83% of NZ secondary schools run at least one overnight trip / tour per year, meaning schools need to have a clear understanding of what their responsibility and liability is, and where their blind spots are.
You can’t manage what you can’t see
The school knows:
- Which students are travelling?
- The general itinerary
- The tour operator they contracted
- The consent form signed by parents
The school often does not know:
- Who the sub-contacted providers are
- What safety standards those providers operate under
- Whether the provider staff are properly vetted
- What insurance covers which specific activities
The school is still responsible for:
- Every student’s safety and wellbeing
- Ensuring reasonably practicable precautions were taken
- Responding to WorkSafe is a notifiable event occurs
- Answering to families and the Board after an incident
What good looks like
During his presentation, Brent went over various ways schools can ensure they close the gaps in oversight, including a governance decision matrix, contractual protections and a 5-phase practical oversight system. One of the key takeaways was what good looks like – the operator standard schools should expect when contracting a tour operator. This includes:
- Full subcontractor register disclosed: before any contract is signed, schools should see a complete list of every provider in the supply chain.
- Health and Safety management system on request: a credible operator can share their documented safety systems.
- Insurance certificate for every activity: not a summary – the actual insurance certificate showing what is covered, for which activities, in which jurisdictions.
- Incident history with learnings: past incidents are not disqualifying. No incidents at all, with no documentation should raise questions.
- References from comparable NZ school clients: specific names, specific trips, people willing to take a call. Not a brochure testimonial.
What else should you be looking for?
TAANZ Financial Bonding: Alongside rigorous health and safety systems, Tour Time is TAANZ financially bonded, (as per Ministry of Education Guidelines) so your tour funds are securely held while you work this us. This means your tour funds are kept in a separate, independently audited account and used only for your tour. Without TAANZ bonding, schools risk financial loss if a tour provider fails.
Comprehensive group travel insurance: Designed specifically for Tour Time clients, our insurance is not a retail travel policy – it offers comprehensive protection tailored to student and group travel needs, including coverage for unforeseen circumstances unique to group tours.
The bottom line for schools is that you cannot contract out your duty of care. Third party delivery does not transfer legal responsibility. Sub-contractor disclosure, insurance verification and staff vetting are non-negotiables in any operator contract. If you have any questions, or would like more information, please contact Brent brent.imrie@tourtime.co.nz
As President of SYTA (Student Youth Travel Association) and Chair of SYTA’s Health and Safety committee, Brent is well placed to help ISNZ schools navigate the challenges and pitfalls of health and safety within school excursions and tours. Brent is also a CSTP (Certified Student Travel Professional) and Tour Time is a CSTO (Certified Student Travel Organisation).
.png)
