How to Organise a Sports Tour

A guide for sports teams and sports tour organisers

Everybody loves to go on a sports tour, but even with the best intentions not every sports team or tour group manages it. Organising a sports tour can be very demanding and a lot of hard work, especially if you try to organise it all yourself. There are government travel regulations to adhere to, travel and public liability insurance issues, pressure on you to get the tour organisation spot on and quite frankly...where do you start? Here at Tours4 Sport we are dedicated to helping you save time, effort and money, providing a first class sports tours service at an affordable price whether you want a rugby tour, hockey tour, football tour, cricket tour or any other sports tour for a club school or university our dedicated tour managers can help you organise a tour from start to finish.

It is never too early to start planning your sports tour arrangements. Here at Tours4 Sport we have organised sports tours over a year in advance, however we have also organised tours up to two weeks before the departure date, so don't panic if you feel you have left it too late. Teams can contact us at any point in their tour preparation and our sports tour managers will be glad to help.

This brief guide on how to organise a sports tour should give your tour the best possible start and prepare you for some of the things you need to do. Remember our dedicated sports tour managers can help you every step of the way, just call the office on 0800 0433887 or e-mail info@tours4sport.com and we'll get back to you right away to talk you through your tour options.

Below is a bullet point guide to organising a tour with more detailed information underneath.

1 - Preparation

2 - Promotion

3 - Administration

4 - TOUR!

Where do you start ?

Read on to find out how to make your tour preparations take off.

Tour Committee

Some clubs have only one person responsible for organising a sports tour but if there are a few people in the club who want to organise the tour or if you are planning a long-haul sports tour then it's a good idea to get a committee together to sort out who deals with the following tasks:

Our dedicated Sports Tour Managers can do as much or as little of your tour planning as you need. We have had sports teams who know a particular club that they want to play against on tour, but just need help getting there and then getting accommodation. Most teams however, ask Tours4 Sport to organise the entire tour because it saves them a lot of time, hassle and money and ensures that your tour goes smoothly from start to finish.

Sports Tour Meeting

Get together with your tour committee or some of the tour party and think about the following:

When do you want to go on tour?

Many clubs tour on the same weekend every year to avoid confusion, or some make sure that it coincides with a particular tournament that they want to enter. Firstly you may have league and cup fixtures to honour at home, so make sure you choose a date which doesn't clash with existing fixtures. If you are planning a senior tour, then you might have to keep the number of days off work to a minimum, which would make a long weekend or bank holiday ideal sports tour times. If you have a youth group, then school holidays and bank holidays are the best option, although make sure you plan early so as to avoid any family holidays that may be booked.

Where would you like to go?

Several factors can influence your final tour destination including budget, numbers and dates. Here at Tours4 Sport, our tour managers can help you decide which destination would be best for your team. Whether you have a junior or a senior team it is important to get the right balance between the sporting and the social sides of your tour so that everyone can enjoy themselves. You also need to think about how you are going to travel to your tour destination.

How will you get to your destination?

Coach tours are very popular for sports tours in the UK , Ireland , France , Holland and Belgium and are ideal for large groups or teams on a tight budget. However low-cost airlines fly from most regional airports and prices are usually very reasonable. You can either take advantage of the low-cost flights by booking them yourself or you can leave everything to Tours4 Sport and we can handle your flight bookings for you as retail agents for International Sports Tours ltd. Click here for more information on how to organise flights to all of our sports tour and travel destinations.

What is your budget?

Any team can afford a sports tour with the right amount of planning and preparation. You need to decide an average amount which everyone in the group will be able to afford. You may decide that certain people could pay more in order to subsidise others, or that the club can subsidise the trip for certain people. It is best to ensure that the monies paid by tourists covers the basic cost of the tour, and any sponsorship and fundraising pays for 'extras' such as meals, excursions or tour kit.

Contact Tours4 Sport

It is always good to have a rough idea of your tour requirements but even if you don't you can contact Tours4 Sport and we will help you with your organisation, whatever stage of tour planning you are at. Contact Tours4 Sport by phone on 0800 0433887 or via email on info@Tours4Sport.com and our sports tour managers will be happy to help.

Sports Tour Quote and Itinerary

When we receive your tour request our tour managers will formulate a quote for your group which should normally take no longer than 48 hours. It is always difficult to estimate numbers so we provide tour costs for various numbers. For example if you think you will get 30 people on tour we will provide you with tour costs if 25, 30 or 35 people travel, the more people you get on tour the cheaper the tour becomes. This makes things easier for you as sometimes, even with the best intentions, numbers can be lower than expected. Make sure you check the quote and sample itinerary thoroughly and show your fellow tourists.

Tour Payment Plan

Once you confirm that you would like to book the tour, first read our Terms and Conditions, then return the Tours4 ltd booking form with a current namelist of your tour party and a deposit payment for each person. The deposit varies with each tour but is normally around £50 per person. Full details of your payment plan will be sent with your tour quote. It is a good idea to use the club bank account to simplify the payment process. As soon as your deposit is received, your tour arrangements will be confirmed and we will start to confirm accommodation and travel bookings, fixtures or tournament entry and any other requirements.

Your payment plan will give you a final payment date which is also the best time to finalise room lists and inform us of any possible alterations. If you need extra places or want to release some places then please let your tour manager know as soon as possible so that we can confirm availability and ensure that the hotel or airline don't apply any surcharges.

Now that the Tours4 Sport team are looking after you, you can forget all your worries about the accommodation, transport, fixtures etc, allowing you to concentrate on things at your end such as confirming room lists, arranging kit and organising fund raising.

Tour Administration

Here at Tours4 Sport we can organise your sports tour from start to finish, all you have to take care of are a few basic bits of tour administration and tell your team about the tour. You can download our Sports Tour Organisers Checklist to check that you have completed all the tour admin you need to.

Travel Insurance

Travel Insurance covering your sporting activities is highly recommended on all of our tours and Tours4 Sport can provide you with a highly competitive quote through our insurance partners Endsleigh. If you are organising a rugby tour the RFU insist that all players have adequate insurance in order to gain RFU permission to tour.

Sports Tour Kit

Contact Tours 4 Sport for more information on their great range of rugby kit and rugby leisurewear available to touring teams. Our kit partners are able to offer a variety of brands and printing or embroidery to personalise your tour kit so contact us today for more information.

Fundraising and Sponsorship

Fundraising can make a huge difference to your tour costs and create some great publicity for your club. It is best not to rely on fundraising to pay for the basics of your trip, but anything extra that you have from your efforts can pay for some brilliant extras. Once you have reserved your trip Tours4 Sport will give you specific advice about fund raising. We benefit from discounts with several fund raising companies, discounts which we pass on to you. This enables you to buy fundraising materials, such as scratch cards and race nights. We also have a few ideas of our own which have been popular in the past which could help you, click here for more information.

It may seem like there is a lot to do to get your sports tour underway but with a bit of organisation and some help from Tours4 Sport organising a tour can be an incredibly rewarding experience. We'll help you organise your tour from start to finish and save you time, effort and money in the process. Get in contact with a sports tour manager now, for a free quote and more advice on your tour planning and preparation.