Tour Guiding PDF

TOUR GUIDING MODULE 1  EVOLUTION OF TOURISM Luminaries say that tourism came from the Hebrew word “Torah” which means “to study” or “search”. Ancient people traveled from one place to another in search of food for survival. Early Romans developed roads that made trave...

TOUR GUIDING MODULE 1  EVOLUTION OF TOURISM Luminaries say that tourism came from the Hebrew word “Torah” which means “to study” or “search”. Ancient people traveled from one place to another in search of food for survival. Early Romans developed roads that made traveling faster and convenient.  EVOLUTION OF TOURISM Construction of monumental structures in Babylon and Egypt and spas or public baths in Greece, Belgium and Rome. As for tour guiding, Noah, who brought his family and different animals to safety from the Great Flood, and Moses, who led the Israelites out of Egypt to the promised land, may be considered as first guides.  EVOLUTION OF TOURISM Among the most prominent travel agents in the 1800s was Thomas Cook. He conducted the first excursion tour for a group from Leicester and Loughborough. Disneyland, record certain names like Bill Skiles and Pete Henderson as among the park’s firest guides who performed musical comedy stints while guiding.  PHILIPPINE TOURISM Guiding is basically giving assistance, information, historical background, and cultural knowledge to tourists. It can be said that guiding is inherent among Filipinos because they are hospitable as seen in their willingness to provide answers, give instructions to, or even help anyone who is lost, or asking for directions or basic information about the country.  HISTORY OF PHILIPPINE TOURISM In 2010, archaeologists Dr. Armand Mijares and Dr. Phil Piper found human fossils dating to approximately 67,000 years ago in Peñablanca Cave in Cagayan Valley. They are the earliest human fossils found in the Asia-Pacific region. This is a significant finding because travel was already commonplace during that particular period. During that time, people traveled in search of food for survival. People soon settled in the Philippine islands. Eventually, the Arabs and Chinese began trading with the natives, making tourism a bountiful industry along with commerce and trade. HISTORY OF PHILIPPINE TOURISM During the Spanish colonial period, people traveled because of religion and education. In the American era, modern roads were constructed to improve the flow of business in the country. Today, tourism in the country is booming and expanding. Usually, foreigners come to the country to visit friends and relatives, set up a business, fulfill religious obligations, study, or improve their health conditions. TYPES OF TOUR  TYPES OF TOUR CLASSIFICATION: Duration of travel EXCURSION HOLIDAY/VACATION less than 24-hrs in beyond 24 hours but not duration; this may also more than one consecutive pertain to day tours. year.  TYPES OF TOUR CLASSIFICATION: Movement of Tourists DOMESTIC INBOUND OUTBOUND TOURISM TOURISM TOURISM with local or native with foreign tourists going outside tourists traveling to tourist who visit their country of other places within another country origin for leisure, their country. for any activity. business, or other purposes. CLASSIFICATION OF TOURS ACCORDING TO MOVEMENT TYPE TOURIST COUNTRY OF COUNTRY OF INVOLVED ORIGIN DESTINATION Domestic Locals Philippines Philippines Inbound Foreigners/ Foreign Philippines Balikbayan Outbound Locals/ Philippines Foreign Foreigners  TYPES OF TOUR CLASSIFICATION: Object or Theme ECOTOURISM pertains to any activity involving interaction with an preservations of nature or the environment.  TYPES OF TOUR CLASSIFICATION: Object or Theme MEDICAL/WELLNESS TOURISM pertains to wellness and health activities that tourists could possibly engage in during their stay.  TYPES OF TOUR CLASSIFICATION: Object or Theme EDUCATION TOURISM pertains to travel associated with education or any act related to acquiring knowledge.  TYPES OF TOUR CLASSIFICATION: Object or Theme PILGRIMAGE/ RELIGIOUS TOURISM comprises visits to religious structures or to places related to religious beliefs.  TYPES OF TOUR CLASSIFICATION: Object or Theme BUSINESS TOURISM travel for corporate or commercial reasons.  TYPES OF TOUR CLASSIFICATION: Object or Theme VISIT TOURISM pertains to an appointment with, or a social or an official visit to someone related to the tourist like relatives or friends.  TYPES OF TOUR CLASSIFICATION: Number of tourists/visitors INDIVIDUAL TOURISTS tourists visiting places without a companion and who have their own personal intentions for traveling.  TYPES OF TOUR CLASSIFICATION: Number of tourists/visitors HONEYMOON/PERSON WITH COMPANION  tourist traveling in the company of another, maybe newlyweds or simply two people acquainted with each other.  TYPES OF TOUR CLASSIFICATION: Number of tourists/visitors GROUP TOURS  certain class or crowd traveling from one destination to another; a group of three or more participants that can be handled or assisted by a tour coordinator.  TYPES OF TOUR CLASSIFICATION: Number of tourists/visitors MASS TOURISM pertains to a big number of tourists visiting a certain place for common purpose; the number may vary from hundreds to thousands. (World youth day 1995 held in Manila.)  TYPES OF TOUR CLASSIFICATION: Other Forms of Tours OPTIONAL TOUR a tour which is non-compulsory or voluntary on the part of the tourist; usually offered as an added itinerary in a regular tour.  TYPES OF TOUR CLASSIFICATION: Other Forms of Tours INCENTIVE TOUR a tour given gratuitously by an employee to his/her employee for an excellent job.  TYPES OF TOUR CLASSIFICATION: Other Forms of Tours CULINARY/ GASTRONOMY TOUR  a tour involving the tasting of dishes or learning methods of cooking in particular area. MODULE 2 TOUR GUIDING  AN OVERVIEW OF TOUR GUIDING A TOUR GUIDE (TOURIST Tour guiding is GUIDE) is a person who escorts one the most individual visitors or people in promising and organized tours to various places high-paying yet of interest while providing challenging assistance and information for a professions in safe, comfortable, and the hospitality entertaining or appropriate tour industry. experience.  SERVICES ASSISTANCE OFFERED BY TOUR GUIDES A tour guide renders personal assistance to a guest or tourist from the beginning up to end of the tour. Hence, he/she can “make or break” the company that he/she represents by the kind of services he/she renders. He/she should be a service-oriented person who is always ready to help the guest.  SERVICES INFORMATION OFFERED BY TOUR GUIDES A tour guide should equip with relevant information that can be shared with the tourist. As a guide he should know everything related to the tour and should always be prepared to answer the guests queries about the place being around. The guide also knows the right stopovers, and the nearest police station, hospitals or medical clinics for emergency purposes.  WHY DO PEOPLE TAKE TOURS? Challenging yourself You’re craving new experiences and new challenges. Travel is the ideal place to test yourself. It pushes people to their limits and gets them outside their comfort zone.  WHY DO PEOPLE TAKE TOURS? Learning Learning is a strong reason why people love to travel. They want to experience something unfamiliar and leave with new skills or knowledge. This condensed crash course in discovering how the rest of the world lives actually will cover subjects like history, geography and sociology.  WHY DO PEOPLE TAKE TOURS? Expanding your perspective Another reason why people love to travel: it helps open your mind. You realize that there’s no one way to live life. Meeting people from other places will show you that your world view isn’t the same as everyone else’s.  WHY DO PEOPLE TAKE TOURS? Getting in touch with yourself Getting away from home gives you the opportunity to reflect on your life. You have the needed time and space to let your mind wander and take stock. Traveling is one of the best ways to learn more about yourself. Every day traveling brings a new set of issues and opportunities. The way you handle those also gives your insight into who you are.  WHY DO PEOPLE TAKE TOURS? Building and strengthening relationships The shared experience of travel brings people together. A family getaway, a romantic trip, or long weekend with the girls or guys can strengthen important bonds.  WHY DO PEOPLE TAKE TOURS? Having an adventure Conquering fresh territory is exhilarating – and one more reason why people love to travel. Humans crave new experiences and travel lets us tap into that craving. A trip is the perfect time to do something different and exciting, especially something you can’t do at home. The thrill starts the minute you land in a new place.  WHY DO PEOPLE TAKE TOURS? Escaping People seek from their travels what they don’t have back home: better weather, nicer scenery, the freedom to do what they want, experiences they can’t normally have, a slower relaxing pace.  WHY DO PEOPLE TAKE TOURS? Relaxing and rejuvenating Maybe you’re not looking to escape your problems. But everyone can benefit from a break from our usual diets of all work and no play. You may not realize how much you need to disconnect from the ever-present pressure of being available by phone, email or social media.  WHY DO PEOPLE TAKE TOURS? Celebrating There’s always a happy reason to take a trip. A special occasion is made even more special by celebrating away from the hectic pace of life at home. It’s also a good way to gather family and friends from distant corners to mark the milestone. Celebration vacations provide a lasting benefit as well: shared memories for a lifetime. WHY DO PEOPLE TAKE TOURS? Other reasons why people travel Visiting friends Religious or pilgrimage Education Wellness/Medicine Adventure Recreation  TOUR GUIDING MODULE 3 THE PRIMARY ROLE OF A TOUR GUIDE THE FIVE ROLES OF TOUR GUIDES THE LEADER The majority of the employers of guides regard leadership as the most important aspect of a guide’s responsibilities. Several tour operators are often more concerned with guides effectiveness with people and ability to lead groups rather than with guides knowledge or experience.  THE FIVE ROLES OF TOUR GUIDES THE EDUCATOR Travel is powerful teacher. Travel stimulates the exchange of knowledge. It gives the travelers an opportunity to interact with the local residents. A guide who strives to give information, impart values or benefits, teach new skills is an effective educator.  THE FIVE ROLES OF TOUR GUIDES THE PUBLIC RELATIONS REPRESENTATIVE Many countries, business and organizations employ guides in order to present a particular message or image to visitors. In some place, guides are chosen by government officials to project a special image or political philosophy or to relay a prescribed message. These guides are even trained to answer controversial questions.  THE FIVE ROLES OF TOUR GUIDES THE HOST Since travel is social activity, the guide’s role in travel consists of several social occurrences. Hosts have many roles including those of companion, mediator, advocate, entertainer, concierge, storyteller and others.  THE FIVE ROLES OF TOUR GUIDES THE CONDUIT The guide’s role as a conduit or channel or link is the most important. It can be the most powerful and long lasting. The role of conduit cannot be separated from any other role because it is integral to all the guide’s functions.  CHARACTERISTICS OF TOUR GUIDE STRONG COMMUNICATION SKILLS On a basic level guides should be great at projecting their voices across a group, and be able to do so in a clear and easy to understand way. On an interpersonal level, being great at knowing how to communicate well with people is a huge asset.  CHARACTERISTICS OF TOUR GUIDE PERSONABLE & OUTGOING Guides shouldn’t just be able to communicate well, they have to be great conversationalists with outgoing personalities. There can be a bit of social awkwardness when a new group of strangers show up, and a guide should be able to break that immediately to help people feel comfortable talking to each other and their guide. This ensures later on they feel open to add comments or add questions along the way.  CHARACTERISTICS OF TOUR GUIDE STRONG MEMORIZATION SKILL Tour guides need to retain a lot of stats and facts when walking people around a city- but they also need to be a great story-teller. Guides simply can’t get the information wrong, spend extra time trying to remember it or spend the whole tour reading from a piece of paper. Their memory should be so good, that it seems as if they’ve just always known these facts when they recite them. But most of all, the story needs to sound like it’s their own.  CHARACTERISTICS OF TOUR GUIDE IMPROVISATIONAL SKILLS Attendees will likely have additional questions or comments along the way. These things shouldn’t throw your guide for a loop, they should be able to adjust their script as needed. Sticking too closely to it, could end up making your guests feel like there’s no room for them to say anything at all.  CHARACTERISTICS OF TOUR GUIDE JUST ENOUGH ENTHUSIASM Just as guides will often play off the energy of the group, your attendees will likely feed off the energy of their guide. Your guide has been enthusiastic about the thing they’re talking about, but not so enthusiastic that they fail to sound genuine.  CHARACTERISTICS OF TOUR GUIDE HUMOR Just like being outgoing and enthusiastic, humor can be the perfect tool to cut any tensions and as always add an extra layer of entertainment for guests.  CHARACTERISTICS OF TOUR GUIDE PUNCTUALITY Punctuality is a can’t do without quality for tour guides. If your guide isn’t on time to meet arriving attendees at the meet up location there will be confusion, frustration and unhappy tour goers.  CHARACTERISTICS OF TOUR GUIDE A KEEN SENSE OF DIRECTION Outside of the fact that your tour guides should know where they’re going, they should also be able to help direct guests. Often guides have to be prepared to give some general directions to help people get to where they need to be when the tour is complete.  CHARACTERISTICS OF TOUR GUIDE THE KNOWLEDGE OF A LOCAL Anyone can memorize and recite facts. Though it’s not a requirement, some of the best guides are locals themselves. What’s great about this quality is that in addition to the planned facts and statistics, they can bring their own knowledge, experience and personal anecdotes to the tour. This can make a tour feel particularly special for guests who are looking for a genuine experience outside the typical tourist attractions.  CHARACTERISTICS OF TOUR GUIDE PASSION FOR THEIR CITY Last but certainly not least, true passion and interest can take a tour from typical to outstanding. Anyone can point and recite facts, but those who really love what they do can pass that passion onto tourists and locals to make them feel it too. Plus, those with passion for their city, bring their own experience to the tours they give. TOUR GUIDING Module 4 TYPES OF TOUR GUIDES  TYPES OF TOUR GUIDES 1. BY AFFILIATION A. Freelance Guide a type of guide no affiliated with any travel agency; is paid on a per tour basis only.  TYPES OF TOUR GUIDES 1. BY AFFILIATION B. Staff Guide a type of guide that is trained connected, and exclusively contracted by an employer/travel agency for the said company’s clients only; salary given on a regular basis; may be given an allowance and/or incentive during tour.  TYPES OF TOUR GUIDES 2. BY LOCATION A. Step-on-Guide a guide who joins a tour bus for a local sightseeing excursion.  TYPES OF TOUR GUIDES 2. BY LOCATION B. City Guide a guide in a large or important town, or in a metropolitan or business district of a region.  TYPES OF TOUR GUIDES 2. BY LOCATION C. Specialized Guide a guide who is fully concentrated on, and has complete or extensive knowledge of, a specific place.  TYPES OF TOUR GUIDES 2. BY LOCATION D. Museum Guide an indoor guide who assists tourists within a museum, gallery, or academy.  TYPES OF TOUR GUIDES 2. BY LOCATION E. Driver guide a guide who also drives the vehicle on a moving tour.