 Land tour busses range from luxurious to eccentric. This is an example of the latter! |
Land tour companies are one of the fastest growing segments of the travel industry. These organizations primarily offer train and motor coach tours of the United States, Europe, and many other parts of the world to a diverse clientele, which includes teenagers, twenty- and thirty-somethings, and retirees. Land tours take place all over the country - think about the last time you visited a major city or national park. Chances are that you saw the large, sleek motor coaches that are the trademark vehicles of the industry. On the other hand, some land tour companies offer boat and rafting tours as well. But no matter what type of company you work for, the land tour industry is one of the best ways for college students and others to break into the tourism industry or to just have a fun summer of traveling. Several land tour companies are even owned and operated by the major cruise lines that you are probably already familiar with. In fact, working for a tour company is a great way to develop your qualifications for some of the more highly prized career-path cruise line jobs, such as land tour director and cruise director.
One important trend has been towards specialty tours, such as eco-touring in places like Costa Rica or culturally oriented tours in Europe, the former Soviet Union, and the countries of Southeast Asia. There has never been a better time to seek employment in the land tour industry.
As common sense would dictate, your pay will vary with the type of tour and with the tour's clientele. In general, pay ranges from $50 to $150 per day in salary, plus tips, room, and board. If earning as much as possible is something you demand, your best bet is to look for companies that offer extended tours that cater to an up-scale clientele. Since you have more interaction with the passengers, you can expect tips to be higher on two or three week trips than on trips of a week or less. The only exception to the "high end pays better" rule can be tour and trolley services in major metropolitan areas. While per passenger tips certainly won't be as high, the sheer volume of clients should make up for it. The only down side to these jobs is that local tour companies rarely (if ever) pay your living expenses, since you are not on the road full-time.
In general, tips are a sizable addition to your base pay. In fact, tips sometimes double your daily salary. On the other hand, some companies now offer "all inclusive" tours, which basically means that no tipping is allowed. In that case, the company typically pays you a higher salary, or they guarantee you a certain amount of daily pay beyond your salary. Such plans are popular with tours geared towards teenagers (who are generally not the best tippers anyway) and lower-scale, economy tours.
One good strategy if you want to maximize earnings is to request brochures from several of the companies that interest you from our list. You may also want to visit a local travel agent - they often have brochures for land tour travel. That way, you can tell which companies are for wealthier clients. You will even find that one company may offer several different types of tour package, from basic to luxury. Such differences make it impossible for us to give you much more than a general idea of what to expect in our listings.
Another thing to consider if you want to earn as much as possible - companies that advertise large vehicles will usually pay better because they carry more passengers, which will probably mean more tips. Just do the math.
