Educational Student Tour Company Ethics - Caveat Emptor

Looking for a student tour company? Read this first.


If you've stumbled upon this, you might be seriously looking for a tour company for your school or class. Perhaps you have never traveled, or perhaps you've been dissatisfied. In any case, I would suggest that you read this over first before you contract a company so you understand the differences amongst the types of company and services. The second part concerns ethics and honesty.

There are three types of tour providers for students: Educational Student Tours, Student Tour Operators, Travel Agencies.

Student tour operators, whether they have 'educational' or 'academic' in their name are mostly in business to move students. The educational content comes from either the teacher or through the process of osmosis at the sights themselves. Very often there is no 24-hour guide dedicated to the group introducing the sights or providing running commentary on the bus rides. In major cities, a step-on city guide is provided for about 4-6 hours. Teachers are provided with tickets, checks and coupons and normally need to find their own way to places. The itinerary is a standard one and generally there are several groups from that operator following the same itinerary , staying in the same hotel, and eating at the same restaurants. This has been the choice with teachers who simply want a package and let the company run the sightseeing program.

Travel agencies provide an escort to pay bills, follow a standard itinerary, and pick up city guides for four-six hours to give a city tour. They give more service and might even find some interesting restaurants etc., but tend to know less about the areas logistics, and educational content.

Educational student tour companies are full service and help the teacher/organizer plan the trip according to the school's curriculum, standards, teaching plan, and objectives. They contract fully-qualified educational tour guides who stay with the group for the entire program (including the hotel) and are responsible for educational content as well as the logistics etc. in the field. No two programs are alike. They needn't cost more than the large companies because they typically don't have the high profit margins required by the venture capitalists who own them, but they give better value. The travel agencies' quality does vary according to the expertise of the agent and the type of hotel etc.

Naturally, I am a passionate advocate of full-service educational student tours.

In 1981, I joined one of the pioneers of educational student travel. It was a company called Educational Field Studies and it was started by educators who thought that most student field trips were just sightseeing excursions and they wanted to raise the bar.

During those years we all strove to include as much educational content as possible without losing the 'fun factor'. Various teachers I worked with required specialized programs that reflected their respective teaching plans and objectives. We were the first company to get accreditation. And the owners of the company initiated and helped push through a bill in California to protect student travelers from unscrupulous tour operators and travel agencies.

Unfortunately, the days of educational content-driven travel programs almost came to an end with the sale of Educational Field Studies upon the retirement of the owners as well as several smaller companies that went out of business as a direct result of September 11th.

The larger student tour conglomerates now rule the industry and provide generic itineraries and perfunctory sightseeing packages under the guise of 'education'. These are simply student tours.

If you haven't traveled with a fully qualified 24-hour teacher/guide (not an escort and city step-on guides) throughout your entire trip, if you are not offered hands-on activities or special programs for your group, if alternate venues that enhance or complement your teaching plan are not suggested, and if simple requests are either too difficult to arrange or denied, then it is not a truly educationally-based company.

When school groups started to travel after September 11th, most of them were much smaller and had to combine with other schools in order to be able to afford to travel. Many of the teachers who were accustomed to the 'normal' student tours were combined with the groups that had always been with the full-service company. The difference in the quality and educational content was astounding to them and afterwards they requested the 24-hour guides etc. Unfortunately, the company was phasing out the 24-hour guides and would not honor their requests.

Additionally, many of the salespeople for the large companies and agencies are ignorant about history, curricula, and standards. One of my Principals recently contacted such a company to run a literary tour in California centered around John Steinbeck. The salesperson who had been with that company for over ten years and lived in California , asked, "Who's Steinbeck?", and proceeded to send three 'custom' sightseeing itineraries of San Francisco and Marine Science in Monterey. (I have since designed a three day trip for him.) Another teacher I had worked with was shopping around for companies, as she always does each year to see what is in the marketplace (always a good idea). She requested a 'Marquis de Lafayette' as a dinner guest and two salespeople from different companies did not know who he was! One did get back to her and said that they couldn't do it! She is back with me, and this will be our fourth year together and yes, she will have Lafayette as a dinner guest. (I never take my clients for granted!) Try asking salespeople what specific educational programs and sites are available through their respective companies to illustrate the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 or the Industrial Revolution , and wait for the response!

Incredibly, several tour companies run their operation like a sleazy car dealership: They lure you into a trip with a very cheap pricetag and during the course of the planning, one finds the price rising with each component one thought was included. Some also require you to tip the escort and driver. (Full service companies include all the tips etc. and the gratuity is completely discretionary.) Some of these companies raise the price a month or two before the trip and use the airlines or fuel surcharges as an excuse! (A good company understands the trends and includes that in the initial proposal.) Some companies make promises they cannot or will not keep and there are unpleasant 'surprises' the minute one arrives at the airport because they put too much into the itinerary so it will look good; the itineraries are logistically impossible or impractical, and several sights are dropped or canceled in the field as a result. Some itineraries don't include inside visits that needed appointments beforehand which were not communicated to the teacher; hence, one gets to see Daniel's Story when one really wanted to see the permanent exhibit at the National Holocaust Memorial Museum.

And then there is the ugliness concerning teachers being bribed by student tour companies to travel with them which deprives students of a more robust program because of the amount of money going into the teacher's pockets.

The teacher/organizer should be in absolute control of the program content, not the company. Set a budget and have the company work with you to design a tour around it. Ask lots of questions. Prioritize. Be sure to pin the company down concerning names and locations of hotels and restaurants within a month of booking your trip, not two weeks before the trip! Make sure your lunches are not 'appointments' that limit flexibility in the schedule should there be an added appointment to a site i.e. Capitol or unforeseen situations.. (I prefer giving out cash or arranging for box picnic lunches.)

The company ought to provide a representative to meet with parents at the school to discuss the trip in detail and answer technical questions.

Remember the organizer is held responsible by the school district, administration, parents, and students for the success of the trip. It is your responsibility to be able to answer all questions regarding the trip well before you travel.

I would strongly suggest that one not depend solely on the company's or school district's insurance, but take out a modest group policy for the students that all must purchase. Travelex and Travelguard are the two best companies for this. Companies should not be self-insuring, which is illegal in most places. Many companies have merely a 'fund' and the coverage is arbitrarily decided; normally it doesn't include pre-existing conditions; emergency evacuation; airline delay and cancellation; missed day and sights due to airline delays; lost luggage; nor has a terrorism clause. Read the fine print. Whenever I see a group sleeping in an airport terminal, I know that the company did not protect the group and/or the group did not take out travel insurance. None of my groups have ever slept in an airline terminal despite cancellations due to weather etc.

There are a couple of companies that do offer custom educational programs and will work with you to design a truly responsive program. The salespeople are educators and travel professionals that keep abreast of curriculum-based programs at various museums and other sites, They contract people like me who are dedicated to creating unique cutting edge experiences. It takes a bit of research and the right questions to find the right company, but it is well worth the effort.

Thursday XIII: 10 - Lame Tour Guide Jokes

A Certain Tour Guide's Lame Jokes Told During Her Running Commentary Aboard a Motorcoach Full of 7th and 8th Graders Touring the DC Area: (And there's no escape!)

1. If we pass a swamp or flooded area with dead, leafless trees, I tell my group that those trees are, 'dead dog trees', because they have lost their bark!
2. Those who work at the Department of State hate to eat at their cafeteria since it mostly serves Rice!
   
3. Some people, when they first see the Capitol Dome in the distance, think it is the White House (no joke)! I explain that it is a dome, not a domicile although it does have a House, you can't live there!
   
4. The American Pharmaceutical Association building was originally designed for the cabin Abraham Lincoln was born in; it is located across from the Lincoln Memorial. All the tour guides refer to it as the Tomb of the Unknown Pharmacist. Interestingly enough, it was designed by a Pope. (John Russell Pope)
   
5. The Department of Labor was the first federal building in Washington, DC to be named for a woman. Frances Perkins was the first female cabinet member as Labor Secretary during FDR's administration. Personally, I think it's appropriate for woman to be Secretary of Labor, since women are in labor far more often than men! (If you don't believe me, ask your mom!)
6. If we pass a field with cattle, I point out the 'super cattle'. Super cattle are the ones that are outstanding in their field! The sitting ones are, 'ground beef'!
7. The Lincoln Memorial is the only Presidential memorial to make sense. (If you don't believe me, look at your pennies!)
   
8. Pointing out a flock of sheep: I'm looking for the iron sheep! Have you ever seen, 'iron sheep'? No? Where do you think steel wool comes from?
9. Hay is now in large, round bales; the cattle don't like it. Since farmers started to bale the hay that way, the cattle haven't had a decent square meal.
   
10. The official residence of the Vice President is very beautiful. Unfortunately, during the Reagan administration you couldn't see it, because the Bushes were in the way! During the Clinton administration, the view was Gore-geous! Now, there's a Cheney fence around it!
    
11. Some of those who work at the Supreme Court play basketball on the roof of the building! Now that's what I call the highest court in the land!
    
12. The Supreme Court also has a fast food snack bar but they can no longer serve a Frankfurter or Burger there. However, lawyers love the desserts in their cafeteria because they serve torts.
    
13. This is by far the worst of the lot! While visiting or passing the large statue of Albert Einstein I tell my group that he is actually my cousin related on two sides of my family. You don't believe me? So what do you think E=mc2 means? Einstein is my cousin on 2 sides of my family! Well, that's my theory of relativ-ity!

March Madness for Educational Student Tours

Open Season Starts for Educational Student Tour Telemarketers!

It’s that time of year!
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Old and new teachers are contacting me about their class trips for 2008 – before they have even traveled in 2007! It’s a different type of March Madness; a frenzied sales period throughout the industry! Large student tour operators have hired more telemarketing sales people to supplement their already large staff and are busily calling schools! These salespeople are supposed to be selling student tour 'packages'. (How many calls have you received so far?)
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But it is no longer a ‘slam dunk’ that teachers who had been loyal to a particular company will remain with that company, because the bottom line is cost.
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Teachers are actively seeking out other companies because of the spiraling expenses. Rising airfares, motorcoaches, hotels, and food, are making it difficult to provide a quality program. In fact, travel programs are becoming prohibitively expensive. It used to be far more economical for a group to travel, but with the introduction of efares, group bookings have become significantly more expensive than the advertised single fares one can find online. It is now costing from $425 to $650 for a West Coast group to fly non-stop, cross-country! (I have been lucky enough to find $358, but that was ‘off season’.) Motorcoaches have been affected by fuel prices and inflated insurance rates due to current security issues; the group also has to take care of the driver’s hotel room, food, and tip. This constitutes a big chunck of the total trip price and the result is diminished educational content.
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The four years following September 11th brought about artificially lowered rates to get people to travel. On the fifth year, prices rose dramatically, some even quadrupling!

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Bam!
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The days of, “Hey! Let’s take the kids on a trip!” are over. These programs have to be carefully planned well in advance and parents need to be prepared to pay for it, even before their sons and daughters enroll in the school that travels! (Hint: A savings account started in elementary school for the seventh or eighth grade makes a great deal of sense.)
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If the trip is going to be expensive, why not get the most for your money? Make the trip count for something more than sightseeing.

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This is the perfect time to shop around to find out the differences amongst companies and the services they provide.

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Many smaller educational tour operators are benefitting from the exodus of teachers from the larger companies, These teachers are trying to find more value and educational components to their programs. Most mom and pop companies do not have the huge profit margins and staff turnover of the larger companies and can provide personal service rather than a website and access number.
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I try to work within the respective budgets of all my schools. (I have designed and conducted a couple of programs for practically no profit and no pay.) Most of the schools have fundraising campaigns that significantly defray the cost of the trip. If they work hard over the year, or two years, the out-of-pocket cost for the students (actually their parents) can be as low as $398 for a seven day, with all the bells and whistles experience that would normally cost over $2000! It’s hard work, but getting the parents and community involved also give the students a greater sense of focus and appreciation for the trip as opposed to entitlement.
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Many of private schools (particularly ones associated with the NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools) close down for a week to accomodate various travel and outdoor programs; the cost of these is included in the tuition; it's a growing trend. They definitely understand that these experiences serve as a curriculum tool and are well aware of the intrinsic value to the students.
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But how does one begin?
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Normally, it begins with either a phone call or email from the company/designer or the teacher/administrator. It works from both ends. The topic of conversation usually covers the types of programs offered, past experiences, and costs. There are lots of questions on both sides. My favorite question to ask is: What do you want your students to get from this program?

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Many of you have to present the trip to parents, administration, school boards, and superintendents. What does this travel program truly represent and how can you justify the cost?
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Since I do not have any generic itineraries or packages to offer, it is a bit harder to compete against the large student tour operators. Instead, I stress that I can custom design a program geared to curricula and teaching plans adding hands-on discoveries where appropriate. There are other people like me in the industry.
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However, it is possible for a teacher/administrator to get a quality program from a large tour operator, if one has an idea of what one wants to accomplish with the trip. Teachers can tell the quality of the company by their willingness and ability to work with them to provide an educational, rather than sightseeing experience. The companies should be able to align their programs with SOL’s and curricula. If you are told that they cannot or will not do it, seek another company. Packages are designed for sightseeing.
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The customer is now in control. The company should work for you, not the other way around.
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With a little bit of research online, teachers can find out educational programs that are offered at various museums and historic sites. Many of these programs are free or of nominal cost and can significantly enhance the quality and enjoyment of the trip. The larger companies cannot offer these because of their volume; some museums can take only one or two schools a day. Most sales people don't even know these programs exist! It becomes the teacher's responsibility to suggest these programs.
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One of the best tests for a full service educational tour company is the use of 24-hour tour guides/educational program conductors. In Washington, DC, there are hundreds of kid-friendly, student tour specialists who stay with the group from the moment they step off the plane to the time they reboard for their return home. These are not ‘escorts’ or bus drivers who pick up step-on guides in Washington or some other cities to give perfunctory city tours. These are fully qualified guides who not only pay all the bills, take care of the students in the hotel, give logistical support, and troubleshoot emergencies, but most importantly, they know their history and provide a cohesive educational experience throughout the entire trip; they become your best resource and on-site advocate while bonding with the students. They are fully trained, proficient, and professional. Accept nothing less. Again, if a company cannot or is unwilling to provide this essential service, seek another.
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Other questions to ask concern the quality of the meals and where the hotel is located, but I will address that in a separate post.T here will be more in this series concerning the anatomy of the educational student tour.
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Stay tuned!
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The Educational Tour Marm

For a discussion of types of companies and ethics please visit this post.