Have you ever wondered what really goes on behind the scenes of a tour? Are you curious about how much prep Tour Leaders do beforehand? Do you want a peek into life after breaking free from the 9 to 5?
TourCademy is here to give you some insights into the life of a Tour Leader! Come spend a day with us (in a few minutes) and discover what a Tour Leader does in a typical workday.
While there’s a lot of time for relaxing and sleeping in when you’re a Tour Leader off duty, when you’re on the job, the days tend to start early. Usually, on tour, even the passengers have to adjust to earlier rising times. Unfortunately, since you’re always several steps ahead, that means your alarm clock should be set for an hour or two before theirs. Unless you’re a morning person, in which case, get a head start as soon as you want! That’ll leave a bit of room for you to take a breather now and then.
After grabbing your umpteenth coffee of the morning, make sure that everything is set on the hotel’s side for breakfast service. Once that’s good to go, you’ll probably have some time to sit down and plan for the day. Consider weather conditions in the destinations on the way, make a list of things to remind the passengers of, get the funds for the day finalised, and maybe even chat with some passengers over a coffee or a scone.
The time between breakfast and departure is a magical time for Tour Leaders. All of your planning for the day is done (hopefully), your morning routine is complete, and now you get to connect with some of the coolest people you’ll meet in your life! As some passengers have a last smoke, head back to the room for a jacket or make a quick last bathroom run, you’ll have time and the opportunity to chat with passengers as they stow their luggage and board the coach for an unfathomably exciting day.
Once it’s time to depart and start the day’s itinerary, you, as the Tour Leader, get the best seat in the house! Okay, apart from the driver’s seat (but they really deserve it). From the front, you can see the journey ahead as well as the passengers aboard and always aim to keep the two connected. Heading towards a relaxing lunch? Get everyone nice and relaxed with an oldies playlist, for example. On the way to an adrenaline-filled excursion? Get your group chanting along! What we’re getting at is that it’s your job and privilege to set the tone of the tour. Why not make it a blast?
You might think that all of your planning and organisation is done for the day. Not quite the case! As you travel on and tick experiences off of collective bucket lists, things can, and probably will, change at a moment’s notice - sometimes even without any. So always keep yourself in a calm but ready state of mind. Between you, the driver, the team back at HQ and sometimes even the passengers, you can weather any storm - literally and metaphorically speaking.
Pay close attention to those very special moments throughout the day when everything’s running smoothly, the group’s busy experiencing something amazing with a guide or sitting down for an unforgettable local lunch, and you get to sit back and watch the happiness you had a hand in creating. That’s genuinely what makes it all so fulfilling, rewarding and worth any number of early mornings or day plans.
Once the activities, meals, check-ins and must-sees of the day are done, you get to - you guessed it - do some more planning and organisation. Jokes aside, tour leading really is a huge responsibility as a whole group of travellers, most very far from home, are in your hands 24/7 on-tour. That means a lot of planning. But it also means you get to see those beaming faces when everything runs smoothly and people experience the mind-blowing sights, cultures and people of the world. Take some time while the guests get dinner-ready to check that the kitchen and hotel are all set. Maybe a quick check-up on tomorrow’s itinerary’s viability, then enjoy some mingling time with the guests over dinner, and yes, even a drink sometimes!
After heading to bed before the last passengers (trust us - it’s good for your reputation, your alertness as well as their “alone time”), you get to set your alarms and do it all again tomorrow! Except completely differently, in a brand new place, with a fresh set of exciting experiences and, as always, challenges. That’s what makes it such a dynamic career! With fresh faces in each tour group, different vantage points of remarkable places and even more experience behind you, even the same itineraries will never be the same on tour.
