Tour Directing Video
Interested in learning more about becoming a Tour Director and if it's the right career for you? Watch a four minute video Baby Boomer Lifestyle Video and other insightful tour directing videos.

- Baby Boomer Lifestyle Video
- Other Tour Directing Videos

- 2008 Symposium Brochure for Tour Operators (PDF)
- 2008 Symposium Brochure for Tour Directors (PDF)
- Symposium Photos and Videos
- Preferred ITMI Sponsors Symposium 2006

Nicole Kreigenhofer
Instructor and Class Coordinator for ITMI in San Francisco

How long have you been tour directing and where have you lead tours?
After graduating from ITMI in 1999, I started working right away as a tour guide in San Francisco and tour director in New England & Eastern Canada. I have spent the last 6 years specializing in two of my most favorite places in the world: France and Italy.

What did you do before tour directing?
How did a girl who had never left her comfort zone (aka "the Valley" in Southern California) get bit by the travel bug? Well, my family moved to Paris, France when I was 18 years old to follow my father's job. I studied Art History at the American University in Paris and French at La Sorbonne.

I eventually ended up teaching English as a foreign language to French business people for 9 years! The thing I liked best about working in Europe is that everyone gets 5 weeks paid vacation a year. You can bet I used every minute of my holidays to make my dreams come true by seeing the world including places such as Thailand, South Africa, Morocco, and all of Europe. When I was ready to come back to the U.S., I moved to San Francisco and became a travel agent. But sending clients to all the wonderful places I wanted to visit soon became much too frustrating! Interestingly enough, this is when I discovered ITMI.

How has tour directing changed your life?
There is absolutely nothing else I'd rather be doing! No other career has ever been more fulfilling and rewarding while allowing me to pursue my passion for travel, adventure and meeting fascinating people.