Olive Co-operative Tour Leader

Role Purpose

To promote and lead Olive Co-operative tours and maximise satisfaction and safety for up to 18 tour customers, on behalf of Olive Co-operative.

Role Description

Key Tour Leader responsibilities:

• To promote the Olive Co-op tour you are leading and make pre-tour contact with customers and potential customers.
• To be the public face of Olive Co-operative, particularly in relation to Olive Co-operative tour customers and suppliers.
• To be familiar with Olive Co-op website, guidance notes, booking form and contract.
• To be familiar with customer expectations such as those expressed through Olive Co-op promotional material and customer booking information.
• To maintain confidentiality of customer, supplier and Olive Co-op business information.
• To e-mail contact information to yourself and supply yourself with appropriate, clean, presentable clothes and equipment including marker pens for notices, basic first aid supplies and flu remedies.
• To make pre-tour contact with key suppliers, including meeting with the Alternative Tourism Group in Beit Sahour.
• To ring/contact all suppliers in good time to confirm meetings and arrangements. To re-contact suppliers if the local situation changes.
• To account for all tour finances including making agreed and discretionary payments to suppliers, collecting any outstanding payments from customers, submitting one detailed expense claim including receipts where possible.
• To welcome each individual customer on the start day of the tour or on any day that they arrive thereafter.
• To acquire up to date information on local circumstances in all relevant places, if necessary on a daily basis, through communication with suppliers and other contacts on the ground. 
• In consultation with tour manager, to adjust itinerary where necessary in response to changes in local circumstances.
• During tours, to ensure customers are supplied with daily orientation and itinerary information.
• To accompany customers to all meetings on itinerary and to help organise practical arrangements for extra meetings requested or organised by customers where possible and within reason. 
• To accompany customers on all journeys on itinerary including through checkpoints.
• To arrange and pay for local transport where necessary.
• To act with strict verbal and physical non-violence in all circumstances during your entire time in Palestine/Israel.
• To listen to customers' thoughts and feelings (including anger, stress, numbness, tiredness or distress); to pre-empt and de-escalate conflict involving Olive Co-op customers.
• For tours of more than seven people, to facilitate structured de-briefing meetings towards the end of each day, customers’ stamina permitting.
• To exercise judgement and initiative in dealing with unforeseen situations.
• To avoid attracting unwelcome attention to Olive Co-operative, including not carrying material that may cause delay upon arriving or leaving Israel, and endeavouring to ensure that each customer does the same.  Where necessary, supplying customers with an A4 airmail envelope for such material.
• To report back to Olive Co-op members as required before, during and after the tour.
• Where necessary, to be in telephone contact with Olive Co-op tour manager throughout the tour.
• To consult with your UK based Olive Tour Manager before agreeing significant increases in tour costs, changes to itinerary or tour participants.

Person Specification

(in order of importance)

• Experience of travelling in the West Bank since September 2000.
• Passport, nationality and the absence of any relevant travel restrictions that allows for relatively easy passage through Israeli borders and checkpoints.
• Excellent organisation and communication skills with pro-active listening, verbal communication, e-mail and telephone skills.
• Experience of remaining non-violent - both verbally and physically - in stressful and violent circumstances.
• Ability to look after your own physical and mental health in stressful and demanding situations.
• Ability to recognise and respond appropriately to strong feelings in other people.
• Ability to promote tours and recruit customers especially within own networks and by word of mouth.
• Experience of and ability to account for finances.
• Experience of customer relations or guiding a group.
• Other qualities that add value such as humour, other languages or experience of the tourism industry.

Terms and Conditions

Olive Co-operative provides tour leaders with:

• Induction and job specific training and briefings, including risk reduction.
• A confidential list of customers including their needs and emergency contact details.
• A confidential list of suppliers and their contact details.
• A detailed tour itinerary, including the status of each arrangement.
• An Israeli/Palestinian mobile phone (basic quality) or SIM card.
• Office back-up and support including at least daily responses to your e-mails, texts or phone calls.
• A free place on the Olive Co-operative tour including accommodation, group transport, itinerary, etc.
• All tour-related local expenses including transport, food and phone calls.
• All group tour travelling and other relevant expenses, which may be paid to tour leader in advance or after the tour, in order for the tour leader to make payments during the tour.
• The first £250 of air-fare can be reimbursed. This can increase to £280 for peak season flights such as late December.
• £10 Olive Co-operative voucher for every whole day worked as an Olive tour guide. Vouchers are transferable to friends and family and can be redeemed when booking any tour, including the same tour you guide.

Additional  Places on tours

• Additional people can be encouraged to join the tour, at daily rates agreed with the Olive Co-op tour manager, subject to the number of seats in transport vehicles.
  
• One friend can take part in the days you are guiding, with a contribution to cover their own direct additional costs (for example transport, fees, food, accommodation, tips).
  
• Board members, staff and volunteers working with long term Olive Co-op partners, such as ATG or AIC, are welcome to take complimentary places on day tours. Complimentary places to be agreed with the Olive Co-op tour manager in advance. 
• At all times, the Olive Co-op tour guide must be able to prioritise the needs of Olive Co-op customers who have paid for a whole week tour package. 

Local Olive Co-op Tour Guides

Olive Co-op tour guides who are based in the region, and therefore don't have flight costs, benefit from a fee of $40 per 24 hours, plus tour expenses.

To Apply

Please send an e-mail to info@olivecoop.com with information on how you meet the person specification, your contact details and your availability.