The term "tour coordinator" can refer to more than one type of job. One type of coordinator works with various groups of people who have come to a specific destination for a tour of the area or site. The other type will work with musicians, groups of actors, or other performers who travel from place to place to give performances. The steps you will take to become a tour coordinator will therefore vary according to which type of coordinator you want to be. You may need a college degree to become a tour coordinator in either setting.
If you want to become a tour coordinator who works with musicians or other artists, it helps to earn a college degree in business administration, theatre, accounting, or even communications. These subject areas will give you unique training that will help you deal with daily tasks that fall to the tour coordinator to complete. Of course, if you have skills in these areas already, you may not need a degree at all, but having some qualifications will give you the edge over the competition, thereby improving your chances of being able to become a tour coordinator.
Tours of specific areas or sites are usually guided by experts such as historians or scientists. If you want to become a tour coordinator for a specific site or area, you will need to develop significant knowledge about that area. Conducting serious research about that area or site is perhaps the best way to become a tour coordinator, though sometimes it is possible to find a coordinator position without being an expert in the first place. You will instead learn about the area as you work, and you will read from a script tailored for such tours. The coordinator is usually a senior member of the establishment who oversees tour guides and other personnel, so be ready to start at an entry-level position such as tour guide or assistant, and then work your way up over time.
In either setting, exceptional communication skills will be necessary, and you should be genuinely excited and enthusiastic to be working with various groups of people. Negotiating skills will be necessary in some cases, as will organizational skills and an ability to take on many tasks at once. These are skills you can learn with little or no formal education, but again, getting an education will put you at an advantage over other candidates.
