Being a tour
guide is not an easy job. Being a good/great/fantastic/amazing guide is
tougher. It requires practice, experience, enthusiasm, stamina and a loud
voice. If you want to improve your tour guiding game, here are 5 qualities you
can start building today.
They are
incredible storytellers
Captivating
and interesting, a great tour guide is able to bring history and culture to
life. They are clear and easily understood, and effortlessly weave together the
past and the present, creating a relevant narrative that delivers valuable
lessons to the tour group.
Great tour
guides leave their audience in awe and give them something to ponder upon
before they go to bed at night.
Storytelling
is part of being a great guide.
They care
about their guests
Great tour
guides know how to make their guests feel at ease and get the tour group
comfortable with one another. They strike up conversations with everyone on the
tour, not just one or two "favourites". They take into consideration
the various needs of their customers and make an effort to find a compromise
for everyone. On multi-day tours, they might make sure there's a seating rota
so that everyone gets a chance to sit in front, not just that couple.
They're
knowledgeable
Even if they
aren't local, they know a lot about the topic of the tour. They know the
destination and its culture like the back of their hand, and they can't wait to
share it with their tour groups. They're unlikely to get lost when guiding
(thankfully) and can effortlessly offer genuine recommendations for restaurants,
attractions, activities and night life.
Great guides
are knowledgable about the destination.
They're
flexible
The best
guides are quick on their feet and know what to do if a tour doesn't go as
planned. They're also up for a little adventure every now and then, agreeing to
take the road less travelled if their tour group agrees on it. It's the little
things like this that make a tour experience stand out and remain unique and
special for everyone on the trip.
They finish
on time
Great tour guides know how to manage their allocated time and identify attractions worth their customers' time, energy and money. No one wants to walk around aimlessly for four hours and have to sneak off mid-tour (guilty as charged). A tour guide who knows how to pack a punch in the limited time she's given is a tour guide who deserves a shout out on TripAdvisor.
Great tour guides know how to manage their allocated time and identify attractions worth their customers' time, energy and money. No one wants to walk around aimlessly for four hours and have to sneak off mid-tour (guilty as charged). A tour guide who knows how to pack a punch in the limited time she's given is a tour guide who deserves a shout out on TripAdvisor.
