Graduating More than 8,000 Tour Guides & Travel Leaders Since 1976

For six decades Tour Companies have been hiring ITMI graduates because they have invested in themselves to be professionally trained, mentored and supported in their future growth and success.

As you begin to imagine your world expanding and transforming beyond what you thought possible, you may have feelings of self-doubt and fear. We are here to let you know that whatever your dream travel career is, it’s totally possible for you to design your world how you want it to be, full time, part time or seasonal. Whether you’re interested in adventure guiding, international, student educational travel, faith-based, cultural, food & wine, music performance, or any other types of tours, we can help launch your dream travel career!

Through our partnerships with countless travel companies, we know exactly how to get you started. We’ve designed an 8-week training experience to prepare you for these opportunities and help open doors to make your career dreams come true. When you are accepted into the ITMI Tour Certification Training Program and enroll, you will begin your journey through the following process.

8-Week Tour Leadership Training Experience

Watch this video to see what your ITMI Training experience will be like!

WHAT YOU GET FROM THE ITMI TOUR CERTIFICATION PROGRAM

WORLD-CLASS PROFESSIONAL TOUR LEADERSHIP TRAINING ($5,500 Value)

Your journey starts with 3 weeks of online classroom training so that you can study from the comfort of your home and familiarize yourself with key concepts that you will be applying during the upcoming 10-day in-person intensive training.
Then you we will meet up with your fellow classmates and top industry instructors in “The Learning Lab” for 10 full days of immersive destination training, team learning, storytelling mastery, situational preparedness, customer service excellence, travel safety, and creative problem solving.
In-field training includes city tour commentary practice on a motorcoach, airport meet & greet procedures for domestic and international travel, and a 3-day field training to simulate a real trip giving you hands on tour leadership experience and confidence. Overnight hotel stay, some meals, sightseeing and gratuities are included in the field training.

CAREER STRATEGY & COACHING SESSIONS ($3,500 Value)

After you successfully complete the “Learning Lab”, we will schedule individual coaching sessions to help you define your immediate and long-term career goals and determine which tour companies best meet your personality, skills and desires .

We assist you in customizing your resume and cover letter so that you stand out when you apply for specific jobs. The cover letter and video that you send is just as important as your résumé. It tells the tour operator a bit more about who you are and what you are like ‘off the page.’ Therefore, as part of your preparation and course work, a cover letter is reviewed to ensure that you have the right techniques to get hired.

We realize that beginning a new travel career can feel stressful, and the interview process may seem daunting. Therefore, we have dedicated one segment of the course to interview techniques and role-playing so you feel confident for your job interviews and are familiar with the potential questions that the tour operators may ask. (may remove this?)

During the in-person training you will have a photo session with a professional photographer to help you look your best on your resume and online.

JOB LEADS AND CAREER PLACEMENT ASSISTANCE ($1,775 Value)

ITMI partners with more than 1,000 tour companies in North America and around the World. Tour companies contact us every day with specific employment opportunities that we pass along to you!
In addition, you will receive an exclusive list of over 700 tour operators and their contact information so you can identify potential job opportunities.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & SUPPORT ($1,500 Value)

Access to the online Nautilus community of thousands of active alumni for advice, support and referrals.

Access to ITMI’s 44 year-old 8,000 Alumni strong Resource library which include the industry’s largest database of tour resources.

Access to the annual ITMI Symposium at NTA (National Tour Association) to connect with fellow alumni, tour operators and industry leaders over five days of education, destination knowledge and job interviews.

Introduction to local Professional Associations to further your connections with Certified Professionals in your area. Associations include: National Federation of Tour Guide Associations (NFTGA), World Federation of Tour Guide Associations (WFTGA), Student Youth Travel Association (SYTA), the Guild of Professional Tour Guides of Washington D.C., Guides Association of New York City, San Francisco Tour Guide Guild (SFTGG), Utah Tour Guide Association, Chicago Tour Guide Professional Association and more.

ACCESS TO CONFERENCE ($1,125 Value)

For over three decades, ITMI has been hosting a one-of-a-kind event exclusively for ITMI Alumni. It is designed for you with educational opportunities to strengthen your personal and professional development. Motivational speakers, interactive panel discussions and complimentary tours provide you with additional destination knowledge, and if desired, exclusive opportunities are available for roundtable, face-to-face interviews with tour operators who come each year to find the right person for employment opportunities in the coming season and beyond.

INDUSTRY RECOGNIZED AND TRUSTED ITMI BRAND ($1,000 Value)

We are proud that ITMI is the trusted brand in the industry. Our tour operator partners hire more ITMI alumni because of our commitment to hands-on skills training and the overall thoroughness of our program. They also realize the resources we provide our alumni, long after graduation. By understanding our tour operator partners and getting to know our graduates really well, we are able to recommend the right person for their company’s needs.

TRAINING PROGRAM TUITION

Even though all the entire training program is valued at over $14,000, what is the value for you to start your dream travel career and making a living doing what you love this year?

Since we are on a mission to train and send out as many “Goodwill Ambassadors” as we can, we want to make this opportunity more accessible to those who have a big dream of sharing our beautiful world and a calling to make a difference.

That’s why we decided to offer this program for only $4,550 + $250 enrollment fee instead $14,000.

What that means is that we can only accept 175 students a year into this special program.

We also understand that even this amount can be challenging for some. In this case, we have payment plans and select industry scholarships available to make this possible for you.

2020 ACADEMIC CALENDAR YEAR TUITION

$4,550 + $250 enrollment fee

To make budgeting your tuition easier, we offer three different payment options, please inquire

Once you’ve completed and submitted your application, it will be reviewed by the ITMI Team and you will be contacted to arrange an interview. At the conclusion of your interview you will be advised whether you have been accepted.

Upon acceptance, a $250 USD (United States Dollars) non-refundable application processing fee is due.

Payments

Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover and Personal / Cashiers Check are accepted.

Types of Assistance

There are a few types of tuition assistance & information, outlined below.

Personal Loan– Students can apply for loans through their own bank or a family member’s bank.
Employer Tuition Assistance– Some companies offer tuition assistance. Ask your employer.

Payment Plans

Credit Card/Debit Card/Check — ITMI accepts all major credit cards. Reminder: some debit cards have daily limits.
Payment Plan — To make budgeting your tuition easier, we offer three different payment options, ask us how.

Tourism & Hospitality Industry Scholarship

Scholarships are available for a portion of the class (up to $500) for students with a background in travel & tourism or hospitality experience. Please inquire about the application process and requirements to be eligible.

What Industry Partners Say About ITMI Graduates

Valerie with EF Explore America shares why she prefers ITMI grads.

“ITMI Alumni are prepared and fun!” Mary Ellen and Mike with WorldStrides talk about ITMI grads.

TOUR CERTIFICATION PROGRAM