A: First the “why”. It is important to note that based on the current hospitality industry standards, the professions of Tour Director and Tour Guide require different training, skills, knowledge and certifications.

A Tour Director is also called a Tour Manager and, in some parts of the world, an Escort or Courier. Tour Operators hire Tour Managers (or Tour Directors) whose responsibilities are varied. Tour Directors travel with a group that has been organized by the Tour Operator (city to city, state to state, country to country). They stay at the same hotels, eat the same meals, go on the optional excursions, participate in all the activities that the group is doing, etc. They are responsible for the daily activities and to ensure that what the passengers have paid for happens and that the passengers have the “vacation of a lifetime.” The International Tour Director program covers both domestic and international tours. If you want to be a Tour Director, whether working in the USA or other countries, that is the course to take. This is what most of our students take.

A Tour Guide provides local expertise and does walking tours, step-on motor coach narration in their local area, meets and greets at an airport, work at seminars and conventions, etc. They are hired by Destination Management Companies, Sightseeing Companies, Event Planners, local clubs and more. Another way of looking at it is that Tour Guides are rarely away from home at night while Tour Directors travel with the groups and are away from home.

A: In order to pass the program and earn their certification each student must demonstrate strong ethics, a commitment to the Travel and Tourism industry, complete a research assignment, prepare and narrate a portion of a route, successfully role play, successfully research and present a “client welcome” that is international in scope, pass a written examination, and show the qualities of a Tour Director and of course attend all classroom teaching.

The certification program is demanding and intensive, but for those that complete the certification program, the rewards are great. Just look at the Graduates page and see the successes reported to us by those that have completed their certification.  

While our Tour Director Programs are held in-person, we do offer our Tour Guide Program via online classes.

A: Students are responsible for accommodations and any transportation costs.

Our programs are held in hotel conference rooms.  Every hotel we utilize
offers students a discount on their normal rates.  

Some have breakfast included and all rooms have a fridge and microwave.  

Hotels are always located where there is a wide variety of choices for eating
out as well as shopping for groceries and essentials.  

Denver has a great public transportation system close to the hotel.  You can take a train from the airport to within a few blocks of the hotel and the local bus service also will get you there from the airport.

Uber and Lyft, as well as local taxi companies, are also available from/to local airports. Students local to the area have always been very generous about helping
those from out of town with local transportation.   

Of course, you are also welcome to make your housing arrangements.

A: The International Guide Academy started in 1973 and initially conducted certification programs in Australia, Hong Kong, and London. IGA moved its headquarters to the United States in 1988 and have held classes here ever since. IGA began holding certification programs in Mexico starting in 2007. IGA was selected by the Jamaican Tourism Board to review their training programs and train their Tour Guides. Starting in 2009 we began a successful program training and certifying Tour Directors while at sea (aboard a cruise ship), and added programs in Canada beginning in July 2010. When the Covid pandemic hit, IGA immediately reacted by holding weekly informational Zoom meetings open to the public at no cost. Currently, IGA is holding certification programs both in person (International Tour Director) and online (Tour Guide) via Google Meet.

A. Our students and graduates are the most important people to us and all students must EARN their certification.  Unlike others, we do not simply hand them out because you showed up. It is our mission to serve our Family of Graduates as the premier resource to help them achieve their personal and professional goals in this industry. When the students earn their certification and are employed that is when we consider ourselves successful.

A: The World Tourism Organization (WTO) Madrid, Spain, the National Tour Association (NTA) Lexington, KY, the University of Breda (Breda, The Netherlands), and the International Association of Tour Managers (IATM) London, England to name some (but far from all) of them. Most important is the recognition by the companies that hire those that earn their certification with our school.

A: Now in our 52nd year of training, certifying, and providing free job placement assistance, our graduates have been hired by hundreds of Tour Operators, Destination Management Companies, Cruise lines, Sightseeing companies, Event Planners, etc. To name just a few of them: Globus family of brands, Holiday Vacations, Tauck World Discovery, Mayflower Cruises and Tours, Collette Vacations, Road Scholar, Worldstrides, Adventures by Disney, Friendly Planet Travel, Trafalgar Tours, Scholastica, Saga Holidays, Maritz Travel, Smithsonian Student Travel,  Kaleidoscope, MIR Corporation, Caravan, Contiki Holidays, EF Explore America, Soiree Travel Specialists, Trek America, Grand Circle Travel, A Private Guide, Premier Alaska, Vantage Deluxe World Travel, Pacific Delight Travel, AFC Vacations, JetSave, The Arrangers, Apple Vacations, Uniworld, C&G Tours, Go West Tours, Brennan Vacations, Above and Beyond Travel, Maupintour, NCL, Holland America Cruise Lines, Royal Celebrity Tours, Great Events, Gray Line, Abercrombie and Kent, and many more.

A: We invite you to compare, not just save money, but to select the best. When comparing IGA to any other school in the world, in addition to the fact that all IGA Graduates have EARNED their certification (not just get handed one because they paid tuition), consider this:

1. IGA has been in business since 1973, and our certification programs have been held on 4 continents as well as at sea.

2. Our curriculum provides a strong education and completion of your certification makes you “tour ready” which enhances your employability.

3. Our class size is never greater than 22 students, which allows for individual attention both during the program and, as important, after the program.

4. No student left behind. We provide free lifetime job placement assistance to all of our graduates. You do not have to pay to be supported after your certification. No meetings to attend, no annual symposiums that cost you airfare, hotel, meals and an expensive admission fee just to be attend, etc.

5. The best instructors in the world, all graduates of our programs, all with many years of experience, all with international experiences, and all currently working in the Travel and Tourism industry.

6. The best overall cost in tuition, registration, and housing.

7. We will give you references before enrolling.

8. During the year classes are held in multiple locations and include Tour Guide certification programs via Google Meet.

9. At IGA students find the enrichment, relevant learning, and personal attention they desire. IGA offers the best education value in the world. It’s more than just affordable tuition and program costs, the value comes from the student support process before, during, and after the certification program. The practical applications and experiences gained in the classroom and out-of-classroom assignments are what leads to your best possible employment opportunity.

10. If you are in the area of one of our on-going programs, you can sit through one of the sessions at no cost and speak to the instructors and current students in the class.

11. This is at no charge and just one of the special ways we want to help you make an informed decision.

12. The company president will personally speak with you. No one filters your calls; the president answers the phone personally when in the office: 303.434.7557. If you prefer, click here to schedule a meeting with IGA President Daniel Slater.

A: YES. We can provide them before you enroll, that way you can make an informed decision. The graduates page includes hundreds of comments about and from those that have earned their certification with us.  www.bepaidtotravel.com/graduates

A: The students who attend a certification program come from all areas and all walks of life. The youngest was 18 and the oldest were in their eighties. Age is not a barrier nor is gender, beliefs, lifestyle, etc. Some students have lived in the USA while others have been residents of all the continents except Antarctica. During the past few years, the students have been residents of Canada, USA, Mexico, Brazil, England, France, Ireland, Australia, Argentina, the Netherlands, Spain, Romania, Tunisia, Morocco, South Africa, Ghana and many other countries. Some were new to career education and seeking their certification to establish themselves in the industry. Educational backgrounds varied with some high school graduates and others with college degrees and some had master’s or doctoral degrees. Some students were already established professionals in the Travel and Tourism industry who wanted to expand their knowledge in their current positions while others were pursuing certification looking to change careers. Our programs are open to all peoples of the world.

A: As a Tour Director, you are essentially on-duty 24 hours a day. Your day begins with your personal preparation, then moves to supervising the handling of the baggage, counting passenger, narrating during the day, scheduling the motorcoach stops for breaks, lunch, picture stops, sight-seeing, etc.  At the end of the day you handle the check-in at the hotel, do “lobby duty” and any associated paperwork for the day. You may also spend part of the evening re-confirming the events coming up in the next few days and/or spend part of the evening at a group dinner, theatre, optional excursion, etc. You can work (as some of the graduates do) for cruise lines as well as tours on motor coaches. These are multiple day trips.

As a Tour Guide, you conduct local city tours either walking with groups or narrating on a motorcoach. These tours can be 1/2 day or full day tours. Local Destination Management Companies (DMCs), Sightseeing Companies, Event Planners, Convention Centers, etc. will hire you to do local tours, “meet and greets” at airports and hotel lobbies, work assignments at conventions with registration, information booths and dine-arounds, and much more. These are just a few of the assignments you can receive as a Tour Guide.

A: Expectations are high. You will be expected to handle passenger movement from one place to another whether that is by motorcoach, ship, train, airplane, etc. It may mean crossing country borders. During the day you will be expected to do some narration on the culture, history, geography, demographics, food, language, etc. You will be required to transition smoothly from one hotel to another. Tour Operators may expect you to “sell” their optional excursions. They will look to you to be professional, courteous, and to get everything done in a timely and accurate manner and, of course, to submit all the required paperwork at the end of the tour.

A: In our certification program, the International Guide Academy educates and trains you on everything that can happen to you while on tour. We start with the basic terminology and cover all the paperwork. We teach you about hotel arrivals and departures, how to research and prepare your commentary, when to give the commentary, how to handle passport control, international and domestic airline travel including re-routes and forced overnights, interacting with suppliers of services along the way, selling and participation in optional excursions, lobby duty, leisure days, how to handle the money and the accounting of it, and expense sheets. Also, we train on what to do in emergencies such as a passenger illness or death, as well as what to do if a passenger is missing, tour debriefing, baggage handling and control, “tour welcome” presentation, cultural practices, city tours, motor coach travel, and teamwork with the motor coach driver. We also spend time on group psychology and individual behavior of your passengers. Our curriculum is kept up to date and in the past few years we have added “technology on the road”, “being green on tour” and “handling of sexual harassment” and, of course, much more…..

A: We offer free job placement assistance. When you earn your certification you receive a detailed list of Tour Operators who have opted-in to receive your resumes and cover letters. It is not just a list of companies but includes who to contact, their phone, fax, email, web site and in many cases a short description of what they are looking for. We also include a section in your “Getting Hired” book with contact information on cruise lines.

Our programs provide you with a greater understanding of the responsibilities of a Tour Director and/or Tour Guide. With class instruction, practical exercises and problem solving, motorcoach trips, etc. the students get a solid base of performance skills. Getting this education shows the Tour Operators that you are sincerely interested in a career as a Tour Director and/or Tour Guide and that you have invested your time and money in gaining those skills. This helps to enhance your candidacy for open positions. Our placement assistance is free for all of our graduates. There are no additional costs, no job symposiums to attend, no EXPENSIVE conferences and organizations you need to join, you receive personalized individual cover letter and resume direction specific to your companies of interest and assistance, newsletters from us, job opening announcements, etc.  We call our Graduates “Family” for a reason.  The service does not stop after graduation.  

A: As part of the certification program, we cover networking, resume preparation, cover letters, phone interviews, follow-up, etc. You get our help in review of your cover letters and resumes. When we become aware of changes, you are kept advised of these changes to the “hiring list” and we provide you with input when companies contact us looking for Tour Managers/Tour Directors/Tour Guides. The most important ingredient in getting hired is you. An effort on your part in cover letters and resume preparation is needed. The hiring list we provide is a starting point. Our graduates are encouraged to contact Tour Operators that they identify and not just the ones we include.

A: The International Guide Academy is the only school providing this training that is truly international. The school has had many training locations over the years: Denver: Ft. Lauderdale; Seattle; Chicago; Dallas; Minneapolis; as well as in the countries of Canada; Mexico; Jamaica; Australia; England; and China. We have also held programs aboard Norwegian Cruise Lines cruise ships throughout the Caribbean. All of these locations are sophisticated cities and your class activities are scheduled to allow you time to participate in the local culture and enjoy the complexity of the city you are in. If you choose to earn your certification aboard a ship, the time in port is free for you to enjoy the countries visited.

IGA has been in business since 1973. We came to the USA in 1988 after having programs originally in Australia, then Hong Kong, and then London. A very important factor for you is class size and IGA limits the classes to a manageable number, usually 16 or less, never more than 20. We hold the International Tour Director Certification Program in a conference center or onboard a cruise ship at sea. It sets a proper learning and study environment for you as a student. Our Tour Guide Certification Program is currently taught online. Local hotels offer discounted private rooms. You do not have to share. Some are in the neighborhood of $85.00 per night for a private room with kitchenette and breakfast included. Most students stay at the same hotel which helps in your study assignments and networking. Arrangements can be made to share a room with another student in all of the locations your programs are offered.

No student left behind. We provide you with free lifetime placement assistance.
The cost of your certification program is very well priced and allows you to get back your tuition investment usually with your first 8-10 day tour assignment.

A: We provide current employment information and industry information to all of our graduates via our email newsletter. We, as mentioned, have free lifetime placement assistance whether you graduated last year or 40 years ago. We have, since 1997, allowed our graduates to come back and sit through on-going sessions at no cost to them. Occasionally, we do have to limit the number of graduates and sessions attended based on space availability. We have also, for more than 16 years, allowed graduates the opportunity to be re-certified. This means you can come and take the entire program again, get all the new material, participate fully in all sessions, and do this at a greatly reduced tuition.

A: With a staff of over 15 instructors, we put THE BEST in front of you each and every time. In order to be an instructor at the school they must first have successfully taken the course and graduated. Then, they must have been employed in the industry as a Tour Director and/or Tour Guide for 5 or more years (our average instructor has more than 20 years). Recently, we made a change to the 5 or more year requirement and will consider a graduate more recently earning their certification and having an earned an excellent reputation in the industry. This will provide an additional viewpoint to the students during the program to allow them to interact with a “newer” graduate. With rare exception they will have had international experience and finally they must be working in the industry in the year they are teaching. This way they can instruct with the latest technologies, latest company experiences, and are up-to-date on passenger needs, etc. Click here to see a video on this topic.

A: We are approved and regulated by the Division of Private Occupational Schools, Department of Higher Education. We are not the approving body on credits accepted by your higher level of education institution. It is your responsibility to contact your college/university and obtain the necessary paperwork. It is to be completed by your college/university and yourself and submitted to us. Then we will fill out our part and return it to your institution. After their review of course content, etc. they will make the determination if the program will apply as credits within their institution. When your college/university accepts our course for credit, they usually determine it is equivalent to 4 to 5 college credits.

A: IGA is currently not offering financial assistance. We do offer all National Tourism Foundation state winners of the NTF annual programs a reduced tuition.

Some of our students have had their tuition paid in full by their local state Work Force Program, by their company’s tuition refund program, by companies’ retirement assistance programs, Pathways, The Alliance for Employee Growth and Development, etc.

Others have contacted and applied for scholarship assistance through USA Funds, the National Tourism Foundation and the National Tour Association (NTA) (Lexington, KY), the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA), The Foundation Center (Washington, DC), the American Bus Association (ABA), the Institute of International Education (New York City), the Student and Youth Travel Association (SYTA) which is partnered with Tourism Cares for Tomorrow, ASTA Scholarship Foundation (American Society of Travel Agents, Washington, DC) and others.

A: Tour Operators know the high standard of performance, level of learning, and strong ethics that each of our graduates must have. It shows the Tour Operator that the candidate for the position of Tour Manager or Tour Director has been willing to spend their time and money in order to become certified and graduate with a level of knowledge and performance that allows them to actively and professionally do the job. Your background and experiences plus the certification will make you a strong candidate with the Tour Operators. Many hiring companies look first for the certification and then prior travel experience.

A: Yes, You can retake the entire program at no additional tuition cost. We do not give you a certification just for showing up and attending class. Not everyone graduates with an “A”. We are a real school, not a business calling itself a school. It is possible to fail the program and not receive your certification. You need to earn the certification, and the hiring companies know this, which is why they are pleased with graduates of our program. You need to demonstrate and pass the certification process in all measurable areas of the program. These include research and presentation skills measured by your completing the research assignments including: a research test and oral presentation of a client welcome. Your research skills and narration on a motor coach is part of the program, plus a written test and your observed participation and input during individual and group assignments. ​There may be a time where your behavior in class or your presentation style may not be appropriate to a career as a Tour Director or Tour Guide and/or disruptive to other class members. If we observe this during the program we will address it with you privately and you are given a chance to show improvement. If the inappropriate or unprofessional behavior continues we will discuss this with you and an option would be for you to withdraw from the program but still have the same benefit of returning and participating in a future program.

If you fail in any of these areas you can, as previously stated, retake the entire program at no tuition cost. You may take the program again at the same location you originally participated or at any of the other locations where the program is being held. (Exception is on board the NCL ship program if this is where you participated. If that is the case you can retake the program in any of the land based programs for no tuition cost or if you choose to retake the program aboard the ship 1/2 tuition.) In order to qualify for retaking the program at no tuition cost, you must retake the entire program within 18 months of your failing or withdrawing from the program.

A: If you have not already obtained one of our catalogs, you should do so either by ordering one from the catalog page on this web site, or by calling us. After you review the catalog and the web site, you can choose the class of your choice and enroll directly from the IGA website. You can also call and enroll over the telephone if you prefer. There is a non-refundable fee of US$100. This holds a place for you. Tuition is then due 45 days before the class starts. You can also fax in your registration form, or enroll over the telephone, and pay the registration fee via VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, or PayPal.

We hope that you make an informed decision and, of course, that you choose our school.

A: If you have more questions about tour guides and tour directors, you can absolutely speak to someone in our office. We understand the importance of providing comprehensive information and assistance to ensure your travel experience is seamless and enjoyable. Our dedicated team is here to address any inquiries you may have, whether it’s about the expertise of our tour guides, the itinerary details, or any other aspect of your upcoming journey.

Feel free to reach out to us through our contact channels, including phone (303.434.7557), email (daniel@bepaidtotravel.com), or Google Meet. We value clear communication and aim to provide prompt and helpful responses to all your queries. Our knowledgeable staff is well-equipped to offer insights, recommendations, and detailed information to enhance your understanding of the tour and make your travel plans as smooth as possible. Your satisfaction and comfort are our top priorities, and we look forward to assisting you with any further questions you may have.