Tours
I have always enjoyed organising and planning and there is no better way to use these skills than in organising a tour or camp for a group of learners. Over my years as a teacher I planned and chaperoned many varied tours. One of the biggest ones was a trip to the United States of America for 22 high school learners aged 14 - 18 years old.
This was a two week cultural tour which started in New York, travelled down to Philadelphia and then on to Washington DC. I worked closely with a travel agent to get the itinerary sorted and ensure the cost for each learner was acceptable and covered all potential extra costs that could arise with the exchange rate changes.
The organisation of this tour took ten months to pull the various aspects together and ensure all learners on tour found value in the tour.
Determine the Itinerary
I worked closely with a travel agent to determine the best itinerary for the trip. We wanted to showcase the cultural sights of the cities, including all things art, music, history and dance. Some highlights included a tour of Carnegie Hall, an afternoon at the Smithsonian Institute, a tour of the Capitol building, a trip to the 9/11 Memorial Museum and a special trip to the United Nations.
Costing the Tour
While the itinerary, hotels and subway tickets are organised by the travel agent there were many other costs that needed to be included into the tour. Some of these costs were the tickets for the show on Broadway, and the emergency fund for unforeseen medical costs that may occur on the tour.
Filling the seats
Once the tour was decided and costed it was time to pitch it to the parents of the school to start getting the 22 places filled for the tour. The learners were expected to maintain a high academic record, and the parents needed to make monthly payments to ensure that the payment schedule with the travel agent could be met.
Next step...Lift Off!
The tour kicked off in Durban airport where all the learners assembled and we set off on our adventure. Managing the tour continued throughout the tour as I had to ensure that the learners were kept together and safe but still enjoyed each moment of the trip.
A Successful tour
This tour was a fantastic experience for myself and the learners. Managing this group stretched my abilities as a manager and leader in many ways I had not thought of. This project was not only about the budgets, scope and deadlines but also ensuring that 22 young adults were safe in a new country.