| In survey after survey, when people are asked what | | | | or travel the world on cruise ships. There isn't a single |
| they would do if they had more time and additional | | | | career path that leads to becoming a good tour |
| financial resources, the top answer is "travel." | | | | director; indeed, it is tour guide training that makes all |
| Unfortunately, for most people, the dream of seeing | | | | the difference. |
| exotic locales and exploring the sights and sounds of | | | | Finding the Right Tour Guide Training |
| distant places remains just that - a dream. But some | | | | While some community colleges and universities offer |
| people choose to transform their travel dreams into | | | | tour guide training, you can also earn a certificate as a |
| reality by receiving tour guide training and becoming a | | | | tour director through online courses. The best online |
| tour director or getting any one of a number of other | | | | courses offer the option of getting credit for the |
| travel jobs. | | | | course through an accredited college or university in |
| Types of Tour Guide Jobs | | | | your community. |
| Travel and tourism training paves the way for any | | | | When looking at travel and tourism training options, look |
| number of tour guide jobs. Leading tours can mean | | | | into the background of the instructor. Ideally, you will |
| sightseeing and bus tours, adventure tours, sporting | | | | find someone with over a decade of extensive travel |
| tours, and cruise ship excursions either near your | | | | experience throughout the world as a cruise host and |
| home, within the United States, or internationally. With | | | | international tour director. He or she should also have |
| tour director training, you can find work as varied as | | | | considerable tour guide training experience. |
| being a cruise host to assuming a management | | | | A reputable tour director training course should last |
| position with a tour company. The companies you can | | | | about six weeks. It should cover the expectations, |
| work for include tour operators, destination | | | | requirements, and procedures involved in tour directing |
| management companies, and event planners. | | | | and guiding, as well as techniques for group |
| Who Makes a Good Tour Director? | | | | management, creating and delivering interesting |
| One of the wonderful things about the travel and | | | | narration, and handling challenges that arise. The |
| hospitality industry is that it encompasses a diverse | | | | course should also go into depth about pre-tour |
| array of jobs and draws people from a variety of | | | | planning, multi-day tours, facing emergencies anywhere |
| backgrounds. In order to succeed in the field, you | | | | in the world, and governmental regulations and |
| simply need to love travel, enjoy working with people, | | | | procedures. Finally, a good tour guide training course |
| and have the right travel and tourism training. Some | | | | will explore the career opportunities available for a tour |
| tour guides have extensive travel experience prior to | | | | director, which opportunities are a good fit for your |
| starting, while others just have natural curiosity and the | | | | needs and interests, and how to best write a resume, |
| desire to travel. Many take tour guide jobs on a | | | | network, and interview for travel jobs. |
| part-time basis, either during vacations from school, | | | | Getting paid to travel is a dream job. And, with the right |
| after retirement, or during the "down time" of seasonal | | | | tour guide training, you can make that dream come |
| careers. Others work locally as full-time tour directors | | | | true! |