Becoming a Group Coordinator: Making the transition

_We believe the best way to learn about the world is to experience it, and we caught up with Janet who took a trip to Italy and Greece where she did just that. She’s a former Group Leader with our sister company EF Educational Tours who just traveled on her first trip with EF Go Ahead Tours. Janet led a group of friends and family, as opposed to students, on a tour through some of the most sought-after Mediterranean destinations. As a new Group Coordinator, Janet breaks down the process of transitioning from Educational Tours to Go Ahead Tours and what to expect when traveling with us.

Tailored hotels and meals

“The hotels were out of this world,” said Janet after returning home from her trip to Italy & Greece. She and her group members enjoyed that the hotels felt like resorts and were located in the heart of each location they visited on tour. Janet also mentioned how much everyone loved the high-quality meals throughout the trip. “The food was phenomenal,” said Janet. “We all ate more than a human being should eat because it was all was so delicious!”

Free time opportunities

Janet was hesitant about the free time that’s built into Go Ahead Tours since she was familiar with the busy itineraries that made up her trips with Educational Tours. In the end, the balance of planned activities and free time turned out to be a welcome delight. “I was worried my travelers would feel that they paid for a tour, but weren’t busy the whole time” said Janet. “They loved the free time though! It gave them the opportunity to shop and explore other sites.” Another bonus was that travelers could sign up for optional excursions if they wanted to fill their free time with an activity that piqued their interest. “When you’re traveling with kids, you all have to do the same activity,” said Janet. “On my Go Ahead Tour, everyone spent their free time doing what they wanted to do, whether that was laying by the pool or taking part in a wine tasting.”

Personalized benefits

You’ll receive Global Rewards points for each tour you lead, just like you do with Educational Tours—and your points carry over when you transition to leading trips with Go Ahead Tours. One benefit Janet didn’t expect to receive when becoming a Go Ahead Tours Group Coordinator was the ability to use Global Rewards points to travel on her own. “You can use your points to join other tours and also continue to use them to attend Convention Tours to learn more about the organization.”

Traveling for fun

One of the biggest shifts for Janet was going from being in charge of her students to experiencing the destinations alongside friends and family. “I was very pleased with the transition from being a teacher leader to being an adult leader because I was able to experience everything,” Janet said. “You’re working on Educational Tours trips with students, but with the adults, it was like being on a vacation.” The familiarity of being paired with an expert Tour Director helped make the transition even easier for Janet and her group. “It was by far the best vacation I’ve ever had,” said Janet. “Everyone had the best trip of their life.”

What’s your favorite memory from your first trip with Go Ahead Tours? Let us know on Facebook!