Perhaps you’ve always wondered what companies like ours do outside of the peak season, such as over the summer period, when schools are closed and teachers and students are on holidays. It's an interesting question as we always set aside this time to focus on projects we have been developing over the year.
Summer is a time for renewals - crucial accreditations such as our ATOL licence, TOPP bonding and ABTA membership all get renewed at this time of year. This involves lots of focus on spreadsheets, calculations, forecasts and projections!
This summer we spent a lot of time on our new Sustainability initiative which launched in September. This was the culmination of months of work looking at how we calculate the emissions from our tours and deciding on the best way to offset these. Our success with this project means TCBC has become one of the industry leaders in promoting responsible school travel.
Another project we dedicated a huge amount of time to over the summer was a total revamp of our SMS. Every associated document was updated and refreshed all in time for 3 days of company Safety Training in early September. This included a day of Critical Incident training, where we invited an external safety specialist to simulate a crisis involving real time calls from the field as the incident was unfolding.
Alongside all of the above, we also recruited two new employees and trained them in Tallinn in August. It was the first time there for both our new Product Manager, Hollie Dunne, and Transport Manager, Denise Shelton. Since Tallinn is one of our top destinations, and we also have a few employees based there, we were especially excited to show our new team members the city and spend some quality time together.
This summer was not only a time for internal projects and team building, but it also marked the end of the voting period for the School Travel Awards. Having been nominated for the third time, we’re now eagerly awaiting the results, to be announced in November. Winning would be a huge honour for our team, and it would be thanks to the incredible support from our clients. Fingers crossed for the big reveal!
We’ve also been busy expanding our destination portfolio and updating our website with exciting new tour pages. Schools now have even more incredible options to choose from, with newly added trips to destinations like Aachen, Budapest, Vietnam, Copenhagen, Istanbul, Florence, and more. Each location offers unique cultural and educational experiences, ensuring students gain a wealth of knowledge while exploring these fascinating places.
Now we are already in the midst of our busiest period, and you can keep an eye on our social media to follow the adventures of our school groups on their tours. Stay tuned for more updates, and as always, thank you for being part of our journey!