1. EF Pre-tour Talking-points Madrid, Spain
Kevin Sacerdote
Mandarin High School
Jacksonville, FL

2. Travel: Awakens & Instructs
To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted
Bill Bryson
Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends
Maya Angelou

3. Group Travel: In a Nutshell
STRESS FLEXIBILITY on *Everything
EXCEPT TIMING
Remain POSITIVE 110% of the Trip
Participants Will Feed Off of Your Words & Body Language
Smell The Roses!
*Food, Rooms, Traffic, Early Wake-up Calls, Roomies, etc…

4. Recruitment Group Adventure Bus = Approximately 51 people
24/7 Effort
Work Very Closely With Your EF Tour Consultant
Have a question, Ask Your Consultant
As Soon As The Current Tour Deadline Passes, WHERE ARE WE GOING NEXT YEAR?
HS Class students & their friends v. School-wide “cattle- call”
Parents – MUST Conversations
Group Adventure
Bus = Approximately 51 people
Several Groups “Assimilate”
Student Tour (Helps to like Teens)
Exercise…Walk, Walk, Walk, and Walk

5. Recruitment: EF Tour Consultant
They Exist To Assist!
Experts, One-on-One Relationship With You
What do you Need…ask!
Selecting the Right Tour, Pricing
Gentle Reminders: Rooming, Vegetarians, Peanut Allergies, Tour Extensions etc…
PowerPoint Presentation
Posters
Brochures

6. Recruitment: EFTOURS.COM
You Will Become Addicted
Constantly Evolving!
Visit Your Tour Website: See What Those Interested Can Access
tours.com/preview-tour.aspx?pt=SA
Contact Your Tour Consultant:
Vanessa Marchica (Mine)
The BEST!
Others Come Close
Participants pay on-line Via a Credit Card

7. Recruitment: EFTOURS.COM
Access All of the Following/Keeps Me Organized!
all Participants, Stay in Contact for Any Reason
Financial Status of Each Participant …Updated
“Plus Three Thinking” (Don’t Get Comfortable)
Active Tours: Always have two irons in the fire
Previous Tours : Great Source of “Just In Case…”
Price Quotes: A Must for Continuous “First Meetings”
“My Rewards” Not Just Conventions, BOSE, APPLE, Delta…
Edit Your Profile
“Manage Your Group”
Plus So Much More

8. Recruitment: “Free Spot(s)”
I have found out there ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them. -Tom Sawyer Abroad

9. Recruitment: “Free” Places
This May Be For You, Be Sure it is For the Free Spot(s)
Curfew Checks
Wake-up Knocks
“Good Cop/Bad Cop”
Female/ Male “Chats”
“Drama Stopper”
Room Adjusters
Duval County School Board Does Not Sanction the Trips
Yet Principals, and Teachers Travel With Me
15% Discount Participants Do Not Count Towards Free- Spot
Fundraising – Some Do I do Not

10. Communication & Organization
Always Register On-line, Auto-pay!!!
EF Handles 99.9%
ONLY Touch Money if it is Tip Money!
$7, 2, or $6, 3, 1 ALWAYS Beforehand
Insurance
Get a “wing-person” (If Possible)
Can Get “touchy”
Explain Points versus Responsibility up-front
Attends EVERY Meeting
Delegate Duties

11. Communication & Organization
Optional Excursions: Can Be added into the Price if Participants sign-up on-line
Optional Excursions cut down on free time
Perfect if “Free-time” makes you nervous
Many Are A Great Deal:
Greece: Sardonic Island Cruise
Italy: Sienna

12. Educational Content
After the Sign-up Deadline Passes, I have Three Mandatory Meetings
Collect Tip Money, Copy of Passport, Insurance Card, Update Emergency Contacts
Highlight One Major Location and What We Will Be Seeing in Each Meeting
Museums, Foods, Weather, Historical Significance, etc…

13. Educational Content
Discuss Free-Time, Offer Three Options For That Day (i.e. Museums, Walking Tours, Shopping, )
Spring Tour Deadline is Before Winter Holidays…Tour Books, or Book as a Gift Idea
Distribute Hotel and Flight Information
The Accreditation Angle
I do Not Sell it Enough Because Our County does Not Endorse the trips : “Liability?”
County makes it difficult to earn credit for HS

14. Random Thoughts Passport versus Visa
Touch it, check date of expiration
Passport Holder – Vertical Neck?
Stress a Routine, Participants are responsible not you
Good for 6 months?
Constant Group Reminder via EF.COM always include this
If an Item is too valuable to lose, leave it home!

15. Random Thoughts
All Participants should think twice about loaning out money
Debit Cards- Contact your Bank and tell them the dates you will be abroad
Cell Phones- Call for International Calling and Texting Plans
Use the photo option to take a picture of your passport, hotel names, Street Signs where you will meet
Try to set meeting times using the same ¼ of an hour (15, 30, 45, 00)
Always Collect Tips BEFORE you leave your home country at one of the mandatory meetings

16. Random Thoughts Tips- $7- $2- $1 or $6, $3, $1
Extra Cash For an “Optional on-the-run”
Catacombs on the Apian Way
Rome at Night
Play in London
Parents/Adults Touring MUSTS
Like Teens, Walking, Challenges of Group Travel
Assimilating with the other groups, Be Cordial
Rooming- Stress Flexibility, and possibility of “fair” Rotations

17. Random Thoughts
“Less Popular” Tours MAY require even more flexibilities
Stay over in Newark, but the first flight out
YOU MUST turn this into an Positive experience! (i.e. It will help us all conquer jetlag before getting to our final destination)
Large groups will probably have a few Flight Plans
Make sure you have assistants on the various flights
Make emergency plans for What if… you flight leaves Atlanta and Mine is cancelled out of D.C.
Alcohol MUST be discussed up front with Parental Units in Attendance at a Meeting
Review Tour Consultant, Tour Director, Lead-teacher, and Participant Responsibilities

18. Any Additional Questions?