The guide

CHAPTER 2
The Guide

2.1 Tourist Guide – A skill group of

professionals

2.2 Where do guides

work?

2.3 The roles of a guide

Tourist Guide – A skill
group of professionals

Who is tourist guide??

“person who guides groups or individual
visitors from abroad or the home country
around the monuments, sites and museums
of a city or region: to interpret in an inspiring
and entertaining manner, in the language of
the visitor’s choice, the cultural and natural
heritage and environment.”
(International Association of Tour Managers
and the European Federation of Tourist
Guide Association)
“A person with an effective combination
of enthusiasm, knowledge, personality
qualities and high standards of
conduct and ethics who leads groups
to the important sites (in our city),
while providing interpretation and
commentary”
(Professional Tour Guide Association of
San Antonio)
Attributes of a tourist
guide
 Communication
 Leadership & group management
 Creative & strategic thinking
 Research, planning, design,
implementation & evaluation
 Emergency & incident management
 Navigation
 Improvisation & flexibility
Guides also require…
 Knowledge – support commentary
 Satisfy – Q & A session
 Understanding of the relationships between
different subjects
 Personal attributes – enthusiasm, empathy,
respect, diplomacy, curiosity, endurance,
cultural & environmental awareness
 Friendly, safety of a group etc
WHERE DO GUIDES
WORK???
 Employees of government organizations –
national parks / national museum
 Employees of private companies – travel
agencies
 Freelance guides
 Contract guides – short term (shipping
cruise season)
 Self-employed guides – own tour operation
company
 Volunteer guides – specific events
THE ROLE OF A GUIDE

 Interpreting, communicating, role-

modeling appropriate behavior,
navigating, leading, managing group
etc
 Responsible for the safety

 Other skills – business,

administration, project management,
catering & camp ground skills
Key Roles of the Tourist
Guide:
 Information Providers
 Social Facilitators
 Cultural host
 Motivator of appropriate conservation
values
 Interpreter of the natural & cultural
environment
 People mover
 Instructor, safety officer, ambassador, PR,
entertainer, problem solver, confident &
counselor, navigator & record keeper
 END
END OF
OF CHAPTER
CHAPTER
Prepared by
Shaiful Azli Muhamad Surol
shaiful236@ppinang.uitm.edu.my