EXODUS LEADER MANUAL Document Issue Status – FINAL – Issue No. 1 TitleDate Name Signature Date Olly Townsend August 2008 Author Leader Operations Manager Reviewer Mike James August 2008 Head of Operational Quality Confidential Exodus Leader Manual 2008 EXODUS LEADER MANUAL: 2008 EDITION ABOUT THIS MANUAL This manual is written for the benefit of all Exodus Tour Leaders. It includes basic guidelines on how we expect all Exodus Tour Leaders to behave and the minimum standard of service we expect from our staff all around the world. Exodus has produced a leader manual for its leaders and guides since 1996. The 2008 version is an updated, rationalised and improved manual, suitable for the wide range of staff running Exodus trips around the world. The manual covers all of the Exodus programmes: Walking & Trekking, Discovery Wildlife & Adventure, Family Adventures, Cycling, and Winter Activities. The manual is split into two main sections: • Section I - Leader Manual 2008 – contains updated information about working as an Exodus Leader • Section II - Appendices 2008 – contains current versions of all leader paperwork (including trip forms), plus additional information relevant to leading an Exodus trip. For 2008, the Exodus leader paperwork has been reviewed and updated. In Section II of the report, you will find a brief summary of the various forms, which you are expected to have read, understood and use where appropriate. Please remember that the Trip Notes form the contract between Exodus and the client; it is therefore essential that unless there are exceptional circumstances, we provide what is promised in the Trip Notes. Please read the manual and carry it with you when you are leading an Exodus tour. Please confirm receipt of this manual with your local agent/operator, who will let Exodus know on your behalf Never let the clients read this manual or see the rooming lists. The information contained in the manual is to be treated as confidential. Thanks and best of luck with all your forthcoming trips. Olly Townsend Leader Operations Manager August 2008 Page 1 of 65 Exodus Leader Manual 2008 TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION I – EXODUS LEADER MANUAL 2008 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Brief history of Exodus 2. RESPONSIBILITIES OF AN EXODUS LEADER 3. LEADING AN EXODUS TRIP 3.1 Meeting the group at the airport 3.2 Client briefings 3.3 Other aspects of the trip 3.4 What to take whilst leading a trip 3.5 Paperwork to be completed at the end of the trip 3.6 Dealing with clients onward travel arrangements 4. RISK ASSESSMENTS & RESPONSIBILITIES 4.1 Motor Vehicles and boats 4.2 Management and direction on tour 4.3 Accommodation, campsites, eating places 4.4 Sporting & Adventurous Activities 5. EXODUS PROCEDURES 5.1 Emergency Procedures 5.2 Non-emergency procedures 6. RESPONSIBLE TOURISM & THE EXODUS MINIMUM IMPACT POLICY 6.1 Responsible Tourism 6.2 The Social & Cultural Environment 6.3 Economic Issues 6.4 The Physical Environment Page 2 of 65 Exodus Leader Manual 2008 TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION II – APPENDICES 2008 Appendix A Check Lists For Exodus Leaders Appendix B Client Details & Insurance Form Appendix C Trip Report Form Appendix D Liability Waiver Form Appendix E Release Form Appendix F Incident/Accident Report Form Appendix G Helicopter Evacuation Form Appendix H Holiday Evaluation Form Page 3 of 65 Exodus Leader Manual 2008 SECTION I – LEADER MANUAL 2008 Page 4 of 65 Exodus Leader Manual 2008 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Brief history of Exodus Exodus was founded in 1974. The early years of Exodus Expeditions were devoted to Overland-style trips, the first of which was an expedition to the Minaret of Jam, in Afghanistan. These long-distance, long-duration Overland expeditions were the pattern of the first few years, and the Overland programmeme spread to Africa and South America. But although Overland sold well, the market was necessarily limited by the two to five month durations of the expeditions, and by the end of the seventies Exodus was looking to develop new types of adventure holiday with a wider appeal. Himalayan trekking had always been offered to overlanders arriving in Kathmandu, either before or after their expedition, and it was a natural progression to offer packaged versions to trek in the Himalayas for two to four weeks. Other mountain ranges followed, in Africa, South America and Europe, and before long the Walking & Trekking programmeme had overtaken Overland in numbers of passengers carried. At the same time Discovery, Wildlife & Adventure Holidays (known as “Disco” by most of the office staff) - featuring activity and exploration without walking - were developed to cater for the client with a desire for exotic and adventurous destinations; thus a third brochure was added. The fourth came when in the early nineties Exodus bought a specialist biking operator, out of which the very successful Cycling programmeme was developed. The founding directors of Exodus retired in 2002, at which time the company was purchased by First Choice Holidays PLC and has since benefited from being included in a large travel outfit and the backup facilities that go along with such an operation, without losing its unique set-up. In 2007, Exodus took control of Waymark, the market-leading UK based Cross Country skiing operator. The Waymark portfolio of trips, comprising cross country skiing and winter based trips, combined with a number of predominantly European-based walking and trekking trips, were included in the Exodus Winter Activities and Walking & Trekking brochures. In early 2007 the decision was taken to phase out the remaining Overland programmeme, with effect from May 2008. Although Overland trips were the basis for the formation of Exodus back in the 1974, the market has changed significantly since the late 1990s, with fewer and fewer clients interested in booking on fairly basic and long duration trips. In mid-2007, First Choice Holidays PLC and the tourism division of TUI AG merged, forming TUI Travel PLC. Exodus forms part of TUI Travel’s activity sector, and is the leading company in their Adventure Division. At the start of 2008, Exodus was running 500 programmemes in around 80 different countries. These cater for a varied client base with trips covering: long hard treks, centre- based walking, cultural and historical tours, on and off-road bike trips, winter activities, family based activities, wildlife/photography and polar exploration. Exodus is well known for ‘opening up’ new areas (e.g. the former USSR in the early 1990s) and continues to do so in remote and unvisited destinations around the world (Tsari in Tibet / trekking in Ethiopia). Many clients return year after year and recommend Exodus to their friends. As at July 2008, we publish the following brochures annually: Discovery, Wildlife & Adventure, Walking & Trekking, Family Adventures, Winter Activities, Cycling Holidays and Polar Expeditions. Page 5 of 65 Exodus Leader Manual 2008 2.0 RESPONSIBILITIES OF EXODUS TOUR LEADERS In any given day whilst leading a trip, you can help spread your knowledge and enthusiasm for an area or region to your group, you get to meet new people, maintain a fun and active lifestyle and do something different to most normal careers. However, as well as being fun, your role as a leader comes with some big responsibilities: • You work for Exodus. Remember that you are the EXODUS LEADER. As far as the clients are concerned, you work for Exodus and not a local operator or local agent. You always introduce yourself as the Exodus Leader, and keep references to your operator/agent to a minimum. • Attitude. We expect you to be proud to work with Exodus and recognise that you are an ambassador for the company. You should be well behaved and positive about Exodus at all times. • Safety on trip. Exodus regards the safety of the client as the most important aspect of their holiday. You must ensure that this is followed through and check all aspects of the trip. This can include items as diverse as food hygiene, hotel safety, transport standards and route choice. Further detailed safety information can be found in Chapter 4.0 of this manual. • Delivering what is promised. The Tour Leader is responsible for ensuring all clients have an enjoyable, informative and safe holiday and that they are given the holiday that they have been promised in our brochures, trip notes and advertising material. The Trip Notes and Booking Form is the contract between Exodus and the client: unless there are exceptional circumstances, you should aim to deliver what is promised on the Trip Notes. • Communicating with the office. At the start of each trip you will receive from your office a client rooming list. It is vital that you read through this and any other documents carefully, they will contain important information for the trip (such as client flight arrival times and transfer details). If you have any questions or problems you will need to talk these issues through with your office. • Added Value. Exodus is very proud that it has the very best leaders in the adventure travel market - Exodus leaders offer more than a guiding service. A good tour leader will show their group a different side to the country visited, and offer experiences other tourists might not get. Aim to show the group something they wouldn’t have seen or understood without your help. We call providing these extra experiences ‘added value’. • Guiding and sharing local knowledge. You should give the group lots of information on local culture, religion, the best shopping, places to explore, great places to eat, good photo stops. Your local knowledge is invaluable and you should make special efforts to give it to the whole group - you should aim to give talks to the group every day.