group of like-minded folks and convincing them
to go with you.

And if you are really good at convincing a lot of fellow
travelers to join you -- and have chosen the right travel
company -- you could also earn up to $10,000 a trip for
your efforts.

Not bad for doing something you passionately enjoy doing,
and meeting a whole bunch of people who enjoy the same
kind of traveling you do.

There are dozens upon dozens of travel companies
(see http://www.thelivingweb.net/budget_travel.html ) who
are actively seeking individuals to help them organize tours
-- or promote existing ones. 

Age is no consideration. Whether you are 16 or 70, there
is a tour or tour group that is bound to suit your travel interests.

Teachers are actively courted to promote tours to their
students... and even given handsome cash stipends to boot.

High school and college students are sought to promote
grad trips and spring break trips to their friends and
classmates. Besides free trips and "rock star" treatment,
successful promoters can often earn as much as $10,000
per spring break.

Ministers and church members are rewarded for telling
church members about pilgrimages and trips to the holy land.
With as much as $10,000 to be made per trip, booking and
leading tours is a wonderful way to raise cash for a church
building fund ... or augmenting a minister's meager salary.

Scuba divers can get a free trip by organizing a scuba
dive trip and promoting it to their fellow divers.

Lovers of the oriental culture can get free trips to Japan
or China, while connecting with a whole new group of friends
and earning enough cash to dine well and bring
back lovely souvenirs.

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Travel companies will often pay cash when
you produce more reservations than the
minimum required to earn a free trip.
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The number of paid trips it takes to get a free one varies
from travel company to travel company.

Some require as few as 5. Others as many as 15 or 20.

Many companies will reward you with multiple trips.

Most will also offer a commission which gets bigger the
more trips you sell.

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It doesn't take any experience to get started --
and most travel companies supply you with
marketing materials and support.
==============================

The degree of involvement in planning and promoting a trip
varies considerably.

For example, promoting a trip for a spring break can often
be done quite casually. Some spring break travel companies
will even send a representative to your campus to put on a
meeting .

A few phone calls to friends. Some posters placed around the
campus. An ad in the school newspaper.

And voila, you could easily have 15 or 20 people signed in no time.

Some companies don't even require that you collect the deposits.

And most will do the follow through in collecting the balance of the trip fee.

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The more aggressively you promote,
the more trips and cash you'll earn.
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According to some travel companies, it is not uncommon for a very
aggressive promoter to walk away with a free trip AND a very
sizeable amount of cash.

Some travel firms say their top producers earn as much as $10,000 a trip.

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There is no limit to where or how you
can advertise a trip to the general public.
The more widely you advertise your tour
or pilgrimage, the more trips you'll
book and the more cash you'll make.
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To maximize your chances for success, it is advisable to announce
and begin promoting your trip at least a year in advance of your
departure date, so that you have plenty of time to reach enough
people -- and to enable your prospects sufficient time to raise fund
and schedule the trip.

If you are already affiliated with a particular group such as a school,
a church, or a club, it makes promoting a trip all the easier as you
already have easy channels of communication in place.

Writing letters or emails, making phone calls, announcements at
meetings or services, announcements in bulletins, etc.

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If you are interested in making as much money
as possible in addition to a free trip -- either
for yourself or as a fundraiser, you might want
to look at other ways of reaching a wider audience.
=================================

-- Press releases to newspapers and other media.
-- Posters and flyers posted on community and
church bulletin boards.
-- Small ads taken out in newspapers and
appropriate magazines.
-- Posting in special interest forums on the Internet
-- Holding public meetings and seminars.

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Organizing a trip gives you rewards way beyond
the trip and the money. In the process of organizing
a trip, you will also come into contact with many
like-minded people you might never meet otherwise ...
resulting in friendships that last a lifetime.
=================================

So don't put off traveling just because you don't have the cash.

Look through the resources you'll find at
http://www.thelivingweb.net/budget_travel.html
for a travel company that suits you.

Then get in touch with them, set a date and a destination. And start
making plans to take the trip of your lifetime... by helping others do
the same.

Bon voyage!

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Jacqueline Corbett is founder and editor of The Living Web
(www.thelivingweb.net ) When not hunched over her laptop finding
useful bits of information to help people live life better including how
to travel on the cheap (see www.thelivingweb.net/budget_travel.html)
she can be found in thrift stores seeking great finds to ebay or give as gifts ...
and in grocery outlet stores seeking inexpensive delicacies to contribute
to the healthy but frugal gourmet meals she enjoys preparing.
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The following "Free Travel Resources" is optional.

If used, place it ABOVE the Resource Box and below "Bon Voyage!".

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Free Travel Resources

Travel for Free as a Tour Leader.
Organize a safari... or a scuba diving tour... or a world cruise.
We have found travel agencies who are ACTIVELY seeking tour
leaders. Many extensive promotional help... including brochures and websites.
http://www.thelivingweb.net/free_travel_tour_leader.html

Travel Free as a Church Tour Leader  
Earn a free trip or cruise or pilgrimage... and in some cases earn as much
as $10,000 per trip for you or your church by organizing and leading a tour.
http://www.thelivingweb.net/free_travel_holy_land.html

Teachers Travel Free Leading Education Trips
Cash Stipends often available.
http://www.thelivingweb.net/free_travel_teachers.html

Travel Free and Earn Cash as a College Campus Rep.  
Promote Spring Break Travel on your campus,. Earn trips and cash.
http://www.thelivingweb.net/free_trips_spring_break.html

Free Trips and Cash as a High School Trip Organizer. 
Top organizers can earn as much as $10,000 promoting
their graduation trip.
http://www.thelivingweb.net/free_trips_highschool.html

Travel Cheap by Exchanging Homes.
You can travel anywhere in the world for the cost of your plane fare or
gas ... by setting up a house exchange in advance. You can even exchange an RV
... or an apartment... or a yacht.
http://www.thelivingweb.net/free_travel_exchange_home.html
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