- A tour guide – a person who guides groups or individual tourists to show them and interpret the cultural and natural heritage of the area they visit; a person who also posses knowledge of contemporary social and political life of a specific area.
- In many European countries it is neccessary to complete a special course to become a guide. In some countries qualifications are national and sometimes they are broken up into regions.
- While conducting a tour, tourist guides possess their IDs or badges to show who they are.
The art of guiding
Guiding is a skill of:
- Selecting and varying information for different audiences
- Presenting information in a simple and precise way
- Allowing visitors to see and understand
It is a skill, when well performed, is invisible but influences tourists and make them think
How to give a good guided tour
Be well prepared for the tour
Be friendly and polite
Show enthusiasm
Try to be a good team leader and don’t be a dictator
Be professional (punctual and organised)
Inform tourists of locations, times and any special considerations
Organise reasonable breaks
Inform tourists of things unique to a region
Structure information you give
Use interesting language
Be objective