How to become A Tour Guide

History, culture, nature, and human achievement wait to be discovered in the sites to which Tour Guides take tourists. The visits to scenic natural attractions, historic sites, museums, factories, or other destinations take the form of bus or boat rides or even walking tours. Tour Guides are responsible for their group, sharing the importance of each site they visit and keeping the tour members safe.

• Tourist Guide
• Tour Coordinator
• Docent
• Museum Guide
• Historical Tour Guide
• Tour Escort 
• Museum Docent
• Travel Guide
• Discovery Guide
• Historical Interpreter

What do Tour Guides do?

A Tour Guide would typically need to:

• Transport and accompany individuals or groups of visitors on sightseeing tours to tourist spots in particular destinations; explain the historical and cultural significance of the sites and answer tourists’ questions 
• Work independently or with a travel company in diverse settings, such as parks, natural sites, museums, and historical monuments
• Manage pre-departure formalities, including scheduling flights, train or bus rides, cruises, and car rentals
• Conduct extensive research on the sites you will be visiting to provide reliable and interesting information and an in-depth experience to your tour group
• Survey and evaluate accommodation options and make reservations
• Put tourists at ease by being outgoing, friendly, and confident; entertain tourists and keep them engaged with enthusiasm and strong communication skills 
• Plan tours and excursions for and manage large groups efficiently; be punctual and ensure that all reach and leave the locations at the scheduled time
• Organise local transport, accommodation, food, and tickets; plan the daily itinerary and special activities, incorporating the group’s interests
• Provide directions, general advice on sightseeing, eateries and shopping, and any local guidelines to keep in mind
• Be aware of people’s dietary and other special needs, such as wheelchair access, and make the tour the most comfortable experience possible
• Ensure adherence to safety, hygiene and health guidelines and standards; ensure an event-free and enjoyable completion of the tour
• Adapt to different circumstances, such as inclement weather, and change the daily itinerary if necessary 
• Work with brand ambassadors to promote products or services; liaise with the tourism industry; explore and implement revenue-boosting sales opportunities
• Translate and interpret different languages to accommodate your group
• Assist those who require medical attention and respond to emergencies appropriately 
• Cover the receptionist area; greet tourists and answer their queries, whether via email or phone or in person; resolve any issues raised by tourists
• Complete administrative duties, such as communicating with event organisers and clients, monitoring expenses, and maintaining a daily online recap 
• Complete debit/credit card or cash sales transactions using a POS (point of sale) system

Tour Guides can work either in offices to make travel arrangements and handle general business, or travel to and work on the tourist sites. Often, Tour Guides are local residents.

Local, national and international travel is part and parcel of a Tour Guide’s job and results in time spent away from home. Tour Guides deal with various types of accommodation, conditions, and situations as they explore new areas or share familiar ones with tourists. Transport to different sites may be through buses, trains, boats, and private car rentals unless it is a walking tour of a city.

Tour Guides may work on seasonal contracts and sometimes as full-time employees. They may work from 8 to 12 hours a day, sometimes even chalking up to 15 hours daily during peak seasons, typically summers. Tour Guides may get two or three days off between tours but may also go on long tours for a month or more without a break. Irregular work schedules are common for Tour Guides, and they usually have time off when the tourist season ends.

Finding a new job might seem challenging. Tour Guides can boost their job search by asking their network for referrals, contacting companies directly, using job search platforms, going to job fairs, leveraging social media, and inquiring at staffing agencies. You may choose to freelance your launch your own tour business. If self-employed, you can guide tourists around areas open to the public.

Tour Guides are generally employed by:

• Hotels
• Travel companies
• Tourist Centres
• Wildlife sanctuaries
• Safari Park
• Animal Reserves
• Museums
• Historical sites
• Theme Parks

Professional associations and organisations, such as the World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations, are crucial for Tour Guides interested in pursuing professional development or connecting with like-minded professionals in their industry or occupation. Membership in one or more adds value to your resume while bolstering your credentials and qualifications. The World Federation of Tourist Guide Association also provides training and certifications for Tour Guides.

• Long periods in which tourism is low and thereby work availability
• Stress that arises from coordinating the large groups under your care; taking care of their entertainment, knowledge, health and safety 
• Conducting extensive research over the sites you visit and retaining that information
• Dealing with difficult passengers and clients who complain often; tackling emergencies
• The need to understand and speak multiple languages, which can be time consuming to learn
• Spending most of your time in hotels or on different modes of transport, far from your home, and living out of suitcases
• Physically strenuous from standing and walking for extended periods 
• Navigating through the traffic in various cities and tackling large and busy airports and stations
• Working long hours and having minimal time off, especially in peak seasons
• Not seeing your friends and family extended periods and finding it difficult to share your experiences with them

Any academic program that a potential Tour Guide takes up typically requires a period of supervised experience, such as an internship. You may volunteer or take up summer jobs at local museums or tourist sites, learning to provide historical and cultural information and answer questions confidently, accurately and politely. 

While at school or university, you may volunteer as an ambassador to take prospective students and families on tours around the campus and facilities. These experiences will help you develop public speaking skills and the ability to accommodate guests, provide excellent customer service, and work with colleagues.

You will gain optimal benefit from your tasks outside of the classroom when they line up perfectly with your lessons inside it. You may get to hear countless stories from more experienced professionals and obtain valuable hands-on experience when they manage to turn seemingly routine incidents into unique learning moments.

Read about the profession and interview or job shadow experts working in Tourism to prove your commitment to course providers and prospective employers.

Tour Guides must also have experience with CPR and first aid skills to respond appropriately to emergencies. 

Tour Guides typically require the minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent or an associate degree. Some tour companies may need you to have a bachelor’s degree in tourism or a related field. Different fields of tourism have different requirements. For example, guiding museum tours requires a bachelor’s degree in history or similar subjects, while guiding eco-tours requires a bachelor’s degree in conservation or an environmental field. 

Tour Guides would also need to know about the location that they work at, its history, amenities, artefacts, and cultural significance. It would be beneficial for Tour Guides to learn multiple languages.

Certification demonstrates a Tour Guide's competence in a skill set, typically through work experience, training, and passing an examination. When acquired from an objective and reputed organisation, it can help you stand out in a competitive job market, carry a significant salary premium of up to 18 per cent, increase your chances of advancement, and allow you to become an independent consultant. Successful certification programs protect public welfare by incorporating a Code of Ethics.

It is recommended that Tour Guides have a certification in first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillators (AED) to respond to emergencies. Tourism-related certifications, such as the Travel and Tourism Professional (TTP), typically require a minimum of two years of work experience and an oral or written exam and must be renewed periodically.

Depending on location, you may need to acquire a license. Individual government entities conduct the licensing process. It typically requires the passage of an examination in addition to the fulfilment of eligibility requirements, such as a minimum level of education, work experience, training, or the completion of an internship, residency, or apprenticeship.

Performance, experience, and the acquisition of professional qualifications drive career progression. Employees with consistently high performance levels may be eligible for promotion every two to three years.

Tour Guides have several avenues of career progression open to them. You may take on greater responsibilities by conducting complicated trips or guiding tourists through more advanced sites. You may specialise in tours to certain countries or destinations.

With adequate experience and a solid network, you may launch your own travel agency or work for larger tour companies that provide package tours to individuals, families or groups. You may also diversify to become Travel Writers for newspapers or magazines, focusing on exotic locales, or organise customised trips for the corporate world and company executives or high-profile clients.

If you are multilingual and have knowledge of various cultures, various job opportunities are likely to open up worldwide.

Candidates with the necessary communication skills, historical and cultural knowledge, a sharp and extensive memory, experience, and education have the best job prospects. Confident Tour Guides who provide entertaining and engaging tours will succeed at their job.

Continuing professional development (CPD) will help an active Tour Guide build personal skills and proficiency through work-based learning, a professional activity, 

formal education, or self-directed learning. It allows you to upskill continually, regardless of your age, job, or level of knowledge.

Tour Guides can improve their skills through taking relevant courses, acquiring certifications, and learning from professionals to make their tours better and more engaging. You may also receive on-the-job education, including safety training, from your employer, making you more competent and confident. 

Tour Guides can also work on their comedy improvisation and public speaking skills to improve their tours and improve the experience of the tourists.

You can also acquire additional certification and training in industry knowledge, tour itinerary design and other related areas to excel at your job. The World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations runs training programs, which can benefit you.

Types of Tour Guides

Tour Guides take you to a vast variety of places with historical or cultural significance or natural beauty. These include monuments, national parks and safaris, botanical gardens and zoos, barrier reefs, museums and art galleries, metropolitan cities and more. Based on where they take you, they may be classified as historical, corporate or nature Tour Guides. 

Historical Tour Guides show national monuments, historical sites and districts, areas of religious and archaeological interest, and museums. These guides must have extensive knowledge of the history of the site and offer interesting descriptions of the location, including its effects on modern society. They must also be able to answer questions. 

Corporate Tour Guides are employed by large organisations, even non-profits, and give tours through factories, explaining the manufacturing process and business objectives. Theme Park tour guides may show tourists around a museum which depicts company history and goals and its popular attractions. 

Nature or Eco-Tour Guides may work as safari guides, zoo guides, or work in natural reserves, explaining the behaviour and natural habitats of animals and the importance of conservation and of biodiversity to tourists. These guides must have knowledge of the natural sciences, such as geology, biology, and the geography of the site.

Dress Code

The dress code for tour guides tends to vary based on the area that you are visiting, the nature of the tour, the weather, and any cultural guidelines that must be respected. Adventure guides would wear clothes and shoes suited for the wilderness and hiking while museum guides may wear more formal clothes.

Most tour guides wear comfortable clothes as the job requires extensive physical activity. Maintaining a clean and sophisticated appearance at all times and in all venues, while not intimidating clients with clothing that is too formal and not suited to a vacation, is important so that the clients have a good impression of you. Casual smart dressing is the safe choice. Brighter shades may be handy to wear for your group to locate you easily in crowded tourist spots.

What to Pack in Your Skill Set

Tour Guides must be experts in their areas of specialisation and skilled at answering questions about the historical and cultural significance of sites. Strong communication skills are indispensable. Multilingual abilities, while not essential, are handy when dealing with tourists from all over the country and the world.

Time-management and organisational skills are critical so that the tours may be conducted on time and the daily itinerary can be followed. Tour Guides must keep in mind the needs of the tourists. They must feel comfortable being in charge of large groups and respond to any concerns. To make the tourists feel more comfortable, they must be friendly, confident, polite and enthusiastic. They must also be ethical, resourceful and adaptable to different circumstances, ensuring that the group is at ease with the changes.

Potential Pros & Cons of Freelancing vs Full-Time Employment

Freelancing Tour Guides have more flexible work schedules and locations. They have full ownership of the business and can select their projects and clients. However, they experience inconsistent work and cash flow, which means more responsibility, effort and risk.

On the other hand, a full-time Tour Guide has company-sponsored health benefits, insurance, and retirement plans. They have job security with a fixed, reliable source of income and guidance from their bosses. Yet, they may experience boredom due to a lack of flexibility, ownership, and variety.

When deciding between freelancing or being a full-time employee, consider the pros and cons to see what works best for you.

Self-employed Tour Guides can give tours of publicly accessible travel destinations, such as national parks or natural attractions. Tour Guides employed by visitor centres offer tours of cities, industrial locations, and other areas of interest.

An innovative response by some travel companies to the pandemic’s impact on tourism has been to bring knowledgeable Tour Guides and curious travellers together on online seminars.

As a Tour Guide, you have ample opportunity to travel to local and international venues and learn about the world. Tour Guides accompany visitors around popular attractions, answer their questions, and organise transportation, accommodation and other services. Your job can be rewarding and entertaining as you spend much of your time on the move, visiting scenic and historically or culturally significant spots. Generous tips from satisfied tourists and discounted accommodation and services from tourist sites are a bonus.

When sharing the history of a tourist attraction, make sure it is compelling and related to the monuments and sites you visit with your group of tourists. Tourists find a story more engaging than names and dates. Make your tours interactive, and don't worry about being perfect!