to going to museums and traveling whenever possible,” said Moy. “I was very fortunate.” Later, Moy traveled while attending Beloit College. He then took a job at the same institution creating international experiences for students. “I took students around the world,” said Moy. “I helped establish exchange programs in Brazil, so I had a familiarity with that.” The Museum of the Red River hired Moy in 1997. He started the travel program a year later to spread the love of travel with the local community. “We are in rural southeast Oklahoma,” said Hoy. “Most people will live here and never leave the country. We are a museum with international exhibits. We are bringing the world to a smaller community, then letting our community be a part of that larger world with our travel program.”
“With smaller tours, you expect more perks than a trip with 40 people,” said Moy. “Our trips will cost a little bit more, so we try to make sure our travelers feel like they are getting value for their money. We now have a core group of travelers who try to go on one trip a year with us. Travel has built loyalty to the institution. Travelers’ personal contributions have increased.” Yet Moy’s motivations for the travel program aren’t financial. His greatest joy is giving people a chance to interact with the world the way he was able to on his trips to China and beyond. “I love our ability to provide these opportunities to those who want to have their hands held a little bit while traveling,” he said. “Then, after the trip, people will sometimes go back to that country by themselves to go to their favorite destinations or the places they missed. That’s gratifying.”
MOD EL IN G THE WAY
The museum’s travel program first ventured to Brazil, since Moy was familiar with planning trips there. Though Moy carried with him a wealth of travel knowledge, he didn’t have other museum travel programs to imitate. “We introduced the concept of a museum travel program to Oklahoma, as far as I know,” said Moy. “There are some now. I mostly looked to universities for examples of international travel programs.” After Moy’s successful first museum trip, the travel program continued to attract new and repeat travelers, first from the community, then from farther away as more out-of-town museum visitors started signing up for tours. The museum now sends tour announcements to a mailing list of people across the country. Some people who haven’t even visited the museum have signed up for trips strictly from word of mouth. The museum typically plans two international trips a year: one in the spring and one in the fall. The groups usually stay small, with a maximum of 18 people. Each tour ties in with a museum exhibit. For example, an exhibit on Amazonian feather work inspired a trip to the Amazon. Though the museum focuses heavily on Native American pieces, in the past 20 years it has expanded its collection to include items from Africa, the South Pacific and Latin America. “The world has opened up for us,” said Moy. “We can easily match our trips to our collections. Last year, we did a trip to New Zealand because we received a small New Zealand collection. We want to broaden the experience of our exhibits with these cultural travel programs.”
T R A V E L
tips
• Focus on value-added tours by traveling with your group. • Your tour’s broad offerings should include standard trips plus special-access opportunities. • Convince participants to travel while they are young.
G AIN IN G GRO U N D
Through the travel program, donations and other initiatives, Moy has seen the museum grow from 2,800 square feet to its current 58,000 square feet of space during his time there. “We are currently on our fourth renovation and expansion,” said Moy. “The museum is now a big presence in the town. We aren’t in a big town, but we are on a major tourist route. We serve a wider area than just our local community.” For each museum trip, Moy crafts an initial itinerary with added exclusive experiences, such as early access to museums, special meals and behind-the-scenes tours. He then selects a tour operator to arrange the itinerary’s logistics.
M A R C H / A P R I L
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selecttraveler.com
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