Safety & Security

At Hemisphere Educational Travel, the safety and security of your students is a top priority. When you travel with Hemisphere, you can travel with confidence.  We understand that parents, teachers, administrators and others will have many questions in regards to how our company specifically addresses these concerns.  If you have any concerns not mentioned below, please feel free to contact one of our team members.

Hemisphere follows the safety and security procedures listed below

• • Use of motorcoach companies that comply with D.O.T. regulations / background checks and maintain a 'satisfactory' rating on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) website.
  • 24-hour emergency contact phone numbers, emergency contact cards, labels or lanyards provided to each participant.
  • 24-hour support staff to assist with any travel disruptions, travel delays or necessary itinerary changes.
  • Tour Directors must pass a criminal background check upon first hiring, and every 2 years after.
  • Use of hotel properties that have interior corridors in most circumstances.
  • Private night security chaperones or agents to monitor the hotel hallways for overnight tours (optional for domestic tours).
  • A structured and supervised tour according to each group's itinerary.  Each group is responsible for providing their own chaperones.
  • Comprehensive accident and illness coverage for each tour participant for the duration of the tour with medical, accident and dental coverage.
  • It is recommended that international tour participants should enroll into STEP (Smart Traveler Enrollment Program), through the State Department, which notifies the nearest US Embassy of your trip details in the event of an emergency.
  • Our Consumer Protection Plan (protecting the group's deposits), through our membership requirements of the Student & Youth Travel Association, provides you with the assurance of Hemisphere's financial integrity.
  • Memberships in the leading tour and travel associations such as ABA (American Bus Association), SYTA (Student & Youth Travel Association of North America), NTA (National Tour Association), IATAN (International Association of Travel Agents Network) and CLIA (Cruise Line International Association) allows our company to be current with the latest industry standards.