20 years of travel to life: adventure beyond the package tour!

20 years of travel to life: adventure beyond the package tour!

Andreas Damson, Managing Director of Travel to Life, celebrates two decades of exciting trips and experiences in the world of group trips. He has been working in the industry for 20 years and has established himself as a leading provider of tour guide training. During this time he has traveled over 70 countries, also exploring exotic destinations such as North Korea, Afghanistan and Mongolia. He had a particularly impressive experience in Yemen, where he had to wade through a wadi due to a thunderstorm, while other travelers remained in off -road vehicles. Such memories shape his philosophy about how trips should be designed.

The travel from Travel to Life are designed not only to show the highlights of a travel destination, but also to explore unknown places. Around a third of the routes offered lead through lesser known areas, with the knowledge of the experienced tour guides playing a crucial role. Damson has set itself the task of concentrating the training of his tour guides on the structure and conception of the tour guide instead of only conveying fact -based knowledge of sights. This includes practical experience and promoting the group feeling among the participants. A successful tour guide should not only have a passion for dealing with people, but also be able to improvise.

The role of the tour guide

tour guides are responsible for the organization and implementation of travel and establish an important connection between travel destination, tour operator and the travelers. Your tasks range from supervision of travel to ensure that the program is carried out as contractually agreed. They also provide practical information and are available to travelers if you have any questions. The requirements for the tour guides are high, even if no special training is required.

A school leaving certificate is theoretically not necessary, although a main or secondary school degree can be advantageous. A bachelor or master in tourism management are the usual paths for an academic career. Coaching entrants also have opportunities, especially if you have a commercial training or experience in customer service. Typical employers are tour operators, tourist offices or cruise ships, so that the place of work vary and offer exciting challenges.

career perspectives and challenges

The importance of tour guide has increased in the post-covid 19 world because the tourism industry recovered. Employed tour guides earn between 1,900 and 2,600 euros gross per month, while the self -employed can earn between 100 and 300 euros per job on a fee basis, plus expenses and premiums. Good customer service and crisis management are essential to ensure the smooth running of the trips.

Andreas Damson still has many travel destinations on his wish list, including the trobriand islands at Papua New Guinea, which he has not yet visited. The passion for trips and the pursuit of unique experiences remain unchanged - both for him and for the tour guides he trained.

More on the ideas and concepts of Andreas Damson can be found in his Interview On LifePr . The comprehensive tasks and requirements for tour guides are described in detail on Mystipendium