After a group of 35 Cape Town schoolboys, aged 13 to 18, were stranded in Lisbon for over a week earlier this month, travel agents have weighed in on the complexities of arranging school tours.
The group from the BT Football Academy in Cape Town flew to Spain for the tour arranged by BT Travel, however they were stuck in Portugal for more than a week after the company failed to book return flights, citing affordability concerns.
BT Travel had been a member of Cape Town Tourism since 2023 but it has since been suspended following the incident.
Four South African travel agents, with more than 100 years of combined experience in coordinating school and sport group tours, told Travel News that they had never encountered an instance where a group travelled internationally without return tickets.
More than logistics
Melisha Moodley from Travel Impact, who assisted in getting the teens back safely, said the biggest challenge when arranging school travel was getting the individuals’ personal documents together, especially for minors travelling without parents. She said it was important to gather information early in the process, especially as each child’s travel profile would be unique with specific requirements.
MD of Quintrip, Quintin Carlson, said the biggest challenge in coordinating school groups was not logistical, but human.
“You are dealing with minors, teachers, parents, and school boards, each with different expectations, risk tolerance levels, and communication styles. If you don’t manage the people side of things well, even the most perfectly planned itinerary can unravel.”
Advice for agents
Carlson said the same logic for leisure or incentive groups did not apply. The pace of the tour, safety, meals and educational value must be considered.
Founder of Bundu Bashers Travel, Craig Goodenough, said he would advise any agent considering working with school groups to make sure that they were a member of Asata or another legal travel entity.
“Assuming they are members, then the fundamentals of travel apply. Everyone needs a return ticket, everyone needs ground transportation, everyone needs accommodation for every night, and everyone needs travel insurance,” he added.
