In many ways, the recent tragic events in Paris illustrate more than anything how important it is for us all to continue traveling, engaging, teaching tolerance, respecting differences, shunning hatred, and seeing the world from a much broader perspective. Travel opens eyes and minds in a way that nothing else can. We mustn't let anything or anyone take that away from us.

At ACIS we take every precaution to ensure that our groups are safe and secure while traveling with us. Our dedicated staff, network of overseas offices, 24-hour Duty Officer system and 37 years of experience in educational travel combine to create a safety infrastructure you can count on.

We do understand that you may have questions about your trip; so here are some answers plus some ideas about how to keep your trip on track.

Our Current Policies

• For groups traveling in the spring 2016, we will allow you to move your trip to summer 2016 (any cost differential may be passed on to your group).
• We will allow groups to move from 2016 to 2017 (same season/destination) for the same price. 
• We have frozen the terms of cancellations until January 6th for all winter and spring groups (i.e., the cancellation policies applicable to your group as of November 13 will remain in effect through January 6th).

Our Recommended Next Steps and Talking Points

Our main advice for right now would be: Hold Tight. Your trip is not happening immediately, and there is no risk in waiting until January to make a decision on how your trip will move forward.

One thing we do suggest you do now is reach out to your ACIS Program Consultant. It will be helpful for you to talk to them if you (or your participants and their parents) have concerns. S/he can provide reassurance, up to date information and resources to support you and your trip.

After you've spoken with us, we recommend you reach out to your group to gauge their mindset, if you haven't already. This communication can be short and sweet, outlining your commitment to the trip or any adjustments you're making. If your participants and their parents are expressing concern, reassure them that no decision needs to be made right now. It would be better for them to make a considered decision, one that is not a knee-jerk reaction.

In speaking with students and parents, feel free to share any of the information on this page that you find helpful. Be sure to let them know that that as they/their child will be traveling with ACIS, they can be confident that they will be looked after and supported every step of the way.

To put everything in context, read the statistics below. We hope you'll be reassured by the position of other group leaders

What Are Other Groups Doing?

Of groups booked for travel in 2016, 95% are proceeding with their trip as it is. Approximately 4% of groups are considering a modification to the location or timing of their trip. In total, 99% are still planning to travel.

Further Resources

We have a number of resources that you can use, for inspiration either for yourself or participants. We truly believe you can and should go ahead with your trip, but read the following which we hope will help you make a decision that's right for you and your group.

• Your ACIS International Program Consultant. Please do talk with your IPC if you have questions. S/he is here to help and support you.
• This letter from ACIS President Peter Jones to the ACIS community
• This blog post in which an ACIS teacher explains why he feels it's important that he continues with his trip. We feel this very articulately sums up our feelings too.
• Another recent blog post—a reminder of why you should feel 100% confident traveling with ACIS.
• This article from CNN puts the current State Department position on travel into context, i.e. that the recent alert (the fifth it has issued in five years) does not tell Americans to avoid travel, but it does urge U.S. citizens to "exercise vigilance when in public places or using transportation."
• The France Tourism website is full of useful information about traveling in France at the moment.
• One of our past group leaders, Ward Dilmore (who now works for our performance tour division, Encore Tours), has written about his experience of traveling with a group immediately after 9/11.

We hope that the above provides you with the information and context that you need to make the right decision for you and your group. If you have any questions whatsoever, please get in touch with us. We're here for you, and want to help you achieve your goal of showing your students the world.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines.  Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."