A new section of each course starts monthly. If enrolling in a series of two or
more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two
months apart.
All courses run for six weeks, with a two-week grace period at the end. Two lessons
are released each week for the six-week duration of the course. You do not have
to be present when lessons are released. You will have access to all lessons until
the course ends. However, the interactive discussion area that accompanies each
lesson will automatically close two weeks after the lesson is released. As such,
we strongly recommend that you complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.
The final exam will be released on the same day as the last lesson. Once the final
exam has been released, you will have two weeks to complete all of your course work,
including the final exam.
Week One
Wednesday - Lesson 01
In our first lesson, I'll give you an overview of the tourism industry, including the professions of tour directing and tour guiding. We'll talk about the advantages of tour directing, characteristics of a professional tour director, and the types of careers available, including local, domestic, international and cruise hosting positions. You'll soon learn that tour directing offers a wide variety of opportunities, and it's a career that's never boring!
Friday - Lesson 02
Today, we'll talk about the types of employers who hire tour directors and guides for local, domestic, and international programs. You may be working for an outbound tour operator one week and an incentive house the next. You might work on a day program near home, or you may find yourself traveling to exotic locales. Each company you work for will offer its own unique type of program, and this lesson will help you sort out exactly what arrangements might best meet your needs. We'll also discusss some of the financial benefits of tour directing, including salaries, commissions, and gratuities.
Week Two
Wednesday - Lesson 03
In this lesson, you'll learn all about the general expectations and procedures required in tour directing and guiding. I'll explain the procedures you'll need to know for group management, including announcements and dealing with tour challenges. I'll also explain the different types of tour guiding responsibilities you may encounter.
Friday - Lesson 04
Today, we'll talk about narration and motor coach procedures for local, domestic, and international programs. You'll learn how to be a better tour guide by developing and delivering exciting and interesting narration. Then we'll discuss motor coach safety and procedures for local and international programs.
Week Three
Wednesday - Lesson 05
Now it's time to learn all about pre-tour planning for multi-day tours. We'll review each document in detail and you'll get to see examples of some of the required information, including important documents and lists of supplies. Then we'll go over a list of briefing questions to help you in tour preparation.
Friday - Lesson 06
After this lesson, you'll be ready to start your tour! You'll learn where and how to meet your potential tour members depending on the type of tour or program you want to start. We'll go over a professional tour briefing that can be adjusted for all tours, domestic or international. This is an extremely important part of every tour!
Week Four
Wednesday - Lesson 07
Today, we'll explore the day-to-day responsibilities you'll need to know about for multi-day tours. We'll discuss each step in detail, as well as daily announcements and how to manage optional tours.
Friday - Lesson 08
In this lesson, we'll review international airport procedures. Group check-in and arrival procedures are important responsibilities for an international tour director. We'll go over the necessary documents and procedures so you can assist the group with easy and worry-free departures and arrivals.
Week Five
Wednesday - Lesson 09
Today, you'll learn all about the incentive market, which offers local and travel careers to tour directors. With an incentive program, a tour director can work near home on a part-time or full-time basis, or travel to exotic locations all around the world. We’ll discuss the tour director's procedures in depth.
Friday - Lesson 10
No matter how prepared you are, emergencies can and will happen--the possibilities include theft, illness, accident, or even death. A professional tour director should be able to handle emergencies anywhere in the world. So in this lesson, you'll learn all about handling anything that goes wrong during a local, domestic, or even international program.
Week Six
Wednesday - Lesson 11
This lesson will discuss the typical tour challenges that you may encounter on the job. Whether they're problems with airlines, tour members, or other personnel, or problems with attractions, weather, or transportation, you'll learn how to handle all of these, and many more!
Friday - Lesson 12
In our final lesson, we'll take a detailed look at the responsibilities of a cruise host, someone hired to escort groups on cruise ships. This is a fun and challenging dream job! But because the market is so competitive, I'll provide plenty of suggestions for resume writing, networking, interviewing, and how to get valuable experience.