Midterm Lesson Tour Guiding PDF

Lesson 2 Communication for Tourism: Tour Guiding Let’s Achieve These! Create an effective promotional multimedia material for tourist Write effective tour commentaries Engaging: Putting Things in the Right Perspective Traveling is one of the most ex...

Lesson 2 Communication for Tourism: Tour Guiding Let’s Achieve These! Create an effective promotional multimedia material for tourist Write effective tour commentaries Engaging: Putting Things in the Right Perspective Traveling is one of the most exciting experiences that enrich human lives. The quotes below express exactly what travel is. “The use of traveling is to regulate imagination with reality, and instead of thinking of how things may be, see them as they are.” -Samuel Johnson “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” -Saint Augustine “Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.” -Senec You have probably been a traveler or a tourist once or twice. Do you find truth in the quotes above or do you have an entirely different idea about what travels can do? As a tourist, you must have sought assistance from other people for directions and advice in an unfamiliar place. Can you remember how you felt during that time? There might also be travel moments you will never forget. What made these moments unforgettable? Was it the beauty of the place or the experiences you had with people? Tourism has become very relevant to almost all business industries. It has generated the consumption of goods and services; thus, it has generated significant economic gains to various businesses. The success of tourism business is determined not only on the nature of business but also on the people involved. In tourism, tour guides play the role of creating good impressions 1 generate word of mouth reputation which makes an excellent free advertisement for any tourism business. Concept Grounding Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. Like other businesses, tourism is highly perishable. Hotel with no booking, buses and airlines with no passengers lose their value. Promotion of tourism, therefore, is necessary to sustain the industry. This is where tour guides contribute best. Tour guides, to be effective, must possess good communication skills. In fact, communication is their main tool. Communicative Goals in Tour Guiding 1. Inform, remind and advise This goal includes giving directions and commentaries, explaining itineraries, reminding tourists of safety tips and security, describing weather conditions and situations, challenges in the place etc. 2. Promote and persuade One of the tour guide’s main responsibilities is to sow interest in people to visit places especially that of his/her own. The power to persuade people to visit a certain place depends on several factors which include the promoter’s choice of information to give, the connection he as with clients and his attitude toward the place. 3. Clarify Misinformation often leads to misunderstanding and confusion. Problems may arise during travel due to circumstances beyond the tour guide’s control. These problems may force the tour guide to alter original plans. Such changes should be communicated clearly to the tourists to avoid confusion. 4. Build rapport and relationships Good conversations with tourists lead to good rapport. Good rapport reinforces more business transactions and business network. 5. Gather feedback for improvement Open communication with tourists is an avenue of evaluating the service provided. Constructive feedback is used as bases for changes to improve tour guiding services while positive feedback inspires tour guides to sustain the quality of their work. 2 Communication Tasks for Tour Guides 1. Receiving telephone calls The way one handles a telephone may be the first impression that a company makes on a prospective client. The tips below will help create a good impression. Always have a notepad and a pen near the telephone. Pick up the phone after two to three rings. Greet the caller and identify yourself and your enterprise. Example: “Hello. Good morning. This is (your name) of Leisure Travel and Tours” Ask what you can do for the caller. Example: “How may I help you?” Listen attentively. Write down the message for completeness and reference especially if the message is to be relayed to another person or if the message is long. Express your joy of having answered the caller’s query. Example: “It’s my pleasure to have answered your questions.” “You are welcome.” “Do call us if you have more questions.” 2. Preparing an itinerary Itineraries are prepared primarily to estimate the time to be spent in each site and to systematize the whole tour experience. With an itinerary, unnecessary delays will be avoided. An itinerary includes the following information: the time, places, and activities. 3. Giving tour commentary A tour commentary is delivered while tourists are riding on a tour bus. The commentary provides descriptions, history, trivia, anecdotes, and any relevant and interesting information about the place being visited. A tour commentary enhances tourist interest in and appreciation of the site. A tour guide therefore needs to master all information that will make a tour commentary a very informative and effective one. Preparation of a tour commentary requires a thorough knowledge and understanding of the place; delivery requires practice. Here are some suggestions for effective tour commentaries: Deliver tour commentaries at the right time. For example, while the bus is approaching a site of interest, you will say, “Coming up on the right is the… where….” Keep your commentaries light as tours are primarily for leisure. Adjust your pace according to the speed of the vehicle. Extend the commentary if necessary. Anecdotes and humor add life to the travel experience of the tourists. Add personal and positive comments about the place. 3  Do not write or read what you will say. Reading will make you an unprofessional tour guide. Communication Techniques in Dealing with Complaints Although unpleasant, complaints signal to the service provider that he or she has chance to clarify, explain, apologize, and/or make up to the tourists what might have gone wrong in the service. The suggestions below may be of importance when the need arises: Acknowledge the tourists’ right to complain. Express your empathy. Listen attentively and understand where they are coming from. Act on their complaints as soon as possible. Offer an alternative plan/solution for problems. (Tour guides should foresee possible tour problems so that an alternative plan is always ready. Common tour problems include delays, vehicular malfunction, unfavourable weather conditions, health issues, etc.) ✓ Follow through on the solutions. Effective communication is integral component of successful tour guiding. Good communication bridges almost all the gaps arising from differences; it mitigates and solves problems; it builds genuine relationships among people of diverse cultures; and it lays the foundation of understanding among people of both business and personal relations. Effective communication reinforces customer satisfaction which generates patronage. 4