What is the difference between a tour director and a travel agent?
Tour directors are actually out in the field leading the tours.Travel agents work for an agency selling the tours and making the reservations. The two roles are completely different one is hands on visiting various countries, dealing with people and logistics while the other works mainly in the office. As a tour director, I don’t work in the office at all. I don’t sell the tours and I don’t market the tours. I am hired to travel with the tour group. For example if I am doing a tour in Australia and New Zealand I meet the tour group in Los Angeles and we fly together to New Zealand. I return 3 weeks later with the group and go home.I avoid the office.Travel agents have to know computer codes, the computer programs and all that other clerical work, that’s not what we do as tour directors. Most people who are interested in the tour directing and tour guiding don’t want a desk job. I know I never did.If you want a steady 9-5-office job then becoming a travel agent may appeal to you but you
Tour directors are actually out in the field leading the tours.Travel agents work for an agency selling the tours and making the reservations. The two roles are completely different one is hands on visiting various countries, dealing with people and logistics while the other works mainly in the office. As a tour director, I don’t work in the office at all. I don’t sell the tours and I don’t market the tours. I am hired to travel with the tour group. For example if I am doing a tour in Australia and New Zealand I meet the tour group in Los Angeles and we fly together to New Zealand. I return 3 weeks later with the group and go home.I avoid the office.Travel agents have to know computer codes, the computer programs and all that other clerical work, that’s not what we do as tour directors. Most people who are interested in the tour directing and tour guiding don’t want a desk job. I know I never did.If you want a steady 9-5-office job then becoming a travel agent may appeal to you but you