Terms & Conditions

General terms before we get started

By registering for this program, you are agreeing to participate in a full-service group educational travel experience. Because of the unique nature of group travel, many elements of your program and itinerary may be selected and/or scheduled at the direction of your group’s Program Leader, who will act as your group’s representative. Further, please note that while WorldStrides and its affiliates will arrange the various travel elements for your trip, the total price quoted for your program includes additional pre-trip services, including but not limited to the development of the associated educational content and materials, the printing and distribution of program materials, the costs associated with our various group health and safety measures, and the administrative and service costs related to group management. Further, because of the nature of group bookings, and the fact that travel elements are not purchased on an individual basis, information related to WorldStrides purchasing from external suppliers will not be made available to individuals under any circumstances.

The following Terms and Conditions are valid until July 15, 2025, and for travel between July 1, 2024, and September 30, 2027, for WorldStrides Canada Inc (operating as Brightspark).

WorldStrides Canada Inc., doing business as (DBA) Brightspark, Heritage Festivals, and its representative(s) (hereinafter “Brightspark”) is acting solely as agent for the suppliers who provide all accommodations and all transportation and other services for the Trip (hereinafter the “Suppliers”). Booking a Trip with Brightspark involves an agreement between the signor of the reservation form (hereinafter the “Passenger”) and where the Passenger is under the age of 18, the agreement includes the custodial parent or legal guardian who signs this reservation form, and the Suppliers. The Suppliers are independent parties, over which Brightspark exercises no control. The travel services and other services provided are subject to the conditions imposed by the Suppliers and their liability to tariffs, conditions of carriage, tickets and vouchers and international conventions and agreements. The passenger acknowledges and agrees that Brightspark is not in any way liable for personal injury, property damage, inconvenience, loss of time, or loss arising out of the act, omission, or negligence of any direct air carrier, motor coach company, hotel or any other Suppliers in conjunction with the Trip. Furthermore, the Passenger acknowledges and agrees that Brightspark is not in any way responsible for any injury, damage, or loss due to reason of theft, accident, mechanical breakdown, government action, weather, failure to make timely payments, or any other reason beyond the control of any Suppliers in conjunction with the Trip. When booking the Trip with Brightspark, the Passenger acknowledges and understands that the Trip and its related activities are ORGANIZATION SPONSORED (i.e. organized and sponsored through a school or club) and as a result decisions regarding, but not limited to, tour itineraries, participants, accommodations, meals, roommates and costs will be made by the sponsoring organization or its representative (hereinafter the “Trip Planner”) on the passengers’ behalf. Brightspark STAFF ARE NOT CHAPERONES. The permission and signature of a custodial parent/legal guardian is required if the Passenger is under 18 years of age.

Waiver & Release

On applicable tours, participants may be required to sign a Participant Release at the time of registration. This form can be viewed and agreed to during online registration, or printed, signed, and returned to Brightspark via email to: customerservice@brightsparktravel.ca or by mail to: 3280 Bloor Street West, Suite 901, Toronto, ON M8X 2X3.

FLEXIBLE PAYMENT OPTIONS
We provide you with options to make our educational experiences more accessible.

What are your payment options?

1. Monthly Automated Payments: Pay your deposit and optional travel protection plan costs with your chequing account upon enrolment, and the balance of your Tour Fee will be automatically debited from your account in equal monthly instalments until no less than 35 days prior to your departure date. If two consecutive payments are returned NSF or declined by your bank, we will change your account to the designated Manual Plan. 
2. Pay in Full: Pay in full at the time of enrolment.
3. Manual Payments: Please note that we do not automatically deduct payments on this plan; you must make each payment manually.

International Tours

North American Tours

*$149 deposit for groups with Tour Fees less than $1000.

All full-paying participants, including participants who have previously travelled, are required to pay a deposit upon enrolment. Your account must be paid in full by the final payment deadline or your account will be subject to cancellation.

What if you’re late on a payment?

Late Registration, Late Payment, and Fees: WorldStrides charges a late registration charge of $145 if enrolment is less than 110 days before departure on a flight tour. Late registrants may also be charged additional airfare costs if applicable. If you are late on any payment, you will be subject to a $50 late payment fee. No personal cheques or business cheques will be accepted after the final payment deadline. Only certified cheque, money order, or credit card payments will be accepted. There is a $40 service charge on returned cheques, declined credit cards, or declined e-cheques. A $200 fee may apply for any name changes made within 85 days of departure. A $50 fee, plus any additional airfare costs, will be assessed if you cancel your reservation and choose to reinstate later.

Coach Tours: If there is room on the mode of transportation, space in an existing hotel room and the passenger is paid in full, passengers can be added to the tour up to 24 hours before departure for Canadian destinations and up to 7 days before departure for U.S. destinations. All registrants must sign a registration form or accept our terms and conditions online.

Waitlist: Your program space is not guaranteed until your account has been paid in full and you have been advised in writing that all conditions for travel have been satisfied. If you are placed on a waitlist due to late registration or an outstanding account balance after the final payment date, your account must clear waiting list procedures and may involve additional airline fees and other charges.

What do you need to know about your program fees?

The price quoted is based upon a minimum number of travellers. The price quoted is also subject to adjustment if the minimum enrolment is not met, if the program content or itinerary changes, or in the event of circumstances beyond Brightspark’s direct control. Your group may be combined with other group(s) on the program to reach the minimum. The combinations may not be of the same age level or have the same itinerary. If the Program Leader chooses not to be combined and travels with less than the minimum number of participants, an additional cost will be charged to your account.

Price increases: The prices advertised are based on fixed costs at the time of price quote. These costs are dependent on fuel costs, rates of exchange, and other factors. Should these costs increase, Brightspark reserves the right to increase the price. If the total price of the travel service is increased by more than 7% and is not the result of an increase in retail sales tax or federal Goods and Services Tax, the customer has the right to cancel the contract and obtain a full refund. No price changes are permitted after the customer has paid in full.

Non-Refundable Fees: The fee for enrolment in a Brightspark travel protection plan (discussed below), your deposit, any handling charges, merchandise fees, fees for returned cheques, fees for declined credit cards or electronic drafts, late payments, name changes, and registration fees are not refundable under any circumstances.

What is not included in your program fees?

Unless specifically stated in your program, Brightspark’s program prices do not include passport fees, visa fees, trip protection fees, baggage charges, porterage at airports and hotels, gratuities to guides or bus drivers, private or small group fee, expenses incurred during free time, optional excursions, trip extensions, local transportation to unscheduled activities, transportation from your home to the origination point of the program, overnight lodging and meals prior to departure or upon return from a program or the weekend supplement if your departure or return flight falls on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday (not applicable to tours to the United States, Canada, or Puerto Rico).

EXPLORE BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

Program Information

The Tour Proposal details all trip inclusions, such as transportation, accommodations, meals, and activities. It also includes travel dates and the tour price based on the requested group size.

Prior to departure, you will receive details regarding flight and hotel information, departure and return times, packing tips, drop-off/pick-up locations, etc. Flight times, airlines, itineraries, Tour Director(s), and hotel information is subject to change. This is especially true when participating in a tournament or event where Brightspark is subject to the program hosts’ schedule, accommodations, and transportation.

Age Restrictions for Young Travellers

We do not accept applications for travellers under the age of 6 at time of departure. Registration for children 12 and under is subject to individual review, and the decision to allow participation in a trip is at the sole discretion of Brightspark, unless preapproved by the Program Leader.

Travel Documentation

Every participant is responsible for obtaining the required documentation necessary prior to departure, such as a valid passport, visa, transit visas, notarized parental consent form (if applicable), required proof of vaccinations (if applicable) and any required travel insurance coverage. Secure flight data (including name and birthdate) must fully match the information provided to Brightspark for inclusion on travel documentation and airline tickets, and must meet any other applicable compliance requirements issued by government agencies. Brightspark provides online accounts and customer service to keep the program participant’s information current and it is the participant’s sole responsibility to assure that this information is fully up to date no later than 85 days prior to the group’s departure date. If changes occur after that date, the participant must contact customer service and additional change fees will apply. It is the participant’s responsibility to ensure that their travel documentation will be accepted by the countries they are travelling to and through. Visit Canada’s Travel and Tourism website at travel.gc.ca (or if travelling through the U.S., visit the Transportation Security Administration website at tsa.gov) for more information.

If a participant is unable to travel due to the lack of a proper identification, passport or visa, or necessary inoculations, the standard cancellation policy will apply. If a passport is required for travel, the expiry date on the passport must be valid for a minimum of 6 months from departure date. Reservations are not transferable at any time. Note that any cost associated with an early return home, or to the original departure point, will be the Passenger’s expense.

Optional Accommodations for Individuals and Groups

Room Occupancy Policy: It is the responsibility of the Program Leader to fill each room to maximum occupancy based on rooming allotment in the initial quote. If a cancellation by one or more Passengers changes the occupancy of an assigned room, leaving rooms filled below maximum occupancy, it is the Program Leader’s responsibility to reassign rooms to maximize occupancy.

Standard Accommodations for paying participants are quadruple (two beds) occupancy. Participants may upgrade to a twin or single room for an additional fee upon availability. The flat rate room upgrade fees are $60 a night for a twin room or $115 a night for a single room, per person. All participants aged 22 and younger at time of departure room in same-gender rooms in triple or quad rooming with travellers from the entire group. Minors (under the age of 18) are not able to room by themselves. Your Program Leader may select a custom or “Exclusive Rooming” option, which ensures that students from your group will not be mixed with students from other groups during hotel stays.

Adult Supplements: Adults are automatically placed in twin rooms unless a single room upgrade is requested and available for the required additional applicable fee(s).

Tour extensions: For the majority of Brightspark’s programs, tour extensions must be booked at the time of enrolment, must apply to the entire group, and any changes will incur additional charges. All tour extensions are based on the agreed upon paying participants. For many optional extensions, the minimum required number of participants enrolled on a tour extension is 25. If there are not enough participants, Brightspark reserves the right to add a surcharge or cancel the tour extension at its discretion.

Stay-ahead and stay-behind: If the entire group would like to arrive at the first destination a few days earlier or stay at the final destination a few days later than the scheduled tour, Brightspark can change your airline tickets. The service fee is $50 per participant, plus additional costs for land arrangements, which will be passed along to the participants. This optional tour enhancement requires a minimum of 10 paying participants. If an individual participant would like to opt to stay ahead or behind your scheduled tour, Brightspark can arrange the airline ticket for a service fee of $145 if requested upon enrolment. If requested after enrolment and up to 110 days prior to departure, the fee is $195. We will change your airline ticket and you are responsible for all accommodations, meals, and transfers before and after the scheduled tour. Because we will arrange your airline tickets separately from your group’s, we cannot guarantee that you will share any of the same flights, and additional fees may apply.

Land-only: Some Program Leaders may opt for the group to arrange for your own airline tickets and begin your tour at the first hotel at your destination. You are solely responsible for transport to/from airports, including the ground transport to meet/depart from the group. For some of our tours, individual participants may opt to arrange their own airline tickets and join the group at the hotel at the first overseas destination. In that case, your tour fee will reflect the discounted land-only rate. You may select this option upon enrolment or up to 110 days before departure and thereafter additional fees may apply. This option is not available less than 90 days before departure. Land-only participants are responsible for their own airline tickets and airport transfers. If a participant books airfare prior to the trip being confirmed by an Account Manager, Brightspark is not responsible for any flight reimbursements/refunds.

Optional excursions: On the majority of our international programs, we offer a number of optional activities pre-negotiated with our overseas suppliers. For most optional activities, you can enrol online up to 110 days prior to your departure date, and you can enrol over the phone for most excursions up to 45 days prior to departure. After that date, you can register on a space-available basis only during the tour itself. All optional excursions are based on the agreed upon paying participants. If there are fewer paying participants enrolled on an optional excursion, Brightspark reserves the right to add a surcharge or cancel the optional excursion at its discretion.

Alternate Departure Airport: If you choose to depart from an airport different from your fellow group members, you will pay the Tour Fee from the alternate airport, plus a service fee of $145 at the time of enrolment, or $195 if requested after enrolment. This option is not available less than 90 days before departure. Additional fees may apply, and your alternate airport must be one of Brightspark’s gateways. If you are travelling outside of Brightspark scheduled tour dates, the participant is responsible for all associated costs. Brightspark is not responsible for participants when they are not part of Brightspark organized activities, during deviations and/or stay-ahead/stay-behind optional periods, and any time that the activities do not include the services of a Brightspark Tour Director.

Frequent Flyer Miles: Frequent flyer miles are not available to participants.

Personal Property

Participants are fully responsible for any costs arising from the damage, loss, or theft of any personal property during the program. Passengers in each room are responsible for damages in their respective rooms, as well as any unpaid room service bills. Passengers on each motor coach are responsible for any damage to that motor coach. Common area damage will be paid for by the entire tour group unless damage is associated to specific passengers. Common areas are defined as hallways, stairwells, elevators, lobbies, etc. Accommodations can also hold passengers or the group responsible for the cost of excessive cleaning to the property.

Travellers with Accessibility Needs

It is important to us that all participants have an engaging and life-changing experience throughout their travels, so we want to share a reminder that wheelchair accessibility and other issues of concern to travellers with disabilities can vary from country to country. We request that participants let us know at least 6 months ahead of their departure, so that Brightspark can accommodate their needs.

Unfortunately, most countries do not maintain the same strict standards for accessibility that Canada does. As much as we’d love to, we cannot guarantee accessibility for wheelchairs, walkers, dialysis equipment, guide dogs, or other special aids at hotels, restaurants, public transportation, museums, or other attractions. Of course, we always do our best to accommodate accessibility requirements where we can.

Because of these restrictions, some travellers may not be able to fully participate in all activities for your group. As these restrictions are out of our control, we regret to inform you that we cannot refund the cost for any activity in which travellers are unable to participate due to accessibility restrictions.

Special Dietary Requirements

Special dietary requirements should be reported to Brightspark at the time you make your reservation. We will make reasonable attempts to accommodate dietary requirements and restrictions, including food allergies, but we are not responsible for any denial of services by carriers, hotels, restaurants, and other independent suppliers.

Behaviour and Supervision

Brightspark, the Program Leader, and chaperones establish behaviour rules and directions for all student participants. Failure to abide by the rules or directions may result in the student being sent home at the parents’ expense without any right to a refund. All program participants will be responsible for their own actions at all times, and the Program Leader and chaperones will be held accountable for the action of all participants in their group.

Participants may face immediate expulsion from the Program on the following grounds: consumption or possession of alcoholic beverages or drugs for which you do not carry a valid prescription; behaviour infringing upon the ability of others to enjoy the Program; behaviour that compromises your own safety or the safety of others; behaviour that is otherwise inappropriate or violates the law; behaviour that violates certain other rules.

Brightspark is committed to providing an environment that is free from harassment. Harassment based upon an individual’s sex, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, or any other legally protected characteristics will not be tolerated.

On occasion, program participants may be allowed by the Program Leader to leave the group and to explore on their own. Brightspark has no responsibility for participants when they are on their own and it is the sole responsibility of those participants to take whatever actions are necessary to rejoin the group, at their own cost. If a program participant is late in appearing for a scheduled departure, the Program Leader has no duty to delay the Program to wait for the participant.

Program Changes Made by Brightspark

Changes or substitutions in hotels, itinerary, venues, facilities, inclusions, or airports may be made depending on your travel dates, arrival and departure times, national holidays, and events beyond Brightspark’s control at the discretion of Brightspark as it deems necessary or desirable. Changes in itinerary, including reversing the itinerary, changes to the order in which cities or countries are visited, the duration of the stay in each city, and addition and omission of cities or countries may occur. On certain dates, some attractions or activities may be closed, and the availability of some venues advertised or communicated cannot be guaranteed. Some venues may require special equipment. Venues may also close without prior notice due to public holidays, festivals, and routine maintenance. In these instances, no refunds can be given. Whenever possible, suitable alternatives will be provided.

Brightspark reserves the right to change the date of departure by no more than two days from the original departure date. These changes are not grounds for cancellation without penalty or for refunds after the tour.

On occasion, Brightspark must change dates of a scheduled program by more than two days as the result of Exceptional Circumstances, as defined below, or as a result of operational challenges or difficulties, including, without limitation, travel restrictions, event cancellations, facility closures, government-imposed restrictions/closures, or other reasons beyond the control of Brightspark. Should Brightspark need to change the destinations visited and/or the dates of a scheduled program by more than two days, we will work with your group’s Program Leader to reschedule your trip to dates that work for your group.

WorldClass Flexibility Program

Brightspark offers its WorldClass Flexibility Program to enable groups to plan trips with confidence. We understand your group may need to change your trip due to unforeseen circumstances. If your group decides they are not comfortable travelling to the planned destination or on the scheduled dates, the group can move the trip to an alternative destination or move to a new future date up until 60 days prior to departure for international and/or flight tours. Changing the destination or date of the trip will be determined based on availability of trip components including, but not limited to, accommodations, venues, attractions, content, meals, and transportation. We will work with your Program Leader to find an alternative future date up to 24 months from your original departure date. Your group will be able to adjust your trip with no additional fees, just the difference (if applicable) in the price of the new trip. If you or your group reschedules to a new destination or date and then decides to cancel, the cancellation fees will be calculated from the date of transfer from the original tour and standard cancellation fees will apply.

In the event a tour is moved to the future, all monies paid (less any Non-Refundable Fees) can be transferred from an existing participant to a new participant if the new participant enrols (which enrolment will include express agreement to these Terms and Conditions) by 110 days before departure. Once funds are transferred, the new participant is subject to the full Terms and Conditions and standard refund policies as defined for the group on the original scheduled trip.

For departures from cities with multiple airports within a reasonable distance, Brightspark will book flights interchangeably between the airports.

Course Credit

If you’re travelling from Ontario, please note, WorldStrides is a Ministry-inspected private school in Ontario with the authority to grant academic credits. Participants may be eligible to enrol in an online course by participating on a WorldStrides program. Schools, colleges, and universities hold varying policies regarding a student’s eligibility to earn or redeem course credit from other accredited institutions. Students should consult their school guidance counsellors and/or school policy handbooks to determine their eligibility. WorldStrides’ Board School Identification Number (BSID) is 665374, and we are listed as a private school on the Ontario Ministry of Education website.

WorldStrides Sports

Application for Foreign Travel: Any amateur sports organization travelling for an international match or tournament is required to complete an Application for Foreign Travel through their governing organization. This application will be provided by WorldStrides Sports or your affiliated organization/governing body (ex: Canada Soccer). Once the required application is completed by the travelling club, the application is sent to the club’s affiliated organization for approval and is then sent to the club’s governing body for final approval. There is an application fee per team, per trip. This application fee is to be paid by the club/team for each team that is travelling. This is not an individual participant’s responsibility. Teams are responsible for paying their fees via their governing body. This application process does not pertain to college or high school teams.

Program Changes Made by WorldStrides: WorldStrides reserves the right to adjust the number of games played with no financial compensation to the group if an arranged friendly opponent cancels or at the discretion of the Program Leader, School, or Club administrator.

Programs will not be cancelled due to roster size. There will be no refund to participants who cancel due to roster size. WorldStrides reserves the right to include, at our discretion, guest players to fill out a group roster. Opposing teams also reserve the right to open their rosters up to guest players of other age groups.

STANDARD CANCELLATION POLICY

What if you have to cancel your registration?

All cancellations must be made in writing by the person listed on the registration form, or the custodial parent or legal guardian. Cancellation notices must be postmarked prior to the group’s departure and must include reservation number, registrant’s name, and complete address. Notices may be sent to customer service or your account representative at customerservice@brightsparktravel.ca or via mail to Brightspark, 3280 Bloor Street West, Suite 901, Toronto, ON M8X 2X3.

The Program Leader, school, school board, sports club, or organization (as applicable) may cancel the program on behalf of the entire group, or any individual participant. Within 24 hours following receipt of your registration confirmation or initial payment invoice (whichever is first), you may cancel your Brightspark program and receive a full refund. After 24 hours, the Standard Cancellation Policy applies unless the travel protection plan is purchased. All refunds are issued using the original form of payment on the account. Cheque refunds are only issued to the primary responsible party listed on the account. Brightspark accepts payment via cheque, e-cheque, debit card, and credit card. Should you choose to use a gift and/or preloaded credit card to make one or more payments on your Brightspark account, Brightspark is not responsible for replacing any credits that are successfully processed back to any lost, stolen, or destroyed gift or preloaded credit card account used for payment. Brightspark only accepts personal cheques until 110 days prior to departure.

Standard Cancellation Policy: The services and value we provide begin long before your date of departure, and there are significant unrecoverable costs as your departure date approaches. Therefore, if you do not enrol in the travel protection plan and you, the Program Leader, School, Team, or Administration cancel beyond the 24-hour grace period, Brightspark will be entitled to retain:

 

Coach Tours

North American Flight Tours

International Tours

In addition to the cancellation fees noted above, the cost of insurance (if applicable) is non-refundable. These non-refundable fees are not intended to be a penalty, but rather a fair estimation of a portion of the unrecoverable internal and external costs related to planning, managing, and administering a full-service group travel program that are incurred by Brightspark prior to the date of departure. As noted above, travel elements are not purchased on an individual basis, and Brightspark cannot provide individualized refunds or credits for elements purchased from external suppliers.

Trip Cancellation by Brightspark

Brightspark and the sponsoring organization (i.e. school or club) reserve the right to cancel any Trip at their sole discretion. In the event that a Trip is cancelled by Brightspark, Brightspark shall have no responsibility beyond the refund of all monies paid by the Passenger, which shall be deemed to constitute full settlement. Brightspark cannot guarantee weather conditions nor can Brightspark be responsible for any shut down, whether whole or partial, of the operations of any services in connection with the Trip whether they be caused by weather or for any reason or cause, and Brightspark hereby expressly reserves the right to change the Trip destination if deemed necessary by Brightspark.

PROTECTING YOUR INVESTMENT

Travel Insurance

Brightspark strongly recommends the purchase of Travel Insurance. Insurance is provided by either Travel Guard or TuGo as indicated on your reservation form. Insurance is non-refundable and non-transferable. Passengers must indicate if they wish to purchase or decline insurance on the registration form. If no indication is made this means insurance has been declined. If any Passenger chooses to decline the insurance package, they will be subject to the cancellation policies outlined in our terms and conditions above. Brightspark will not be held responsible for any claims denied by Travel Guard, TuGo or any other 3rd party insurers.

Eligible expenses may include; cancellation charges prior to departure, trip interruption, excess hospital/medical, baggage, personal effects, out-of-pocket expenses, return of vehicle, family transportation benefit, death after departure, and accident benefits. This form is not an insurance policy. The policy, terms, conditions and restrictions are set out in the insurance certificate. All claims must be submitted in writing. Your reservation and insurance policy do not commence until your Reservation Form is received and accepted in our office at 3280 Bloor St. West, Suite 901, Toronto, Ontario, M8X 2X3.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Third-Party Providers

Lakeland Tours, LLC d/b/a WorldStrides, its employees, shareholders, subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, directors, successors, agents, and assigns (collectively, “WorldStrides”) does not own, operate or control any person or entity which is contracted to or does provide goods or services for your trip, including, for example, lodging facilities, airline, vessel or other transportation companies, guides or guide services, local ground operators, entertainment or sightseeing operators, providers or organizers of optional excursions, food service providers, etc. All such persons and entities are independent contractors. As a result, WorldStrides is not liable for any negligent or wilful act or failure to act of any such person or entity, or of any third party. Further, WorldStrides is not liable for any inconvenience, costs, losses, or damages associated with the denial of services or special requirements of services imposed by such person or entity, or of any third party. Participants travelling on tours that include a Greek cruise should refer to the Carrier’s Conditions of Carriage (which govern the legal relationship between the passenger and the carrier), at celestyalcruises.com//en/conditions-of-carriage.

Privacy

Because the nature of our business requires coordination with various providers who deliver the travel services, it is necessary to share some personal information from time to time. For more information, please visit worldstrides.com/privacy-policy.

Please note: A participant will not be allowed to travel on a WorldStrides tour if the participant’s name does not appear on the travel roster on the day of departure, or if the participant has not submitted a signed waiver and release form, emergency medical release form, or personal behaviour contract. By registering for a WorldStrides trip, and making an initial deposit, participants and/or persons listed on the account are agreeing to and consenting to these Terms and Conditions. If you do not understand any of the foregoing Terms and Conditions, or if you have any questions or comments, please contact Brightspark Customer Support at 1-800-267-6425. WorldStrides’ legal address is 3280 Bloor Street West, Suite 901, Toronto, ON M8X 2X3.