Locations and Destinations
New York City
We have the expertise to locate and arrange just about any type of New York City mission trip, and you'll be surprised at how affordable it can be when you take advantage of our experience. 
Group Travel Specialists helps Christian Youth, College & Adult Groups who are planning a mission trip to New York City by customizing each trip to meet the exact expectations and goals of the trip planners for their group members.
We have developed a network of partnerships with ministries, social agencies and non-profit organizations in order to schedule diverse confirmed ministry opportunities for youth, college and adult groups.
We can help you make certain that all of the bases are covered when it comes to Airline Tickets, Ground Transportation, Housing, Meals, Translators, Event Planning, Advance Work, Passports and Visas, Immunizations, and Currency Exchange. Whether you are traveling with a group of 10 or 100, please let us help you with all of your mission travel details.
Help spread good will and kind assistance to those in need. - Jesus said “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.”
Europe
According to the world tourism organization, European travel destinations enjoyed the largest part of the international travel business, with 56% of the market, followed by Asia with 23% and then the Americas with 17%. Why are European travel destinations so popular? Here are a few of the common reasons:
Cultural Opportunities
For those interested in museums, the arts, history, music or theater, European travel offers endless opportunities for cultural activity. From Paris to London to Amsterdam to Rome, travelers can enjoy some of the most exciting cultural opportunities the world has to offer.
Landmarks -People like to associate themselves with something or even someone famous. European travel destinations are rich in famous landmarks. Some of the most well known areas in the world, from the Eiffel Tower to the Coliseum, are located in Europe.
People like to visit the countries of their ancestors. Ancient Europeans wandered from place to place making claims on land in destinations around the world. Today, their descendants are traveling to Europe to return to their roots and see the places their forefathers once called home.
Where else can you enjoy such a diversity of culture, climate and geography over such a small distance. A traveler to the US will notice relatively small changes when traveling from New York City to Seattle. Language is the same, food is often similar, and culture is not remarkably different. However, a two hour flight from Athens, Greece to Zurich, Switzerland, will reward the traveler with an enormous difference that is instantly obvious. Everything from food to language, to lifestyle is completely different. Distances in Europe are relatively small and cultural variety is large. This gives the traveler the opportunity of easily enjoying a diverse range of cultures and lifestyles by making a relatively low investment of time and money.
Transportation -There is no place more convenient than Europe for transportation because it is arguably the best in the world. Europe is well known for its remarkable train system and train passes which offer travelers the opportunity for international travel at affordable rates. European travel is becoming less and less expensive as well. Once you arrive in a major city, there is usually a local streetcar system to take you anywhere you want to go. The ease, comfort and savings makes European travel very attractive and convenient.
Health -When traveling in many regions of the world, travelers must consider the potential for any local illnesses that they may be exposed to. If they fall ill, will they receive proper medical treatment? The answer is most definitely yes. Most European destinations have excellent water supplies, low rates of infectious diseases and some of the best health care systems in the world.
Safety -Travelers are always easy prey for crime. Your hotel room is not only safe from burglary due to security but is also equipped with a safe to protect your valuables. European police departments are usually extremely efficient and crime statistics are generally far lower than those here in the United States, and lower than in many other areas in the world. Still, we should always remember when exploring a new destination, never loose sight of your money and your legal documents.
The best time to travel Europe -May, June, September, and October are are the perfect
months to enjoy southern Europe. Greece,Spain, Turkey and Italy are the best destinations in
these months. The climate at this time is usually perfect and the crowds are relatively small.
International flights are usually more cost effective than the peak fares of summer. In the prime
travel months of July and August, these destinations may be too hot, too crowded and too
expensive for many travelers.
The months of July, August is the best time to visit Northern, Central and Eastern Europe and to visit such countries as Switzerland, Germany, Czech Republic and the Netherlands. International flights will be expensive, however, this period offers the best climate conditions and many of the locals will be on holiday in southern Europe during this time of the season.
From November to March, Europe is cold. While you may find travel bargains at this time, you may spend much of your travel time indoors. The only exception to this is the Canary Islands. Although part of Spain, the Canary Islands are located off the coast of Africa, and enjoy an excellent climate all year-round.
Hawaii
The first "visitors" to the Islands of Hawaii came not knowing that the Islands even existed. It is believed Hawaii's first permanent inhabitants sailed in voyaging canoes from the southern hemisphere islands of the Marquesas 800 A.D. Later many settlers arrived by the 12th century from Tahiti.
The 137 islands, islets and shoals that make up the Hawaiian Island rest at the northern tip of the Polynesian Triangle, an expanse of ocean roughly the size of Europe and North America combined. As one of the most geographically isolated, continuously populated spots on Earth, Hawaii is a land of many intriguing contrasts.
Climate & Terrain
All Hawaiian Islands have a dry side and wet side. The windward side of each island attracts more annual rainfall. The leeward side is always the drier area of the island. This unique climate makes Hawaii one of the most interesting destinations in the world.
Hawaii's tropical latitude 
gives it a small change in year-round day length and the amount of sun,
even in the winter. Because the Islands' terrain varies in altitude in certain spots, primarily on
Maui and the Big Island with these Islands' large volcanoes, temperatures can vary. The average
annual temperature of 75 degrees Fahrenheit or 23.9 degrees Celsius, which fluctuates only a few
degrees from summer during the months of May through October and winter from November
through April. To the surprise to many newcomers — the summits of the Big Island of Hawaii's
Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa are often capped with snow. Although there are no formal ski resorts
on these mountains, many locals do snowboard and ski on their own.
Together, the eight main Hawaiian Islands — Hawaii, Maui, Molokai, Oahu, Kauai, Kaho'olawe, Lanai and Ni'ihau — are home to virtually every geographic formation, terrain and climate to be found on earth, and the possibilities for outdoor enthusiasts are endless! There are lava deserts on the Big Island and highland rainforest's on Kauai; on Molokai you'll find the world's tallest sea cliffs and miles of pristine white powder beaches.
Culture
The modern culture of Hawaii is every bit as diverse as its geography, with virtually every nation and ethnic group found in its food, festivals, music and art. From hula and disco, to hip hop and the Honolulu Symphony and community theater, the possibilities for today's visitors to participate in Hawaii's rich culture are unlimited.
FASCINATING FACTS
-is home to the longest continuously erupting volcano in recorded history (Kilauea Caldera on the Big Island has been producing a lava flow since January 1983)
-has no daylight savings time
-is home to the oldest educational institution west of the Rocky Mountains (Lahainaluna School in Lahaina, Maui, founded in 1831). The Lahainaluna campus was also the site where the first newspaper west of the Rocky Mountains was published, in the late 1830s.
-has no snakes in the wild!
-is home to the tallest mountain on the planet (Mauna Kea on the Big Island — measured from
the seafloor — tops out at 33,476 feet. From sea level it measures 13,796 feet high).
-hosted a structure ('Iolani Palace) that featured electricity before even the White House in Washington, D.C.
-had a Hawaiian monarch, King Kalakaua, who was the first reigning monarch to circumnavigate the globe and the first foreign head of state to speak before a joint session of Congress.
-had a population that, during the Hawaiian monarchy, was among the most literate in the world.
-is home to the wettest spot on earth (Wai'ale'ale, Kaua'i's highest mountain, records about 485 inches of rainfall per year)
-is comprised of 137 islands, encompassing a land area of 6,423.4 square miles (and only seven of these islands are inhabited)
-is the most geographically isolated population center on earth (we're 2,000 miles from the Marshall Islands, 2,390 miles from California, 2,500 miles from Tahiti, 3,850 miles from Japan, 4,900 miles from China, and 5,280 miles from the Philippines)
-has no rabies and requires a period of quarantine for incoming dogs and cats
-is the only place on earth that hosts all branches of the U.S. military
-is the only state in the nation with no incorporated towns (towns and regions are governed by counties, each encompassing an entire island or more: The City & County of Honolulu governs the island of O'ahu plus all the isles stretching north up the Hawaiian Island chain to the island of Midway; the County of Maui governs Maui, Moloka'i, Kaho'olawe and Lana'i; the County of Hawai'i governs the Big Island of Hawai'i; and the County of Kaua'i governs Kaua'i and Ni'ihau. Each county has a mayor and a council.)
-has the most advanced telecommunications system in the world; is one of only five states in the U.S. with 100 percent digital switching for telephones; and has more fiber optic cable per mile, per capita, than any other state.
STATE SYMBOLS & MORE FACTS
Hawaii's distinctive symbols — bird, flag, flower, etc. — represent the island chain's natural beauty and rich culture.
The state flag has eight stripes representing the Hawaiian archipelago's major islands: Ni'ihau, Kaua'i, O'ahu, Maui, Moloka'i, Lana'i, Kaho'olawe and the Big Island of Hawai'i. The colors are red, white and blue. From top to bottom on the flag the stripes are, in order, white, red, blue, white, red, blue, white, red. The upper left corner closely resembles the Union Jack of Great Britain. Designed for King Kamehameha I in the early 1800s, the flag's resemblance to the Union Jack symbolizes King Kamehameha's friendship with the British.
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New Orleans
Hurricane Katrina was the costliest and one of the deadliest hurricanes in the history of the United States. It was the sixth-strongest Atlantic Hurricane ever recorded and the third-strongest hurricane on record that made landfall in the United States. Katrina formed on August 
23 and caused devastation along much of the north-central Gulf Coast of the United States. The most severe loss of life and property damage occurred in New Orleans, which flooded as the levee system failed catastrophically, in many cases hours after the storm had moved inland. The hurricane caused severe destruction across the entire Mississippi coast and into Alabama, as far as 100 miles from the storm's center. At least 1,836 people lost their lives in Hurricane Katrina and in the subsequent floods, making it the deadliest U.S. hurricane since the 1928. The storm is estimated to have been responsible for $81.2 billion in damage, making it the costliest natural disaster in U.S. History. The hurricane left an estimated three million people without electricity. The effect of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans, Louisiana was catastrophic and long-lasting.
By August 31st, 2005, eighty percent of New Orleans was flooded, with some parts under 15 feet of water. The city flooded due primarily to the failure of the levee system. Many who remained in their homes had to swim for their lives, wade through deep water, or remain trapped in their attics or on their rooftops. Most of the major roads traveling into and out of the city were damaged. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, violence, looting, and other criminal activity became serious problems. With most of the attention of the authorities focused on rescue efforts, the security in New Orleans degraded quickly. Most of the city's 750 nuns had remained in the city during the storm. They refused to leave, even after Governor Blanco had ordered everyone left after the storm evacuated, because it would have been the only time in over 200 years that the clergy had left the city in a time of suffering.
Even now there is still much to be done. As hundreds of thousands of Katrina evacuees return to new housing through rental assistance and many more await the mobile homes promised by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, mission centers for the homeless have assumed new roles; providing housing for the volunteers engaged in ongoing relief work; rebuilding churches and homes on a long-term basis.
Katrina’s given us a wonderful opportunity to provide evangelistic outreach as well as other kinds of social support to the residents of this beloved city. Although many loved ones were lost, the people of New Orleans have emerged with spirit intact.
Now is the time to form a united front. Together, we will rebuild New Orleans.
