Hi from Rick: Growing Great Guides
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| Andy caught the travel bug as a kid from…somebody. |
Dear Traveler,
If you're a parent, you know how important it is to line up energizing, mind-expanding activities for your kids when school is out. For Anne and me, this is being taken to a new level this year as our son, Andy, begins apprenticing as a tour guide. I'm thrilled he's chosen to spend his summer working intimately with three different guides to begin learning the ropes of this trade. It also reminds me of how the caliber of our guides really is the foundation of our successful tour program.
This week, Andy says arrivederci to Ben Cameron, a 29 year-old guide who truly defines success for himself, treats the world as his back yard, and inspires his tour groups to embrace the wonders and challenges that come with a fearless approach to travel. Next week, Andy meets up with Rozanne Stringer, a woman whose passion for cultures — especially the Celtic sort — makes each tour an education-on-wheels that could never be found in a classroom. After that, our kid will apprentice with Colleen Murphy, who expertly makes the fine points of European cultures an interactive experience, while making everyone in a group of 26 feel like they are her best friend.
Our guides each have a unique bag of skills — they are scholars, artists, cooks, linguists, comedians, and philosophers. Most importantly they know how to manage a tour so that the high expectations of our traveling customers are not only met, but exceeded.
The bar is set pretty high for Andy. Whether he becomes a tour guide or not, I know he's gaining rich, life-long experience with mentors such as Ben, Rosanne, and Colleen. In a sense, each of our tour members is a recipient of the same powerful teaching and inspiration.
In this month's Tour News you'll share some jolly good travel thrills with us, with a special focus on London. One of our most popular guides, Gillian Chadwick, will share some of her funniest moments, we'll peek at some customer comments on our London tours, give you some handy tips on how to spend your free time in this remarkable city…and more. We're also mailing out hundreds of shiny new 2007 Tour Catalogs and DVDs every week — order your free copy.
How are you spending your summer vacation? I hope someday it will be with us..maybe with Ben, Rozanne, Colleen, Gillian...or Andy.
Happy travels,
Rick