The lecturers are a key ingredient of our tours, and we select them with great care. Their scholarship is unimpeachable, but their ability to communicate their learning is equally important. Their brief is to enlighten and stimulate, not merely to inform. They are also good travelling companions, and have their feet on the ground when it comes to practical matters.
We use the term ‘lecturer’ because it emphasises their primary role. They are also ‘tour leaders’ because they are in charge of the tour, even when accompanied by a tour manager. They are not guides – though some of what they do might constitute guiding – because being professional academics, writers and curators, the nature of the information they supply is significantly different from that which tour guides usually provide.
Sometimes the lecturer is accompanied by a tour manager, one of our select team of professionals or one of our office staff.
We provide instruction and advice to all our lecturers and tour managers and regular opportunities for training.