Need a travel agent or have a question about insurance or screening for your mission team?
A 2017 survey of ministries listing their mission trips with ShortTermMissions.com asked about their use of travel agencies, insurance providers, and background check services. Fifty-one ministries responded to the survey.
Using a Travel Agency
- 37% make their own travel arrangements (19 groups)
- 4% use a local, in-town travel agency to make arrangements (2 groups)
- 59% use one or more of the travel agencies listed in the report (30 groups)
Survey respondents mentioned one travel agency was mentioned more than any other: Raptim Humanitarian Service was mentioned by 11 of these ministries. There are, however, quite a few other travel agencies that specialize in serving mission teams.
Purchasing Travel Insurance
- 27% do not use a specific company; some of these do not require travel insurance, while others require participants to arrange it (14 groups)
- 73% said they use one or more of the companies listed below (37 groups)
Top insurance companies mentioned include Good Neighbor Insurance, International Medical Group, and Seven Corners.
See also a related article on Buying Insurance.
Background Check Services
- 33% do not require background checks (17 groups)
- 4% require churches/partners to do background checks of participants (2 groups)
- 63% conduct background checks using one or more of the services or resources below (32 groups)
The top background check organization mentioned was Protect My Ministry.
See a downloadable pdf of the full report with links to service providers here: STM survey results