The Group Leader's role
As you move through the tour planning process—from selecting your itinerary, to promoting your tour, to preparing your travelers for their time on tour—here's a look at a few key elements of your role as a Group Leader.
Your Role as a Group Leader
Choose your EF tourYour Tour Consultant is your best resource to help you select a tour based on your group’s needs, interests and requested travel dates. One way we are able to offer the lowest prices is by requiring date flexibility. Your Tour Consultant will help determine which tour destination(s), tour length and price will be best for your group. Additionally, if you are not traveling as a private group, your Tour Consultant will discuss opportunities for traveling on a shared tour experience.
Promote your tour and enroll travelersThe next step is to get travelers excited about traveling on your tour—be it online, in your school or in your community. Host one big meeting for travelers and parents to let them know about this exciting opportunity and then set an enrollment deadline for your tour.
Maintain contact with your group
Log in to your account to easily manage and maintain email communication with your group right from your Group tab. We also suggest holding regularly scheduled meetings throughout the tour-planning process where you can share information including final itineraries, payment deadlines, packing suggestions and more. Keep your travelers excited about your tour by mentioning places you'll be visiting during your classes or watching movies that take place in the cities you'll be exploring.
Prepare your group
We also ask that you prepare your travelers for their experience. Make sure they understand that group travel requires flexibility and cooperation. Explain that their tour will be fast paced and that there will be a lot of walking. For tips on setting expectations for your travelers, please contact your Tour Consultant.
Travel on a free Training Tour
Ensuring you are fully prepared to lead an EF tour is our commitment to your school community. Through our blended learning model, all first-time Group Leaders travel to New York City, Boston, Washington, D.C., or San Francisco on a free Training Tour to learn best practices from experienced Group Leaders and EF Staff. All you need is 15 students enrolled to sign up!
Supervise your group at all times on tour
The Group Leader must accompany the group at all times. For more information on the Group Leader's role in safety on tour, read our Safety Guidelines for Group Leaders article.