Whether you’ve traveled with your ensemble internationally before, only domestically, or if you’re investigating your first trip, planning an international performance tour can feel like a lot. At KI Concerts, we believe the planning process should be collaborative, exciting, and tailored entirely to your ensemble’s needs. Here are answers to the most common questions we hear from directors as they begin planning their custom tour.
How much does a custom tour cost?
This is always the first question, and for good reason! The honest answer is that cost depends on many factors: your group size, destination, time of year, length of tour, number of concerts, and activities included. Custom tours are built specifically for your ensemble.
Here’s what makes our approach different: we work within your budget parameters from the start. Directors often come to us with a goal budget, and we’ll help identify destinations and itinerary options that work to meet it, or communicate where it might evolve into a set budget. It’s a collaborative conversation—we’ll help you understand what’s possible at different price points and design accordingly.
Travel prices are always increasing, but we are always managing price holistically to keep these trips accessible for families. In short, we deliver the best value that will attract the most travelers for your tour.
How far in advance should I start planning?
We recommend starting 12 to 18 months before departure—ideally even earlier if possible. If you’ve only planned domestic tours before, this timeline might seem long, but international travel requires more lead time for final payment deadlines, venue booking, and logistics.
But here’s the real reason we encourage early planning: giving families the gift of time. The earlier you promote your tour, the more time families have to save, which typically increases participation from your ensemble. Students can still sign up closer to departure, but early planning maximizes your group’s opportunity to travel together.
What’s included in the tour price?
We customize what is included in a tour based on your needs. The base cost typically includes airfare, lodging, transportation, venue fees, and tour guide fees, but there are a range of other included options.
Here is how add-ons can vary by group type:
Our youth and high school groups often want an almost all-inclusive package, so the only thing budgeted separately is lunches, instrument rental if needed (read more about planning a trip for an orchestra or band), and souvenir money! Adult groups often like a bit more time for individual exploration, especially for local dinners, while still ensuring lots of group togetherness at welcome and farewell dinners, concerts, and of course support from Tour Managers. University groups may want more scheduled activities or want more individual exploration.
You’ll work with our tour specialist to determine what meals to include, how many activities versus free time, whether gratuities are bundled in, and every other detail.
Nothing is one-size-fits-all, and we want to ensure the package and the price will fit the needs of your group.
How do “comp spaces” work?
We customize complimentary spaces based on your organization’s needs. This could be a flat number—like two free places regardless of group size—or a scaled ratio like 1:10 (for every 10 participants, we can offer one comp space). We discuss this during planning to ensure essential personnel who shouldn’t be paying can travel without financial burden.
Are there payment plan options?
We pride ourselves on flexible payment plans. Together, we’ll set a deposit amount and create a payment schedule that works for your group—whether that’s equal monthly payments, every other month, or skipping certain months entirely. Final payment is due no later than 120 days before departure, but there’s flexibility in how we structure everything leading up to that.
We offer both group billing (popular with universities) and individual billing (preferred by most groups). Our individual pay includes options to pay with no additional finance or billing fees. We will also work with individuals on custom payment plans if needed.
What does the planning process actually look like?
It starts with a conversation. We know you are busy and your time is valuable, but a brief 20-30 minute chat will allow us to tailor your trip proposal to your ensemble’s needs. In this call, we can learn so much more about your group, your goals, and your vision, and therefore put a proposal in front of you that is viable and interesting. Later planning can be done via email, but speaking together with an initial call will ensure we understand what makes you, your group, and your trip special.
During that call, we’ll discuss your touring history, your performers’ experience level, the impact you want the tour to have, the kinds of concerts you envision, your wish list for the trip, your preferred destinations, and the realities of your budget. Then we will craft a customized itinerary—balancing activities and free time, determining which meals to include, and planning concert experiences.
Once we’ve landed on something that looks good, we submit it for official pricing (typically up to a two-week turnaround, often less). Then we review the priced itinerary together, make any adjustments to meet budget goals, finalize the payment schedule, and we’re ready to launch! We’ll even conduct a launch meeting for your group so you don’t have to.
In short, we are your partners in planning. We recognize that you are busy and going above and beyond for your ensemble, so we want to deliver the greatest tour experience possible, starting with the moment we make contact to plan your trip.
How are concert venues selected?
This is one of the most collaborative parts of planning. We don’t just assign venues—we work with you throughout the planning year based on your ensemble size, repertoire, and the kind of concert experience you want to create.
During planning, you’ll share information about venues you love and venues you’d rather avoid, the size of your group, and your repertoire (if you don’t know exact repertoire when you start planning, that’s fine!). We then source and solicit potential venues and present them to you.
We also budget for promotional efforts to attract engaged local audiences. Concert formats are flexible: standalone evening recitals, lunchtime performances, musical exchanges with local ensembles, singing services or masses, school exchanges, or even performances at prestigious venues (with possible supplementary cost). It’s all tailored to what you want.
How do I choose the right destination?
This is where the initial phone call becomes invaluable. We’ll discuss your touring history, what destinations excite you as the director, and what might resonate with your musicians.
If you have destinations in mind, we will help bring them to life. If you don’t, we will leverage our decades of experience and deep international relationships to choose a destination that will serve your ensemble!
What if I start planning and can’t get approval?
This happens, and it’s completely okay.
We’re here to be your partners during the approval process. We can provide documentation for school boards, certificates of insurance, or complete vendor approval processes for your district.
If approval does not happen, we can work with you to seek approval in a future year, and hold everything on file until you’re ready. We know that not every trip that begins planning will depart, and we’re prepared to revisit when the timing is better for your organization.
How much singing versus sight-seeing do these trips have? How packed are the itineraries?
As is true with all other facets of KI’s approach to delivering custom performance tours, we can tailor craft options that work for you and what your ensemble wants.
Because we plan and deliver custom tours for a wide range of age-groups and disciplines—from youth to high school to college and adult across choir, band, and orchestra—we are familiar with a wide range of desires and successful outcomes for different groups. Just as an example: perhaps an adult group values free time, while a high school group needs a robust itinerary.
All these guidelines are flexible. We customize based on your ensemble’s personality and needs.
Where will we stay?
This will depend on group size, destination, and budget.
Our standard is 3.5 to 4-star hotels with twin or double rooming, typically within 30 minutes of major attractions in each city. But this is also customizable.
If you want to prioritize walkability, we can work to get you close to the city center. If you want to prioritize accommodating a large group with ease, we can work to get you accommodations with proper amenities but less bustle than the city.
Whatever your group wants, we will work to achieve.
How do I know the itinerary will work for my group?
The planning process is about dreaming big: Where have you always wanted to travel? Where do you want to conduct? What experiences will make your musicians’ eyes light up? What will they always remember that you made happen for them? We work together to turn those dreams into a realistic, exciting itinerary—that is customized for your group.
Like everything else, we work with you as your partner to achieve what you and your ensemble want.
Remember: this trip is for you and you should love it!
Here’s something we want every director to remember: you’re doing extra work beyond your job description to better your ensemble. We see you, we appreciate you, and we want to take the burden off your shoulders. Therefore, we want to make sure you’re genuinely excited about your tour.
Ready to start planning?
If you’re ready to start dreaming about your ensemble’s next adventure, let’s talk. A 20-30 minute conversation is all you need to start your journey.
As your partner, KI will walk you through every step of the process, so you can focus on what matters most: the music.
