• To be able to define the term tour guide • To create awareness between the different kinds and classifications as well as the duties and responsibilities of tour guides • To learn the brief history of tour guiding • To understand tour guiding as a profession. Tour Operator Government Travel and Tourism Grow by 4% per year
• Travel and Tourism will continue to expand
faster than the economy as a whole and faster than comparable industries. • By 2018 Travel & Tourism is expected to account for: *$10.9 trillion *296.3 million employees • Growth depends on enlightened government policy • Thomas Cook, the pioneer of the modern tour guide. • In 1841, he arranged for the transportation and food of 540 campaigners to a rally 11 miles away. For one shilling each person paid includes rail tickets and food. The first privately chartered excursion train to be advertised to the public. • In 1850s he offered the “grand circular tours” of Europe. • In 1866, he introduced the Hotel Coupon • From 1847 to 1922, Thomas Cook & Sons published Tourist’s Handbooks for the different countries of Europe. - package and sell holidays which are offered in a brochure with a fixed price for accommodation, transport and ground arrangements. At times the service of a courier or representative is included in the package. - (Horner, Pauline (1999) Travel Agency Practice. Pearson Education Limited. England) - is a person who owns a business which transports paying tourists on scheduled itineraries. Tour Guide or Tourist Guide? Tour Guide is the “one who conducts a tour” or one with “a broad knowledge of a particular area whose primary duty is to inform. The term tour guide is widely used to describe the various professionals who are in any way engaged in guiding people, including tour managers, docents, and interpreters. (Kathleen, 1996) An individual, who, either as an employee or affiliate of a duly licensed travel & tour agency, GUIDE tourist, both foreign and domestic, for a fee, commission or any lawful form of remuneration. This is someone who takes people on sight-seeing excursions of limited duration. (Mancini (2003) A person who guides visitors in the language of their choice and interprets the cultural and natural heritage of an area which person normally possesses an area-specific qualification usually issued and/or recognized by the appropriate authority. - (En 13809 of the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) Adopted by WFTGA at its Dunblane, Scotland Convention 2003) http://wftga.org/page.asp?id=15 A tour guide can be defined as a person who guides groups or individual visitors on a tour around natural and cultural heritage sites or other attractions, and who interpret these places, in a language of the visitor’s choice, often in an inspiring and entertaining manner. (adapted from EFTGA 1998) Defined by Noel B. Salazar (Rethinking Tourism in Contemporary Asia, sept 7-9 2006 (An International Conference) Sourced from: https://lirias.kuleuven.be/bitstream/123456789/199402/1/nbs-nus2.pdf Cohen (1985) states that traditionally the role of the guide has been focused on two issues one of “pathfinder” and one of “mentor”. - (Cohen, 1985, p. 8) A pathfinder is described as one who leads others through social and natural areas unknown to its followers …while the mentor role is embedded within the concepts of personal tutor and spiritual advisor and is described as “a specialist serving as a guru to the seeker, guiding towards insight and enlightenment” This is a person who manages a group’s movements over a multi-day tour. This person may also be called a tour conductor, tour courier, tour escort, tour director or tour leader. (Mancini (2003) A TOUR MANAGER is a person who manages an itinerary on behalf of the tour operator ensuring the programme is carried out as described in the tour operator's literature and sold to the traveller/consumer and who gives local practical information. Tour Conducting is about managing tours, it involves traveling with groups while staying with groups, controlling and entertaining people dealing with problems and at times guiding tours. The tour conductor can be with that group, depending on the type of tour for two to three weeks. Tour Guiding is usually for a shorter length of time. It refers to the specific activity at a sight or an attraction for a scheduled portion of time. • Free Lance – not permanently connected with any travel agency and paid per trip.
• Staff Guide – permanently connected
with a travel agency, receives monthly salary. •On-Site or Local Guides •City Guide or Escort •Specialized Guide •Step-on Guide A person competent enough to guide in a certain locality or area. A 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. Is a guide who specializes in a certain field such as botany, architecture, environment, marine life, etc. A guide who joins a tour bus for a local sightseeing excursion. • Love of country • Pleasing personality • Must have a genuine interest in people • Resourcefulness • Trustworthy • Tactfulness • Good sense of leadership • Good communication skills • Good health • Punctual • Responsible, sensible and dedicated • Confident • Good sense of humor • Provide them information and explanations about the place honestly without prejudice; • Ensure a factual presentation, make sure to distinguish the truth stories, legends, traditions; • Act fairly and reasonably in all dealings with colleagues and co-workers; • Always act with tact and diplomacy in dealing with the guests • Always report for duty healthy and positive • Never take advantage of the ignorance of the tourists • Never allow yourself to be used by unscrupulous organizations who want to take advantage of the tourists • Use common sense and be honest by saying “ I don’t know…I will check..” • Ensure guest’s safety, warn them on: •Plants that might cause some allergies •Food and drinks that might not suit their digestive system •Elevation for those with vertigo and fear of height •Dogs that might bite •Presence of pickpockets in crowded areas • Protect the reputation of tourism by making every assignment a treat, with respect to the environment, wildlife, sights & monuments, local customs & traditions • Act responsibly as representative of the country and the people The tour guide is in a potentially influential position to modify and correct visitor behavior to ensure that it is environmentally responsible and contributes to environmentally sensitive attitudes (Armstrong & Weiler, 2002; Forestell, 1993; Kimmel, 1999) Sourced from: ftp://ftp.puce.edu.ec/Facultades/CienciasHumanas/Ecoturismo/ArticulosTurismo/Art%EDculos%20 cient%EDficos/Turismo%20sostenible/Journal%20of%20Sustainable%20Tourism/visitor_peception s_tourguides_naturalareas.pdf • http://www.wanderingeducators.com/best/trav eling/6-reasons-take-group-tour.html • http://www.ytravelblog.com/why-take-guided- tours-over-independent-travel/ • http://www.traveller.com.au/top-10-reasons- to-take-a-group-tour-38l25