In 2014, the Australian Government introduced the New Colombo Plan (NCP), whereby undergraduate students would become 'informal ambassadors' enhancing Australia's 'soft power' within the Asia-Pacific region. Participation by students, universities, host organisations and communities expanded rapidly before Australia's pandemic-driven closure of international borders. This hiatus has afforded a space for reflection upon the NCP, including the pivotal study tour supervisor role. Supervisors assume informal responsibilities beyond their formal roles, often in unfamiliar settings, with scarce recognition. Their assumption of responsibility is conceptualised here within a formal-informal spectrum, which underpins an evaluation of how the role might be accorded greater recognition.