ORGANISING A PILGRIMAGE CAN SEEM A DAUNTING PROSPECT. TO HELP YOU, WE HAVE IDENTIFIED SEVEN SIMPLE STEPS TO A SUCCESSFUL PILGRIMAGE.
 
STEP 1: Participate in a Mission Travel Group Introductory Pilgrimage.

We invite pilgrimage organisers to come and see the Holy Land. We will show you rather than tell you! The cost of this experience is heavily subsidised and is refundable if you lead a pilgrim party consisting of a minimum of 20 people. A Mission Travel Group introductory experience is conducted in the same way as a parish pilgrimage and is designed to give you the knowledge and confidence to lead your own parish on pilgrimage. This is also an opportunity to meet Mission Travel Group staff and our partners in the Holy Land.
 
STEP 2: Decide when you want to travel.

Twelve to fifteen months preparation time is normal. Dates to travel will be influenced by factors such as your church calendar, school holidays and perhaps the length of time potential pilgrims will need to save. Consider planning your pilgrimage to celebrate an anniversary or other event in the life of your church. Ideal pilgrimage months are February to June and September to November, avoiding school holidays.
 
STEP 3:Discuss your itinerary with Mission Travel Group.

We encourage input from the leader regarding worship and the ‘feel’ of the pilgrimage. We then produce a detailed itinerary incorporating your ideas. At this stage, we make initial reservations with the airline and hotels.
 
STEP 4: A personalised pilgrimage brochure.

Mission Travel Group will produce a personalised brochure containing the agreed itinerary, hotel details, the tour cost and all the information required to make a reservation. We will also design a poster for you. We will print as many brochures and posters as you require and more can be sent by return of post at any time. Once the brochure is published the pilgrimage will take on a momentum of its own and firm dates and price will prompt people to pay a deposit.
Plan a brochure distribution among your parishioners and perhaps a meeting to launch the project.

STEP 5: Mission Travel Group does the administration.

You collect booking forms and deposits in the first instance so that you can keep a record of who is travelling. You then send the booking forms and deposit cheques to Mission Travel Group. From that point on, Mission Travel Group takes over the administration and deals directly with your people. You are not required to do any banking of cheques or corresponding with your pilgrims.
On receipt of the booking form and deposit, we send each traveller confirmation of their place on the pilgrimage. Twelve  weeks before departure we send a final invoice and collect balance payments. Four weeks before you leave we send travel documents to each participant. Neither you nor your church has any financial liability. If the pilgrimage is cancelled, say though lack of numbers or unrest in the Middle East, Mission Travel Group will promptly refund all monies paid.

STEP 6: Tour leaders’ information.

Before departure, we send you a comprehensive briefing pack containing passenger lists, local telephone numbers, details of your guide, tipping recommendations and notes on every aspect of the pilgrimage designed to keep you well informed and one step ahead of your party!

STEP 7: You are not alone!

A Mission Travel Group representative will meet you at your departure airport and assist with check-in formalities. On arrival in the Holy Land, you will be met by your guide who will accompany you throughout your pilgrimage. We have long term Partners that represents Mission Travel Group in the Holy Land and will contact you on a daily basis and assist where necessary.
We have worked with the same hotels and coach company for a number of  years and their respective staff and management understand your needs as a pilgrim party almost before you ask!
 
Helpful Hints
 
Consult key people in the Church:
We recommend you canvas a select group of people and then make the key decisions yourself. Generally, offering lots of choices in terms of dates, hotels and the itinerary leads to confusion and can cause resentment when someone’s idea is not taken up.
In our experience, pilgrims trust the judgment of their leader. Inevitably there will be some who cannot travel whichever date you choose.

Be specific:
Avoid talking about ‘our plan to go on pilgrimage’ or ‘the possibility of a pilgrimage’. Better to fix dates and use the detailed brochure to give weight to the idea and confidence in the arrangements.

Invite everyone :
It is often those you least expect who actually book. The wider the invitation the more likely it is that you will reach your target number.

Advertise locally:
Spread the word around local churches. Perhaps think in terms of a local ecumenical experience. Contact your local newspaper or radio station to see if they would be interested in carrying a pilgrimage related story.

Encourage pilgrims to pay a deposit:
A definite commitment allows you to promote the pilgrimage more confidently. This can create a snowball effect. Once someone knows that their friend has booked, they may decide to join as well.

Keep in touch:
Send update letters, perhaps re-iterating important information and introducing new details. The ‘drip-feed’ approach can help to maintain enthusiasm during the months between booking and departure.

Brochures are not magic!:
A personal invitation can make all the difference. The vast majority of people who travel do so because of a personal contact either with the group leader or with another traveller. Many people are apprehensive about their age, the amount of walking involved or who they would share a room with. You can re-assure them and perhaps introduce them to other single travellers.

Arrange information evenings:
Many groups have a Launch Meeting as soon as the brochures are published; then an Information Meeting about six months before departure; and finally a Preparation Meeting about three weeks before you leave.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions:
Mission Travel Group staff are there to give support and advice. For instance we encourage you to meet the local Christian community and can advise you how best to do this on your particular itinerary.

Mission Travel Group staff are always ready to help so give us a call.