TELECP09: Tour Guiding

Chapter 1: History of Tour Guiding

Learning Objective:
 Discuss the history of Tour Guiding
 Cite the definition of the tour guiding
 Assess the students at the end of the lesson

History of the Tour Guiding

Guiding is one of the oldest professions of the Western world. The
evolution of tour guides and the guiding history was divided by Pond (1993) into
four periods. There are plenty of specific references in the annals of history, from
the Roman Empire to the Middle Age, throughout the renaissance and into the
Modern Age. Tourism saw the first major development during the era of the great
empires. (3000 B.C. to A.D.500)
During this period travelling is dangerous and time consuming. The ancient
Persians, Assyrians and Egyptians pursue to travel through land and water. This
activity still increased and so the number of guides, they were called ‗leaders
around‘ or ‗explainers‘ who assisted visitors journeying abroad.
The second stage is in the period between the fall of Rome and before the
Renaissance. The Middle Age approximately A.D.500 to 1500. By that time,
religious pilgrimage is the most prevalent type of journey by the middle and the
upper classes.
The fall of the Rome resulted to decline of the economy and chaos to the
social order. The safety and security of the travellers came to be a concern;
therefore the preference of the guides had to serve as a pathfinder, safety escorts
and protector.
The third phase coved the period of the Renaissance and the Grand Tour
approximately A.D.1500 to around 1700. During the renaissance, excursions were
taken by the first class youth also called ‗Grand Tourists‘ for cultural and
educational reasons. These tourists were expected to enrich their knowledge
through long journeys while being accompanied by a cicerone.
The cicerone, named after Cicero the most esteemed guide in European
society. The guide was expected to be well versed in many subjects, articulate
and multi-lingual.
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The Grand Tour – the introduction to popularized travel itineraries, souvenirs and
postcards Travel

The Renaissance – Setting

Popular Travel in Motion

The Renaissance spanned roughly

through the 14th to 17th centuries and
it was a re-birth of the ancient
classical era after the Dark Ages.
The renaissance first started in the

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TELECP09: Tour Guiding
Italian city of Florence through the works of artists and writers spurred by political
and cultural changes of the day. Due to the artistic dependency of patronage, the
classical theme was set in motion much due to the rich and powerful Medici
family. The Medici‘s sought to commission art outside the religious themes that
dominated the time period. Besides a revival of the romanticized mythological
themes of the classical era, a renewed interest was spurred in classical
architecture, mathematics and natural philosophy (predecessor to modern
science.)

As the renaissance spread through-out Europe, bringing with it a new artistic and
academic focus, it became fashionable for young aristocrats to visit the great
master pieces of the classical era as part of their classical education, (mainly
Roman art and architecture.) This became known as the Grand Tour.

A Trending Itinerary

During the 16th and 18th centuries a standard itinerary was popularized. While
detours included many European destinations, the grand tour typically started in
London and included Paris, but focused mainly on Italy, especially Rome. Few
visited as far as Greece, which was still under Turkish rule. The grand tourists
visited famous ruins, architecture, fountains and churches. Admission to Greco-
Roman statues and paintings included both private collections and museums.
Travel guides were available for the grand tour and the tour typically lasted for
many months and sometimes years. Besides visiting art and architecture, a grand
tourist could also listen to music, visit theaters, be tutored in languages, fencing,
dancing, riding and other popular activities. The grand tour was often seen as a
rite of passage and was considered a symbol of status.

Souvenirs and postcards

Grand tourists returned to display

items otherwise unavailable at home.
Popular souvenirs included art,
books, sculptures, clothes, glass,
coins and other cultural gems. Micro-
mosaic became popular and often
depicted famous landmarks. It could
be worn as jewelry or be sent home in
the form of small pictures to friends
and family as a fore-runner to the
modern post-card. Cityscape and
landscape paintings
or vedute became immensely popular during the time of the grand tour and
provided ―snap-shots‖ the tourist could bring back and present as a visual tale of
their travels. Etchings of the grand tour also became very popular. Some grand
tourists commissioned their own artists to accompany their travels.

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TELECP09: Tour Guiding
Tour Guides

While it was common practice to hire a personal tour guide for the grand tour,
printed travelogues or itineraries became popular to both travelers and non-
travelers. Published accounts and letters of personal experiences gave insight to
what the grand tour could offer for the populace of the time, but they also help
illuminate the historic trend for us in modern times.

https://www.travelplannersinternational.com/travel-agency-blog/travel/the-grand-tour-the-introduction-to-popularized-
travel-itineraries-souvenirs-and-postcards/

The History of Guiding

The first tour operator went into business in England in 1758, and is still in
business today. In Europe, pleasure travel started in earnest during the 1840s,
when Thomas Cook began conducting tours to Paris and later around Europe. By
the 1850s, railroad tours were already in operation.

Modern tour operators–companies that organize group tours and

independent travel packages — date back to the mid-nineteenth century, and
most likely have their roots as ticket agents for steamship lines and railroads.

In addition to selling passage, the agents were eventually called upon to

develop itineraries and secure accommodations for their wealthy clients. Out of
this grew the organized business of selling planned tours to groups of travelers.

Through the 1930s tour wholesaling continued to grow, but that happened
slowly, since comfortable and affordable means of passenger transportation were
not widespread, and travel was costly. The post-World War II period, beginning
with the late 1940s and early 1950s, marked a dramatic turning point for the tour
operator industry. The introduction of modern long-range commercial aircraft and
the development of the interstate highway system both opened long distance
travel to millions of middle class travelers. Add to that the growth of low cost
airlines, increased access to airports, and the ability to travel more cheaply, and
the travel bug sent millions of people all over the planet.

The media have popularized aspects of touring and made them appear
accessible to the public, which has helped to increase the number of tour
travelers. The television program ―The Love Boat‖ inspired middle class travelers
to take a cruise. The 1969 film, ―If it‘s Tuesday, this must be Belgium,‖ based on
Caravan Tours, popularized over-the-road bus travel.

Today there are over 600 tour operators in this country, plus hundreds in
other countries. Most of them wholesale their tours, that is, sell them through
travel agents, or sell them directly over the internet. Even in this day of the
internet, where travelers can more readily create their own itineraries, tour

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TELECP09: Tour Guiding
operators still have the advantage of bulk purchases that reduce costs, and of
inside knowledge of vendors and destinations
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guide/history/#:~:text=The%20History%20of%20Guiding,tours%20were%20already%20in%20operation.

Tour Guiding

Guides are tourism professionals that lead their guests through the most
interesting parts of their region. It is their task to entertain visitors to their region
and to help them to interpret the sights that they are visiting. They help tourists to
have a positive experience and take care of their guests as good as they can.
This module teaches you on how to become such a professional guide and shows
you how to develop the skills and relevant information that you will need to work
as a guide.

Guides have a multitude of options. They might want to work in a museum,

a castle or in a comparable object. Alternatively, they can also work outdoors as a
nature guide, archeology guide or city guide. In all this functions guides are
responsible for planning and organizing tours. Communication is their most
important tool to ensure a fantastic experience for their guests. It is important to
be aware of cultural differences between visitors and to know about possible
sources of noise that might disturb the interaction with guests. Amuse visitors by
telling interesting and funny stories and respond in a proactive way to their
complaints and requests. Always make sure that you have enough information
and knowledge about the subject of your tour and ensure the safety and
happiness of your guests. Prepare well for a tour by taking care of appropriate
clothing and gear.
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Tour guides
show groups round attractions such as historic monuments, cultural
centres and beauty spots, and provide them with background information to help
them make the most of their visit.

They may work with day-trippers or on walking tours, or support tourists on

longer visits that involve overnight stays, perhaps to rural or remote locations.
Tour guide jobs sometimes also call for chauffeuring and language skills. Typical
responsibilities include:

 undertaking research and planning tours

 preparing and giving presentations
 offering sightseeing advice
 organizing and leading excursions
 problem solving
 translating and interpreting
 transporting and accompanying tourists.

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Many tour guides work on a seasonal basis and combine tour guiding with
other work, but there are full-time roles available.
Adverts appear in specialist press publications such as Travel Trade
Gazette or Travel Weekly, as well as their online equivalents. It is advisable to
make speculative applications.

Qualifications and training required

A degree is not required for entry into this profession. However, it could be
an advantage to have national vocational qualifications or a degree in an
appropriate subject such as leisure, travel, tourism, or languages.

Work with the general public, or experience gained within the hotel, tourism
or travel trades is usually beneficial.

There are accredited tourist guide training programmes that cover a range
of destinations, including London, and that enable you to qualify at three different
levels for three different types of guiding: at sites, on guided walks, and on a
moving vehicle. Blue Badge holders are qualified for all three modes, while green
badge holders can offer guided walks and can also act as tour guides at sites in a
specific area. White Badge holders can either provide guidance at a specific site
or on a walk along a fixed route.

The Institute of Tourist Guiding has more information about these

qualifications.

Key skills for tourist guides

Potential tour guides should be fit and healthy with lots of energy and confidence,
be able to work effectively without supervision, possess a calm 'customer focused'
manner, and have excellent interpersonal skills.
https://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-advice/job-descriptions/279155-tour-guide-job-description

WHAT IS A TOURIST GUIDE?

At the National Department of Tourism we measure success not only in the visitor
numbers, but in the experiences we create, the new opportunities for meaningful
employment and growth and the understanding that is fostered between people
from different backgrounds and different corners of the world and our tourist
guides play an integral role in this.

Tourist Guides are often one of the first people to welcome tourists and the last to
bid them farewell. Their role is to enhance our visitors' experience and be
ambassadors for South Africa as a tourist destination.

Definition of Tourist Guide

Tourist Guides act as ambassadors of the country, they are the first to meet and
welcome tourists and they are often the last ones to bid farewell to them when
they leave the country.

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TELECP09: Tour Guiding
Various international organizations such as the World Federation of Tourist
Guides Associations (WFTGA) define a tourist guide as the person who guides
visitors in the language of their choice and interprets the cultural and natural
heritage of an area, which person may possess an area specific qualification.
Such specifications are usually issued and/or recognized by the appropriate
authority.

A tourist guide is someone who points out the way and leads others on a trip or
tour. Generally, a tourist guide will work at a specific location, city or province. In
some cases, guides qualify to guide throughout an entire country.

According to the Tourism Act No. 3 of 2014, Tourist guide means any person
registered as such under section 50 and who for reward accompanies any person
who travels within or visits any place within the Republic and who furnishes such
person with information or comments.

Importance of Tourist Guides

Tourist guiding is a very critical component of the tourism value chain. They play
an essential role in ensuring repeat tourist visitation to South Africa through
creating a positive image of our country.

In South Africa, tourist guiding is a regulated profession governed by national

legislation and policies. Any person that would like to become a tourist guide must
undergo training as part of a formal qualification registered by the South African
Qualifications Authority (SAQA), Upon being deemed competent, such person will
receive a certificate issued by the Culture, Arts, Tourism Hospitality and Sports
Sector Education and Training Authority (CATHSSETA), Such person must then
apply to the relevant Provincial Registrar to be registered in order to operate
legally. This process unfolds as prescribed in the Tourism Act, 2014 and the
Regulations in respect of Tourist Guides, 1994 and 2001 respectively.

Characteristics of Tourist Guides

The role and function of a guide is to organize, inform and entertain. Guides are
mainly freelance and self-employed. Work is often seasonal and may involve
working during unsociable hours. Work is usually obtained through direct contact
with tour operators and other agencies and therefore, guides must be self-
sufficient and be able to market themselves.

The manner in which tourist guides interact and treat tourists is very important
because it gives a lasting impression about the country in general. The Code of
Conduct and Ethics that tourist guides signs prescribes the way in which qualified,
legally registered tourist guides must conduct themselves whilst on duty.

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TELECP09: Tour Guiding
Registered tourist guides who fail to abide by the Code of Conduct and Ethics
could be subjected to formal disciplinary hearings and be charged with
misconduct.

https://tkp.tourism.gov.za/touristguide/Pages/What-is-Tourist-Guiding.aspx

Illustration Number 1: Tour Guide

Classification of Guides on the basis of the nature of the tourist destination

1. Heritage
a. History: One who gives information of the past, moreover found at Palaces,
Forts, Museums, Battlefields, Tombs / Mausoleums, Temples , Churches etc.

b. Archeological: One who gives information on the ancient civilizations and the
bygone era, found at museums and archeological sites like the Giza Pyramid s,
Harappa & Mohenjo-Daro, Nalanda University, Machu Picchu etc.

c. Architecture Guide: One who gives information of the art and construction
strategy of the monuments and masterpieces from the past, found especially
outside Temples, Palaces, Tombs / Mausoleums, Towers etc

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TELECP09: Tour Guiding
2. Culture Guide :
One who gives information on the lifestyle patter on the native society of
that particular Tourist Destination

a. Cuisine Guide: One who gives information on the Agriculture, cultivation, and
staple diet of a place, delicacies of that region and where to eat what and when.
He /she takes the guest around the city making them taste specialties prepared at
different food shops and restaurants. Places visited are Farms, Restaurants,
Sweet Shops, Chocolate Factory, Cheese Factory, Vineyards, Orchards etc

b .Religious Guide / Temple Guide / Pilgrim Guide : One who gives information on
the religion, gods & goddesses, mythology, traditions, rituals etc, such guides are
hired especially during festival times, they are found at temples, and other shrines

3. Adventure Guide

 Mountaineering Guide
 Trekking Guide
 Skiing Guide
 Surfing Guide
e. Scuba Diving / Snorkeling Guide

4. Forest / Wilderness Guide

 Hunting Guide
 Safari Guide
5. Business Guide

 Real Estate Consultant

6. Coach Guide
* City Tour Guide
7. Nature Guide

 Desert Guide
 Hill Station Guide
 Botanical Garden Guide
8. Special Interest Guide :

 Cruise Guide, Golf Guide, Shopping Guide, Hotel Guide, Wedding Guide etc.
http://oer.nios.ac.in/wiki/index.php/Guides_and_Types

WHAT IS A PROFESSIONAL TOUR GUIDE

A professional tour guide is one of the most important links within the
tourism industry. Whilst working at the frontline, they are the ‗Face of Australia‘,
with direct contact and influence on the experiences had by visitors.

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This important responsibility requires reliable and capable guides to ensure a
successful outcome.

A PTGAA accredited tour guide is someone with extensive industry knowledge

and experience in guiding.

PTGAA tour guides conduct thorough research, proper preparation and

excellent delivery of the most memorable and enjoyable interpretive experiences.
Creating superior visitor satisfaction, to the benefit of both the growing tourism
industry and related businesses.

Many PTGAA members have completed a Certificate III (or more) in a tour
guiding related course.

As a pre-requisite for membership, PTGAA guides are individually

assessed, and required at all times to hold a current certificate II in Senior first aid
& CPR plus a valid tour guide liability insurance to the value of minimum $10 mill.

All members of the PTGAA are bound by the Australian Tour Guides‘ Code
of Conduct, which ensures professional and high end standards are provided to
visitors & guests.

Additionally all new members are assessed and when ready will
become accredited Guides of Australia. The PTGAA have entered into a sub-
license agreement with the National peak industry body GOA, and are gradually
implementing their highest level of government supported accreditation.

All assessed PTGAA guides are issued with a personal photo ID card
identifying them as members of the association.

Key Skills

 Professional tour guides have a high level of general knowledge

 Some have specialized site and destination expertise
 Good communication and organizational skills
 Providers of excellent customer service
 Leadership and management skills
 Qualified in first aid and occupational health and safety
 Ecological and environmental awareness

https://www.ptgaa.org.au/find-a-guide/professional-tour-guide/

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TELECP09: Tour Guiding
Creating a Guide

How to use type case to create a basic or detailed Guide to help users complete a
task?

 Guide
 View more guides in Digital Marketing & Communications

When to create a Guide

Create a Guide to:

 provide information, advice or instruction to help someone complete a

specific task
 explain in plain English how the user can follow a policy

Don't create a Guide:

 for content which is better provided by an external source (where the

University isn‘t the authoritative source of information)
 as a policy guide which is the exact reproduction of the policy
 to act as a Service Start page
 as a last resort for content that doesn‘t fit into other format types

Before you create a new piece of content, search the website to see if it
already exists and talk to other people who could be responsible for it. We don't
want to duplicate content on the website as this can be confusing for users.

Choosing the right Guide subtype

Once you've selected the Guide content type for your page you can choose
to write a Basic Guide or a Detailed Guide.

Basic Guide
Use this for short, direct instructions on one topic or theme.

A Basic Guide only consists of one section. There will be one heading on
the page below the title, and all the content for your guide will exist below that
heading. You should use a Detailed Guide for anything more complex.

Detailed Guide
If you need to create a Guide of two or more sections you should use a
Detailed Guide.

Detailed Guides have in-page navigation that lets users skip from the top of
the page to individual sections. The text you use for your section headers will also
become links in the in-page navigation.

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Once you've added your content to a section in the publishing platform,
click 'Save' to open up a new section to fill out. Each section must focus on just
one idea or part of the overall theme, with the whole Guide encompassing a single
process.

Naming your Guide

The title for your Guide should:

 be easy to understand - use simple English and avoid using technical

terms if possible
 use active language rather than passive ('Applying for a scholarship', not
'Scholarship applications')
 help users identify what action the content will help them complete - include
a direct action so the user knows it will help them achieve their aim
('Secure a place through clearing and adjustment', not 'Clearing and
adjustment process')
 be clear who the content is for - place the Guide in context so the user
recognizes it as relevant to their need ('Types of placements for
undergraduate students', not 'Placements')
 be limited to 65 characters if possible so users can read it in entirety on
search results

Your title shouldn't:

 include the words 'guide' or 'guidance' (these are automatically displayed

on the page)
 be a question (use 'Apply for undergraduate accommodation', not 'Can I
apply for accommodation?')
 start with 'How to …' or 'Find out …' as this will produce cluttered URLs and
search results
 contain commas or dashes as this will create confusing URLs - use a colon
instead if you need to separate phrases ('Tuition fees and charges for all
students: 2014 to 2015')

Writing a Guide summary

Use the summary to explain what your Guide will help users do. Also say
who will benefit from your Guide, for example:

Title: Suspending your studies or leaving the University

Summary: What you need to do to suspend your studies, the process for coming
back to University, and what to do if you want to leave your course.

The summary should be no more than 160 characters.

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TELECP09: Tour Guiding
Writing a summary for a specific audience
If your guide is for a specific audience (like postgraduate students or staff
who are personal tutors), it's important to make clear who it's for in the summary.
Some summaries may need to be more explicit than others, for example:

Title: Applying to university after a break in studying

Summary: If you are age 21 or over, you are defined as a mature student. Find
out how to apply to an undergraduate course and the different routes into higher
education.

This is especially important if you have separate content items which have
a similar topic but different audiences, for example, one guide for how a pregnant
student can get support and another for how staff should support them:

Title: Getting advice if you are pregnant while studying

Summary: How we can support you if you are student having a baby, or you have
a young child.

This should not be confused with:

Title: Actions staff should take to support a pregnant student

Summary: What academic staff should do when they learn a student is pregnant,
including how to assess need and make necessary adjustments.

In some cases, referring to your audience in the third person may be the
clearest option. This is fine for the summary, as it can make search results more
helpful, however you should avoid using the third person in the rest of the guide.

Adding labels

We use labels to pin content items onto Topic pages. Only add a label if
you know that your content item is going to be part of a Topic.

Labels are not typical website 'tags'. Don't add a label just because you think it
might be relevant. You must know what labels the Topic uses. If you don't know,
ask your Faculty Web Editor or contact the Digital team at

To add a label to a content item, select from the drop-down list in the
Labels section and click 'Add label'. You can add a maximum of 12 labels to a
single content item.

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TELECP09: Tour Guiding
Writing Guide content

You should always try to address the reader directly ('you can apply for a
parking permit') rather than writing about them in the third person ('staff can apply
for a parking permit'). You will have made the role of the user clear in your title
and summary, so they will already know whether the guide is for them or not.

If your Guide contains information that's only relevant to certain audiences,

you can use headers to make the purpose of the content clear. See our formatting
guide for how to create headings.

Things to remember when writing your Guide

Do:

 write concise phrases ('Select the option', not 'You should select the option'
or 'The student should select the option')
 write in plain English to make your content as understandable as possible
 structure your content so that the most important information is at the top
 break content up into sections that are easy to read
 use headings to structure the content and help users to navigate
 consider breaking long sentences or paragraphs with a lot of information
into bulleted lists
 make sure your headings follow the same principles as when writing the
title
 make it absolutely clear when an action is required by the user ('You must
contact Student Services' rather than 'Contact Student Services', 'You must
complete a form' rather than 'Complete a form'

Don’t:

 include technical terms in headings unless unavoidable - and then only if

you‘ve already explained them on the page
 use generic or needless headings ('Further information' or 'Introduction') -
users don‘t want an introduction, they want the most important information
 structure your content as FAQs - you won‘t need them if your content is
concise, well-structured and written in plain English

Resources to help you write your Guide

The University's style guide will help you make sure you're using the same
terminology, style and tone as the rest of the website. This is important so that
website users can understand us easily through the consistency of our content.

Our formatting guide will help you create appropriate headers, links, lists and
other formatting for your page. This is important because it makes the information
we provide clearer to website users.

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TELECP09: Tour Guiding
If your guide will be a series of numbered instructions for users to complete in
order, you'll need to read our guidance on How to Guides.

Adding a call to action

A call to action is the next thing you want the user to do after reading your
content. Type case has special fields for entering a call to action.

Make sure your call to action:

 is active ('Find out more about...', 'Contact the...', not 'More information is
available…')
 makes the destination of the link clear to the user
 does not end in a full stop

Your call to action can be a link to a web page, an email address or a phone
number.

If your content doesn't have a call to action, choose 'No call to action' and enter a
good reason for not having one in the 'Reason for no call to action' box below.

You should always try to think of the next step for the user.

Adding media and images

Featured image
You can add a featured image to illustrate your guide.

The image will appear centred at the top of the page. Use an image that is 16:9
ratio and high quality.

The image will also appear on any Topic or Landing pages that the guide is
pinned to.

Embedded media
You can embed a piece of media such as a slideshow or video at the bottom of
the guide.

You must give it a title so users know what the media covers.

Adding responsible organizations and groups

After you have added all your content - including any images, media and contact
details - you will able to select an owner or associated group for your page. This
allocates permissions for who in the organization is able to maintain the content.

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A guide for adding responsible organizations and groups is available to help you
do this.
https://www.bath.ac.uk/guides/creating-a-guide/

What are the types of tour guiding?

It is common for the following types of Tour Guides to be available for employers
and visitors/tour groups to choose from:
 On-site attractions guides.
 City guides.
 Government guides.
 Specialized guides.
 Independent guide.
 Business and industry guides.
 Duration-based guides.
 Driver guide.

Tour Guiding. Guides are tourism professionals that lead their guests through the
most interesting parts of their region. It is their task to entertain visitors to their
region and to help them to interpret the sights that they are visiting.

Subsequently, question is, what is the difference between tour guide and tour
guiding? Tour guide, from my perspective, means someone
who guides the tour while tourist guide means someone
who guides the tourist. And the last one simply means someone both guides the
people and also do some interpretation.
Besides, what are the elements of tour guiding?

Here are the things to look for when you hire a tour guide.

Here are 7 must-have skills of a tour guide

 Communication. It all comes down to communication.

 Memory and Storytelling.
 Humor.
 Passion.
 Flexibility.
 Punctuality.
 Sensitivity.

What is a professional tour guide?

Professional tour guides lead interpretive tours within cities across the United
States and abroad. They provide tourists with information, as well as some
entertainment. They may give tours of historic areas, museums, landmarks and
more.

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TELECP09: Tour Guiding
What is the purpose of a tour guide?
A tour guide (U.S.) or a tourist guide (European) is a person who provides
assistance, information on cultural, historical and contemporary heritage to people
on organized tours and individual clients at educational establishments, religious
and historical sites, museums, and at venues of other significant interest,

Why is tour guide important?

wide importance is placed on the tour guide's information of native stories,
history and culture as he's expected to furnish the correct info to tourists and not
let down them. Well-qualified tour guides give amusive, relevant and arranged
heritage info to tourists.

What do you call a person who gives tours?

Definition of docent. 1 : a college or university teacher or lecturer. 2 :
a person who leads guided tours especially through a museum or art gallery.

What do tour guides wear?

As most tour guides meet clients on vacation and trips, casual dressing is
recommended. It is awkward if you wear formal suits while the travelers are on T-
shirts. On the other hand, because the guide is at work, it is not professional
to wear too loosely like slippers.

How can I be a good tour guide?

10 Tips for Being a Good Tour Guide

1. Face the crowd, not what you're talking about. Tour guides often get so
wrapped up in their subject they forget to face the peple they are
addressing.
2. Be personal.
3. Tell a story (historical or contemporary).
4. Get moving right away.
5. Don't worry about being perfect.
6. Get help to get organized.

What is the history of tour guiding?

The History of Guiding

The first tour operator went into business in England in 1758, and is still in
business today. In Europe, pleasure travel started in earnest during the 1840s,
when Thomas Cook began conducting tours to Paris and later around Europe. By
the 1850s, railroad tours were already in operation.

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What are the benefits of hiring tour guide?

10 reasons to hire a local tour guide and take a tour on your

 Learn about history and context from your local tour guide.
 Discover unique details and stories about a destination.
 Learn about the local food culture.
 Support the local community.
 Uncover lesser known places of interest.
 Take in the views from another angle.
 Meet fellow travellers.
 Learn about local art and artists.

How do I find local tour guides?

Websites to Find Local Tour Guides – Worldwide

1. Viator. Viator is the industry leader in tours, activities, attraction tickets and
local tour guides with more than 1,300 destinations worldwide.
2. Tours by Locals.
3. Getzeeno.
4. GuruWalk.
5. Rent a Guide.
6. With locals.
7. Tour HQ.
8. Show Around.

Is tour guide a good job?

Being a tour guide is one of the most rewarding jobs in the world. You get to do
for a living what others only get to do on vacation, you get to meet amazing
people from all over the world and you get to marvel at some awe-inspiring sites
on a daily basis.
Do you need a Licence to be a tour guide?

In the USA, licensing for tour guides is left up to the city. Some cities require
guides to undergo testing and licensing (like New York City) and others don't
have any certification or license requirements (like Detroit). In the USA, licensing
for tour guides is left up to the city.

Where do tour guides work?

Tour Guides can work in all sorts of locations. They are usually hired
by tour operators, hotels, resorts, wildlife parks, cities, museums, or historical
sites. Their main task remains essentially the same regardless of
their work environment, to guide and show people around their designated
locations.
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On – Site Guide – They conduct tour for an hour or more at a specific building,
place or site like a museum curator who is well inform about the place
Docents – These are guides who normally volunteer for a small museum or
archive, often work for free.
City Guide – They do city guiding points the many different highlights of a city,
usually doing this on a coach, van or any transport service. There are some
instances that guests would go down and do some walking

•Driver- Guide – This refers to a tour guide and driver at the same time. Performs
guiding work while doing.
Local guide – a person competent enough to guide in a certain locality or area.
Escort – person who accompanies a group of tourists from the point of origin to
the destination, and back to the origin. Usually handles group‘s check in and
check out.
Specialist – person who specializes in a certain field such as botany, architecture,
etc.
Linguist – person who speaks fluently two or more foreign languages.
Free Lance – not permanently connected with any travel agency and paid per trip.
Staff Guide – permanently connected with a travel agency, receives monthly
salary.
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Types of Tours
The types of land tours can vary depending on the country, but the majority of
tours follow a certain format.

There are a Wide Range of Tours One can Lead or be a Part of

There is a departure point where the tour group is collected from the airport. They
then board a coach or tour bus that will drop them at their hotel, and continue to
take them on various planned day trips around the city they are visiting.

Specialty land tours are increasing in popularity nowadays, including wine tasting
tours to Napa Valley, or along the Stellenbosch Wine Route of South Africa,
whitewater rafting tours, horseback riding tours in Alaska and more. These types
of tours require a certain skill level for both the guides and travelers alike, but
many tour companies will take your skills into consideration when planning future
excursions, so be sure to disclose any special talents or skills you have when you
apply for tour guide or tour escort jobs.

There are 3 main types of tours:

Sightseeing Tours
Sightseeing can be done in various ways, and although the most popular tends to
be sightseeing by tour bus or coach, some companies offer sightseeing walking
tours, like those through the streets of New York where areas like Harlem and the

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World Trade Center Monument will be on the itinerary. If you become a
sightseeing tour guide, learning how to drive a charter tour bus is an essential skill
to have on your resume and nowadays, you are more likely to be hired as a
sightseeing guide if you can provide the narration and drive the tour bus. Long
distance sightseeing tours often make use of step on tour guides. These are
guides based in a particular town or at a specific attraction, who will join the tour
at a specific point to provide narration for that part of the tour. For example,
touring various parts of Alaska, a step on guide will join the group when entering
the Denali National Park to provide detailed information specific to the park. Aside
from coaches, sightseeing tours can also take place on city trams or trolleys
adding to the atmosphere of the tour, and even trains.

Shore Excursion Tours

Shore excursions are offered as part of a cruise ship itinerary which can include
river cruise ships, charter yachts, and other boats. Travelling by sea will lead
tourists to various ports along the coastline of countries, which are interesting to
explore. Often, cruise liners will have deals with many of the vendors and resorts
on shore at the ports to provide tourists with the ultimate day tour experience.

Adventure or Sporting Tours

Adventure tours are extremely popular and provide people with an exciting way of
travelling. Adventure and sports fanatics can enjoy tours catered to their individual
skills and are led by a tour guide highly experienced in that particular sport. When
you apply to be an adventure tour guide, you will have to disclose your level of
expertise in that sport or discipline and produce necessary qualifications if
required, in order to take groups of people. \

Other Types of Tours

Although these three are the main types of tours, there are various tours that fall
under these categories including hunting tours, safari tours, eco-tours,
architectural and fine arts tours, and even photographic tours. Tour companies
generally select a specific type of tour to offer their clients, for example, Portland
Walking Tours have various packages that they offer clients that are planned as
walking expeditions to see the best of Portland including the Classical Chinese
Garden and the Columbia River Gorge.

Combining Tours
Many week or month long tours can actually combine different types of tours into
one enjoyable experience. A typical itinerary of a European tour could begin with
an exhilarating cycling tour of the countryside, leading to a port city where the
group boards a cruise ship.

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