Major Tour Operators Start Hiring Process for Tour Director and Adventure Guides

Fall Hiring Season

The fall is a good time to start getting ready for the new hiring season for the major Tour Operators.  Most begin their hiring process right after the New Year.  Last year some started in November and it looks like that may be the pattern again this year.  This is the time for those wanting additional work and or new hires to start preparing. I've posted a number of the sites now accepting online resumes and applications below.  I recommend posting your resume and then refreshing at least once a month. Keep it updated with additional related experience.  When the Tour Operator sees a resume that has been untouched for several months they may assume you're no long interested in the position. I wish you all the best.  I look forward to you updates.   Cherie

Tour Operators

Collette Vacations is now accepting resumes for our 2014 season.  We will begin reviewing these in the fall of 2013. As a Tour Manager you will Conduct escorted tours in assigned destinations by delivering exceptional customer service, seamless operational management and knowledge of destination. Balance business excellence, quality passenger experience and professional expertise. RESPONSIBILITIES:  COMMENTARY & COMMUNICATION o Research historical, social & cultural information of assigned destination o Effectively present researched information to passengers o Point out sites seen on route and provide information on sites visited o Effectively communicate all pertinent information of tour to passengers o Professionally communicate with Collette operational departments regularly o Complete necessary forms and paperwork to communicate tour incidents  LOGISTICS & EXPENSES o Confirm all reservations: hotels, meals, attractions and transportation o Coordinate all aspects of the tour in accordance with specified itinerary o Track luggage and coordinate check-in & check-out with hotel staff o Complete and submit all required paperwork in a timely manner o Manage tour expenses and vendor payments responsibly o Negotiate and execute contracts on behalf of Collette Vacations for service recovery and emergency purposes as they arise o Comply with all company policies and departmental procedures  SERVICE & FUN o Provide exemplary & personalized customer service to every passenger o Accompany passengers to all included tour attractions o Handle all passenger needs as required on the tour o Develop & employ a variety of entertainment activities and interaction on tour o Facilitate an atmosphere of fun and learning on tour o Insure proper branding of Collette Vacations and/or partners with regard to signage, handouts and recognition o Act as the "Face of Collette Vacations" in a public relations role o Maintain positive and professional interaction at all times with passengers and vendors Read More: Collette Vacations (Job posted 8/30/13) https://collettevacations.tms.hrdepartment.com/cgi-bin/a/searchjobs_quick.cgi?kand=&kor=&kquote=&knot=&category=11457&qty=25&sj=1&order=jobs.timedate+DESC&search=Search+Jobs General Information about Tour Directing with Tauck Tauck Directors enjoy the benefits and resources of employment with a company that has been at the cutting edge of guided travel since 1925. We take great pride in these front-line representatives of our professional Worldwide Operations team. Our reputation for excellence and integrity was built on the exceptional quality and service of our Tauck Director staff and the support provided behind the scenes by our office staff in Norwalk, Connecticut. We currently employ approximately 250 Tauck Directors worldwide. Most Tauck Directors typically work between the months of May and October, when our tour season is at its height. All Tauck Directors are expected to be available for work assignments throughout September and October. Individual schedules vary, of course, depending on the combination of sales, itineraries assigned, language skills, personal interests, performance history, and seniority Read More: http://www.tauck.com/~/media/Files/Careers/TauckDirectorPosting2014.ashx Apply: https://home.eease.adp.com/recruit2/?id=827771&t=2 Backroads (Sports and Adventure Tours) Dear Leader Applicant, Thirty-four years ago, I was inspired to start Backroads by the belief that traveling actively, under one's own power, was the most rewarding way to experience the world. Researching and leading those first trips was an education and a challenge. But most of all, it was fun. And it's still fun. After more than three decades of being intimately involved in the growth of Backroads into the world's #1 active travel company, I'm more excited than ever about where we're headed. It's an honor to lead a company composed of such talented, motivated and fun-loving individuals who are so passionate about and dedicated to creating extraordinary guest experiences. Backroads exists to treat our guests to a style of travel that is unparalleled in the travel industry. The foundation of our extraordinary guest experience is legendary service-and we go so far as to guarantee the quality of our trips. This is where you come in. Fulfilling this commitment is not an easy job, and it's not for everyone. It may be for you, however, if you can share our passion for this unique mode of travel and the quality of experience for each Backroads guest. Both the challenges, and the rewards, are abundant. Do you have "the right stuff" to be a Backroads leader? Although leaders enrich each trip with unique personality, they share certain critical qualities as well. Our goal is to accommodate guests' individual needs and desires for their vacations in a personal and flexible manner. Every person at Backroads, myself included, works toward this goal. As the company grows, we're looking for more natural leaders who can do a world-class job with style and professionalism. Please review the list below, and the information provided in the sidebars. Consider not just whether you are right for the job, but if this job (really, a lifestyle) is right for you. Sincerely, Tom Hale Founder & President Please visit this page again on November 1, 2013 when we will begin accepting applications for the 2014 season. http://www.backroads.com/leaders/ Adventures by Disney Part concierge, guide and storyteller, Adventure Guides make the journey unforgettable! No one tells a story like Disney. No one makes magical memories like an Adventure Guide. The Adventure Guides are a critical component of the overall adventure experience, impacting guest satisfaction and intent to return. In addition to serving as the primary contact and liaison for guests, Adventure Guides coordinate trip logistics (including transportation, luggage, meals and hotel accommodations), communicate daily itineraries and facilitate pre-arranged activities. http://www.adventuresbydisney.jobs/ . Read More

http://archive.aweber.com/tourtraining/9XHHT/h/Pro_Tour_Management_Training.htm

Cherie Anderson Helps Those Who Seek Employment In Tourism

USA– 2 August 2013- Good news for people who are seeking employment in the tourism industry, as you can now get a comprehensive and dependable training program in tour management. With the advent of Cherie Anderson’s eBook and training guide called Tour Directors Training Guide, you get to learn everything that Cherie Anderson has learned and experienced in her 20-year career as a Tour Management Professional. As a training guide, Tour Director Training Guide tackles everything you need to know to help you increase your chances of landing a lucrative job in the tourism management industry. If you are interested in buying this innovative training manual, navigate to http://tourtraining.com/.

The tourism industry is doing fairly well these days. According to recent surveys and research, approximately 430 million travelers from around the world are expected to travel during the summer season in the Northern Hemisphere. With this surge as well as the continuous progression of the tourism industry, a lot of cruises, tour companies and travel operators are now hiring professionals in tour management.

As an industry, tourism offers a lot of wonderful career opportunities to everyone. Whether you are planning to work internationally or domestically on programs, cruises or tours, having a career in the tour management industry can be a rewarding endeavor for you. Careers in the tourism industry are, for the most part, lucrative, flexible and interesting. In addition, tourism careers offer a lot of medical benefits. On top of it all, a career in tourism gives you an opportunity to travel in many intriguing destinations and pristine natural attractions. Not everyone, however, can get a career in the tourism industry. In order to work in tourism, you need to enroll in a renowned and trusted professional tour management training course.

Cherie Anderson’s Tour Director Training Guide is basically an eBook or manual designed for people who are looking for a career in the tourism industry. With the Tour Directors Training Guide, you will get to learn the complete tour management procedures for international, domestic, local tours, cruises and programs. In addition to that, it provides information regarding the best places to find employment, the incentives you can receive, the places to look for incentives and the best employers.

Heidi L, a graduate of Cherie Anderson’s program, said “I want to express my deepest appreciation to you and to your excellent classes in tour management.  I can truly say that you have changed my life!!Through your all-encompassing resources, I received the names of tour companies and cruise lines and learned the best approach to apply for a variety of tour-related jobs.”

Unlike other traditional tour management training courses, the Tour Director Training Guide from Cherie Anderson can be yours for a very affordable and reasonable price. For the most part, tour management training courses would cost you $3,000 or ever more. With the Tour Director Training Guide, on the other hand, you get an exceptional tour management training guide for less than two hundred dollars. So, if you are looking for an affordable and cost-effective way to increase your odds in finding employment in the tourism industry, get Cherie Anderson’s training guide at http://tourtraining.com/ or call her at 949 830 8630.

Shout out: Cherie Anderson, tour trainer extraordinaire

Posted by De Tour - Matt Smith

I chatted last week with Cherie Anderson, who offers a well-respected training in tour management. She’s worked for over 20 years as a tour director and cruise director, and has been training tour directors since 1993. I learned the business from her. If you’re interested in this work, I’d recommend her course.

About the training: Cherie covers procedures really clearly. It’s everything from how to check a group in and out of the hotel, to how you can assign seating in a bus to prevent conflict, and even what to do if someone dies. Really thorough, practical, well-organized and common-sense.

She also talks about the attitude and qualities that make a tour director successful. And she offers stories to illustrate the challenges tour directors can face. So her training wasn’t just a bunch of checklists, what to do when. It also helped me understand what matters when you’re running a tour and how to think about things.

Cherie measures her success as a trainer by how many of her students get hired. Her course includes information about the industry and companies she recommends applying to. She has relationships with many of them, so mentioning you’ve had her training actually means something to them. She also sends out email bulletins to announce open positions she hears about. For example, I got an email last week about a company she’s helping to recruit tour directors. Otherwise, I’d never have known about the positions they’re trying to fill.

The last thing I’ll mention is, Cherie’s a sweetheart and truly invested in her students. She actually had a career as a teacher before becoming a professional tour director. It shows – both in how well she presents information and in how she engages students. While chatting with her last week, I realized I’d recommend her to anyone… and that’s when I decided to give her this shout out!

To learn more, check out her website: http://www.tourtraining.com/

Matt's Website:  http://www.godetour.com/blog/2012/09/shout-out-cherie-anderson-tour-trainer-extraordinaire/

Growth in US tourism enhances International tourism industry prospects!

The international tourism market along with the Asian inbound tourism experiences a steep upsurge in the recent times as the fiscal value of dollar and the promotion of global tourism helps the Americans to plan their leisure and business trips comfortably. The Asian destinations including, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and Australia are some of the most sought after destinations as per the recent reports of the US travel association. Moreover, states like New York, California are providing a lot of job opportunities related to the tourism industry. The headlines of the international tourism news is definitely serving a world of good for travel industry experts and research associates of global tour operators in the world.

The travel and tourism sector grew at an annualized rate of 6.8 percent in the first three months of 2013. In the same period, the U.S. economy grew at an annualized pace of 2.4 percent, according to the US department of commerce, Bureau of economic analysis. Not only is the U.S. travel and tourism industry growing more than three times as fast as the rest of the economy, it’s doing so despite a slowing in growth in prices. Moreover, the travel and tourism industry is also hiring people at a much faster rate than other sectors of the U.S. economy. Employment in this sector grew 2.3 percent in the first quarter of 2013, 0.4 percentage points faster than the pace at which the rest of the U.S. economy added jobs — 1.9 percent.

Passenger flights, which grew 19 percent in the first quarter of 2013, were the biggest contributor to the increased spending in the travel and tourism sector. Other transportation-related industries, like car rentals, also saw increased spending. However, growth in spending in restaurants, bars and hotels slowed down.

 The rise in US tourism has also augmented a lot of local businesses in the Asian countries. Similarly, the travel trends and jobs related to the tourism industry are showing new lights of human resources and promote tourism worldwide. Recently, the state’s tourism industry is busy with job creation machine that cannot be outsourced or replaced by technology, said Caroline Beteta, CEO of Visit California, in response to an employment report that showed tourism led the state in new jobs.

“California’s travel and tourism industry is a leading economic engine for the state. As the industry continues to grow it’s no surprise that the largest component of the travel and tourism industry – leisure and hospitality – has recently added 9,000 new jobs, more than any other industry,” Beteta said, in a release.

Read the full article:

http://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/us-tourism-enhances-international-tourism-market-growth/

Fellow Td's and friends!

Source: tourtraining.com via Professional Tour Management Training - Cherie Anderson on Pinterest

Fellow Td's and friends!

Tour Day at Work!

Source: tourtraining.com via Professional Tour Management Training - Cherie Anderson on Pinterest

Sailing on the Spirit out of Dana Point Harbor is one of my favorite activities.  My groups always love it.

Duffy Boat Training - Newport Harbor

Duffy Boats - For Cruising and Sightseeing in Newport Harbor 21'  Electric Boats Seat up to 12 people  What:  Duffy Boat Training When:  Monday, June 3, 2013 Time:  10 AM to 1 PM Where:   2001 W. Coast Hwy              Newport Beach, CA 92663 The first Duffy Boat was built by Marshal Duffield in Newport Beach in 1970.  You'll see by the photographs it's come a long way!  Duffy's are now popular around the world in fresh water lakes, waterways and harbors.   Each boat holds from eight to twelve passengers including the driver.   We have over 5,000 Duffy's in our Newport Harbor.  I personally love leading the Duffy Boat tours of Newport Harbor.   We are hired to drive the individual boats escorting the corporate groups around the harbor sharing the harbor history, stories, celebrity homes and life styles of the truly rich and famous.  (Bacal, Bogey, Wayne, Cage, Lauper, Jagger, Nicks, Keaton, Woods, Nixon, Kennedy and many more.)  It's great fun.  The tours are very popular with DMC (destination management companies) groups and tours visiting the California Rivera.   Our tours usually last from 45 minutes to two hours.   Recently I've been asked by DMC's for recommendations for new drivers/guides due to this growing popularity.   We need new guides and the DMC's are bringing in guides from Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego.  (Most companies pay mileage and a five hour minimum.) The training isn't only for those in Southern California.  Duffy Boats are around the world.  I'll cover working with DMC's, procedures, safety, harbor mapping, working with individual groups, variety of activities, scavenger hunts, celebrity's homes, stories and give you practical experience with narration and the opportunity to drive the boats.   I'll also include a list of DMC contacts.   The training takes place on June 3, the day after the next Fast Track Classroom Training.  (May 29, 30, June 1, 2, 2013).  Space is very limited due to the size of the boats.  I will give first priority to those coming in for the Fast Track Training since their time may be limited. If you are attending the Fast Track and wish to also attend the Duffy Boat training, I need to know asap.    Corporate Rental: http://bcove.me/qq59cur0 History of Duffy Boats: http://www.duffyboats.com/about/history Enrollment - Non-Refundable  $150 Paypal:

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=WUCVUZJZXEBUN

Cruise Director Position

American Cruise Lines - Louisville, KY

Company Description:

The Newest and Most Environmentally Friendly Ships.

The Largest Fleet of Small Cruise Ships in America

Six Small Ships Carrying 50 to 150 Passengers

The Largest Staterooms with Interior Entrances and Large, Opening Picture Windows

Private Balconies

Elevator Service to All Decks of the Ship

Open Seating Dining Allows You to Eat at Your Leisure, all Meals Prepared Just the Way You Like

35 Cruise Itineraries to 28 States in America

A True All-American Experience. American Built, Flagged, and Crewed Ships

The Only Cruise Line with Two Authentic Paddlewheelers

--Queen of the West and Queen of the Mississippi

Complimentary Cocktail Hour Hosted Every Evening Before Dinner

Complimentary Wine and Beer with Lunch and Dinner

Gracious Hospitality and Personalized Service

--That is the Hallmark of American Cruise Lines

Many Spacious Lounges and Public Spaces on Each Ship

--Perfect for Congenial Camaraderie or Quiet Relaxation

Exquisite Cuisine From our Staff of Highly Trained Chefs

Entertainment Each Evening

Historians, Naturalists, or Local Experts Join Every Cruise

--Daily Lectures Ranging from History & Ecology to Quilting & Cuisine

Exciting Shore Excursions

--Show You the Best of Each Area We Visit

Job Description:

Cruise Director

(This is an onboard position for 1 of our 6 ships)

Job Description:

American Cruise Lines is the leader in the small ship cruising industry. We are seeking enthusiastic Cruise Directors to live and work on board our luxurious ships. This one of a kind opportunity is ideal for recent college graduates or industry professionals and is a great opportunity to begin a career in the cruise ship industry. American Cruise Lines offers a competitive salary, a comprehensive benefits package and great travel opportunities.

American Cruise Lines operates American Flagged Vessels and carry no more than 120 affluent guests on board. The crew has a passion for personalized service and the ability to know every guest on the cruise while catering to their needs. American Cruise Lines provides our guest with the best small ship cruising vacation available. Cruise Directors will enjoy a typical work rotation of 6 weeks on and 2 weeks off while traveling along the East Coast of the United States.

http://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=300d5078a989de6a&from=tellafriend&utm_source=jobseeker_emails&utm_medium=email&cd%20-=tell_a_friend  

Comments Made by Tour Members

From Thomas Cook Holidays - listing some guests' genuine complaints:

1. "It should be explained in the brochure that the local store does not sell proper biscuits like 
    custard creams or ginger nuts."

2. "It's lazy of the local shopkeepers to close in the afternoons.  I often needed to buy things 
    during 'siesta' time - this should be banned.."

3. "On my holiday to Goa in India , I was  disgusted to find that almost every restaurant served 
    curry.   I don't like spicy food at all."

4. "We booked an excursion to a water park but no-one told us we had to bring our swimming 
    costumes and towels."

7. "The beach was too sandy."

8. "We found the sand was not like the sand in the brochure. Your brochure shows the sand as 
    yellow but it was white."

10. "Topless sunbathing on the beach should be banned. The holiday was ruined as my husband 
      spent all day looking at other women."

12. "No-one told us there would be fish in the sea. The children were startled."

13. "There was no egg slicer in the apartment..."

14. "We went on holiday to Spain and had a problem with the taxi drivers as they were all Spanish."

15. "The roads were uneven.."

16. "It took us nine hours to fly home from Jamaica to England it only took the Americans only three 
      hours to get home."

17. "I compared the size of our one-bedroom apartment to our friends' three-bedroom 
      apartment and ours was significantly smaller.."

18. "The brochure stated: 'No hairdressers at the accommodation'. We're trained 
      hairdressers - will we be OK staying there?"

19. "There are too many Spanish people in Spain. The receptionist speaks Spanish. 
      The food is Spanish. Too many foreigners now live abroad."

20. "We had to queue outside of our hotel with no air conditioning."

21. "It is your duty as a tour operator to advise us of noisy or unruly guests before we 
      travel."

22. "I was bitten by a mosquito, no-one said mosquitos could bite."

23. "My fiance and I booked a twin-bedded room but we were placed in a double-bedded 
      room.  We now hold you responsible for the fact that I find myself pregnant. This 
      would not have happened if you had put us in the room that we booked.."

They walk amongst us and they vote!!! Be afraid!

Jobs for Tour Guides, Tour Directors and Adventure Guides

I have more requests for US Tour Director and Adventure Guides.   The request is listed below.  You are welcome to contact Suzanne directly.  Be sure to tell her if you have completed my training through the “Tour Director Training Guide” and or the other courses.  All the best!

Hi Cherie

How are you?

For this season we are still looking for the following:

1- French speaking tour directors that would love to guide hiking and camping trips through the West's National Parks

2- Italian speaking guides for our active bus tours.........

3 - Spanish speaking driver-guides for our Spanish hiking tours, hotel based

All of our tours are in the Western USA.  We conduct both small group tours, where the tour director is also the driver, as well as a few bus tours. 

If you have qualified guides, please have them send their resume to us at this email, as well as their availability schedule

THANK YOU

Kind regards / herzliche Gruesse / attentamente / cordiali saluti / merci

Susanne Lorenz, President

- Official Receptive Operator -

Adventure Travel West, Inc.

PO Box 12181

Denver, Colorado 80212, USA

www.at-west.com

phone 303-697-6688

fax 303-697-5384

toll free 888-233-1297

Looking for the "Best Guides"for TV Documentary!

This morning I spoke to Blake the casting associate for Punch in the Head Productions out of NYC.  Funny  name?   The name represents their ability to educate people in an interesting and entertaining manner.   You may have seen some on their documentaries, programs and or commercials.   Here's a link to their website: http://punchedinthehead.com/about/ Punch in the Head Productions is developing a new TV show, "The Best of the Best Tour Guides in the US".  It sounds like a wonderful opportunity to introduce viewers to our professional and skilled US guides. Blake describes their casting needs below.  We discussed the wide variety of types of tours, programs and cruises guides may work.  Right now she is looking for US guides as well as a few international tour directors and or guides. I highly recommend sending Blake your resume and maybe a cover letter why you are the 'best' ASAP.  Please list tours you actually lead and consider yourself a true expert.  This is not a time to exaggerate your resume.  It will only hurt the production and you want to shine if cast.  If you know someone that may be a good fit and interested please forward this information.  You are welcome to contact Blake directly. If you trained through my "Tour Director Training Guide" and or other classes and you're applying please let me know. The project is moving forward quickly.  They hope to have it completed and presented to the network within the next month.   Blake plans on contacting about 40 individuals for a telephone interview.  Approximately 15 will then be interviewed by Skype I'm excited about the project.  It sounds like great fun for the guides, production team and the viewers.  I wish you all the best.  If you have any questions you let me know. I'll be watching! Cherie Blake's Request: Hi Cherie, It was great speaking with you on the phone! I'm so glad that you share our excitement for this project. I look forward to speaking with some of your past students and colleagues. I've included below a lot of the same information we spoke about on the phone. Feel free to share the below information with anyone who you feel would be a good fit for this TV show. I am a casting associate here at Punched in the Head Productions. We are currently casting a show that will follow the best tour guides, the guides that put a new spin on things. Punched in the Head Productions is a doc reality TV production company based in New York. Our bread and butter is MTV True Life which if you haven't heard of it is a documentary series and each episode tackles a different topic. The new series will follow tour guides across the country. We're very excited because we feel that people don't know very much about the inter-workings of the tour guide profession. There's so much to learn about this profession and all the greatest places in the U.S. We're looking for guides with big personalities that know how to lead a tour that makes everyone laugh. The first step of the process would be to speak on the phone and see if we feel you'd be a good fit for the show. You can reach me by email blake@punchedinthehead.com or call me at                718.422.0704       EST  ext. 117. I look forward to hearing from you all!  Blake Cherie Anderson Professional Tour Management Training  ( 949) - 830 8603-PST www.tourtraining.com   cherie@tourtraining.com

Cruise Line Jobs

Travel Guide

Holland America Entertainment - United States

Key Job Responsibilities for Travel Guides:

Performance:

Give dynamic PowerPoint presentations about the ports of call and related topics of interest

Provide knowledgeable and accurate information about the itinerary in a exciting and educational way

Drive revenue to Shore Excursions onboard by promoting tours whenever appropriate

Provide entertaining and informative narration from the bridge in specified scenic cruising areas

http://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=6cf4696f4f5891eb&from=tellafriend&utm_source=jobseeker_emails&utm_medium=email&cd+-=tell_a_friend

Cruise Director

Holland America Entertainment - United States

Key Job Responsibilities for Cruise Directors:

Hosting:

The Cruise Diretor drives guest satisfaction scores and on board revenue.

Host all major events as directed by the Manager-Cruise Programming, setting the tone with energy & enthusiasm.

Promote and support the HAL Entertainment brand identity.

Host hotel parties and functions.

Host ship tours on embarkation day.

Make PA announcements as directed.

Host a disembarkation briefing, adhering to approved script.

http://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=6326e18952c22eb9&from=tellafriend&utm_source=jobseeker_emails&utm_medium=email&cd%20-=tell_a_friend

Heidi's First Assignment

I asked Heidi if I could share her first job after completing  PTMT training in November.  It's sounds fabulous!

Hi Cherie

 It was so nice talking to you today!

I wanted to thank you again for all the valuable information and skills I learned in your classes.

Soon after I returned to DC I started working for a local DMC. It just so happens the company A..... was spending their yearly reward meeting in Washington.  I was hired as a tour guide which also led to working dine a-rounds and transportation.

The first night I worked arrivals at the airport.

There I was standing at the airport, with my clear clip board you gave us in class, holding my sign, and thinking..... {if Cherie could only see me now!}

We had 3500 people flying in from everywhere  and 72 buses ......all  to Visit our Nation’s  Capitol, and yeah I'm working! I must say The A..... company went all out. Everything was done first class. They had a wonderful venue.

One night they rented out two of the Smithsonian Museums. This was to hold their black tie dinners.

The next night was their Monuments by Moonlight Tours.  They hired 72 tour guides and 72 buses.

The last night was fantastic .The company rented George Washington’s [Beautiful] Mount Vernon Estate! The night was fabulous!

As they came of the buses they were greeted by period dressed musicians entering the welcome center. Everything was silver service. Serving hors D’Oeuvres , champagne and ice sculptures,  etc. There were horse drawn carriages for quests that wanted to view the estate.

There was a gigantic tent the size of a large football field with live bands, and dancing this again is all overlooking the beautiful Potomac River. Beautiful.

The most spectacular fireworks display at the end of the evening for a grand finally.  It was fantastic!

As a bonus. ... While we had just loaded the buses, there was a spectacular meteor shower with shooting stars that filled the sky. It was just fabulous!

While this was all great!.... I forgot to mention...the most challenging part of the job..... this all went on while we were having one our  unusual freezing cold spells. Most evenings were an icy  29 degrees. Soo I dressed R\really warm and kept moving...but it was Cold Burr.....

I know all jobs won’t be like this..... but... I wanted to share this great experience forever etched in my memory.

I am so thank full for a wonderful first job!

There are so many possibilities and opportunities in the travel industry .

Thank you again for all your help, and teaching me valuable skills..in a field I love, to ensure my success!

All the Best

Heidi

Health Benefits for Tour Directors and Travel Staff

I'm often asked about medical benefits which are extremely important.  Coverage depends on the company, type of employer and how often you work.  For example, most of the major tour operators do include medical benefits for their full -time Tour Directors/Managers.   The full-time requirements may vary with 26 weeks of travel a year being typical.  The tour operators may, as in most industries, require a waiting period to qualify.  Most will want to see if you're a success before putting you on their policies. 

You may also receive benefits when working in the CMI industry.  (Conventions, Meetings and Incentives)  The major incentive houses offer benefits to their regular full-time Travel Staff and Trip Directors.  The DMC's (destination management companies) are less likely to offer benefits to their Tour Directors/Guides since most of their staff works part-time. 

If you work in their office full-time most do offer full benefits.  You  may be in reservations, account executives, program managers and etc.

I always make sure I have personal coverage that includes international travel.  Some will offer coverage but will normally include a lower percentage.  For example, a policy in the US that covers 80% may only cover 50% when traveling internationally.  (International charges for medical care and prescriptions are usually less than in the US.) If you're not sure of the coverage, you may want to talk to your insurance company.

Link to latest newsletter and January Fast Track Classroom Training:  

http://archive.aweber.com/tourtraining/AFCVc/h/Pro_Tour_Management_Training.htm

Professional Tour Management Newsletter - Hiring for 2013

11-08-2012 - Professional Tour Management Newsletter - Hiring for 2013: "Early Hiring Season
The hiring season for 2013 has already started!   As I cover in the "Tour Director Training Guide" and my Fast Track Training, the major tour operators normally start their hiring process right after the Christmas holidays.  This year it looks like a number of companies have started early. Last year was extremely busy and most are expecting another record breaking season in 2013.  The early hiring is a good sign but don't wait too long to apply and or update your resumes and applications.   It's all good news.
If you're interested in leading younger tours (18-35) and or sports tours here are a couple links to companies hiring now:

Contiki job posting:  http://www.contiki.com/pages/1535-tour-manager-usa

Backroads job posting:   http://www.backroads.com/leaders/


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