We spoke to Jessica Corfield, President of the Strathclyde Travel Society, about being a new society, what kind of travelling they do and upcoming trips!

Tell me about the Travel Society and what you get up to.

We are the Strathclyde Travel Society, we are a new society for this academic year focussed on travelling and travel-orientated events and socials. Just this semester we’ve been to Budapest, Newcastle and Berlin, and did a few great socials and events too!

We try to be as accessible as possible, with a free membership to Travel Society available to all. Non-members are always welcome at our events if they want to get a taste of what we’re like first. From there, all you need to do is stay tuned to our Instagram for updates on trips and socials, and then just sign up and bring yourself along!

What do students need to get involved with the Travel Society?

Membership is free and advised but not mandatory! Absolutely anyone is welcome to show up to our events, socials, or trips. All we ask is that you are kind and tolerant of everyone you meet.

A passion for travelling is certainly welcome but not necessary – we welcome everyone, regardless of travel confidence! Even if travelling isn’t really your thing, we still host awesome socials and we’ve got plenty of members that only really come to the socials.

Why should students get involved with the Travel Society?

One of the easiest ways to make friends at university is by joining a society. Not only do you meet new people, but you also get to meet new people with a lot of common ground and similar interests as you! Our society is comprised of members from around the world that all share a passion for travelling. We have members from every single continent and dozens of countries!

When you join us on our trips and events, we do (almost) everything for you. From booking accommodation to planning an itinerary to checking into the hostel, the stress is alleviated. So, it’s perfect for anyone that’s just starting to build their confidence with travelling, as well as for the seasoned and most confident traveller.

We also find trips that can be as cheap as possible, often made cheaper by the very kind subsidisation of Strath Union. For example, our recent Berlin trip-goers are all going on a culturally enriching walking tour for free thanks to this subsidy.

What are the most rewarding moments of being involved in the Travel Society?

It sounds cliché, but honestly seeing people have fun. I know that I and a lot of other students have suffered socially from the pandemic, and it brings us a lot of happiness to be able to see everyone socialise again without any restrictions or worries. Travel is something that was sorely missed during the pandemic, too, so it feels great to be able to travel with almost no restrictions. Something I’ll never take for granted again!

Also encouraging people to travel to places they may never have seen before, and hopefully sparking an interest in travel that will remain long after they leave university and the society.

What plans does the society have coming up?

There are several more themed social nights in the coming weeks, the best way to keep up to date with our events is on our Instagram!

We are also in the process of planning a big multi-destination trip for Easter, to Vienna and Prague. Finally, there will be a big summer trip as a final hoorah after exams, so stay tuned for where we go for this!

If you want to get exploring with the Travel Society then make sure to follow them on Instagram and keep an eye on their society page, where you can grab that free membership.