There’s nothing quite like travelling with friends.
You and your closest friends probably share a lot of things in common like your fashion sense, favourite football teams and hobbies. But, if you have a chronic case of wanderlust and your friends are perfectly content to spend vacations at, or close to home, you might wonder if you’ll ever have the chance to travel together. Fortunately, with some clever convincing and a psychological approach or two, you can probably convince your besties to take an overseas vacation together. Consider the following foolproof approaches:
Make it seem like it’s their idea
One of the best ways to encourage people to try something new is to make it seem like it was their idea in the first place. When meeting for coffee or lunch, make seemingly innocuous comments to your friends about travel like “Which one of you mentioned how going on a cruise might be fun?” or “I could really use a girls (or guys) weekend away.” This might just inspire them to agree with you and start talking about going on vacation together.
Do the research for them
Memories of your travels together will last a lifetime.
As iDidGo notes, a great way to convince your friends to travel with you is to do all the homework for them. Sit down with them way ahead of your suggested vacation time, and show them how much the trip will cost and which dates will work the best. In order to prove that you have their pocketbooks in mind, research rates and reservations at a website like Travelocity and show your friends the deals you were able to find. Having a tangible plan will convey that you are serious about this trip and convince them to add the dates to their calendar.
Assure them they can stay in touch
If your friends express concerns about communicating with family members, clients or employers during an overseas trip, let them know that there are tons of iOS apps that can help them stay in touch while they are away. If they just picked up the new iPhone 6 and are wondering which apps they should download, suggest a popular app like Viber. This app allows users to text, send photos and call each other internationally over Wi-Fi for free.
Offer to pay for part of it
A great way to convince even the most stubborn friends to accompany you overseas is to offer to pay for some of the expenses. Perhaps your friends have birthdays around the same time, or they just got a promotion at work–you can offer to celebrate with a great trip. Pay for as much as your budget allows–think meals, hotels or airfare. If they balk at accepting your generous offer, remind them that it’s your gift to them and that they can return the favour someday.
A picture’s worth a thousand words
You can talk until you are blue in the face about how gorgeous the beaches in the Bahamas are, but next time, up the ante a bit and show them photos of the lush scenery, amazing amenities and pristine beaches. Combine this approach with your research on accommodations and rates, and in no time, your friends will be ready to pack their bags and head out on a grand adventure with you.
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