The 2025 Annual Overseas Meeting

Another successful travel season wrapped, the ACIS operations team members from our global network joined together in Morocco to review the highs of 2025 and to strategize improvements for 2026.

The overseas meetings are a core part of our commitment to delivering the best educational travel experience possible. We take a collective look at what worked for the past travel season and how we can make our tours better in the years to come, plus discuss upcoming initiatives that will shape the ACIS mission.

Key Discussions

• The Road to Opening Night – Mirroring our August Company meeting, ACIS President Peter Jones opened the conference reflecting on the stateside customer experience. Months, even years, of rehearsal go into every itinerary, and we want to make certain that group leaders see the value of our pre-departure work as clearly as they do the final performance on tour. That means working as a T.E.A.M. (Trust, Empathy, Accountability, and Mutual Support) and putting customers first whenever possible.
  
  
• Choice at Meals – We’ve listened to feedback from group leaders and students and are working on expanding options at meals, while still emphasizing fresh, local cuisine. Delivering authentic delicious meals is our top priority and providing more choice to students will not only enhance their dining experience but also reduce food waste on tour, which is one of our sustainable travel goals.   
  
  
• Sustainability – We’re continuing our push to improve our carbon footprint overseas, developing more itineraries that cut back on flights in favor of trains, even overnight trains where possible, and introducing itineraries such as City Stays that emphasize public transit. We are also incentivizing travel outside of peak season in months like February and July. Not only does it save groups money, but it eases the burden of over tourism on local infrastructure.
  
  
• European Entry System (EES) – We’ve got our eyes on an updated European Entry System, which will involve the collection of biodata such as fingerprints at ports of entry in the EU, even for short stays. The program is expected to roll out airport by airport over the next six months. Our team is waiting in the wings to keep you informed, so watch the blog for updates.
  
  
• New Trainings – Even with all of our combined years of experience, we think it’s important to keep staff knowledge sharp through additional training. In the coming year, we will train our team in new hotels, new restaurants and exciting new inclusions.

Exploring Morocco

Morocco is an incredible country that we as a team have only started to scratch the surface of, and whether staff had previously traveled or were seeing it for the first time, there was something new for everyone. For example, the team participated in a cooking lesson in Marrakech at an organization that trains local women to cook so that they can eventually run their own businesses. At night, there was a walking food tour of the city’s famous medina.

Moving outside of Marrakech, Team ACIS traveled to Agafay, staying in tents in the desert and riding camels. They then drove through Atlas mountains to Ouarzazate. Famous for its two movie studios, where Game of Thrones and Gladiator were both filmed, this city was a highlight, especially for those who had previously only traveled to Marrakech. There’s always a fresh perspective to see, and we encourage this mindset for both students and group leaders. The group also toured Ai Ben Haddou, a pre-Saharan city dwelling which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Discover our new ACIS Morocco itineraries