Conducting Tours or Wrong Turn on the Information Superhighway

Conducting Tours: A Practical Guide

Author: Marc Mancini

For readers seeking adventure in the field of tourism, "Conducting Tours" offers essential, contemporary guidance needed for success in this exciting, expanding industry. Beginning with basic, valuable information about guiding, escorting, and tour planning, the text progresses with discussions on subtler topics such as guide commentary "tricks" for effective touring, psychology of group behavior, successful itineraries, and ethical challenges presented to tour leaders. The subject matter is organized for greater reading clarity with chapter overviews, highlighted glossary terms, and magazine-style prose. Numerous photos, graphics, and quotes from industry leaders highlight key points, and over 40 charts, maps and illustrations give visual, easy access renderings of information. The professional profiles, end-of-chapter summaries and activities enables learners to comprehend real-life experiences and apply their knowledge. This integrated textbook/workbook is the only source necessary to learn about "Conducting Tours".

Booknews

Gives information on guiding, escorting, and tour planning, and discusses topics such as psychology of group behavior, successful itineraries, career issues, and ethical challenges presented to tour leaders. This third edition is organized for greater clarity, with chapter overviews, key terms, and magazine-style prose. The author is affiliated with West Los Angeles College. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Table of Contents:

	Preface	vii
Chapter 1	What Is Tour Conducting?	1
	The Tour Industry	2
	Why Take a Tour?	2
	How People Buy Tours	4
	Types of Tour Guides	4
	Tour Managers	6
	Employers of Tour Managers	6
	Other Tour-Related Job Opportunities	8
	The Appeal of Tour Conducting	9
	The Downside of Tour Management	11
	The Tour Manager Personality	11
	Final Considerations	12
Chapter 2	City and Site Guiding	21
	The Advantages of Guiding	22
	The Disadvantages of Guiding	23
	Guidespeak	23
	The Motorcoach Environment	29
	Keeping Your Commentary Fresh	33
Chapter 3	Multi-Day Tours	41
	Materials	42
	Routines	50
	Itineraries	52
	Special Routines	59
	Keeping a Group Occupied	60
Chapter 4	Client and Escort Psychology	73
	Managing Group Behavior	74
	Strategies for Managing a Tour Group	75
	Cultural Sensitivity	79
	Some Cultural Specifics	81
	Dealing with Fellow Workers	83
	Preventing Escort Burnout	85
Chapter 5	Working with Hotels	97
	Researching a Hotel in Advance	98
	The Ideal Tour Hotel	99
	Negotiating with Hotels	103
	Preparing for the Hotel	105
	Arriving at the Hotel	106
	The Hotel Stay	109
	Hotel Checkout	109
Chapter 6	Air Travel and Tours	119
	Negotiating with Airlines	120
	Tour Managers and Air Travel	120
	Airline Industry Terminology	121
	Before Your Clients Arrive	122
	As Your Clients Arrive	125
	Aboard the Aircraft	126
	Arrival at Your Destination	128
	Midtour Flights	129
	Returning Home	130
Chapter 7	Suppliers and Attractions	141
	Cruises	142
	Rail Travel	147
	Dining and Tours	149
	Attractions	153
	Miscellaneous Suppliers	154
Chapter 8	Expecting the Unexpected	163
	How to Help Clients Avoid Problems	165
	When Problems Do Occur	167
	Physically Challenged Passengers	170
	Illness and Accidents	171
	A Few Final Words	175
Chapter 9	Creating a Tour	181
	Marketing a Tour	182
	Assessing the Demand	182
	Planning the Tour	183
	Determining a Tour's Cost and Price	189
	Promotion	194
	Getting the Tour Product Out and Back	196
	Following Up the Tour	198
	Marketing to Groups	199
Chapter 10	Getting the Job ... and Keeping It	207
	Tour Manager Hiring Patterns	208
	Selecting Tour Companies	209
	A Tour Company's Hiring Criteria	212
	How Tour Managers Keep Their Jobs	216
	Some Final Words	220
Appendix A	Useful Addresses	229
Appendix B	Tour Operators	231
	Glossary	235
	Bibliography	241
	Index	243

Book review:

Wrong Turn on the Information Superhighway: Education and the Commercialization of the Internet

Author: Bettina Fabos

Are students using the "information" superhighway or are they really on the "commercial" highway? This book offers a rare counterpoint to the generally rosy view of the web, showing how students are contaminated by a hyper-commercialized electronic environment and offering recommendations for taking back the internet for our schools.