THE EDUCATOR’S TRAVEL PRIMER: Youth Tour Operators

on from curfew to 5 a.m. You should
confirm that this is the case and that
“security” is not simply the hotel’s guard
or a roving guard that will leave your
students’ floor throughout the night.
While many veteran leaders will tell you
that “taping” the doors is effective, kids
today are far too clever, and the tape will
not stop an intruder from coming onto
the floor. Finally you want to make sure
the security guards or chaperones have
undergone criminal background checks
and been trained to work with youth
travelers as they often require a little
different temperament from a guard.
• Costs & Additional Fees
This is another important fact to discover
upfront in order to ensure the bids you
are comparing are the same. The
company’s bid will be based upon a group
rate. For instance, the bid may say “based
on 35 full paid registrants.” Generally, this
means that if you do not hit your 35 mark,
the company will bill each person an
upcharge. Some companies may offer to
combine you with another group, which
will probably mean compromising on
your itinerary. You need to establish in
writing, what the pro-rated amount per
student will be if you do not hit the mark
and your available options. You also want
to be very familiar with the company’s
cancellation penalties if a student decides
to cancel a trip or if you are forced to
cancel a trip. You also want to know
under what circumstances you may cancel
and whether the company offers travelers
any type of refund guarantee they can
purchase if they need to cancel at the last
minute. Finally, you should be prepared
for emergency situations and confirm with
the company the plan for billing in the
event of an emergency that requires your
group to stay additional days at the
destinations. In the event an airline is at
fault (such as mechanical), the airline will
cover the expenses of meals and lodging.
If the delay, however, is weather related,
the airlines will not cover the expense. A
quality tour operator should be able to
arrange whatever support and lodging is
necessary in an emergency and some,
believe it or not, will agree to cover the
costs associated out of a gesture of good
will.
• Insurance Protection
As stated before as a primary reason to
use a student tour operator, an operator
should provide medical and accident
insurance to cover all participants and
should include professional errors and
omissions insurance protecting the tour
leaders, chaperones and diocese.
Moreover, if requested, the company
should be able to individually list the
school and diocese in the actual policy,
adding yet another layer of protection for
your diocese. With regard to international
travel, insurance may be a bit tricky and
the company may not provide all of the
necessary coverage. In this case, you need
to factor in the extra expense of private
insurance and establish in writing what the
emergency medical procedures will be and
the availability of a private hospital or
doctor abroad. If the tour involves an
element of risk, you may request the
possibility of a medical professional
traveling with the group throughout the
tour. This is definitely an area where you
want to understand your options before
an emergency actually arises.
Ask questions, get bids, call references,
and confirm in writing
When it comes to comparing tour operators,
make sure to ask a lot of questions and the
right questions, get multiple bids, call
references, and confirm everything in writing.
Make sure to compare apples to apples in
order to get the best possible value for parents
6
THE EDUCATOR’S TRAVEL PRIMER: Selecting a Youth Tour Operator