1. The Spanish Club encourages travel consistent with the Club’s mission, which is to explore the Spanish language and Hispanic history, culture, and traditions.

2. Members are encouraged to plan their travel destinations to Spanish speaking countries with other Club members, with Spanish language learning and/or Hispanic cultural experiences as a focus. In the past, group travel by club members has provided the added benefit of building lasting friendships and a sense of community among them.

3.  Experience has shown that the group trips oftentimes tend to be strenuous because of long days and distances traveled.   Club members and their guests contemplating joining a group tour must exercise caution and common sense before agreeing to participate.  The Club does not develop the itineraries.  Rather, tours are chosen from among several commercial wholesalers who market their tours through travel agents.  The itineraries chosen may involve frequent stepping on and off buses, walking several miles per day, going up and down stairs, and walking on irregular surfaces such as cobblestone streets.  Participants must seriously consider their physical abilities and general health before committing to such travel.  Keeping to scheduled events and avoiding physical exhaustion, injuries, and illnesses are very important not only to the individual but to the group, as one member who is injured or ill impacts everyone else.

4. The Club will support and help communicate information on group travel by members when the travel is managed through a commercial travel agent or tour operator.  This will avoid possible liability to individual members and assure that potential problems with transportation, lodging, and meals are minimized.  Travel insurance is the responsibility of each individual and is strongly recommended.  Any claims are also the responsibility of the individual.

5. Encouragement of group travel does not involve club financial resources or responsibility. Accountability and responsibility for such travel are the sole responsibility of the travelers, who must do their own due diligence.

6. The club’s travel coordinator will hold interest meetings to invite member input, present potential options and plan upcoming travel experiences. Individual members making proposals are encouraged to participate.

7. The club’s travel coordinator or any member of the Club may research potential destinations, travel agents, tour providers, and costs.  Members preparing potential travel proposals are asked to consult the club travel coordinator both as a resource and to verify that the plan does not conflict with other major club activities, and can be coordinated with any other proposals of which the travel coordinator is aware.

8. Where there is sufficient interest to proceed, the travel coordinator or member planning the travel will prepare a brief written Travel Proposal containing details of the trip, including how it would be organized and led.

9. The travel coordinator and/or the member who prepared the Travel Proposal will present it to the Board.  Provided the Board is satisfied that the proposal is viable and complies with the club policy, the Board will approve advertising of the trip by the club.

10. It is understood that a member may include a non-member spouse, partner or guest when signing up for club-approved travel. Apart from that understanding, preference for inclusion in club-approved travel will be afforded first to club members.

Approved by the Board on October 1, 2019

Updated: August 22, 2019