Join The NYC World Travelers Group

You'll get invited to our Meetups as soon as they're scheduled!

About The NYC World Travelers Group

Table of contents

who we are

We are people who enjoy traveling throughout the world to experience new cultures and meet people that are different from ourselves. Our meetings are an outlet for this desire when we're not off traveling the globe. We are open and friendly people who gather to share experiences and stories relating to our adventures around the world. We have been meeting continuously for over six years, and the only travel meetups that have been active longer than us are in Madrid, Chicago, and Washington! I have only recently taken it over from my good friend Howard, so if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.

who we are not!

This is not a dating group. There's nothing wrong with singles groups, but we are not one of them. This is about meeting people that like to travel. It's great if people get along at our meetings and end up dating, but please don't join if this is your sole motivation.
This is not a travel agency. You won't find travel deals posted on the message board. (note spam policy below)
I will do my best to make our events social for everyone, but I am a volunteer. My only compensation is the fun I have at our events. Please don't base your experience on the organizer's attentiveness to you. It's your responsibility to socialize and meet people. We sometimes have over 50 members at our meetings. It's hard to get around to everyone when you're hiding in the corner. In other words, get out there and show yourself a good time!

what happens at our meetings

Our monthly meetings are intended for members to get to know each other in a casual atmosphere. These are fun social mixers with no agenda. We chat with fellow members over drinks and maybe a bit of food.

The most important thing to know about our meetings is that we are an open and fun crowd. Come and know that you'll be welcomed, whether you are a seasoned traveler or are just now feeling the symptoms from that travel bug you've caught. You'll find friendly and interesting people that are more than willing to talk to you about their experiences. Plus, you can get some great tips on a future trip. Who knows? You might even find a travel partner!

Often, we have other types of events too. A picnic, food tour, or a day-trip out of town. If you have any ideas, send in a suggestion to the organizer.

do you travel together?

Generally not. In the past, we have not planned organized group trips (apart from the rare daytrip). I haven't seen any interest in group travel from our active members, so it doesn't make sense for me to spend my volunteered time on something that isn't to the advantage of the majority of the group. However, I'm not opposed to a member trying to organize a trip. If you would like to do this, then send me a note. I can "put it out there" on the message board or in a poll to gauge interest. This actually brings me to the next topic, which is somewhat related...

travel agents

We have several travel agents that are part of this group and they can bring a lot of knowledge and experience to the group. I do discourage invasive promotion and advertising (see below spam section), but this doesn't mean we can't take advantage of deals or arrangements from a travel agent. If you're an active member and happen to be a travel agent, then share your ideas with me. I may even help you set up an info session for those interested. What is not allowed though is a travel agent without any interest in our group trying to use this site as a vehicle to promote their business. Requests can be sent to me and I will consider on a per case basis.

how to join

Since our membership has grown steadily over the years, we have become a bit more restrictive of members recently. This is not meant as a personal judgment of anyone, but as a volunteer it is difficult to handle the demands of a group that is too large. Therefore, please understand that application to our club does not guarantee membership.

To apply, click the

button, make sure you fully answer the questions in your profile. I will get an e-mail and then I can approve you. However, if you fail to answer the questions in your profile, I will send you an e-mail asking you to do that and keep your membership in a pending mode. If you have not updated your profile in a few days, I may then deny your application (with an explanation message to you) but you are welcome to apply again in the future.

The profile is a simple way for people to get to know each other, before actually meeting you at one of our events. I think it's an important tool for our community to grow more familiar with each other.

This group is accepting world travelers only! World travel does not include inside the U.S., the Bahamas, or any other resort where there are barriers to meeting any of the local people, other than through the resort staff. (condescension here is entirely purposeful)
Also, prior to approval, I may have a question about your profile and will send you a message through the Meetup system. Please respond to this message, or your application will be declined.

inactives

Meetup defines inactive members as those who haven't logged into our group page in the past 3 months. However, I regularly remove inactive members that have not visited in the past 4 months!! Here's the process: I send all inactive members a warning message just before one of our monthly events; after the event, I remove all members that have been inactive for 4 months, leaving the 3-month inactive members until the next month. Therefore, an inactive member should receive at least 2 warning e-mails before they are actually removed.

spam

We are a prime target for marketing. I have no problem with travel agents or marketers in general, in fact, I am subscribed onto several travel deal e-mail lists. However, I've decided not to allow any posts onto the Message Boards that are clearly spam. I don't have a way of keeping e-mail spam being sent to you, but if you report to me that a Travel member is sending you unwanted e-mail, I'll act as far as my Organizer abilities allow.