By: Terry Dale, President and CEO, USTOA

The United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA) recognizes the power of giving back, learning from different cultures and using travel as a tool for transformation. USTOA is proud to be a Strategic Association Partner of Tourism Cares, a non-profit organization that works to protect and restore attractions and destinations around the world. Last year, hundreds of industry professionals gathered to restore, refurbish and replant at four national parks throughout the country. This year, Tourism Cares will be spearheading urban renewal projects to revive tourist sites in Oakland, CA, Detroit, MI, Providence, RI and Toronto, ON.

Similarly, many of our Tour Operator members offer cultural immersion programs for travelers that allow them to participate in community-driven efforts as well as different kinds of transformational travel experiences.

The ME to WE Foundation, a charitable organization, works with a number of USTOA tour operator members including Uniworld River Cruises, Lion World Travel, and Insight Vacations to help travelers leave a positive footprint and give back with their purchase.

Credit: Insight Vacations

Uniworld River Cruises offers guests the chance to travel with a purpose during its ME to WE India Pre-Trip Extension. Travelers will work alongside local families in the Rajasthan region on a community development project in partnership with WE Charity. The extension also includes a guided walk through the Aravalli Mountain Range and daily yoga sessions. This five-day extension is available on Uniworld’s Golden Triangle & the Sacred Ganges 13-day river cruise on various dates throughout January, February, March, September, October, November and December 2017 and 2018. Prices range from $2,075 – $2,850 per person for the pre-tip extension only. www.Uniworld.com

 Credit: Uniworld River Cruises

During the ME to WE Volunteer Adventure to Kenya, Lion World Travel and ME to WE offer travelers a chance to make a difference in the Maasai Mara community. Participants will help build a new school with the area’s indigenous people and join the women of the Maasai and Kispigis communities to learn the craft of beading. This tradition is passed down through generations, empowering them to earn a sustainable income and provide for their families. Additionally, ME to WE donates 50% of its net profits to WE Charity, meaning every trip contributes to international development efforts in the community guests visit. Available year-round and can be booked as an extension to another Lion World Travel itinerary in east Africa or as a custom trip. Prices from $2195 per adult. www.lionworldtravel.com

 Credit: Lion World Travel

Insight Vacations and ME to WE partner to take travelers on a transformational journey to India is the ME to WE Volunteer Adventure to India extension to Insight’s Imperial Rajasthan itinerary. Guests will dive deeper into the rural culture of Rajasthan during the four-day excursion as they work with a local community in Udaipur on a development project like laying the bricks for a school or digging a new clean water system, try your hand at age-old traditional crafts like tie-dying and block printing and much more. Travelers also will explore the Aravalli Mountain Range and participate in local sightseeing excursions. Available year-round from $1,375 per adult. www.insightvacations.com

 Credit: Insight Vacations

Transformational travel can take many different forms, and our Tour Operator members provide guests with truly immersive local experiences that enhance a trip with deeper insights in cultures and customs. For example, during Trafalgar’s Secrets of Myanmar trip travelers take part in a traditional lamp lighting ceremony at the Shwedagon Pagoda, and get to know three generations of family members over a home-cooked meal in Bagan. Guests also can participate in a hands-on cooking class using vegetables they gather for a traditional lunch. Available May 31 – June 10, September 27 – October 7, November 29 – December 9, December 20 – 30 2017 starting from $3,150 per person. www.trafalgar.com

Credit: Trafalgar

Guests of Tauck’s Essence of Japan itinerary will go beyond learning about Japanese history and culture and will join in as they learn how to make sushi, and attend workshops on Japanese flower arranging, ceramics and glass-blowing. The trip also includes a traditional tea ceremony, a sumo wrestling demonstration and a sake tasting. The 13-day immersion into traditional Japanese culture starts at $9,990 per person based on double occupancy, plus airfare. Available in May, June, August, September, October, and November 2017. www.tauck.com

Credit: Tauck

Visit a local farming village in rural Hoi An to learn traditional farming techniques or go paddling in bamboo basket boats on Wendy Wu Tours’ Vietnam & Cambodia 21-Day Discovery Tour. Guests looking to open their minds to new skills also will get the chance to learn how to make a fishing net before staying in a local homestay in Ben Tre. This itinerary starts at $5,090 per person (air-inclusive) and is available in September, October and November 2017 and throughout 2018. www.wendywutours.com

Adventure meets education on Quark Expeditions’ Antarctic Explorer: Discovering the seventh Continent itinerary. Guests will explore the Antarctic Peninsula and learn about its environment and wildlife from on-board lecturers and specialists. Camping, kayaking, hiking, snowshoeing and more is available in Antarctica during this trip to the southern tip of the world. Discover the seventh continent from November 2017 to March 2018 from $5,595, with up to 25% discount on select voyages. www.quarkexpeditions.com.

Travelers can put a spring in their step during Brendan Vacations’ The Irish Experience itinerary as they traverse north and south through Ireland. Educational and interactive, guests will learn the history of Belfast from a local Cabbie before visiting the Cliffs of Moher, and the UNESCO World Heritage site at the Giant’s Causeway. A city tour of Dublin and a scenic drive along the Ring of Kerry also await guests on this 11-day trip. Available July 26 and 30, August 13, September 24 and 25, October 1, 8 and 15, 2017 from $2,150 USD per person. www.brendanvacations.com

Editor’s Note: Information was correct at time of writing. All tours/packages subject to availability. Prices may vary from time of writing, based on currency fluctuations.

By Terry Dale, President and CEO, USTOA

Safety and security have always been the top priorities for The United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA) and our members.  The unparalleled knowledge and relationships built within each destination our members take guests help build engaging and memorable experiences, but also ensures an informed and swift reaction should an emergency situation occur before, during, or after a scheduled trip. Keeping passengers safe while communicating necessary information creates a priceless peace of while traveling.

As avid travelers and global citizens, the presidents of our tour operator members are laser-focused on the security and safety of all travelers, both at home and abroad. We’ve commissioned a couple of them to share their thoughts on how traveling with a tour operator provides security, knowledge and peace of mind to travelers in today’s sometimes uncertain world climate.

Here’s what they had to say:

Stephen Birkett, Co-President & Co-Owner of Premier World Discovery:

One of the main reasons travelers traditionally select tours is to have all the unknowns taken care of for them. Hotel selection, meals, sightseeing and transportation are a big part of what a tour operator provides. Given the current world climate with safety concerns, the tour operator is again taking care of another unknown aspect of travelling to another country. Obviously, we cannot cover every scenario regarding safety, but we are not going to take passengers into questionable areas and we have proven experience in the places we are travelling to.

Additionally, on all of our tours we have an experienced guide leading the group and their experience should provide that peace of mind that travelers seek and in case of emergencies they are right there to help and guide.

Ian Swain, President and Owner of Swain Destinations:

Last month, a cyclone barreled through Australia’s Great Barrier Reef Islands. As soon as the cyclone made the forecast, our response team began preemptively rearranging itineraries, hotel arrangements, experiences and flights for active and upcoming travelers, to ensure their journeys would be uninterrupted and safe. This is the benefit you receive when working with travel company members of USTOA.

Travel companies like Swain have teams on the ground that intimately know a destination, allowing them to proactively address any travel challenges. Their destination network becomes your network, providing the security and peace of mind to truly enjoy your experience. Swain Destinations has spent over 30 years curating trips, acquiring destination knowledge, and setting up the support infrastructure and the proactive policies to effectively communicate with our travelers.  Regardless of the current world climate, traveling with a travel company instills confidence that you always know who to contact in any event.

By Terry Dale, President and CEO, USTOA

Whether it’s trekking through the Himalayas, sea kayaking in Croatia or zip lining through Costa Rica, a recent survey of USTOA tour operator members showed that more than half of the membership offers adventure itineraries diverse enough to fit all levels of thrill-seeking travelers.

Ready to get your adrenaline pumping? Be inspired by these adventurous itineraries from USTOA members…

Perillo’s Learning Journeys offers an otherworldly journey to some of the most sacred sites in the Hindu religion on its India Himalayan Spiritual Adventure-Source of The Ganges. Travelers will trek through the Himalayas on a quest to Gomukh at the Gangotri glacier, the source of The Holy River Ganges. Daily morning yoga sessions and a pilgrimage to the Badrinath Temple also await guests on this itinerary. Starting at $2,850 per person, this 17-day spiritual journey is available in May, June and September 2017. www.learningjourneys.com

Guests climb high into the Costa Rican forest for their choice of a “Hanging Bridges” tour or a zip line course during Collette’s nine-day Tropical Costa Rica trip. Also available is the chance to explore the world’s largest butterfly gardens and participate in a nature walk through the Monteverde Cloud Forest surrounded by trees up to 100 feet tall. This South American adventure is available on select dates June-November, 2017 from $1,749 per person. www.gocollette.com

Travelers on Grand American Adventures’ Alaskan Highlights itinerary will discover some of Alaska’s most enchanting destinations including Denali National Park and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Guests also will participate in a guided wildlife cruise through Kenali Fjords National Park and can see a dog sledding demonstration and the Talkeetna Ranger Station to perhaps taste a local specialty, reindeer sausage. Available on select dates in June-August 2017, this 11-day trip starts at $2,807 (after 10% discount). www.grandamericanadventures.com

Adventure seekers can head east for Wendy Wu Tours’ China Trailblazer itinerary. On this expansive 21-day trip, guests will hike along the Jinshanling Section of the Great Wall of China and through the picturesque Bifeng Gorge to visit the Duijangyan Panda Base. Additionally, travelers will come face to face with the infamous Terracotta Warriors and enjoy daily Tai Chi sessions. Available for select departures in April, May, September and October starting at $5,590 per person. www.wendywutours.com

Why drive through the Irish countryside when you can cycle through the incredible landscape on VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations’ Cycling Ireland’s South: Counties Waterford and Tipperary? This easy/moderate biking journey immerses travelers in the spectacular cycling routes around Dungarvan Bay and along quiet country roads through quaint villages. Travelers can save $400 per person on the June 3 departure of this 10-day itinerary. Additional departures May to October 2017 starting at $3,395, including international airfare. www.vbt.com

Discover the adventure of Botswana like never before during Abercrombie & Kent’s Botswana Safari in Style. During this luxury safari guests will cruise along the Okavango Delta in a traditional mokoro (dugout canoe), observing aquatic life from massive hippos to tiny frogs. Travelers will stay in intimate camps and lodges and get tips on capturing images of the “Big Five” during a private lecture from a professional photographer. Available on select departure dates throughout 2017, rates start at $6,995 per person. www.abercrombiekent.com

Adventurous travelers can explore the winter wonderland of Finland on Alexander+Roberts’ Finland’s Lapland – Winter Adventures in the Arctic Circle trip. Guests will spend four nights above the Arctic Circle in a private log cabin with attached glass igloo, enjoying outdoor activities such as dog-sledding, nighttime reindeer sleigh rides, and snowmobiling in search of the Northern Lights. Starting at $5,899 per person, the itinerary is available from October 30, 2017 to March 28, 2018. www.alexanderroberts.com

Avanti Destinations’ five-day Croatia: Split Adventure excursion offers travelers the chance to explore the city of Split through exhilarating activities such as sea kayaking, river rafting and zip lining tours. Available to book now through September 15, 2017 for travel from May 1 to October 15, 2017. Rates start at $845 per person, based on double occupancy. www.avantidestinations.com

Escape the summer heat on Holland America Line’s 10-day Denali Alaskan cruise. Experience salmon fishing along the Alaskan port of Ketchikan, be enraptured by the sights of Denali National Park, cruise Glacier Bay’s ice-studded fjords, and more. Available on select dates from May to September 2017, rates start at $999 per person. www.hollandamerica.com

Chase the Northern Lights by husky sled, reindeer safari or horse sleigh ride on Europe Express’ action-packed Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort Winter Escape. For four nights, guests will ski, snowshoe or sled through snowy forests and stay in a glass igloo for Aurora Borealis spotting. Available from November 2017 through April 2018, prices start at $1,599 per person. www.europeexpress.com

Traverse to the summit of Africa’s tallest mountain on Goway’s seven-day Kilimanjaro Climb – Marangu Route expedition. The journey features treks through the rainforest and awe-inspiring views of waterfalls before the final ascent to Uhuru Peak. During the demanding climb, trekkers will stay in dormitory style huts scaling almost 20,000-feet. Available throughout 2017, prices start from $2,155 per person. www.goway.com

Discover Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand on two wheels with Intrepid Travel’s Cycle Indochina 13-day itinerary. On this trip through Indochina, riders will cycle 37 miles each day along sites such as the Mekong Delta and Khun Dan Dam, Thailand’s largest dam. Available on various dates from April to July 2017, rates start at $2,230 per person. www.intrepidtravel.com

Explore the remote country of Greenland by water on Quark Expedition’s East Greenland: Northern Lights 14-day itinerary. Guests have the opportunity to visit Northeast Greenland National Park and either hike through the Arctic tundra or journey Greenland’s waters via kayak. Prices start at $8,395 per person. An additional discount of up to $3,500 per person is available on the August 16, 2017 departure. www.quarkexpeditions.com

Families looking to spend quality time together are invited to experience Austin Adventures’ six-day Yellowstone Grand Teton Family Vacation Trip Solar Eclipse Departure. The trip includes views of the solar eclipse, whitewater rafting down the Snake River, a visit to Old Faithful, and a dip in a secret swimming hole. Families will also get the chance to spot a variety of wildlife, including moose and bald eagles. This special departure is available August 20, 2017 and rates start at $3,098 per adult and up to $2,788 per child. www.austinadventures.com

Head south during Adventures by Disney’s 10-day South Africa Destination package. This African adventure gives families a chance to take a three-day safari through the Kapama Game Reserve, hike in the Featherbed Nature Reserve, and more. Guests can also see African penguins at the Cape of Good Hope. Departure dates are available from June 10, 2017 to December 23, 2017. Prices start at $8,679 per adult and $8,249 per child. www.adventuresbydisney.com

Travelers looking for Canadian adventure can find it on Tauck’s Bugaboos Adventure Featuring Heli-Exploring. Invented in the Canadian Rockies by Arthur Tauck Jr., Heli-Exploring brings guests by helicopter to Bugaboo Lodge, high in the Purcell Mountains in British Columbia to participate in daily helicopter-assisted hiking excursions. Passengers also will discover the town of Banff and Lake Louise in Alberta. Departures are available in July and August 2017 from $5,990 per person based on double occupancy plus airfare. www.tauck.com

Editor’s Note: Information was correct at time of writing. All tours/packages subject to availability. Prices may vary from time of writing, based on currency fluctuations.

By Terry Dale, President and CEO, USTOA

Today’s travelers want more than to just see a destination and check the major attractions off their bucket list. They want an intimate look at authentic experiences off the beaten path.

From a river cruise around “The Golden Land” of Myanmar, to wading in the geothermal waters of Iceland’s Blue Lagoon, members of the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA) reported Cuba, Iceland, Croatia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Myanmar, Iran, Africa (South Africa and Morocco), Cambodia and India as the top emerging destinations for 2017 in a survey released by PriceWaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) in December. Here are a few sample itineraries to peak your wanderlust for these fascinating countries:

Cuba (Credit: Brandon Widener)

Cuba – Alexander + Roberts’ “Classic Cuba” itinerary is an exploration of this year’s top emerging destination. Island visitors will visit Ernest Hemingway’s home where he lived and wrote for almost 20 years, browse Cuba’s vibrant local markets and learn about Old Havana’s architectural history, Afro-Cuban art, and music. Guests can enjoy this seven-night trip from $5,595 throughout 2017.

Sri Lanka – Guests on Trafalgar’s “Wonders of Sri Lanka” journey will visit some of the country’s most enchanting sites like the Temple of Tooth and Udawalwe National Park, as well as a train trip to Sri Lanka’s tea country to learn the art of tea tasting. This trip also provides travelers with insider moments like dance lessons in the village of Habarana and lunch at a family home in the village of Katugastota. Beginning in April 2017, this 11-day trip is available throughout 2017 with prices from $2,385 per person.

Iceland – Travelers on Contiki’s “Iceland” trip will discover Iceland’s Nordic landscape and explore the vibrant capital city of Reykjavik. The four-day itinerary includes a stop at Iceland’s famed Blue Lagoon and a search for the Northern Lights. Available throughout 2017 with prices from $875 per person.

Myanmar – Avalon Waterways’ “Golden Myanmar & The Alluring Irrawaddy” itinerary is offered northbound or southbound along the Irrawaddy River and includes walking tours through local villages. Among other activities, guests will visit a monastery where they can offer alms to the monks and witness their lunch ritual. This captivating 14-day river cruise is available throughout 2017 and into 2018 from $3,659 per person.

To find your dream vacation, click here.

Sri Lanka (Credit: Trafalgar)

Note: Information was correct at time of writing. All tours/packages subject to availability. Prices may vary from time of writing, based on currency fluctuations.

A version of this post originally ran in the February 2017 issue of Vacation Agent Magazine.

By travel writer Lisa TE Sonne

Austin Adventures’ weeklong guide training is held in Billings, MT each spring for both returning and new guides alike. The training involves classroom and field trip time in which the guides learn skills as varied as creating a beautiful picnic lunch spread, knowing what a guide should carry in her backpack, and specifics like the Austin Adventures signature “WOW Factor”. This year, the group toured Yellowstone National Park to put their skills and training to the test, and invited travel writer Lisa TE Sonne.

The Austin Guides – veterans and trainees – celebrate a good training week! (Photo by Andy Austin)

While I am feeling carefree, gleefully riding a bike hands-free through a forest, there is a guide up ahead checking the route and ready to answer questions. Another guide (we are blissfully unaware of) is making sure our next activity is set up, the dinner location is prepared for any special diets in our group, and the hotel rooms and keys are all set for our arrival.

Gratitude and kudos to great guides!  They can take us to places that aren’t in the guidebook, help us tour the most tourist-popular parks, cities and iconic sites in novel ways, and share memorable non-touristy waterfalls and watering holes.

Hikers round the bend and the advance guide has set up a delicious “Wow” moment and a chance for all to catch their breath and take photos.

As a travel writer, I’ve thanked guides on every continent for sharing their expertise and tips. A tour operator can plan fantastic-sounding itineraries and secure well-vetted accommodations, but it is often the on-the-ground/horse/kayak guides that make or break the experience-memories of guests.

Sonne wouldn’t have been able to cover ash-boarding down a volcano in Nicaragua without the help of a good guide.

That photograph of the Amazon anteater in a tree with his long tongue sticking out? That was thanks to a naturalist guide who asked the boat driver to kill the engine and let us float.   My getting to “ash board” down a volcano in Nicaragua and write about it for American Way, the inflight magazine?  Wouldn’t have happened if a guide hadn’t carried the heavy board up the steep slope so I could take pictures of the steam rising up through vents in other-worldly looking terrain.  And I salivate thinking of all the goodies I have tasted because a guide arranged for a local specialty.

I appreciate good guides even more after spending several days last June with a dynamic group of 27 handpicked guides as they went through “Guide Training” in Montana and Wyoming for Austin Adventures, an award-winning member of USTOA.

Austin Guides make guests feel even more at home “where the buffalo roam” as the song goes and let visitors know that technically there are no buffalo in the United States – they are bison.

Half the guides were Austin veterans with 1 to 20 seasons, quite familiar with both the guiding basics and the signature Austin touches, like a red carpet from the van.  The newbies ranged from guides who had been experts with other companies to people with diverse, relevant experience that wanted a career change – including ski instructors, river-raft captains, a medic during the war in Iraq, and people who ran outdoor programs for the handicapped and inner-city youth.

Being good with people and loving the outdoors are obvious qualities needed. But after spending several days with these chosen guides, it became clear that good guides also have to be logistics and time-management experts, good drivers, cooks, accountants, psychologists, cheerleaders, teachers, fixers and finders… as well as naturalists and fun-loving fitness-folk.

VP of Operations Kasey Austin Morrissey teaches the guides in situ as well as interviews all the candidates and makes selections. She was distinguished as the world’s best family guide in 2014 by OUTSIDE Magazine.

Indoor sessions were held ranging from how to speak well and learn everyone’s names and interests, to good accounting and paperwork practices. Outdoor sessions in gorgeous settings included bicycle repair, how to pace a hike for multiple generations, practice creating the Austin “Wow” moments, and how to build “WAM” into the day – Water Appreciation Moments – so no one gets dehydrated.

Part of this phase of Austin Adventures’ guide-training was to let the new guides work with their partner for the upcoming season. This relationship is one of the deepest pairings they will have in their lives – more intense than marriage for some – because they need to keep each other going 24/7 and decide who does what behind the scenes so that guests can have a seamless, pampered vacation.

Working with your partner guide can be a complex dance of well planned choreography and some cool spontaneity (aka prepared plan B,C, D) to make sure the guests only have pleasure, not problems.

Throughout each trip, the Austin guides tag-team — one leads an activity while the other secures advance logistics/supplies, and then returns the multi-functioning van to the end of the trail site so when guests finish their walking, canoeing or horseback riding, they are met with fresh drinks, towelettes, cut-up fresh fruits, and other snacks.

Guides don’t just drive the van. During training, guides learn how to organize, clean, load up and hitch trailers to the multi-functioning van as well as make sure the inside has guidebooks, drinks and fresh flowers.

These days, some people are tempted to organize and guide their own trip via internet clicks, but then you are often looking at a screen instead of savoring the setting and must always be in “responsibility mode” instead of just being able to respond to the beauty and pleasures around you. With a tour operator who has great guides, you can hand off any headaches to someone who specializes in good planning and flexible spontaneity.  After my guide training days, two advantages in particular stood out:

*Accommodations:   I don’t have to have reservations about reservations.  Someone else booked my room with my requests.  A guide hands me my key. My luggage is already in the room. And on an Austin Adventures trip, the room may even have a personal note or gift waiting for me. In the case of the National Parks, Austin Adventures connection with Xanterra means they could have blocks of rooms even when the web shows everything is booked.

Usually parents are expected to have all the answers. A good guide can ask and answer questions: Do you know what animal rubbed up against this tree and left it’s fur? (Answer: some people would call it a buffalo, but you know it’s a bison!)

*Questions:  Questions are part of all good travel, but it can be more fun to ask and learn than always be expected to have the answers. A good guide’s knowledge ranges from the names of plants and the years and yarns of battles to where the nearest bathroom is (or where the nearest answer is). You don’t have to bury your nose in a book or screen and miss the chick hatching under the penguin. You can listen to the guide tell you why the whales are jumping straight up out of the water… while they are surging up. And instead of being annoyed when you hear, “Are we there yet?” you might be entertained. The clever guide might pipe in “Not yet. It will be about half an hour, but see that tall mountain over there? Have you heard the legend about it?”

Yes, kudos and gratitude to great guides who help us make our own legendary memories.

Lisa TE Sonne is a travel hyphenate (author- writer- photographer- videographer- possibilitator) who has written for an Academy Award-winning documentary and Emmy-winning PBS series. She loves adventure and cultural travels and has enjoyed guided activities on all 7 continents and from many great ocean, river, canal and sea cruises. She received a Gold for “Best Destination” writing from NATJA (North American Travel Journalists Association). Her current books include THE HAPPINESS HANDBOOK: Simple Ways to Change your Life for the Better, GREAT OUTDOORS: A Nature Bucket List, and MY ADVENTURES: A Traveler’s Journal.  She and her husband run a nonprofit that offers Giving Certificates that can help any charity (and make great gifts for travel lovers). For more information, visit www.LisaSonne.com and www.CharityChecks.us.