Travel has returned with more options than ever to explore the globe. One exciting area gaining popularity is alumni travel. Imagine it as a college reunion, not on campus, but at a scenic location like a Tuscan wine estate, where you can experience a specially curated, week-long tour with university gear included.
Before joining Orbridge, a key player in alumni travel programs, I noticed the profound effect of small group educational trips while working in Alumni Relations at Carnegie Mellon University. This kind of travel is unique because it brings back experiences from our college days, like senior trips or study abroad adventures. Revisiting these moments years later rekindles the same excitement and adventurous spirit from our youth. That alone can be transformative, but there’s more to why alumni travel is so appealing.
- Alumni Get VIP Treatment
As the Executive Vice President of Sales at Orbridge, I collaborate with alumni travel partners to create unforgettable reunion trips. Many alumni groups enjoy traveling this way, some even taking multiple trips a year. They engage in traditional chants, sing the alma mater, and if a significant alumni sports event is happening during the tour, we organize opportunities to watch it together.
Orbridge stands out because we pay close attention to detail, seeing ourselves as an extension of the university. We strive to ensure our programs are tailored to each alumni organization. Our guests are treated with special care from booking to post-tour surveys, creating a bond of trust with both the universities and their alumni. Whether it’s a large institution like Ohio State or a small liberal arts college like Williams, we take our responsibility seriously to exceed expectations, a culture we’ve nurtured over the past 16 years.
- Meaningful Alumni Engagement
Alumni travel provides chances for deep engagement that a single event can’t match. Guests often find themselves in unfamiliar settings with fellow alumni, creating an intimate atmosphere where they share meals and campus memories.
We treat universities as partners and tailor tours in collaboration with them, from addressing alumni (as Cornellians or Buckeyes) to personal touches during the tour. On some tours, we include faculty members as guest lecturers, enhancing the educational value. This connection helps alumni rekindle their relationship with the university and engage with the latest developments there, long after the trip has ended.
- Lifelong Connections
While some alumni on our tours might know each other from college, many start as strangers and end up forming lifelong friendships. One memorable instance was a Carnegie Mellon tour where an engineering alumnus and his wife, who had no prior connection with the head of the School of Art leading the tour, ended up donating significantly to the school after an enriching experience together.
Although the goal of alumni travel isn’t fundraising, this story highlights how unique itineraries can reconnect alumni with their alma mater. Even those who have been disengaged for years might receive one of our brochures and find themselves drawn back to a place that once played a pivotal role in their lives.
Ultimately, our work is about reigniting and strengthening bonds that were formed decades ago. People travel with fellow alumni not just for the unforgettable journey but also to renew their sense of belonging to the institution that shaped them. It truly benefits everyone involved in a way like no other.
