Tour Director Resources

As a Tour Director/Tour Guide, you have a GREAT opportunity to positively impact every traveler, every day of their journey, by creating, reinforcing and/or enhancing the peacebuilding elements that are part of a traveler’s itinerary. Identify what tangible concepts, already in the itinerary, that you can physically bring to life in-person. Teaching and engaging elements of peace to those that can impact peace, is an important responsibility and privilege. Below are some basic peacebuilding (i.e. travel with CARE) questions and suggestions as part of your onsite tour delivery!

CARE questions to consider when tour directing a journey:

Curiosity - What can you offer each day to pique more curiosity about their destination?

Acceptance - Do they understand where they are, what they are experiencing, who they might meet along the way? Discuss the benefits and consequences of them understanding these things.

Respect - What type of “footprint” will they leave during their trip. How can this be reduced.

Engagement - What are real time examples of Travelers being Ambassadors for Peace. What ways are they doing it now and how can they share it (Pass it On) to other during and after their trip?

Below are some CARE suggestions to consider to “Make Peace Part of Every Traveler’s Journey”!

  • 1. Embrace each destination, the people who live here have unique lifestyles, family dynamics, traditions, values and vocations. View them with respect & without judgement. celebrate differences and diversity.

    2. Remind travelers of the basic dos and don’ts for behavior, dress, and etiquette in the area(s) you’re visiting.

    3. Encourage traveler’s to engage those they meet about their lives, culture, and traditions.

    4. When in a foreign country, learn a few local phrases: Even simple greetings in the local language (“Hello,” “Thank you,” “Please,” and “Excuse me.”) show effort and respect.

    5 Be a guest, not a critic. Acknowledge your own biases and assumptions. Avoid stereotyping people or places. Accept that you may not understand everything—and that’s okay.

Pre-Trip
Curiosity Planning

On Tour
Acceptance Commitment

  • 1. Start each day reminding Traveler’s to smile, listen actively, share laughter.

    2. Share stories, and laughter whenever possible.

    3. Don’t just take photos and instead engage. Listen, observe, connect. Actively seek common ground in conversations. Practice patience in delays or misunderstandings.

    4. Disarm with kindness: Small acts—smiling, being patient, apologizing sincerely.

    5. Be a connector: Encourage conversations between fellow travelers and locals. Facilitate mutual understanding.

    6. Compliment sincerely: Say often and sincerely: “Thank you for sharing your hometown with us.”

    7. Eat local, shop local, stay local: Choose family-run restaurants, markets, and shops where possible

    8. Encourage them to buy souvenirs that support artisans and avoid exploitative or environmentally harmful products. Remind them to tip fairly (anything is better than nothing) and thank service workers with kindness.

On Tour
Respectful Stewardship

  • 1. Carry a reusable water bottle, utensils, shopping bag, and other reusable items.

    2. Request and stay in eco-conscious lodgings where applicable and use public transport, bike, or walk when possible.

    3. Turn off lights, air conditioning, and electronics when not in use.

    4. Eat a plant-based meal when you can—it’s better for the planet.

    5. Avoid wildlife exploitation: don’t support attractions that exploit animals for entertainment.

    6. Pick up litter when you see it—leave places cleaner than you found them.

    7. Reduce your footprint: Conserve water, refuse single-use plastics, and leave places better than you found them.

On Tour -Post Trip
Engagement Challenge

  • 1. Promote Peace Through Your Presence

    2. Share stories, and laughter whenever possible.

    3. Reflect others’ dignity in your travel photos and social media.

    4. Highlight human connection, not poverty or exoticism.

    5. Post positivity, like: “The people I met in [place] reminded me of how much we all want the same things—family, safety, joy”,“It’s a gift to be here—thank you for sharing your home with me.” “I met someone in [country] who told me about their hopes for their community…”, “There’s so much beauty in how people in [place] connect with nature/family/tradition.”

    6. Live as a guest, not a consumer: Walk softly, talk kindly, and move with reverence.

    7. Amplify voices: Share stories from your travels in ways that highlight the dignity and richness of other cultures.

    8. Travel in Peace… and Pass it On to others!

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