Playbook

My
Tour
Playbook

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Meet Your Tour Team................................................................................5
First Quarter: Customizing Your Tour......................................................6
Booking Special Appointments...............................................................9
Customizing Tour Preferences..............................................................10
Establishing Educational Objectives.....................................................11
Recruiting..............................................................................................13
Second Quarter: Staying Ahead of the Game.......................................14
Fundraising...........................................................................................17
Being Proactive.....................................................................................18
Getting Organized.................................................................................19
Third Quarter: Final Preparations for the Big Day................................20
Pre-Tour Meeting Items.........................................................................23
Meeting Agenda Topics........................................................................24
Review Final Packet..............................................................................26
Combo Groups: Reach Out and Meet..................................................27
Fourth Quarter: Game On!......................................................................28
Tour Procedures....................................................................................31
Tour Expectations.................................................................................33
Emergency Planning.............................................................................34
Post Game: Wrap....................................................................................36
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4

MEET YOUR TOUR TEAM
As the Tour Director, your primary job is to ensure the safety of your students. Good procedures
can help your trip to run smoothly, so set expectations for promptness, behavior, noise level, and
transitioning between activities.
Meet the School Tours of America Tour Team who will provide all the support you need:
Tour Central – If you experience emergency situations while on tour, your first call
should be to Tour Central. The phone number is located on the wrist bands and at
the bottom of your itinerary.
Tour Coordinator – While your Tour Coordinator will not be with you on tour,
he or she is working behind the scenes to ensure that your trip goes smoothly.
School Tours Agent (STAgent) – An STAgent will meet you at the airport on your
arrival and departure. They will stay with your group at your hotel. Your STAgent is
your primary line of communication with STA while you travel. If any problem should
arise, contact your School Tours Agent for assistance.
Guides – STA primarily uses licensed ‘driver guides’ in Washington, DC and ‘walking
guides’ in places like New York City. Refer to the Tour Director Profile you completed
or ask your Coordinator for clarification. Your guides are certified and well-equipped
to lead your group on exciting and informative tours of your chosen sites. In New
York City, your guide will provide your group with subway passes, meal coupons,
and tickets to special events such as a Broadway play. Your guide will advise
you when itinerary changes may be in the best interest of the group and the time
constraints.
Chaperones and Adult Participants – The role of the chaperone is to provide
assistance to the Tour Director throughout the entirety of the trip. Chaperones
should help to supervise students and set an example for promptness and expected
behavior. If a child becomes ill, it is the responsibility of an adult chaperone to stay
in the hotel with the student. Be sure to read our blogs on choosing chaperones and
inviting parents.
Security Guards – Each evening, STA stations a security guard on your group’s
floor from 10:30 PM to 5:00 AM. The guards are there for the group’s safety and your
peace of mind. Your STAgent will furnish the guards with a check-in sheet and a
copy of your group’s rooming list. After nightly room checks, you will confirm with the
guard that all students are in their assigned rooms and are not to open their doors.
Your STAgent will let you know of any security issues each morning.
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1 st Quarter

Customizing Your Tour

8

Customizing Your Tour
Booking
Special
Appointments
Customizing
Tour
Preferences
Establishing
Educational
Objectives
Recruiting
BOOKING SPECIAL APPOINTMENTS
Appointments are often critical for touring certain sites and often require booking more than six
months in advance. Your School Tours of America Tour Coordinator will book the majority of the
appointments, but some sites require you, the Tour Director, to make the request on your school’s
letterhead. Please contact your Tour Coordinator with any special appointment requests.
While set appointments may be beneficial, your itinerary may become less flexible, excluding other
sites, due to time restraints. If requesting more than one appointment, we must verify that the times
do not conflict.
Best Practice Tip: Avoid requesting appointments on the day of arrival and in the
afternoon on the day of departure. When you receive written confirmation for your visit,
please scan and e-mail, mail or fax a copy to your Tour Coordinator.
SITES REQUIRING APPOINTMENTS IN DC:
US Capitol Tour, Arlington Cemetery Wreath
Laying, White House Tour (Contact your
Congressman), United States Holocaust Museum,
The National Archives, National Cathedral
SITES REQUIRING APPOINTMENTS IN NY:
9/11 Memorial Museum, Statue of Liberty,
Broadway Shows
Important: If you are not going to have a full group of 35 or more, make your appointment
requests for 51 students and 6 adults to include potential combinations.
In the Resource Library of your MyTour Portal, you will find sample
appointment request forms and links to website request forms.
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CUSTOMIZING TOUR PREFERENCES
At School Tours of America, we take great pride in designing a tour to your specifications. Our
staff has spent three decades cultivating relationships with the best guides and vendors on the
East Coast, and we will always present the options we believe will give your group the best tour
experience based on a host of considerations. As you will discover, your Tour Coordinator is highly
experienced and will always offer you sound advice; however, no one knows what’s best for your
group more than you. We begin the process with a two-way dialogue of sharing our best practices
and most popular options while listening to your preferences and needs.
The first and easiest step in beginning this dialogue is filling out your Tour Director Profile in
your MyTour Portal.
MyTour Portal
Pre-Tour Profile
The Tour Director Profile achieves two objectives rather quickly:
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We want to know more about our newest family member! We love to know who we are serving,
their family, background and even their favorite sports teams.
Your preferences, expectations and special requests on every facet of the tour is important.
While group travel requires flexibility with so many variables out of our control, we want to
begin the tour planning process striving to exceed all of your expectations!
FACT: If no two people are exactly alike, then no two groups of people can ever be
exactly alike either! The Tour Director Profile is designed to help us match you with the
perfect tour guide, hotel, meals, transportation and tour Itinerary!
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ESTABLISHING EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES
The tour experience and advancing your classroom teaching objectives, as well as strengthening
your professional credentials, are limitless. We are proud to have Adams State University as our
educational partner.
Rather than accrediting you with a certificate from a “private tour
company school,” STA is the only company to offer its Tour
Directors and participants the credentials of a national public
university that is a leader in educational professional development.
Through our Teacher’s Corner (part of your MyTour Portal), you can access the educational
opportunities for you and your students.
Developed by our Director of Education, Dr. Georgia Grantham, a pioneer in Distance Learning
Technology, Teacher’s Corner not only allows you the flexibility to customize lesson plans, it allows
you to teach your very own college course on tour and/or online.
Customize
lesson plans
Teach your own
college course
on tour and online
Receive a free hour
of graduate credit
Dr. Grantham is available to work with you to achieve these objectives and is constantly
updating Teacher’s Corner with new tools and educational opportunities based on Tour Director
feedback.
Contact Dr. Grantham at grantham@schooltoursofamerica.com for more information.
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High School Tour Groups
Students are eligible to receive .5 to 1.0 hour of undergraduate credit for a nominal
tuition cost. Course requirements are listed on the STA website.
Elementary/Middle/High Schools
All touring students are eligible to participate in the Presidential Leadership
Program, receiving certificate of meritorious completion from Adams State
University. It is a valid leadership credential for a college admissions portfolio.
Tour Director/Chaperones
You are eligible to receive .5 to 1.0 hour of graduate credit at no cost for leading
the tour with a minimum number of participants. See our website for details.
Take a tour of the Teacher’s Corner; reach out to Dr. Grantham. Let
us customize the right educational objectives for you and the best
tour curriculum to meet the needs of your students.
* High School Credit:
While the program satisfies the requirements for a college and graduate
level credit, the decision to grant high school credit is strictly at the
discretion of your school district. Our Director of Education will assist the
Tour Director in submitting the required credentials and curriculum, but
the final decision rests with your administration.
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RECRUITING
Monitor Your Registrations Daily
MyTour Portal is an interactive tool that allows you not only to promote your trip, but to monitor
your registrations as well. Check your registration list at least once a week and add any new
registrants to your group email list. Keep a running list of students and parents who expressed an
interest in traveling but failed to register. Follow up with these potential participants and encourage
them to sign up while space is available.
Continue Enthusiastically Promoting the Trip to Students
One of the most important roles of a Tour Director is to maintain excitement about the trip throughout
the year. Students and parents respond to your enthusiasm and can, in turn, motivate others to
join the tour. Regular communication with parents and students is vital to the success of your trip.
Monthly parent emails and updates to your group MyTour page and Facebook page are excellent
ways to keep the tour fresh in the minds of participants or those who are still considering the trip.
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2 nd Quarter

Staying Ahead of the Game

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Staying Ahead Of The Game
Fundraising
Being
Proactive
Getting
Organized
FUNDRAISING
The next phases ensure that participating students remain on the tour. Our Fundraising Corner and
the STA Policy Manual are valuable resources to assist you.
First and foremost, make sure every student has set up their MyTourFund website. You
might want to hand out another flyer or pass out more ‘Gift of Education’ envelopes.
Survey your students and parents about fundraising activities. Consider delegating the
organization of fundraising activities to the parents. Establish clear guidelines on fundraising
rules (how the funds are distributed, etc). Take charge of the collection of fundraising
monies.
Review the Grant toolkit on the STA website and consider applying for eligible grants on
behalf of your students.
Encourage economically-challenged students to apply for eligible scholarships on the STA
website.
In our experience, it is vital the student has at least 50% of their fee paid within a month of the final
payment deadline.
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BEING PROACTIVE
Review Registrant’s Account Balances
Use your MyTour Portal to constantly monitor who is registered for the trip, as
well as their balances. It is important for you to know which students are actively
contributing money and which students need to be encouraged to fundraise or
utilize MyTourFund. Because the registration fee is only $99, if the students lose
focus and fail to make partial payments during the first 3-4 months, the possibility
of cancellation is very high.
Prepare for the Pre-Tour Meeting
Set a date, time and location for your mandatory pre-trip meeting. Communicate
this information with your Tour Coordinator and your tour participants. Also, add it to
your MyTour website and/or your social media groups. Sending a reminder email /
MyTour announcement as the meeting date approaches, increases attendance.
Teacher’s Corner
MyTour
Kickoff & Playbook
News Resource Library Funding
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GETTING ORGANIZED
Assign Groups
Combining students into groups of four to six with an assigned group leader,
can result in a more efficient and safe experience. Group leaders can be
chaperones, parents, or responsible students. Each Tour Director has a
system that works best for him or her. Find one that best meets the needs of
your students and plan your groups accordingly.
Assign Rooms
In the final billing statement, participants will receive a roommate request
form, if applicable. Communicate to your parents and students that these
documents should be returned to you. Set a deadline for these documents
to be returned. STA will also send a notification to you requesting a rooming
list. To satisfy the demands of our hotels, it is important that your rooming
lists are submitted to STA in a timely manner. Students should be grouped
in rooms of four, and adults are expected to stay in rooms of two unless
otherwise specified. Set your final rooming list by using our Rooming List
creation tool in your MyTour Portal.
Recruit until the LAST minute.
Most Tour Directors will extend their initial registration deadline to maximize their group
size. Until the registration deadline, your primary focus is to enthusiastically recruit
participants. Once the extended registration deadline has passed, it still may be possible
to add late registrants.
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3 rd Quarter

Final Preparations
for the Big Day

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Final Preparations for the Big Day
Pre-Tour
Meeting
Items
Meeting
Agenda
Topics
Review
Final
Packet
Combo
Groups:
Reach Out
and Meet
PRE-TOUR MEETING ITEMS
A well-organized, pre-trip meeting can make an enormous impact on the success of your trip. Your
meeting can take place anytime in the third quarter, but it is important to communicate the date,
time, and location of the meeting early enough for parents to attend.
BRING THE FOLLOWING ITEMS TO YOUR MEETING:
Meeting Agenda – A well-organized meeting can help to put parents at ease
as the time of the tour approaches. Be sure to include the list of topics and
procedures below in your agenda. A sample Meeting Agenda is available in the
Resource Library.
Packing List – A sample packing list is available in the Resource Library of
MyTour Portal.
Extra Medical Release Forms/Behavior Contracts – Be sure to bring extra
forms to the meeting and ask parents to complete them before leaving. These
forms are available in the Resource Library.
Luggage Tags (will be sent approx. one month prior to departure) – To assist
with identifying luggage on the tour, especially at baggage claim, School Tours of
America provides two luggage tags for each student.
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Meal Pre-Order Sign Up Sheet (if applicable) – Some restaurants require a
pre-order. The pre-trip meeting can be a great place to collect these orders without
having to track down students at school.
Phone Tree/Group Text List Sign Up Sheet or Instructions – It is important
to have a quick and effective way of communicating with parents while on tour.
Parents appreciate communication about safe arrivals, travel delays, and so
forth. They also need to be alerted quickly if emergencies arise. Traditional phone
trees work well and allow for information to be disseminated quickly. In addition,
smartphone applications and websites allow for easy group texting.
Rooming and Group Lists – Explain that the rooms will have two beds for quad
occupancy, and discuss your expectations for in-room behaviors.
Luggage Fee Envelopes – Determine how your students will pay for luggage
fees. Some Tour Directors collect the money from their students while others allow
students to keep up with their own luggage fees throughout the tour. STA provides
envelopes marked “luggage fees” for teachers who do not want their students to
keep up with their own money. Communicate your luggage fee procedure with
parents at your pre-trip meeting.
TIP: Mass Texting Resource
The website www.remind101.com is a great resource. It’s simple to set up, free to use and
permits you to quickly send out mass texts to your students and parents. Create one list
with parents and students and another list of students only. You can create as many groups
as you would like, and you can text the group without revealing your personal cell phone
number. This provides a direct link to your group in the event of an emergency or anytime
you want to announce a pre-tour meeting, fundraiser or give important updates. There are
other similar websites and apps available.
MEETING AGENDA TOPICS
Student and Chaperone Expectations – The pre-tour meeting is an appropriate
time to discuss student expectations and possible consequences. This should not be
a focal point of the meeting, but it is important students and parents understand what
is expected of them while on tour. Dress code and appropriate attire should also be
discussed. If your group is sharing a bus with another group, it is very important to
discuss your expectations about behavior, bad language, common courtesies, etc. Be
sure to read our blog entries on the topics of combination groups, student behavior,
and preparing to travel.
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Parent Travelers – If parents are traveling, we suggest that you also meet
separately with the adults and chaperones to discuss the role they will play on the
trip. It is important they understand this is a “student tour” and is conducted at
a fast pace and is intended to get an overview of as many sites as possible. You
might want to establish important ground rules such as: teachers will discipline the
group, not parents; everyone must be on time; any issues or complaints by a parent
should be addressed privately with the chaperones. It is important all adults are
supportive of the Tour Director, guides, and chaperones and fully understand their
role and your expectations. Consider reading our blog entry on inviting parents for
helpful suggestions.
Final Itinerary – Inform the group the itinerary is always a “goal” and that many
events may arise beyond your control: unexpected closings of tour sites, traffic,
extremely long lines, extreme weather and transportation delays. Your guides are
destination experts and will always make suggestions, allowing the group to see as
much as possible. If combining groups, the tour directors need to consult with each
other and the guide before making deviations from the itinerary.
Luggage Requirements – Students should travel with no more than one
checked bag and one carry-on. Explain your airline carrier’s weight limit on bags,
emphasizing the possibility they will have souvenirs to add to the bag on the way
home. Review the restricted items for carry-ons (no liquids, no sharp objects, etc.).
Flight Information – Discuss airport arrival time and meeting location for both
the departure and arrival at the end of the tour. Be sure to communicate which
airport will be servicing your group. Review procedures for check-ins with your
students.
Hotel Information – Provide parents with the name, address, and contact
number for each hotel on your tour.
Spending Money – Parents will want to know an appropriate amount for spending
money. While each student’s financial situation is different, encourage parents to
talk with their students about budgeting their spending money throughout the trip.
Most students travel with between $25 and $40 a day. A combination of cash and
pre-paid debit cards is advised.
Tipping – Many Tour Directors view the tour as a great opportunity to teach kids
about tipping. While STA provides your Tour Guides a tip on your behalf, many
groups give an additional tip, especially in the event they enjoyed their tour and
plan to request the same guide next time. While tipping amounts can vary greatly,
a general guide is to collect $1/per day from each student. You may consider
collecting tip money before the tour so students don’t have to worry about saving it
on the tour.
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REVIEW FINAL PACKET
You will receive a final trip packet one week prior to departure. Your packet is sent by tracked
mail to the school unless a different address is given to your Tour Coordinator. Call your Tour
Coordinator if your packet has not arrived three working days prior to departure. Carry the materials
included in the final packet and the medical release forms with you throughout the tour. The packet
will include the following:
Airline Tickets or Confirmation – Count all tickets or check e-tickets list
against the passenger status report. They should match unless a registrant is
traveling land-only. If the flight schedule on your tickets does not match your
itinerary, call your Tour Coordinator.
Allotment Check for Meals – Cash this into small bills prior to departure.
Distribute this money to the participants immediately before the meal or attraction
noted on the itinerary.
Cancellations After Final Packet Shipment – To begin the refund process,
return the following: airline ticket, commission, meal coupons, and allotment
money. Mail these to your Tour Coordinator immediately upon returning home, or
give them to an STA Representative upon arrival. Even if the registrant participated
in the Payment Protection Program, a refund is not processed until these are
received.
Coupons and Vouchers – Verify the number of coupons against your passenger
status report. Vouchers confirm your reservations for some attractions and for
meals noted on the itinerary as (COU or VOU).
Emergency Numbers – Emergency numbers for Tour Central and over-the-road
bus companies are located on the itinerary.
Final Itinerary – This itinerary includes any minor changes. Review it closely.
Changes may still be possible to restaurants or bookings, but will become much
more difficult as the tour gets closer. Every revised itinerary will contain the revision
date in the upper right corner. Upon arrival, make sure the guide and chaperones
have the same final version to prevent confusion.
Insurance Claim Forms – Keep insurance forms, cards, and medical release
forms in your possession at all times. It may also be a good idea to give a copy to a
chaperone to keep.
Over-the-Road Bus Company Number – A letter with instructions to confirm
the bus and to verify pick-up location is included. An emergency number is located
on the itinerary.
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Rooming List – A copy of your final rooming list is included. Compare it to your
latest passenger status report. Call your Tour Coordinator with any changes or
discrepancies.

COMBO
GROUPS
ARRANGE A TELEPHONE MEET & GREET
While it is not a requirement, it is highly recommended that the Tour Directors of all
combining groups have at least one conference call to introduce themselves, review
the itinerary together, and discuss any concerns prior to the tour. Once the tour
begins, the Guides are instructed to abide by the itinerary unless the Tour Directors
unanimously agree or the Guide or STA tour staff make a change based on safety.
The guide will likely make suggested changes based on unexpected events, site
closings, traffic, weather or long lines. We highly advise all Tour Directors to follow
the guides’ advice as they know the short cuts and time constraints.
STA will attempt to pair groups close in age although this is not always possible.
Please prepare your own group to be courteous, compromising and flexible.
Combination groups should be seen as a positive cultural experience for your
students to meet other students from different backgrounds and locations. Please
remind them, however, to be respectful and not to engage in conversation that may
make their fellow travelers uncomfortable. Your guide is highly skilled at working
with groups from different backgrounds and different interests and will do their best
to stick to the itinerary while respecting the rights of every student.
RESOLVING CONFLICTS
We highly suggest all Tour Directors agree ahead of time to meet privately each
night with your STAgent and guide to go over any conflicts or complaints. It is
not uncommon for issues to arise when combining different groups. The key to a
successful trip is for each Tour Director to prepare their group ahead of time and to
work in harmony with the other Tour Directors when in front of the other travelers.
The majority of conflicts that arise are usually not even noticed by the travelers.
As long as all adults understand they are to voice issues in private with the Tour
Directors and your STAgent, the trip will likely run smoothly for all of the participants.
Above all, go into the trip with a great attitude, be flexible, and you will likely find the
combination experience to be a great benefit to your tour!
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4 th Quarter

Game On!

30

Game On!
Tour
Procedures
Tour
Expectations
Emergency
Planning
TOUR PROCEDURES
Emergency Wristbands – All participants should wear their emergency
wristband and/or lanyard throughout the entirety of the tour.
Airport Arrivals and Departures – Choose a meeting location in the airport
and communicate this information to your group at your pre-trip meeting. Have
the students line up with their luggage at the ticket desk. You should line up first
to let the agent know you are bringing a group through the line. Some airlines offer
a group desk. Be sure to inquire about this before your students get in the general
line. Once through the line, participants will go through security. Stagger your
chaperones throughout the line so they are available to assist students as needed.
Once through security, the group meets and walks to their assigned gate. When
returning home, an STA Representative or your tour guide will accompany you to
the airport and assist you in the check-in process.
Meals – Meal options vary to include food courts, cafeterias, buffets, pre-set menu
choices, and restaurant choices with a cash allotment. There are four methods of
payment for meals: charge, coupon, charge/coupon, or allotment. The method of
payment for each meal is noted on your itinerary and explained in more detail in the
STA Policy Manual located in the Resource Library of your MyTour Portal.
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Hotel Check-In – Students remain on the bus while you meet with the School
Tours Agent for assistance with hotel check-in. Your STAgent will provide you with
room keys, a room list, and instructions for luggage and breakfast. In most cases,
the STAgent will board the bus and explain specific hotel rules and information to
the group. Once inside, chaperones should accompany the group to their floor. Tour
Directors and Chaperones should check each room for damages and report to the
STAgent if any are found.
Breakfasts and Nightly Returns – Your STAgent will be available each night
upon your return and will set your security guards on the floor no later than 10:30
pm. Your STAgent will also attempt to meet with you to discuss your day, go over
the itinerary for the next day, confirm you have the necessary confirmations and
passes, and provide you any extra assistance you need to ensure a great tour. Your
STAgent will also meet you in the morning to ensure a smooth breakfast and daily
departure.
Hotel Checkout – Encourage students to pack the night before departure.
Participants will follow luggage procedures as outlined by the STAgent. Tour
Directors and chaperones should perform a final room check for damages or lost
items. Students are responsible for damage and extra charges (room service, pay
TV movies, telephone charges, etc.).
Loading and Unloading the Bus – When the group arrives at its destination
airport or train station, participants should place their suitcases neatly alongside the
bus. Appoint several students to assist the driver in loading the luggage on the bus.
In much the same way, appoint several students to assist the driver in unloading
luggage from the bus while other students remain seated. Students are responsible
for keeping up with their own luggage.
Groups and Counting – Create a procedure for counting students in order to
avoid wasting time at each location. Grouping participants is an effective way
to move students quickly, safely, and efficiently to the next destination. Give
everyone a number based on your rooming list or cell phone list. A quick verbal
countdown can ensure everyone is present or determine who is absent. Also assign
chaperones and adults their own group with group number to insure you are able to
quickly confirm an accurate group count on tour.
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TOUR EXPECTATIONS
STA’s goal is to provide a rewarding and safe travel experience; however, no amount of planning
on our part can compensate for lack of group discipline. A successful trip is directly related to the
behavior of the participants. Safety is threatened if established rules are not followed. Remind
chaperones and other adults they are role models for students and are ultimately responsible for
the group’s behavior.
Cities attract every type of person. Advise students to appear confident, experienced, and alert
on the street, in buildings, and on public transportation. Please read our blog on the topics of
discipline, safety, and preparation.
Airport/Airplane – Students should stay together as a group, and chaperones
should help to supervise the tour participants throughout the airport. On the
airplane, participants are expected to sit in their assigned seats and follow FAA
guidelines throughout the entirety of the flight.
Bus – In most cases, the driver of the bus also serves as the group’s guide.
Students should show courtesy as the driver provides instructions and informative
overviews of each of the tour sites. Chaperones should also check the bus at the
end of each day to ensure that students are doing their best to keep the bus clean.
Hotel – STA makes every effort to choose outstanding hotels and is able to do so
because of its reputation having well-behaved groups. It is important to remember
these hotels are often the preferred choice of families and business travelers as
well. Students are expected to respect other patrons in the hotel by conducting
themselves appropriately. Chaperones must supervise students in all areas of the
hotel. These areas include the pool, the lobby, and the group’s assigned floor.
Additionally, hotels require other rules in common areas to be followed, including
no running, no loud voice levels, and appropriate clothing and footwear.
Sites – Students should never be alone when visiting various sites on the tour. At
a minimum, they should always be with a buddy. They also need to understand
certain sites are extremely emotional and require silence, respect and reverence
when visiting. They should respect others who are also touring the area by
behaving appropriately.
Theater – If time allows, some groups prefer to change clothes prior to the theater.
Appropriate daily touring clothes are also acceptable. Participants should stay
seated throughout the entirety of the performance and refrain from talking except
during intermission.
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EMERGENCY PLANNING
Closely Review STA’s Emergency Contingency Plan with your chaperones. It discusses a number
of contingencies and establishes a clear protocol to follow in the event of a major emergency. Make
sure your students, parents and chaperones are wearing their emergency wristbands or lanyards
at all times. The Emergency Contingency Plan is located in the TD Resource Library in your MyTour
Portal.
Also, make certain you establish a plan to communicate with all parents in the event of an
emergency. Many Tour Directors establish a phone tree. The Tour Emergency Line will also be a
central point of contact. As a Tour Director, communicating any emergency news to Tour Central or
the Emergency Line directly will permit our Emergency Hotline Staff to relay information to parents
as well.
Parent Communication On Tour – Advise parents of travel delays on the
date of your return. This can prevent parents from having to wait for hours at
an airport.
Update Facebook, MyTour Website – As time permits, update your social
media page or MyTour with pictures and videos during your trip. Some Tour
Directors assign a chaperone or a responsible student to be the official historian,
in charge of posting updates and great pictures each day. Parents are anxiously
waiting at home and love to see tour pictures in real-time. Send the website link
for daily postings to your participants in your final parent email.
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35

Post Game

Wrap-Up

38

Wrap-Up
Evaluation – Once you return, you will be able to access the tour
evaluation form inside your MyTour Portal. A trip evaluation form will also be
mailed. In order for us to improve our services, please rate various aspects
of your trip. Your input is valuable. Please complete either the online form or
paper form and return to STA in Houston.
Send Press Release to Local Media – Local media outlets are always
looking to publish positive community interest stories. It is great to include
any special moments your group encountered and some great quotes
from students and parents discussing the life-changing aspects of the tour.
Sample Press Release Forms are located in the Resource Library in your
MyTour Portal.
Contact Tour Coordinator – Once you have returned and had some
time to rest, call your Tour Coordinator. He or she will want to hear about the
many successful experiences and any issues while touring. This is a good
time to talk about next year’s trip.
Email Parents – Send one final email to parents as a way to bring the
tour to a close. Consider sending pictures, and encourage them to tell their
friends about their child’s experience on the trip. Parents and students are
your best advertisement for next year’s trip.
Post-Trip Party – We encourage you to host a post-trip party. If you can’t
get a private venue, have it at a local pizza restaurant. Consider taking video
testimonials from your students and parents as well. Most importantly,
invite your most enthusiastic students and parents to speak at your future
recruiting meetings.
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Contact STA - School Tours of America, LLC:
Headquarters
9610 Long Point Road
Houston, TX 77055
Written Inquiries
PO Box 550379
Houston, TX 77255
Customer Service Phone #
866-543-9625
www.schooltoursofamerica.com