FAQs

• What companies that hire your graduates?

Answer; Now in our  9^th year of  Training in Travel and Tourism industry, we have worked with hundreds of tour operators, Hotels and Lodges, Ahsante Tours and Safaris, Domestic  Tourism Safaris Company,  Leopard  Tours, Simba safaris,  Zara Tours and Adventures, Bushbuck Tours&Safaris, Tanzania Journey and many more.

• What are the demographics of your college students?

Answer; The college students who attend one of the training programs provided by Udzungwa  Mountains College Trust come from all areas and all walks of life. The youngest was over 20 and the oldest were in their seventies. Age is not a barrier nor is gender, beliefs, lifestyle, etc. Some were new to “career” education and seeking their certification while others had masters or doctoral degrees.  Some of the college students from Udzungwa  Mountains College  Trust have already established professionals in the travel and tourism industry who wanted to expand their knowledge in their current positions while others were pursuing knowledge in a new field looking to change careers.  Our college programs are open to all peoples of the world.

• What is the difference between a Tour Director and a Tour Guide? You offer both certifications independently of each other. Why and which one is best for me?

Answer; First the “Why”; It is important to note that based on the current hospitality industry standards, the professions of Tour Director and Tour Guide require different training,  knowledge, and certifications.

1. A Tour Director is also called a Tour Manager and,  in some parts of the world,  an Escort or Courier. Tour operators hire Tour Managers (or Tour Directors) whose responsibilities are varied and comprehensive.  Tour Directors travel with the group that has been organized by the tour operator.  They stay at the same hotels, eat the same meals,  go on the optional excursions, etc. They are responsible for the daily activities and to ensure that what the passengers have paid for happens in a manner that is acceptable to the passengers and that the passengers have the “vacation of a lifetime”. The International Tour Director program covers both domestic and international tours. If you want to be a Tour Director, whether working in the United Republic of Tanzania or other countries, that is the course to take. This is what 95 percent of our college students take.
2. A Tour Guide/ Safari Guide – provides local expertise and does walking tours, step – on motorcoach narration in their city, meets and greets at an airport, work at seminars and conventions, etc. They are hired by Destination Management firms.  Another way of looking at it is that Tour guides are rarely away from home at night while Tour Directors travel with the groups and are away from home.

4. Briefly, what is the history of your college?

Answer: Udzungwa Mountains College Trust started in 2008 and conducted courses throughout Tanzania.  Very important is that the Tour operating companies throughout the United Republic of Tanzania know our college and hire our graduates.

5. What industry organizations/ associations are aware of your college?

Answer: Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB), Tanzania Association of Tour operators (TATO), Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA),  American Association of Travel Agents (ASTA), The International Association of Tour Directors and Guides, to name some of them.

6. What are the responsibilities of both a Tour Director and Tour Guide?

Answer: 1.  As a Tour Director,  you are essentially on duty 24 hours a day. Your day begins with your personal preparation, then moves to supervise the handling of the baggage, counting passenger, narrating during the day,  scheduling the motor vehicle stops for breaks, lunch,  picture stops, sightseeing, etc.  At the end of the day you handle the check-in at the hotel,   do “lobby duty” and any associated paperwork for the day. You may also spend part of the evening re-confirming the events coming up in the next few days and / or spend part of the evening at a group dinner, theatre, optional excursion,  etc.  2. As a Tour guide/ Safari Guide, you may conduct local city tours either walking with groups or narrating on a motorcoach. These tours can be half-day or full-day tours.

7. What does the Tour operator expect from the Tour Director or Tour Guide?

Answer: Expectations are high. You will be expected to handle passenger movement from one place to another. During the day you will be expected to do some narration on the culture, history, geography, demographics, food, language, etc. You will be required to transit smoothly from one hotel to another. Tour operators may expect you to “sell” their optional excursions. They will look to you to be professional, courteous, and to get everything done in a timely and accurate manner and,  of course, to submit all the required paperwork at the end of the tour.

8. What are the training programs to learn at your college?

Answer: In our college certification program,  Udzungwa Mountains College Trust educates and trains you on everything that can happen to you while on tour. We start with the basic terminology and cover all the paperwork. everything that can happen to you while Tour. We start with the basic terminology and cover all the paperwork.  We teach you about hotel arrivals and departures, how to research and prepare your commentary, when to give the commentary,  how to handle passport control, international and domestic airline travel including re-routes and forced overnights, interacting with suppliers of services along the way, selling and participation in optional excursions, Lobby duty,  Leisure days,  how to handle the money and the accounting of it,  and expense sheets. Also, we train on what to do in emergencies such as a passenger illness or death as well as what to do if a passenger is missing, tour – debriefing,  baggage handling, and control, “Tour welcome” presentation, culture practices city tours,  motor coach travel and teamwork with the motorcoach driver. We also spend time on group psychology and the individual behavior of your passengers.  And, of course,  much more.

9. Who are your instructors? What are their qualifications?

Answer: In order to be an instructor at the college they must first have successfully taken the course and graduated. Then, They must have been employed in the Travel and Tourism industry as a Tour Director and/or Tour Guide for 5 or more years (our average instructor has more than 20 years).  Recently, we made a change to the 5 or more year requirement and will consider a graduate more recently earning their certification and having an earned reputation in the industry.

10. What support do you give to your graduates after their certification?

Answer:  We provide current employment information and industry information to all of our graduates via our email newsletter.