In the spring of 2017, I went on Pilgrimage to Portugal, Spain, and France. This was a 10-day motor coach program that was actually a ‘training tour’ for two tour directors who were new to the tour operator. I had never taken an organized tour before, and as the days progressed, I grew to appreciate the care our main tour director, Juan Carlos, was taking to make our trip AMAZING, and I watched closely as he trained these newcomers. I could definitely see myself in this role that can truly make or break the guest experience.
Once I was back home, I kept reflecting on my trip and I thought to myself ‘I can BE Juan Carlos’ – and this launched my personal journey into the Tour Director realm. After researching the training options and deciding to take the leap, I attended ITMI that summer. I found my people!
Along the way, I discovered TripSchool and, of course, bonded with the tour director community through trainings, conferences, and the ground-level support we all contribute to each other.
For the last several years, I have been blessed to work on land and sea, with students and adults, in a variety of roles. The 2022 season offered me the opportunity to pioneer the National Parks Program for American Cruise Lines as we added our first post-cruise land extension going to Glacier, Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. I was honored to be the company’s first Adventure Guide. The program was so well-received that we doubled the capacity and added Adventure Guides for this season. It was my privilege to take ownership of the program, making constant upgrades and improvements along the way. Due to the success of these 2023 tours, 2024 will see ACL adding the Great Smoky Mountains and Alaska to the land options.
It brings me satisfaction to lean on my background in high-end customer service as I meld the qualities of approachability and competence, which is definitely my sweet spot in offering guests exceptional experiences. I am always looking to round-out my season and I embrace the excitement of adding something new to my repertoire. I would love to hear from you to discuss opportunities that might match for Q4 of 2024, as well as 2025 dates!
Monica Leck
monicaleck@yahoo.com
614-537-2342
