You should arrive at the airport at least 30

minutes prior to your clients’ arrival.

Because your clients will not be familiar with
the airport or the in-bound destination
manager, it is common practice to make a
small sign that indicates the name of the
company and the group’s name. Wear a
nametag that will enable the visitors to make
identify you as the person in charge of their
vacation.
Now that the clients have
disembarked and you have identified
yourself to them, search out their
luggage and direct them to your
transfer company. Provide them with
Tour Group luggage tags that will
allow their luggage to be identified
quickly as part of a tour group.
Solo travelers will normally assist an inbound
tour destination manager in identifying their
luggage. However, with groups, it is
recommended that only the group leader
assist in luggage identification. The rest of the
tour members can be directed to wait in the
van or bus. This eliminates much confusion.
Try to get your clients out of the airport
luggage area as soon as possible. Keep count
of how many pieces of luggage were claimed.
You can expect some of your
international visitors to be in
“culture shock” when they first
arrive in a new country. Some of
the problems people encounter
when people arrive in a foreign
environment include:
Jet lag: Possibly tour group
members didn't get enough rest
or were too nervous to sleep on
the aircraft. When they arrive,
they are now experiencing an
adjustment in time zones and
entering into another culture.
Languages: The first time they
attempt to order a cup food or
beverages or make a purchase,
they may have problems
understanding the transaction as
well as the currency exchange.
Climate: Either heat or extreme cold will
take a client by surprise if he or she has not
been fully advised as to what to wear and is
not dressed accordingly. High altitudes and
heat also naturally slow tourists down while
they are becoming acclimated to the climate
change, and they should be cautioned to take
time to adjust instead of going at their usual
pace.
Food: Food has always played a very important
part in the daily activities of any tour itinerary. What
the client might experience could be different
hours for dining, seven course meals, spicy foods,
and menus written in strange languages -- when all
they are really want is a hamburger. Encourage
your clients to be more adventurous in their eating
habits while on tour.
• Loss of money, passport, or personal
items: As a tour director, you can
anticipate many hours of extra time
applying for lost passports, purchasing
airline tickets, and filing claims for missing
luggage, which certainly could have been
avoided if the necessary precautions had
been taken.
Overbooking or transportation delays:
Even though the hotel rooms have been
confirmed and paid for, and the airline
tickets written for the proper date and
time, the hotel will still overbook and
flights will still be delayed. Again, it’s your
job to reassure your clients that everything
in your power is being done to move the
Not getting along with other tour
members: There must be a reason for this
behavior (e.g. being late for departure or
being loud and demanding). Seek the
source of the problem and correct it. The
other tour members paid to go on the tour
for enjoyment and peace of mind, not to be
disturbed by a client who plans to ruin the
Illness: Nothing is more upsetting to
a tour than for a tour member to be ill
during the tour. Should this occur,
help the client receive proper
medical attention and encourage rest
rather than a full-day excursion. This
may worsen the problem as well as
Overindulgence: The person who insists
on eating their way through Europe or
being the last one to leave the party will
eventually feel the effects. Do your best to
make the client realize that tomorrow there
will be a busy schedule and it would be
best not to overtax himself or herself and
miss out on the day's activities.
Lack of physical fitness for the tour: That
climb along the Great Wall of China was the
main inspiration for taking this tour, and now
the client is not physically fit enough to make
the climb. This could be devastating. All the
tour directors with the group should make
themselves available to assist the person to
make a partial climb along the wall and to
help make that dream come true.
Death: Should a person pass
away while on tour, this will
naturally change the mood of the
tour. The tour director should
attend to details as soon as
possible to avoid lasting effects
on the tour program.
SELF-PREPARATION AND
READINESS TO MEET THE
TOURISTS SHOULD ARRIVE AT
THE PICK-UP AREA OR TOUR SITE
AT LEAST ONE HOUR AHEAD OF
THE ESTIMATED TIME OF
ARRIVAL OF THE GUESTS.
BE PUNCTUAL. TIME IS OF
THE ESSENCE, TOUR GUIDES
MUST ALSO BEAR IN MIND
THAT IT IS THE COACH
CAPTAIN WHO CONTROLS
THE TIME OF TRAVEL TO
TOUR SITES.
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE
COMPLETE NAME OF
GUESTS, CASH ADVANCES
AND TOUR VOUCHERS.
CHECK TRANSPORT
AMENITIES.
MEET AND GREET THE
GROUP. AN IMPRESSION OF
THE GUIDE AS ARRIVING
LATE, NERVOUS, UNTIDY, AND
UNPREPARED CAN MAKE OR
BREAK THE TOUR.
DISCUSS ITINERARY AND
CHECK OTHER
CONCERNS. TOUR GUIDES
MUST MAKE SURE THAT
INFORMATION IS GIVEN
AND ALSO ENCOURAGE
THE GUEST TO ASK