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I Think I Want That Job!
What is it really like to be a tour guide or tour director? By Joan Keddell, President, International Tour Management Institute Over the years, people have often asked us, “Is this a real job? Can anyone do it?” Others have returned from a tour saying, “I think I want that job!” Then come the questions: […]
All the Right Ingredients—but Are They in the Right Order?
Have you ever tried to recreate something your mother, grandmother, or favorite aunt made, only to discover that yours never tasted quite the same? For me, it was my Aunt Margie’s blueberry muffins. She made them for me every Christmas, but she kept the recipe hidden. After I grew up and had a family of […]
Two Roads to the Same Profession: How Tour Director and Tour Guide Training Is Changing
Online learning can prepare you for the profession. Real-world experience can add another layer. At ITMI, we believe the right path depends on the person taking it. By Joan Keddell, President, International Tour Management Institute (ITMI) There was a time when becoming a professional Tour Director or Guide almost always meant traveling to attend in-person […]
How Do You Choose the Right Tour Director or Tour Guide Training Program?
The questions I believe are worth asking before you invest in your training—and your next chapter. Over the years, I have had thousands of conversations with people considering careers as Tour Directors or Tour Guides. Some arrive knowing exactly what they want to do. Others begin with somethOn-the-Road Experienceing as simple as: “I love to […]
The Traveler’s Shoes – The Human Side of Tour Director & Tour Guide Training – ITMI
What the shoes beside us can teach us about the people we lead. I just returned from the Student & Youth Travel Association (SYTA) conference, surrounded by over 1,000 people who share a love of travel.There were conversations everywhere. Old friends reconnecting. New introductions. Ideas being exchanged. People hurrying from one meeting to another. And […]
The Best Part of the Trip Wasn’t on the Itinerary
Why Meaningful Travel Experiences Still Depend on Human Connection Ask someone about a trip they took years ago, and you might be surprised by what they remember. I know what I remember. Years ago, I was traveling through the Greek Isles. One evening, we wandered into a small shop just as the shopkeeper was getting […]
Why Words Matter: Psychology of Group Travel
How Tour Directors, Tour Guides, and Hospitality Professionals Shape the Guest Experience One Conversation at a Time Every day, millions of people travel. Some are crossing an item off a lifelong bucket list…Some are celebrating an anniversary…Some are reconnecting with children or grandchildren…Some are traveling to learn…Some are traveling to grow. And some are traveling […]
So, I Married a Tour Guide — Chapter Two: Tokyo Drift
So, I Married a Tour Guide… And I Ended Up in Japan… The Adventure Continues. (Chapter Two: Tokyo Drift) I begin to write this article as I sit in the lounge at the Tokyo Hilton, Shinjuku. I’m listening to a live rendition of Moon River and enjoying a dry vodka martini, three olives. I am […]
So, I Married a Tour Guide — Chapter One: The Adventure Begins
So, I Married a Tour Guide…And I Ended Up in Japan…Finally. (Chapter One: The Adventure Begins!) “And you may find yourself in another part of the world…And you may find yourself with a beautiful wife.And you may ask yourself…Well…how did I get here?” It’s funny sometimes how things work out. We’ve been living in Portugal […]
Packing Like a Tour Director:
Pro Strategies for Efficient,
Stress-Free Travel
(A Playful Guide to Smarter Travel) Most travelers overpack.Tour Directors don’t. How can you tell?Because Tour Directors glide through airports while the rest of us are kneeling on the floor at check-in, desperately redistributing items between bags before the agent can utter those five dreaded words: “I’m sorry, your bag is overweight.” Ah yes, the […]
