Tour Leader (CEO) - Central America

Job description

About Us G Adventures is the world’s largest small-group adventure travel company and we’ve been making epic travel memories happen on all seven continents for over 30 years. Our mission is simple: to change lives through travel. And not just our travelers’ either. Since day one, our tours have been built to establish meaningful relationships with local communities, directly benefiting the people and places we visit at every step of our tours. With the demand for travel coming back strong, we are set up and excited for this next chapter in our company’s story — and we’d love for you to be a part of it. Our DNA revolves around building, nurturing, and developing a diverse culture of people and a true sense of belonging, where everyone is encouraged to bring their authentic self to work each and every day. You’ll have the opportunity to grow your career, and yourself, alongside a passionate, talented, and welcoming community that works hard to spread goodness around the world. If all that sounds like your kind of thing, well, we can’t wait for you to join us. Thinking of travelling Central America as a G Adventures Tour Leader? Do you have amazing travel experiences to share with others? Are you well organized, flexible, out-going, with a good sense of humour? Is dealing with people enjoyable for you? If you answered yes to the above questions, we may have the adventure job that you've been looking for! At G Adventures we call our Tour Leaders, Chief Experience Officers or CEOs. Becoming a CEO means that you will need to be more than just a tour leader – we ask that our CEOs do not merely focus on the logistics of the tour, but create a unique and unforgettable experience for all our travellers. Responsibilities During the contract, a CEO will: Consistently deliver a high level of customer service and traveller satisfaction. Provide leadership for our travellers and be responsible for their well-being. Continually increase their knowledge about the visited country, its culture, religion, current affairs, environment, etc. Have detailed knowledge of hotels, sights, restaurants, transport, souvenirs, prices, etc. Maintain a valid passport and visa. It is the responsibility of the CEO to stay up to date on any travel restrictions based on his/her nationality. Keep vaccinations and preventive medication up to date. Be mindful of potential opportunities for G Adventures, such as new destinations, new CEOs, new markets or ways to improve itineraries. On each departure, a CEO will: Act as day-to-day guide, interpreter and manager of the group. Deal directly with your travellers’ issues and concerns, ensuring that passenger satisfaction is effectively achieved. Maintain the established travel itinerary as closely as possible, making changes only when necessary. Make reservations for accommodation, transportation and activities as required. Assist and accompany travellers during optional activities and meals. Advise travellers on suitable restaurants, additional transport requirements, purchase of souvenirs, etc. Maintain daily expenditure accounts, retain receipts and keep expenses within the trip budget provided. Provide a report for each trip. Train new CEOs as required, passing on as much trip-related information as possible. Provide assistance to the regional offices when requested by their Managers or by Head Office. What G Adventures Offers You An experience of a lifetime: Throughout your time with G Adventures you could find yourself exploring the jungle, eating your way through local culture, visiting ruins and hot springs, and even enjoying the occasional salsa lesson! Opportunities for internal advancement: G Adventures is based out of Canada however we maintain 20 global operational offices, including one in San Jose, Costa Rica. Life skills: A great opportunity to develop decision-making skills, manage group dynamics, acquire strong organizational qualities, and improve foreign language skills. An opportunity to launch personal projects: Have you ever wanted to develop your hobby of photography? Drawing? Video/film making? Travel writing? Reading the classics of Latin American literature? In your downtime between tours you may find yourself wanting to develop an interest that has been on the back burner. Requirements What is required of a G Adventures Tour Leader (CEO)? A Love for Adventure Travel: Previous experience living, travelling, studying or working abroad is an essential requirement for this position. Bilingualism and language skills: A good command of the English language is required, it is mandatory to speak fluent Spanish to lead tours for us in Central America. Excellent Leadership and Communication Skills: We look for people who have experience in leadership roles, with a proven ability to communicate effectively in a wide range of contexts. Resourcefulness: We need CEOs who have a good head on their shoulders, who can remain calm and collected under unpredictable and stressful circumstances. Awareness of and Commitment to Sustainable Tourism: Our CEOs need to be committed to environmentally and culturally responsible tourism, and be an inspiring example to the travellers. Regional Commitment: G Adventures hires CEOs for 12-month contracts in Central America. It takes time and effort to learn the skills that make a good leader, and once you are ready we want to have you around for a while! Good Health and High Energy Level: Whether it’s a 13-hour bus ride, a long day's trek with a difficult group of travellers, or an included rafting adventure, you need to be the friendly, happy, helpful face of G Adventures - even when it's raining and you've got diarrhea!! First Aid/CPR Certification: CEOs must be prepared to act in case of emergency. Background in basic accounting/budgeting: Experience working with budgets or developing a personal budget is an asset. Computer literacy: A working knowledge of the Internet, E-mail, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Excel is essential. G Adventures is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment. We consider all qualified applicants. If selected, G Adventures offers support via a variety of Team Resource Groups.