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No they are not merely a suggestion. Yes the amounts are suggested but they clearly state that this is a majority of the TD’s compensation. My take is that they are poorly paid by Tauck and dependent on tips. From Tauck: Helpful Tips and InformationTauck Director and Driver GratuitiesYour Tauck Director is looking forward to meeting you!One of the highlights of your Tauck journey will be your professional Tauck Director. Our TauckDirectors are passionate about sharing their knowledge of local customs, cultural traditions andcontemporary topics with our guests. They choreograph and facilitate each day's activities,working tirelessly to ensure that you get the utmost enjoyment from your journey. We have chosen not to include Tauck Director gratuities in the price of your tour because wetruly believe that gratuities are an important way for you to express your appreciation and toacknowledge your Tauck Director's genuine, personal interaction and superior customer service. Unlike most other tour guides, Tauck Directors receive no commissions on your shoppingpurchases, nor do they earn additional income by selling options to you on tour. They take greatpride in their work and are committed to making sure that you have the best possible experienceduring your travels. We ask that you extend gratuities on an individual basis rather than as a group, and we offer thefollowing guidelines to assist you in determining an appropriate amount:USD $12 per traveler, per day for the Tauck Director, or the equivalent amount in localcurrency.USD $8 per traveler, per day for the driver, or the equivalent amount in local currency.Please note: Although gratuities represent the majority of your Tauck Director's compensation, ourpolicy prohibits Tauck Directors from directly soliciting gratuities.

While we are discussing tips and how to include them in the pricing of a tour, I'd like to add another aspect to the discussion. One of the first Tauck tours we took was in 2012 to Spain and Portugal. It was led by Joe Pereira. He was an American with Portuguese roots brought up on Fall River, MA. He was about our age and single.

He and his bus driver had developed a great relationship over the years to the point that Joe would stay with the bus driver (sleeping on his couch) in between tours and was the godfather for the bus driver's two children. He became the de facto grandfather.

Joe explained to us the challenges faced by a bus driver who didn't make that much money and was striving to provide housing for his family and to pay for good schooling, with a goal of living in a two or three room apartment.

Joe make a very generous request of us. He suggested that we cut back on his tip and give some of it as an additional amount for the bus driver. This has remained with me over the years as we've continued to take tours with Tauck.

If more money is put into the base price of the tour, I wouldn't guarantee how much of it would go to the bus driver and how much would remain with the contracted company. The bus company would have to pay more to drivers who drive for Tauck tours than for those who direct for other companies and could get tips. If I ran the company, I would not want to have this type of pay structure.