How To Prepare An Informative Tour Dossier For Educational Tours

There are so many details to think about when organizing an educational tour. Details that the teachers, chaperones, students, parents, and decision-makers are going to want to access so that they are fully informed about the trip. As the tour organizer, the easiest way for you to share this with them is in an informative tour dossier.

This document covers all the information there is about a trip. For educational tours, it is going to include details such as learning objectives, itinerary, contact numbers, rules of conduct, safety documents, packing lists, visa information, spending money, FAQ’s, and other relevant information.

The more detailed it is, the better! Laying out the information means that expectations can be managed, and some of the common questions answered right at the start. Read on to find out how to write a dossier for your educational tour and what information to include.

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Information To Include On An Educational Tour Dossier

Introduction

Start by introducing the tour, outlining who it is for, and giving an overview of the learning objectives that will be covered. What exactly will students be learning – is it the history of a region, advance their second language skills, or deepen their cultural understanding of a destination?

This information is important because the decision holders are going to want to know why this particular tour is suitable for the students. How will it deepen their learning experience outside of the walls of the classroom?

General Overview

Next on the tour dossier is to provide a summarized, A to B to C overview of the route to be taken, including start and end points.

This section should also highlight what is and isn't included in the educational tour package. Outline details such as the number of nights of accommodation, meals, mode of transport to be used, group size, number of chaperones and teachers who will be accompanying the students, etc here for easy reference.

Route Highlights

The tour's learning objectives will be achieved by visiting specified landmarks or participating in certain activities or events on tour. Be it areas of natural beauty, art galleries, or historic monuments – this is the section where you highlight what these drawcards are before delving into the details.

Day By Day Itinerary

Now is the time to drill down into the specifics for each day. Include a write up on the activities to be undertaken, meal arrangements, transport and movements, accommodation for the night, etc. Itemize this according to the date so that the information is clear and easy to follow.

A tour itinerary is one of the most important sections of the dossier, and a copy should be printed out and given to each student, teacher, and chaperone to carry around with them when they are on the trip. This way, everyone will know where they need to be and where they are going next at all times.

Contact While on Tour

In the event of an emergency, parents at home may want to contact their child or vice versa. On the tour dossier, include a contact number for one of the teachers in charge who will be present.

Another idea is to set up a Facebook group and share the link in this document. Mention that it is a platform where students can share photos with the school and their parents while on tour. This can help to ease minds, especially if anyone is worried about being away from home or how the trip is going.

Rules For The Tour

While the code of conduct for the trip is not necessarily something you need to set as the tour organizer, you do need to include it in this document. Consult with the teachers who will be leading the tour to get their list of rules, and discuss any that you may have of your own.

Once agreed upon, draft it into the tour dossier so that everyone involved in the trip is aware of what is expected of them while they are away.

Safety and Security

For some students, this may be their first time away without their parents. Even if it isn’t, safety is a crucial component of any school group trip, whether traveling domestic or international.

As the organizer, you need to show in the dossier that you have run a risk assessment to cover all bases relating to safety and security. This could mean highlighting that there will be someone first aid certified on the trip, an extensive first aid kit present, an acceptable chaperone to student ratio, as well as ‘buddies’ assigned while on tour to ensure no one is ever alone.

Insurance

Insurance is always advisable, no matter the type of travel. As the organizer, you are likely in a position to be able to offer insurance to the tour attendees. Highlight this in the dossier, and iterate that it is a requirement for safety purposes.

As unpleasant as indemnity forms can be, they are also necessary for the trip.

Packing Information

A recommended packing list based on the weather conditions, cultural appropriateness, and activity requirements is always useful for attendees. If you don’t include this information, it is likely something that you will be asked further down the line.

Foreign Visa Considerations

If the educational tour is traveling internationally, you will need to include advice on the necessary visas and vaccinations if required.

Other Contact Details

Aside from the contact details for the teacher in charge, numbers for the school, you as the organizer, booked hotels, transport provider, etc. should be provided. Try to be as transparent as possible with this information as it will provide reassurance to all parties involved.

FAQ’s

This section of the tour dossier can address common questions such as how much extra spending money students should take, when and how parents can contact their children, what will happen in the event of unforeseen weather conditions which prevent a particular activity from taking place etc.

Final Thoughts

Understandably, people will want reassurance that you are qualified to organize an amazing tour before proceeding with bookings. Providing a detailed tour dossier will help to reassure them that you have thought of everything, and are capable of providing an enriching travel experience for the group.

Once the sign-ups start coming in, you will need a convenient way to offer online payments to the attendees. Learn how WeTravel can help you with this and more in the short video clip below.