Tour Guiding

An Introduction
presented by: Sharlene Zabala Batin

• 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.

• 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
Travel and Tourism Grow by
4% per year

• 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 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

Tour Guiding

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