Questions
- What is the role of a Tour Director?
- What are the characteristics/traits of a successful Tour Director?
- What is a typical tour schedule? Full Time / Part Time?
- Do I get any free time on tour?
- I want to travel overseas as a tour director, do I need to have been there?
- Do I need to speak a second language?
- What age group will be on my tours?
- Can I work on board a cruise ship?
- Does it matter where I live?
- How much do tour directors earn?
- Why get ITMI certification?
- How many tour companies employ ITMI graduates?
- How Do I Apply?
- Do I have to make a special trip to San Francisco for my personal interview?
- May I audit one of your classes?
- May I pay to observer one of your two day/one night field trips?
- May I speak with an ITMI graduate?
- Do you provide housing for out of town students?
- Are there scholarships available for qualified applicants?
- What is the significance of your logo?
- Where Can I Get More Information?
1. What is the role of a Tour Director?
Business Agent: You are there to see that the tour company gets what they contracted for
and the tour clients get what they paid for. You represent the company in the field. You are the
'face' of the company.
Source of information: You prepare commentary and briefings that are well organized,
interesting, and relevant. You know when to talk, what to talk about and when to be quiet. You
provide a balance of information and entertainment. You know the answers to the most frequently
asked questions on any tour.
Set the mood: Each tour has a certain theme or focus. Whether it is the relaxation and
leisure of a Hawaiian vacation or the wildlife adventure of an African Safari, it is your job to get the group into that mood.
Congenial host: Your priority is to meld the group together into a happy family of
travelers. You help everyone become part of the group and have a good time.
Motivate / Generate Enthusiasm: It is your job to help people enjoy their vacation. You
motivate people to stretch and grow and do things that they might not do without your suggestion.
Encourage them to try new foods, learn a few words of a new language and participate in the
customs or culture of a foreign land. This is where you put your "signature" on the tour by being
creative.
2. What is a typical tour schedule? Full Time / Part Time?
Tour directors have a passion for travel, enjoy being with people and want to make a difference.
It is important to be in good health, have a high energy level and enjoy an active lifestyle.
There are opportunities for all ages. Life skills, maturity and diverse experiences are respected
in tour directing. You are hired because of your abilities and experience, not your age or gender.
3. What is a typical tour schedule? Full Time / Part Time?
Tours range from 1-2 days to 3-4 weeks with the average being from 7 - 15 days. ITMI considers 150
- 250+ days per year full-time; 75-150 part-time and intermittent if less than 75 days. Some tour
directors work seasonally, 6-8 months straight and then take the rest of the year off. Some
integrate tour directing with their present job on a part time basis. Some just "follow the sun"
and work throughout the year worldwide. Others work exclusively at a local level and never leave
town. The choice is yours to work full or part-time.
4. Do I get any free time on tour?
Even though while on tour you are "on-call" 24 hours a day, it is important to find down time away
from your group. It is healthy for both the tour client and you. A typical tour day begins at 8:00am
and ends at 6:00pm unless there are evening activities scheduled. Often free time is scheduled on
tours of two weeks or longer. The key to successful tour directing is balance.
5. I want to travel overseas as a tour director; do I need to have been there?
No. There are English-speaking guides who will assist you and your group. The Institute trains you
to go anywhere in the world, even places you have never visited. We teach you how to work effectively
with overseas guides and research the destination so that you are competent doing your job. No one
should know it's your first time there!
6. Do I need to speak a second language?
Fluency in a foreign language is not necessary but can obviously be helpful in certain destinations.
There are English speaking local guides that will assist you all over the world. When hired to lead
non-English speaking groups coming to the United States, it is required. Languages often in demand
are; French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Dutch and Swedish.
7. What age group will be on my tours?
There are a variety of tours for all ages. Students and 50+ dominate the package tour market but
more and more families, younger couples and singles are traveling on group tours. Today, tours are
shorter in length and more affordable. Many enjoy the sense of "community" that comes from
traveling with a group.
8. Can I work on board a cruise ship?
Yes. An increasing number of graduates are enjoying life at sea on a full or part-time basis.
Some tour directors work as cruise hosts aboard ships with a variety of pre-formed groups. Others
work with motorcoach and/or incentive tour companies that integrate cruises with land/tour packages
and shore excursions known as inter-modal travel.
9. Does it matter where I live?
Most tour companies pay you to travel from your home to the starting point of your tour and back.
These are called "positioning" expenses. It does not matter where you live, once you are "established"
in the field. If you move, you can still be employed by the same companies…you take your job with
you anywhere in the world.
10. How much do tour directors earn?
Besides getting all the free travel benefits (hotels, meals) tour directors make approximately $150 -
$250 per day (that includes salary, per diem, gratuities and commissions). See the ITMI Video for more detail.
11. Why get ITMI certification?
It is an investment in yourself that you could potentially "pay back" from approximately two weeks
of work as a tour director. You learn how to become a tour director and guide. ITMI offers continual
assistance in finding employment in the industry. The Institute assists you in writing a special
resume targeted toward the companies best suited to your skills and desires. ITMI also teaches you
industry specific interview techniques, occasionally sets up interviews, and provides free placement
assistance and counseling services for life.
12. How many tour companies employ ITMI graduates?
Over the past 30 years we have worked with hundreds of tour operators that have hired ITMI graduates.
Here is a short list of a few of the companies we have partnered with: Academic Travel Abroad, Adventures by Disney, Allied T Pro,
American Orient Express, American Tours International, Australian Pacific Touring, Brennan Vacations,
Caravan, Collette Vacations, Contiki, Destination America, E.F. Explore America, Educational Discovery
Tours, Globus & Cosmos, Heartland Tour and Travel, Holiday Vacations, Holland America Cruise Lines,
Japan and Orient Tours, JetSave, Julian Tours, Maritz, Maupintours, Mayflower, McGettigan, People to
People Ambassador Programs, Princess Cruise Lines, New Horizons Tour and Travel, Premier World Discovery,
Saga, Tauck World Discovery, Titan, Tourco Inc., Travelsphere, Travel Adventures, Travcoa, Trek America,
Worldstrides.
13. How Do I Apply?
The Enrollment Online Application can be submitted directly from
our web site. There is no obligation. After receiving your application, one of our senior instructors
will call you to answer any questions and set up a convenient time for a telephone or personal interview
to discuss your qualifications and answer any questions you might have regarding tour directing or the
ITMI program. Or call (800) 442-4864 Monday through Friday between 9:00am - 5:00pm PST.
14. Do I have to make a special trip to San Francisco for my personal interview?
No, most interviews are done by phone at ITMI's expense. Interviews are approximately half an hour
with a "follow-up" phone interview a few days later. ITMI encourages applicants to interview in
person if possible, however a majority are done by phone.
15. May I audit one of your classes?
Yes, however we only allow one or two observers for certain classes. Please contact the ITMI office for more details. (800) 442-4864.
16. May I pay to observe one of your two day/one night field trips?
Yes, in conjunction with the 15 day ITMI training program we conduct a number of customized overnight
field trips to such locations as Yosemite National Park, Lake Tahoe, Mt. Lassen, Carmel/Monterey, Big
Sur, and Hearst Castle. Please contact the ITMI office for pricing
and details. (800) 442-4864.
17. May I speak with one of your graduates?
Yes, however we would need to have interviewed you as well as have an application on file. We then attempt to match you with someone with similar interests, background, and geographic location. We pride
ourselves in keeping our graduates’ records confidential unless they have authorized their use for
this purpose. Please contact the ITMI office for more
details. (800) 442-4864.
18. Do you provide housing for out of town students?
Yes, ITMI helps to secure housing and a roommate if it is desired. Often 90% of a class will be
from out of town and many students find sharing a room actually enhances their experience.
Students enjoy doing homework assignments together and having the built in support system that
shared housing facilitates. In some cases housing is available from graduates that live near the
training facility. Please contact the ITMI office for more details.
(800) 442-4864.
19. Are there scholarships available for qualified applicants?
There are a number of scholarships available through the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) visit www.asta.org for more details. Also, the
National Tour Association (NTA),The United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA), American Bus
Association (ABA), Student and Youth Travel Association (SYTA) have partnered with Tourism Cares for
Tomorrow. Please visit their website at www.tourismcares.org.
20. What is the significance of the ITMI logo?
Down through the ages, the spiral chambers of the nautilus have symbolized stages of growth, like the
rings of a tree, to diverse cultures around the world. Its message is timeless. Oliver Wendell Holmes
said "Let us take a lesson from the nautilus". Each time the nautilus outgrows one chamber it must add
another so that it will have room to live. Each new chamber becomes progressively larger. The chambered
nautilus illustrates what ITMI's vision and mission is all about. In analogy with the nautilus, we
believe that the chambers represent the personal growth and development that often accompanies the
magical experiences of travel. Our humanity expands as we stretch to understand the world we share. Like
the nautilus, we cannot go back to our past. We must live in the present, and although we live in the
present, we are a product of our past and must grow to remain vibrantly alive. The people that decide
ITMI is the right path will experience growth and will find the Institute and tour directing both
challenging and life changing
21. Where Can I Get More Information?
Send email to itmitourdirector@aol.com or call (800) 442-4864
Monday through Friday between 9:00am and 5:00pm PST.
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