Opening doors to new opportunities in the travel industry

Pathways is a coalition of leading travel industry organizations helping to reduce hiring inequalities by offering opportunities for education, employment and entrepreneurship.

Industry Awareness

Pathways is helping spread the word about lesser-known travel industry careers such as tour guiding, travel directing, and tour operating.

Training

Pathways sponsors training opportunities to get you started in the travel industry with quality training, in the most interesting sectors of the industry: guiding, tour directing, and tour business ownership.

Job Placement

After participating in a training program, we provide networking and mentoring to get you working as quickly as possible.

FEATURED IN

Change your life. Explore a new career path.

Tour Guide

Guides are the educators and storytellers that keep history alive, and change hearts and minds by sharing your passion for where you live.

Tour Director

The tour director travels the world with a group, organizing the logistics and ensuring everyone has an incredible time.

Tour Operator

Whether you start your own tour business, or work for a company behind the scenes in marketing, operations, trip designing, or sales, it's a rewarding experience.

A TRAVEL CAREER THAT CHANGES LIVES

Forget what you think you know about travel careers. It's more than hotels and travel agents. Tour guides, travel directors, and tour operators create and deliver life-changing experiences around the world. They are the world's storytellers.

Pathways founding partner Leon Burnette share why tour guiding and tour directing are such powerful travel industry career paths.

Pathways scholars reflect on their training experience, and why they’re attracted to the jobs of tour guide & tour director.

Core Partners

Premier Sponsors

these companies are generously sponsoring OUR TRAINING & HIRING initiatives in the TOUR INDUSTRY

Supporting Businesses

a LIFE-CHANGING CAREER

"Traveling is all about storytelling, sharing the rich history, food, music and culture present in communities everywhere. Tour guides are the world's educators and philosophers."

Training that changes you.

"I had one of the best experiences of my life. My Pathways training EXCEEDED my expectations from start to finish. I didn't necessarily think I needed a course to get into this career, but after taking the online course it was clear that I had no idea what leading a tour was about. Then during the in-person training, I not only learned how to be an effective tour director but I learned about my Black history and made a promise that every year I would bring people with me on what I am calling the "Black Pilgrimage" in the United States. The training was planned well, and Leon Burnette ("Mr. B!") has a real true passion for teaching tourism and getting African Americans involved in the industry. The instructor team of Mitch and Alan were so knowledgeable, it was unbelievable. This was an experience I will never forget."

Najah

Tour Director & Trip Creator

Coming to a city near you...

Pathways trainings are held across the United States. Let us know if you’re interested in us coming to your city!

2024 and beyond

2024 Opportunities

If you’re interested in becoming a tour guide or tour director, join us in Washington D.C. in late October for a sponsored training opportunity.

CONSIDER SPONSORING OR SUPPORTING US

We need your support. We are building a coalition of likeminded organizations: tour operators, guide and tourism associations, marketing agencies, DMOs and CVBs, and any other industry organization.

Part of a BETTER future

Our career, recruitment and training objectives align with the United Nation's Sustainability Development Goals.

SDG 1 - The experience contributes to ending poverty in all its forms, everywhere. The organization ensures fair, affordable access to goods and services for people living in poverty.
SDG 4 - The experience contributes to ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promotes lifelong learning opportunities for all.
SDG 10 - The organization is reducing inequalities for minorities or underrepresented people.
SDG 11 - The experience educates our guests on the community's sustainability and resiliency and contributes to making the destination inclusive, resilient, and sustainable for generations to come.

Ready to start a new travel career?

(there’s no cost, and no obligation)