As a tour director I am the public face of the tour operator, the only representative of the company that most clients have any significant contact with. It’s a huge responsibility that tour operators entrust to me and one I take very seriously.Tour directing is like project management on wheels. I am the ‘eyes and ears’ of the tour company and am paid to make decisions on the other side of the world that the owner of the tour company would do if they were standing in my shoes. For every tour I must have a firm knowledge of the destination and I must be an inviting and entertaining host. But perhaps more importantly I need be able to lead a group of people and keep them on track, moving on schedule through a complex and demanding itinerary. Leadership skills and nurturing capacities are essential because on any tour I am the person travelers turn to for almost all of their needs.As the host of a caravanning party, I am also a specialist in logistics, a friend to those in need, a teacher, a problem-solver and an entertainer. It's the best job in the world.