Mind Your Business: Tour Legal Issues

“Consider every imaginable outcome in a tour.  Have a plan for risk management – one that if tested in a court of law will prove you upright, fair, and in keeping with the highest order of excellence. While each state and institution has different expectations, what follows are a few important things to keep in mind. Always check the U.S. Customs web site <www.customs.ustreas.gov/> and the U.S. Department of State Web site <www.state.gov/travel/> and refer to travel restrictions and warnings. The information there could save your life. Always have more than enough chaperones. See Table 3 for a typical chaperone cohort. Your chaperones become your assistants on tour. Their service keeps you focused on the destination ahead and the music you want to make. I normally have one chaperone for every four to six students-sometimes more, depending on my faith in the singers. Chaperones’ costs are allotted in the main budget.  Every participant should carry their own health and trip insurance. You should carry a list of the policy numbers and contacts with you at all times. Trip insurance can cover illness, death, and repatriation. You can purchase travel insurance instantly, and print out pertinent documents, at <www.globalalerttravel.info>.  Check your policy’s fine print. Know exactly what you are purchasing and the regulations that apply. Purchase trip insurance on the day that names are printed on airline tickets. Each participant should complete and notarize a health form explaining all allergies, current medications and conditions they are treating. This form should also give you and your chaperones the authority to activate medical care as necessary in an emergency. Copies of this paperwork stay with the nurse and the director at all times. Each participant should complete and notarize a waiver-of-liability form for your school or agency. This form acknowledges that the school, church, or governing agency of the choir is not liable in the event of injury or death of the singer. Each participant should be given a document listing rights and responsibilities. Parents and students sign the form and have it notarized to indicate that they understand all the pertinent penalties. Each participant must have a valid passport and a valid birth certificate. A color photocopy of both is kept with the director and the student in case the passport is stolen. You will need the copies when you report to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate office to re-apply for your passport.”

 

From the Choral Journal article “The Whole World in Your Hands: A Do-It-Yourself Tour Planning Guide,” by Daniel R. Craig.