Even before departing the United States, the assignment of a local tour director (TD) by the tour company will establish a crucial relationship between teacher group leaders, other chaperones, and students. Group leaders should request contact by the TD before departure by email or telephone to begin this relationship. The TD will have all of the tour information including itinerary and lodging and will be the primary facilitator of all on-tour details.
Establishing a Rapport with the Tour Director
The assigned tour director will meet the group at the airport upon arrival. If several different school groups have been consolidated into one group (usually determined by bus size), other representatives of the tour company will meet the group and escort it to the hotel. A meeting between all group leaders and the tour director should take place during that first day to review the tour itinerary, set group expectations, and establish guidelines everyone can agree with.
For a good number of tour directors, escorting students and adults is a passion and this is reflected in their preparation. One exceptional TD distributed self-made booklets for every country being visited that included vocabulary terms, maps, and contact information. Some tour directors excel with commentary, particularly during long bus rides. Bus activities often include singing, games, quizzes, and trivia contests.