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Sillick
New Member
Posted
Hi

I am interested to know if tour directors are paid a wage commensurate with the job they do or are they reliant on tips to earn a reasonable income.

Tipping, if every tour participant contributed at the recommended rate would mean quite a tidy sum for the tour guide - which makes me think they are possibly only on a retainer or minimum amount and must make up the difference through tipping - would this be a correct assumption?

If paid only only a minimum wage or a retainer then I can understand why tipping would be necessary but not if they are already being well paid for the job they do.
 
Posts: 7 | Location: Auckland | Registered: 08 September 2007Report This Post
phil
Virtual Traveller Elite
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Apart from some of the Eastern Mediterranean countries where Insight tours are subcontracted to local companies, I believe that neither the Drivers nor Tour Directors used on Insight tours are Insight employees.

The Drivers are employees of the coach companies that hire their vehicles to Insight and many other similar tour companies.

The Tour Directors contract their services, sometimes exclusively to Insight, sometimes to a variety of tour companies and sometimes make themselves available for private contract.

Insight are clearly very demanding in the quality of services provided by their contractors and the end of tour questionnaires play an important role in their ongoing contracting of individual Tour Directors.

Many of these people are only involved in these roles during the main tour season.

phil
 
Posts: 1883 | Location: Gosford ··· Australia | Registered: 19 November 2002Report This Post
johninwa
Virtual Traveller Elite
Picture of johninwa
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Thank you phil, good points. I would suggest that if Paul wants to answer the original question he can. Otherwise, if BB members want to continue a discussion about tipping that someone start a new thread in the appropriate area. I would hate to see something good that John is attempting turned into another "discussion" rather than a Q&A. And, I apologize for falling into that trap myself. Keep asking the tough questions.


Happy Trails!!
 
Posts: 231 | Location: Washington State | Registered: 16 November 2004Report This Post
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