Compassion International has been leading Sponsor Tours since 1986.

Compassion International is currently planning Sponsor Tours to developing countries where we have child development centers. Depending on the demand, we travel to each country at least once every two years.

Africa

Burkina Faso
Ghana
Ethiopia
Kenya
Rwanda
Tanzania
Uganda

Asia

Bangladesh
India/Eastern India
Indonesia/Eastern Indonesia
Philippines
Thailand

Central America and the Caribbean

Dominican Republic
El Salvador
Haiti
Honduras
Guatemala
Mexico
Nicaragua

South America

Bolivia
Brazil
Colombia
Ecuador
Peru

Our tour members include families, couples, friends and solo travelers from all over the United States. Sponsors range in age from 10 to 90. It's always a diverse group.

The Sponsor Tour cost covers all of the following:

• international airfare from the gateway city
• accommodations, meals and transportation while in the destination country
• fees for planned cultural sightseeing
• group airport transfers to hotel
• translators while in the destination country
• travel insurance
• all tips and gratuity for hotels, restaurants and bus drivers
• country entrance and exit fees
• administration and service fees

Outside of costs covered on the sponsor tour, you will want to plan for the following expenses:

• gifts for your child(ren)
• arts and crafts or sports supplies to give to the child development centers that we visit
• passports fees
• visa (if needed)
• roundtrip airfare to the gateway city
• excess baggage charges (if your bags exceed the limits for weight or for number of pieces)
• cost of medical immunizations (consult your physician or www.CDC.gov)
• personal items (beverages, laundry, etc.)

AIRFARE AND SURCHARGES

Although we strive to negotiate competitive group airfare, we are encountering additional airline fuel surcharges applicable to each ticket and determined by the airline carrier at time of issuance. As fuel surcharges steadily increase, it is becoming difficult to estimate these costs so far in advance. Our commitment to financial stewardship and the children we serve prevents us from absorbing these additional costs. In the event these surcharges are increasingly higher than budget estimates, we may require additional funds strictly to cover these surcharges.  We appreciate your understanding in this matter and will communicate any changes immediately.

If your children are 10 years or older, they are welcome to join you on the Sponsor Tour. Standard pricing will apply.

Yes, teenagers 14 and older can travel unaccompanied with notarized permission from both parents. These situations are case-specific and the Tours and Travel Department will provide further information if a teenager is considering traveling unaccompanied on a Sponsor Tour.

We set aside one full day to spend with your sponsored child. Typically we will meet the children in a park that is centrally located in the country. We will transport your child and a staff member from their Compassion child development center to that location. Each sponsor will have a translator for the day so you and your sponsored child can enjoy communicating together.

Practical gifts are greatly appreciated. Our Compassion children are from countries where basic needs are pressing. Yet the simplest of toys can also brighten a child's eyes! Some suggestions for gifts include:

• backpack or tote bag
• simple toys, such as jump rope, jacks, marbles, toy cars
• doll, doll clothes
• soccer ball, Frisbee
• picture books, coloring books and crayons
• T-shirts from your area
• clothes — skirt, blouse, pants, shirt, socks
• baseball cap
• hair ribbons, barrettes
• soap, shampoo
• toothbrush, toothpaste
• hard candy (nothing that melts)
• liquid bubbles
• calculator (simple)
• bookmarks
• mini album for photos and letters you send to your child
• pens, pencils, small sharpener, markers, paper, stickers

We've selected highly skilled staff to lead your Sponsor Tour. Each trip will have at least two trained trip leaders and, depending on the size, may include additional staff.

In addition to your personal items and any gifts for your sponsored child, please bring arts and crafts or sports supplies for visits to child development centers. We will divide these supplies between the five to six centers we plan to visit.

Appropriate clothing to pack for a sponsor tour will be specified in the deposit confirmation packet. We consider the culture and climate of the country and always dress modestly.

Deposits are $150 for trips to the Caribbean and Central America, $250 for trips to South America, $350 for trips to Africa and Asia. Deposits are nonrefundable. All payments may be made by check or major credit card (Visa, MasterCard or American Express). The price of the Sponsor Tour is in U.S. dollars and payments are to be made in U.S. dollars. After we receive your deposit, we will mail you a Deposit Confirmation Packet that includes payment deadlines. This packet will also contain a Travel Release Form that you will need to complete and mail back to Compassion Tours and Travel. Final payment for your tour will be due about three and a half months prior to departure.

On your trip, we'll dine on the local fare. Since buffets are typical you will often have the ability to choose a more familiar meal. As much as possible, we will accommodate any special diet requests you have (e.g., vegetarian and vegan), but ask that you please discuss your requests with us when registering for a Sponsor Tour.

Yes. Travelers have the option to use frequent flyer miles or points to reduce the overall trip cost. Contact us at toursinfo@us.ci.org for further information.

We stay at hotels that are situated in safe locations and are geared to larger groups. When in larger cities, these hotels will often have restaurants on premises and often include such amenities as pools, Internet and laundry service.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "You should become familiar with what steps to take and who to contact in case of a medical emergency while you are traveling." We recommend that you consult with your physician, local health department or the CDC web site www.cdc.gov/travel/ for information on required and recommended immunizations for the country where you will be traveling.

If you would like to plan a personal trip to your child's country to visit your sponsored child, we will do everything we can to make the day an experience of a lifetime. When you visit your child, you will always have a Compassion representative with you. For more information, click here[d1] .

 [d1]LINK TO http://www.compassion.com/sponsordonor/tours/childvisitationguidelines.htm

A passport is required for all travel outside of the United States. This includes all the countries affiliated with Compassion International. If needed, a visa application will be included in your deposit packet with instructions on how to apply for your visa.

If you prefer to have your passport and/or visa application processed for you, we recommend the following company:

     VIP Passport Services, Inc.
     (800) 876-8472
     info@vippassports.com

In the event that you need to cancel your trip, please refer to our cancellation policy below:

• All deposits are nonrefundable.
  
• 50 percent of the tour cost will be required for cancellations 59-31 days prior to the Sponsor Tour.
  
• 100 percent of the tour cost will be required for cancellations 30-0 days prior to the Sponsor Tour.

After we receive your deposit for a Sponsor Tour, we'll send you a detailed document with a "clothing and equipment" list, visa application (if required), invoice, insurance information, medical certificate and other information needed to prepare for your trip. Final trip details, such as itinerary, are sent approximately three weeks before departure.

Go to the Group Tour Page and click on the tour of your choice. That page will give details of the trip and a link to a registration form.

Accommodations are based on double occupancy. If you prefer single accommodations, you may pay a single supplement fee, which is listed on the trip information page. If you are traveling alone and wish to share accommodations, we will assign a roommate of the same gender. If there is someone you would like to room with, please let us know when registering.

Compassion International purchases a group travel insurance policy for each of our travelers. The coverage includes:

• $50,000 Medical Benefit (no deductible)
• $250,000 Emergency Medical Transportation
• $25,000 Accidental Death and Dismemberment
• $50,000 Air Flight Accidental Death
• $750 Travel Delay ($150 per day)
• $2,500 Baggage Loss
• $200 Baggage Delay

You will receive a policy brochure in your final packet before departing. While the plan does include the above benefits, some benefits such as trip cancellation or interruption benefits are not included. If you are interested in protecting your travel investment and would like to add those benefits, please call Craig Robinson of Insurance Consultants International, within 10 days of time of deposit, at (800) 576-2674 or e-mail him at craig@missiontripinsurance.com.

Compassion Sponsor Tours fill quickly. Often, sponsors want to register for a tour after it has filled to capacity. If this is the case, you will be put on a waitlist and notified if a space later becomes available. When space becomes available, we will call in the order of the dates people registered.