This past year brought record numbers of foreign visitors to the United States. Australians and the Brits top the list of tourists but tour guides speaking French, Italian, Dutch, German, Spanish, Chinese, Russian and Farsi were needed to speak their native tongue to foreign visitors.

Tour guides are usually the first person a tourist meets when they visit any country. It is not by chance that most countries train the brightest, most articulate people to be their “ambassadors of goodwill” to visiting tourists. Tour guides possess inherent traits such as compassion, empathy and a strong desire to make a difference in the lives of all those they encounter. They embody the “Yes We Can” attitude that is turning our country around with their unshakable optimism.

The commanding General of the Allied Forces in World War II, who later became our nation’s 34th President, Dwight D. Eisenhower, called for “increased visits by citizens of one country to another to give each the fullest opportunity to learn about the people of other nations.” Eisenhower believed that in the long run people would do more to promote peace and understanding than our governments. Eisenhower’s remark, “the passport to peace is travel,” resonates more today than ever before in our history.

“Travel is the greatest university in the world”, says Ted Bravos, cofounder of the International Travel Management Institute (ITMI), a state certified school for training tour guides since 1976. “It teaches us about cultures, stereotypes, prejudice and helps us realize that we are but one small part of a very diverse and connected world.”

Tour guiding can be both personally and financially rewarding. A certified tour guide earns approximately $200 per day plus gratuities and expenses.

Freelance tour guiding is a perfect fit for entrepreneurial individuals, small business owners, people in transition or people with a flexible lifestyle. Tour guiding blends well with other vocational interests or pursuits. Schedules can be custom tailored to coincide with summer vacations, weekends, child-care hours or even around another job.

If you enjoy showing visiting friends and family around your own city, your country or around the world, Bravos suggests you consider doing it professionally. ITMI has been conducting intensive 15-day training programming for people to become tour guides and tour directors for over three decades. Students learn about the tour industry through practical “hands-on” experience in the field and five days training aboard a touring motor coach, including a two-day overnight field trip where they actually perform the role of a tour guide and tour director. The Institute also provides free lifetime placement assistance.

You can view a free 90-minute on-line Tour Guide/Tour Directing video by visiting the ITMI Web site at www.itmisf.com, e-mail travel@itmisf.com or call (800) 442-4864 to learn more about tour guiding and tour directing.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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“Tour directing is a great career for people who have a passion for travel and interacting with people,” comments Ted Bravos, cofounder of the International Tour Management Institute (ITMI), a state-certified school that since 1976 has trained individuals to become professional tour directors and guides. Bravos is active in the field that he teaches and just returned from leading a 3-week African Safari for the Smithsonian Institute. “It really is a job that presents endless opportunities for making a difference and creating incredible memories. It’s great for those who are truly young at heart and who want an adventure that lasts a lifetime.”

Tour directors have the option to work as little or as much as they please. Whatever fits your lifestyle, it can be a full, part-time or seasonal job. “You have the opportunity to work in a variety of destinations,” adds Bravos. “This might mean leading tours in a different country or in the city where you live. No matter where you’re located, you are goodwill ambassadors to visitors from around the world.”

Eric Kipp used to lead hiking groups in Hawaii and then entered the corporate world. He found himself always telling stories of his experiences during business meetings and decided that he should rediscover this passion. He now works as a tour director around his other passion, being a corporate life coach. He recently spent the summer leading groups in Alaska.

“There is no way to get to know a location better than leading a group,” says Kipp. “I led 16 groups over four months. I was able to explore national parks and build lasting relationships with other tour directors and my groups.”

Kipp’s dream for the future is to lead small groups on sailing vessels in the Caribbean. “I have the idea and the dream, and they (ITMI) gave me the tools to do it.”

Tour directing can be lucrative as well, paying $200 to $300 per day, plus all expenses. Many popular travel trends include student and youth travel, adventure travel, and intergenerational tours where children, parents and grandparents travel together.

ITMI prepares students in a 15-day intensive training program. Students learn about the tour and travel industry through practical “hands-on” experience in the field, including 5 days training aboard a deluxe motor-coach and an overnight fieldtrip where they actually perform the role of a tour director. The school also offers lifetime job placement assistance.

Chris Brown, an ITMI alumni and professional tour director spent 11 years in the corporate world and decided he didn’t want to spend the next 20 sitting behind a desk.

“What I like most about tour directing is that it really makes me feel alive. Whether it’s getting all fired up about meeting a new group and making sure I deliver a fantastic experience for them or just being able to see new things on every trip — no matter if I’ve been there before. When I bring a group to fly over the Grand Canyon or into Yosemite Valley or to a Broadway show in NYC, the tears and laughter abound! Who wouldn’t like that?”

For information including articles and videos about what it’s like to be a tour director, visit www.ITMItourtraining.com, or to learn more call (800) 442-4864.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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(ARA) – Are you one of those people who look forward to their limited vacation time each year so you can plan your next big adventure? But what if that allocated time is not enough to simmer your adventurous spirit and passion for travel? With the industry booming, there is no better time to consider combining your love of travel with working full or part-time as a professional tour director.

Making this a career is easier than you might think. Many choose this lifestyle because it blends in so well with other vocational interests and pursuits. No matter what your age or education you can enjoy the benefits of being a tour director. Schedules can be custom tailored to coincide with summer vacations, weekends, seasons or even around another job.

“A lot of being a successful tour director is just plain common sense,” says Ted Bravos, co-founder of International Tour Management Institute founded in 1976. It is one of the few schools in the world that certifies tour directors. “Knowing how to get along with different personalities, dealing with the unexpected, setting limits when necessary, not being afraid to take charge of a situation in need of a leader while being a team player, keeping a sense of humor, and just being fun and interesting traveling companion are some of the necessary traits of a successful tour director.”

A passion for traveling is a good place to start, but being a people person is really important. Wanting to help people — whether they’re learning about other cultures, local history, cuisine, wine — you are guiding others’ experiences of places and creating memories they will cherish for a lifetime. Not only will you help those in your group, but you are also a citizen ambassador in other cities and countries, promoting understanding and harmony in the world.

Leading tours can also be financially rewarding. Tour directors receive approximately $200 per day, plus all expenses, meals and their own private accommodations. After becoming certified, tour directors can work as much or as little as they choose. ITMI prepares students for a tour directing career in a 15-day intensive training program. Students learn about the tour and travel industry through practical “hands-on” experience in the field, including 5 days training aboard a deluxe motor-coach and an overnight fieldtrip where they actually perform the role of a tour director.

Joemy Wilson, who graduated from ITMI in 1999, is now in her second career as a tour director working for Tauck World Discovery. Although Wilson loves taking people on tours throughout her home state of California and throughout the United States, this past year found her leading tours to South Africa, Russia and China, sharing these diverse cultures with her groups. Wilson says, “Your job is to make sure everyone is having a good time. Most people travel because they want to learn about different places. I’ve learned that if you show you have an interest in other’s culture and history, any barriers are easily erased and you really feel connected to another part of the world.”

Bravos adds, “In this industry age is not a factor as much as maturity and life experience. Tour directors range in age from 20s to 70s.”

So if traveling excites you but the time you currently dedicate to seeing the world is less than desired, tour directing might an ideal choice. To learn more about the tour directing business and ITMI, please visit www.ITMItourtraining.com or call (800) 442-4864.

Courtesy of ARA Content

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