Dreaming of becoming a successful tour guide? Yes, it is possible since the tourism industry is starting to be very popular worldwide almost every country is very much promoting their local tourism to local and international tourists. In the next few years, there will more tourism-related jobs available to those who want to be part of the sector.
What does it take to be successful in this field? What are the characteristics you should possess to
Do your job right?
A good tour guide should have above average interpersonal and effective communication skills. He/She should be able to interact well with all types of people and be able to handle different personalities as well. Be engaging during talks, make it fun for the guests by being their storyteller.
You can also create and interactive activities on the tour bus to get rid of downtime.
If you want to excel in this type of work you need to be highly skilled. Equip yourself with the right skills by going through tourism training in order to be competitive in the job market. As their tour guide, your guests would expect a lot from you at all times. An effective tour guide should also be an advocate of continuous learning, being able to attend school and getting travel and tourism diploma courses would be a great addition to your qualifications which in the future can lead you to better job offers and career stability.
Tour guides are required to have a great deal of patience because you will be working with different types of people so you must have the flexibility to adjust in any type of situation that comes along the way. Having a friendly and approachable demeanor will make the guests feel comfortable and at home.
Being calm and confident at all times are also part of the expectations as a tour guide. Guests would most often rely on you for information and directions. You must be able to answer them in a confident manner. In case of emergency you should have the capability to rise above the situation.
Guests are often scared when something bad happens outside their comfort zone so you must be able to control any situation that your group may encounter.