Tour Guide Roles and Duties PDF

Roles and Duties of a Tour Guide 1. A Tour Guide functions more than a tour escort. − He/She should always lead the tour professionally by giving accurate information and making the culture, beauty, values, & ways of the local place easily understandable to the guests. 2...

Roles and Duties of a Tour Guide 1. A Tour Guide functions more than a tour escort. − He/She should always lead the tour professionally by giving accurate information and making the culture, beauty, values, & ways of the local place easily understandable to the guests. 2. He/she should always safeguard his/her guests and remind them about the DO’s and DON’Ts of the tour. − He / She should also be equipped with first-aid skills. 3. He/She should safeguard the personal belongings of the guests while on tour. − He/she should always remind them to bring their valuables with them. − He/she should likewise check the tour bus for things or belongingness that might have been left behind by the tourists. 4. He/she should prevent the tour from becoming dull and boring. − He/she should be entertaining or have the capacity to keep guests excited during the tour. 5. He/she should always do a headcount of the guests. 6. He/she should keep in mind the comfort of the guests. 7. He/she should always be alert in any given situation. 8. Since he/she represents the tour operator/travel agency that conducts the tour. − He/she should be mindful of his/her actions and words, being careful not to do anything that might tarnish the reputation of the employer in case of shortcomings and other untoward incidents. Benefits of Being a Tour Guide 1. Travel Opportunity – guiding enables a tour guide to travel for free. − Each travel leads to the guide’s professional and personal growth. 2. Knowledge – when a person travels, he/she learns, becomes more aware, and appreciative of the culture, the people &the way of life in the locality. − Because of this, he/she becomes more mature & well-rounded. − Since guiding involves visiting various places, tour guide should lead in observing & preserving the local culture. − He/she should explain to the guests to honor other people’s right to privacy & how to deal with the local residents. − The guide should likewise win the local’s trust by interacting with them during visits. 3. Experience – the guide hones his/her skills through his/her professional experience. − He/she should always aspire to do his/her best in his/her job to fully satisfy the client’s needs. 4. Wider Network of Friends – in his/her nature of work, the guide starts to build a network of friends – his/her former clients. − Owing to the quality of service that he/she has rendered, his/her former guests may contact him/her again for their next tour or recommend him/her to their relatives & friends. 5. Monetary Reward – Tour Guiding is a lucrative job. − A tour guide may be compensated based on the following salary schemes: 1. Monthly Salary – is usually received by staff guides. − The compensation depends on the minimum wage rate prescribed by law & on the employer’s capability or generosity to pay. − In some companies, guides are given certain allowances for them to use during the tour, & the excess amount may form part of their compensation. 2. Per Tour Basis – an Independent or Freelance tour guide is paid on a per tour basis. − The rate is determined by the associations in which he/she belongs. − The salary is ascertained according to the distance of travel, the number of days &nights he/she shall serve, & the no. of guests that he/she will handle 3. TIP – it is an extra money given by satisfied clients. − However, it is not customary in Filipino culture, because it is simply enough to know that the clients have been served well. − In this light, a tip is already a bonus for hard work. − A tip can be voluntary or involuntary. Voluntary – when an honorarium is freely given by the guests. Involuntary – in establishments that have 8% to 12% service charge. − It is all right to accept a voluntary tip not only because it gives additional monetary reward to the guide for his/her dedicated & excellent service but also because to reject it is an insult to some foreign clients or tourists. − In other countries, tipping is a normal custom. − As long as guide does not personally ask for a tip, this generous gesture by the client should accepted & appreciated. Communication – is an essential skill that a tour guide should possess. − It is the most powerful means of conveying information from one person to another. Listening – speaking & listening skills, should be equally mastered. Steps Which will Help Develop One’s Listening Skills 1. Listen to the words emphasized by the guest. 2. Should there be any hindrance in the channels of communication, have the guests write down their question/message, or approach/go near them so that both parties can better hear each other. 3. Let the guests feel that they are important by sincerely listening to their concerns or suggestions. 4. Be familiar with various accents, & the tones & pronunciation of English words by watching & listening to local & international movies & television shows. 5. Widen your vocabulary through reading. Bring dictionary or electronic gadgets with translation software.  Develop Verbal Communication Verbal Communication – is prevalent because most of the time, the guide is interacting face- to face with the guests. 1. Voice Tone – a guide should naturally speak loudly so that he can be clearly heard & understood by tourists. − Should know how to modulate his/her voice (pitch & tone) & must know how to pronounce words correctly. − Should consider how fast he/she talks. − No need to hurry. − Avoid expression like “you know” since they might irritate the guests. 2. Getting the Tourists’ Attention – it’s easy to start the conversation by considering the client’s profiles. − Think of things that may capture their interest. − Take it as a challenge if the tourists are aggressive, argumentative, or unfriendly. − Be sensitive enough to listen to them. Develop Non-Verbal Communication Non-Verbal Communication – is a form of communication that uses body language & gestures. − Non-verbal cues such as gestures, body language, facial expressions & eye contact should be appropriately used. 1. Eye Contact – “The eyes are the window to the soul”. − The guide becomes more enthusiastic & personable if he/she maintains eye contact with tourists while talking. − Makes the guests feel that the tourist guide is talking directly to them. 2. Facial Expressions – the sincerity & attention of the guide towards his/her guests can be seen through his/her facial expressions. − Smile is the most powerful expression of positivity and cheerfulness. − Nervousness & anxiety denote that the speaker is not confident & not sure of what he/she is talking about. 3. Posture – guide’s posture & attitude greatly affect his/her total image & personality. − He/she should project a dignified image. − Appropriate body movements will catch the attention of the guests & reflect the guide’s confidence & authority. 4. Pointing Out Directions – while guiding, the guide should always be aware of the tourist spots that the group will see along the way. − If time permits, he/she can give short introduction of the place & point the site or structure to the guests. − Phrases like “we are now approaching,” “to your left,” & “to your right” show signs that the guide has mastered his job. − Appropriate hand gestures must be used to emphasize the places that are being described. Useful Tips to Improve Public Speaking Skills 1. When talking, use appropriate body language to improve communication with tourists. 2. Master the topic. − Always give appropriate information about the places to visit. − The guests must be convinced that you really know what you are talking about. 3. Maintain eye contact when talking to the guests to keep their attention. 4. Take time to listen to the guests. 5. Hearing out the suggestions of the clients makes the trip exciting, pleasant & enjoyable. 6. If possible, bring some visual aids or handouts for guests to better understand a certain topic. 7. Know when to stop talking. 8. Watch out for signs telling you that guests are in the information overload mode. 9. Be humorous. − This will make the tourists smile or laugh & the trip more enjoyable. Rapport – a tour guide should build camaraderie, friendship & rapport with all those directly or indirectly involved in an organized tour. 1. Travel Agency/Tour Operator – guide should befriend all travel agencies or tour operators that he/she has come to know. − They are the sources of employment & job opportunities in the industry. − Travel agents are not hard to please; as long as guides follow their rules & requests in handling their account, they will always ask for the same guide’s services in their future tours. 2. Airport Personnel – there are times when a guide will pick up the guests directly from the airport. − It is, therefore, necessary to ask the assistance of the airport personnel. − Requests include picking up the guests from a designated point or location & special assistance to the young, the elderly, or the incapacitated. 3. Coach Captains – a warm introduction to the tourists is greatly appreciated by coach captains (drivers). − Being in control of the trip, they should be treated well and with respect. − The guide should politely tell them the best route to take every now & then. 4. Colleagues – (Co-Tour Guide or Tour Coordinator) − In case of big group tours, the adage “no man is an island” is observed. − Cooperation is important in a situation like this to make the service of the entire team better. − The guide is encouraged to be sensitive to the needs not only of his/her own group but also of the other tourists/participants belonging to another group. 5. Tourists – a guide should focus his attention on taking care of his clients. − He should be fully aware of their physical & emotional states. − Should check on them whenever he/she feels that they look uncomfortable or stressed. − Always ask about their needs especially during their meals & describe native food they are eating & what ingredients it contains (for tourists with allergies). 6. Employees of Lodging Businesses – the guide should be the last to eat during meals & the first to finish eating. − He/she should also the last to sleep during overnight tours & the first one to wake up. − The guide should be mindful of the gender, age &physical attributes of the guests so he/she can easily make the necessary adjustments. − Each guest should be treated in the most special way possible, regardless of nationality, gender or race 7. Group Leader – in company outings or tours, there is an essential group leader who acts as a coordinator. − The guide should introduce himself/herself to this person before the start of the tour. − The guide should attend to the requests of the leader and inform him/her of any changes in the itinerary or schedule of activities. 8. Local Vendors – vendors are normally found in every stopover of the tour. − Their selling activities signify the economic benefits that tourism brings to the locals. − However, the proliferation of vendors who try to board the tourist bus to sell their goods is very distracting to guests. − The comfort & security of the tourists should not be compromised. − The guide can ask the vendors to let the tourists get off the bus first & wait for them to decide whether to purchase their merchandise /souvenirs or not. − While the guests check out the items, the guide may also help them haggle with the vendors. − The guests should be given information about the vendors or a souvenir shop before reaching the stopover. − It is also advisable that a stopover be made for quality souvenir shopping.