Escorted tours take the guesswork out of navigating around the globe, so you can relax and savor every precious vacation moment. Booking a trip with a USTOA tour operator member is like fast-forwarding to the good parts of a movie. Whether you want to travel domestically or venture far from home, these vetted companies backed by USTOA will take care of the logistics and details—transportation, lodging, sightseeing, dining—and allow you ample opportunities for free-time exploration, too.
Choose a trip filled with outdoor adventures, an arts and culture immersion, or a city escape with this guide to distinctive tours offered by USTOA member tour operators. Escorted tours are a stress-free, safe, and social way to fulfill your travel dreams. These industry-leading tour companies make sure you never have to go it alone.
The natural world is a playground for the active traveler, and an escorted tour can open the door to exhilarating experiences that exceed the imagination. Whether it's cycling in Southeast Asia or safari-ing in Africa, hiking in stunning settings or paddling in pristine waters, these tours offered by USTOA members will accelerate your heart rate.
When you have an eye for beauty, all the world is a gallery to behold. Join an escorted tour with a focus on the arts, and your eyes will feast on human creations, from delicate jewelry to mammoth works of architectural genius. Sharing the journey with like-minded art lovers adds even more depth, color, and texture.
Navigating a new city needn't be intimidating. On an escorted tour with a USTOA member, your host will ensure you're acclimated to your new surroundings and guide you to the best of the best sightseeing, dining, and cultural experiences. You'll discover everything from architecture to urban parks, and along the way you'll come to know the nuances that give each city its singular identity.
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Knowing that a vacation was planned by trusted industry professionals brings peace of mind while traveling domestically and abroad. Should an unforeseen problem arise, a tour escort, local host or representative of the USTOA tour operator is available to assist travelers. Pre-paying for a trip also allows travelers to budget for the vacation with greater certainty since all costs and inclusions are known upfront. And, many USTOA tour operator members offer flexible booking and payment terms.
Tour operators buy in bulk and negotiate special rates for guaranteed hotel accommodations, ground transportation, sightseeing tours, and meals and other services. By doing all of this, USTOA tour operators achieve savings that are passed on to the consumer. Many tours also include select meals, hotel tips and sightseeing, which add up to additional savings for travelers.
As part of a tour group, travelers generally avoid the wait and go right in. Because USTOA tour operators negotiate with local sightseeing companies, they can often provide accessibility to otherwise hard-to-wait attractions, such as the Colosseum in Rome or after-hours visits to King Tut's Tomb in Egypt.
Today’s traveler wants to go beyond the tourist hotspots and experience the colorful history, unique culture, and distinct tastes of a destination. USTOA tour operator members offer a variety of programs that focus on special interests including art, cuisine, and adventure. Such programs also provide travelers with non-traditional experiences such as enjoying a home-cooked Scottish meal at a local family’s farmhouse, learning how to cook authentic Vietnamese dishes in Hoi An, or volunteering at a game reserve in Africa, singular experiences that would be hard to arrange on one’s own.
Travelers who book a tour with a USTOA tour operator member are protected by the USTOA $1 Million Travelers Assistance Program. Among other requirements, the program stipulates that in case of a USTOA tour operator member bankruptcy or insolvency or cessation of business, tour deposits and payments are protected up to an aggregate of $1 million. In addition to protecting consumer’s vacation dollars, these operators must meet strict requirements of ethics and integrity in their tour offerings and advertising.
If you're interested in becoming a member, we welcome your application.
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