Travel Guide

Overview

Who is Travel Guide?

A travel guide's job is delightful, exciting, and challenging. The travel guide aims to satisfy the curiosity of the tourist by guiding them through the destination while highlighting the interesting points regarding the history and significance or uniqueness of the site. For this, the travel guide knows the destination in and out, complete with the knowledge of its cultural traditions, heritage, social customs, as well as local superstitions. This job is an excellent choice for individuals who aspire to travel the world and explore various cultures and traditions. The travel guide must be a keen observer and an excellent storyteller with good research skills. They must also have a flair for describing geographical features well. Effectively communicating and leading must be a strong suit for a travel guide. Travel guides are hired for tourist destinations or travel agencies. As with most travel and tourism jobs, training is provided on how to deal with people. Being able to interact in multiple different languages and to juggle the demands of groups of tourists are necessary for this job.

Typical day at work

What does Travel Guide do?

A travel guide leads a group of tourists to and from various destinations while taking care of the logistics such as hotel accommodations, meals, tours, transportation, and itinerary. Also, at each destination, this guide may work with local guides to ensure their group receives the best cultural and historical information possible. Tour guides are often inhabitants of the region in which they provide tours, and are often hired by visitors' bureaus or travel businesses.

While much of a travel guide's role shall depend upon their specific employer, the typical responsibilities shall need them to:

• Plan and update the customers about the itinerary for the tour, as well as resolve any problems with the same, taking into account the tour length and weather forecasts
• Organize and guide the tourist/s through the excursions while describing the highlights of it
• Improvise the itinerary with alternative activities in case of closures, cancellations, or unfavourable weather.
• Provide information about the destination's shopping hot-spots, restaurants, major sightseeing options etc. to the tourists
• Schedule visits, obtain permits and tickets to protected parks, museums, galleries and other attractions ahead of time.
• Attend to the special needs of the tourists, arrange for medical personnel as necessary
• Market and sell travel packages 
• Verify, maintain, and monitor the availability of requisite equipment for each tour
• Instruct and assist in techniques required for certain activities such as mountaineering, climbing, wilderness survival etc. as well as demonstrate the use of any special equipment that is to be used
• Set up camp for the patrons when relevant and prepare meals for the tour members

Abilities & aptitude needed

What are the skills, abilities & aptitude needed to become Travel Guide?

To become a travel guide, the aspirants must need to develop effective communication skills, marketing and sales abilities. The person also needs to be comfortable with standing and walking for long hours as it might be required on the job. The ability to retain historical facts and knowledge about the highlights of specific cities/ destinations is also required. They need to be equipped with safety training skills and adhere to the prescribed safety code as well, to ensure a safe, enjoyable experience for their customers. A travel guide shall need to maintain an enthusiastic and friendly demeanour along with being proactive and flexible. Customer service skills are at the core of this job. Being able to connect to people is pivotal to this job, as it requires one to possess public speaking and leadership skills to coordinate and manage groups of people frequently. Apart from these, managing time, documenting and record-keeping skills, as well as business management principles, are necessary. The job also requires one to be flexible and proactive, with good presentation skills.

Courses

Which course I can pursue?