We’re seeing it across the board: Even the best press trip invites are getting fewer RSVPs.

Between overcommitted writers, short lead times, decreasing rates, and rising pressure to justify time away, traditional formats just aren’t sealing the deal. But smart PR pros are evolving, even if their clients don’t have the budget to make the full switch from group FAMs to individual hosted visits.

From writer-curated guest lists to skill-building itineraries, these 7 fresh group trip formats aren’t just filling spots — they’re sparking more yeses and better stories.

Create a Mentorship Experience

The destination of Palm Springs, California, has held a press trip the last three years incorporating both experienced and aspiring travel writers. On the ground, they’re paired up as mentors and mentees. They spend time together and experiencing the destination through different itineraries catered to their unique interests. Post-trip, the mentees are required to write a blog post for the CVB’s website, with their mentor guiding them through the reporting and writing process. Borrowing this concept for a press trip is a smart way to get buy-in from experienced travel journalists especially. Many want to give back to the industry and this is an easy, low-pressure way for them to do so, while also giving your client the chance to elevate new voices and help them jump-start their careers.

Lean Into Personal Growth

Going on a press trip is no longer a simple decision of whether a journalist thinks the destination or itinerary sounds “fun.” It’s a multi-factor process that must account for time (can I afford to take this many days away from my business/writing to fully focus on the experience of this trip, amid ongoing deadlines?), finances (can I reasonably make enough money selling stories from this trip for it to be a smart business decision?), and desirability (have I been to this destination before, and/or is it a place I can see there being plenty of new angles to cover?).

Make an invite more appealing by adding another dimension: The opportunity for personal growth. For instance, I recently saw a trip invite that incorporated Spanish lessons with locals over several days. This gave writers the opportunity to brush up on their language (or learn it for the first time) and walk away from the trip with a new skill — and a story hook.

Invite the Family

We are increasingly hearing that journalists who are mothers and fathers to young children are more likely to consider an invitation that enables them to bring along one child or their whole family. It’s difficult for them to be away from home, especially those parenting babies or toddlers. Extending an invite that includes the option to bring children opens up a fresh opportunity for your client to showcase the family friendly angles at the destination or hotel property. It also makes it easier for a journalist to say yes — and for your client to be covered in a piece that reaches that family market.

Curate a Multigenerational Moment

Multigenerational travel has become a huge travel trend over the past few years. major travel publications are jumping into this with specific stories like the best father-daughter trip ideas (Southern Living) or mother-daughter trips to plan now (Vogue). Finding the time to plan and take a trip like this with a parent can fall to the back burner. So, teeing up the opportunity through a press trip can be extra-appealing to journalists. They get to spend time with a loved one and make memories in a new place together, while your client reaps the benefits of a multigenerational travel story.

DIY Attendee List

If you know your closest friends are going on a trip, chances are, you’re going to do whatever it takes to also make it work on your schedule. That’s the idea behind this format idea.

Reach out to one journalist with whom you have a strong relationship and really want to attend your group press trip — then, offer them the opportunity to curate the other attendees. Ask for names of 2-4 other journalists they’d love to travel with, and, after vetting them to ensure they’re a good fit for your client, extend exclusive invitations to their journalist friends using their name in the subject line. You can even loop the original journalist into the emails to make it more friendly and enticing. It’s a win-win, because journalists get the chance to spend time with friends they may rarely see IRL, and your client gets the benefit of a group that jives well together and ideally produces amazing stories post-trip.

Lead with Locals

Setting up meals and interviews with DMO or hotel leadership can feel like a necessary part of a press trip. But, these often end up being an overly polished snooze fest for writers seeking the real story. Instead, consider notable locals you can incorporate into the group press trip itinerary: Think small business owners, artists, chefs, mixologists, etc. who fit the vibe of the trip and who can add color and character to your destination. PR pro Kirstin Koszorus recently posted a press trip opportunity in Pitchcraft formatted as a choose-your-own-adventure itinerary with a local of your choice. Planned for this fall, the trip will give writers the option to explore the destination with a local F&B pro, artist, sports enthusiast, historian or adventurer.

Go for Regional

Increasingly, regional and city magazines are producing incredible travel features that extend beyond their respective states or within-driving-distance locales. We’re adding new publications to our Pitchcraft library each week that are rooted in a specific place but covering a wide range of domestic and international destinations, including single hotel features.

There’s a great opportunity here to invite writers and editors from these publications. For one, it may be easier for them to take time away compared to national editors charged with producing high volumes of digital content, and two, they are more likely to produce a feature exclusively focused on your client. These journalists may surprise you with how deeply and creatively they cover destinations and places, often in multi-page spreads or cover stories. (This piece by writer Michael Solender in Charlotte’s SouthPark magazine is a great example.) Recently, Pitchcraft member Alison Lewis hosted a group press trip to a Montana resort that included all regional magazine journalists, which was highly successful.

Need help brainstorming your next press trip format?

Pitchcraft’s community is full of creative, generous travel PR pros (and journalists!) who’ve seen what works — and what doesn’t. Just this month, a member crowdsourced feedback on proposed dates that overlapped with a holiday. She got same-day insights from top-tier national journalists and used that intel to effectively shift timing and secure buy-in from her client.

Plus, with our Reverse Press Trip Sourcing Tool, you can connect directly with media already looking for hosted opportunities like yours.

Explore Pitchcraft membership to tap into real-time feedback, curated journalist connections, and the most collaborative PR brain trust in the industry.