Most community groups organise at least one day out a year – and many take a lot more, as well as short-breaks and holidays. But if you’re the nominated group travel organiser for your group, how do you keep demanding members happy - and reduce the grumbles from the back of the coach - by finding interesting, cost-effective places to visit each year? Here are a few ideas…..

1 Subscribe to a specialist group travel magazine

You might be surprised to know that there are a number of magazines and websites serving the group travel industry. The best of these are probably Group Travel Organiser and The Pass - magazines that are free to qualifying group organisers and packed with ideas and information including regional features, event diaries and exclusive group rates. Both magazines also offer a really useful - and free - reader reply service, meaning you can request a brochure from any featured advertiser. For more information visit their respective websites at www.grouptravelorganiser.com and www.the-pass.co.uk

2 Join a group travel association

You’ve got two choices here – the long established Group Travel Organisers Association (GTOA) or more recently launched Club Together. The former costs £20 per year and provides members with specialist advice, offers and discounts from their associate member suppliers and access to an exclusive group travel organiser liability insurance scheme, plus regional and national networking opportunities. Membership of the GTOA is currently around 400.

Club Together, meanwhile, is free to join and already has a membership of over 2,200. Benefits include help-lines and advice, offers and discounts from associate members plus, uniquely, a free, hosted website for every group with URL, notice board, photo album, message-board and other features. It’s a great way for a group to communicate internally as well as a novel method for them to market themselves and recruit new members. You can find out more information about Club Together at www.clubtogether.org/group_organisers and details on the GTOA at www.gtoa.co.uk

3 Use a specialist group coach or tour operator

This method will almost certainly reduce your choice of trip, as you’ll usually be limited to destinations and packages offered by the operator. However, this is offset by the knowledge that you have a professional specialist managing the day for you, so you can relax and enjoy the trip yourself. And some operators may even be flexible enough to incorporate your ideas or choice of destination into the schedule, meaning you get the best of both worlds! For a list of recommended, approved operators visit the Bonded Coach Holidays site (www.bondedcoachholidays.co.uk)