Principles of Tour Guiding: A good tour guide insures qualitative services to the tourists. Tour guides work on certain ethos, professional code of conduct and principles. They are given license after training conducted by the appropriate authority. So, they are reliable and trustworthy.
Major Principles of Tour Guiding:
- To act professionally with the client, stake holders as far as tourism related services are concerned.
- To charge reasonably (if charging directly). Otherwise, these charges are fixed up by the government and are part of tour package costing.
- To create good image of himself (i.e. tour guide), local people, region or state and country for which he is working.
- To protect the environment, flora and fauna, animals, birds, enspecies, water bodies, small creatures etc.
- To protect sensitivities of locals, their traditions, rituals and project in positive manner.
- To offer professional services to the tourists. To fulfill commitment of the travel agency.
- A tour guide has to ensure that facts and figures are presented properly and in appropriate manner.
- A tour guide is the cultural brand ambassador of the country and he can promote the country.
- He should be positive and proactive in working.
- He should not allow and encourage tourist to criticize the country on any issue.
- A tour guide must abide by law and have workable information of law.
- A tour guide should not indulge into debate, arguments, quarrel with the tourists.
- He must keep himself away from any controversy.
- Do not be overcommitted.
- You are the icon of India in front of tourist, so, you must portray indianness.
- Tour guide must be emphatatic and caring towards tourists.
- Keep your transactions clear and beyond any doubt.
- Be flexible being a tour guide, you must be flexible as far as time schedule is concerned. Consider request of clients. You ultimate aim should be to make your clients happy and blissful. As you know, in tourism industry our product is experience. Without good experience your job is unfinished.
Also read Job of a Tour Guide
- Be Professional
Being a tour guide, you must understand the meaning of professional. The Profession is any kind of paid occupation. Professional is a person involved in a profession. He is paid for that job. So, he is liable for best in trade services. He gives maximum output by using optimum resources. Principles of Tour Guiding
You must keep yourself cool and calm in all kind of situations. As you have to satisfy the tourists. Be friendly in nature and behavior. Try to create right image of the country and your region. Suppose, you are guiding in north India region. Explain them about the place and tell them that its’ rich history and culture.
But, before communicating get it confirmed form reliable sources. If you are referring internet resources, find out the validity of the course of information. See websites of government of India, archeological survey of India, reputed library resources of various universities, the website of national museum, ministry of culture, the ministry of tourism etc.
You must understand that every word you speak, your behavior, your gesture towards the tourist, your comments about the region, the country have an impact on tourists. They observe very minutely and create an image of country accordingly.
Also read Present status of Tour Guides
20. Be proactive
A tour guide must be proactive in nature. Proactive mean he should work in advance and do not wait for happening of any problems. A tour guide must sense future requirements and keep himself to meet every kind of emergency. This skill is mostly useful in all kind of torus.
But, required more in adventure. Once, we were going to Manali—Solang— Dhudhi trek. Our guides felt that weather conditions are not favorable and he stopped us on the way at safe place.
Call your clients one day advance and confirm his programme. Reconfirmations help to minimize communication gap and enhance service production. You should know what is happening around you. You must comprehend that you are their well wisher and it will help them to understand the place.
21. Temperament
Now days, our life style is quite hectic. We are becoming multi-taker. We have to manage a number of jobs at one time like: practical guiding, receiving calls of travel agents, liasoning with monument people. Many times, a tour guide loose temper and clients ate victim of short tempered guide.
It must be avoided in any situation. There is no excuse, if you are losing your temper. Being a tour guide, we must listen out clients carefully and respond them politely.
Also read Role of a Tourist Guide
22. Experience
In the tourism industry, our product is an experience. In title its’ written three times to convey its’ strength or intensity. We must believe that there is only one thing for which tourists has crossed thousands of miles from his home place that is experienced in the core of heart.
A guide is a medium to ensure a good experience. Travel should be a unique experience for tourists under the guidance of tour guide.
23. Do not over commit
Whatever services, you are providing must be as per your commitment. In any case, do not over commit. Over commitment spoils image of any professional.
Also read Tour Guiding
24. Make them happy
You must have principle to make them happy, blissful (under any circumstances). They have come out of their workplace in the expectation to get happiness. Do not engage them in your day to day problems.
25. Be fully informed
The Present age is the age of internet, social media. Everyone is information over loaded. Tourists explore ‘Google’ before travelling. So, they are aware of common information. So, fully informed and have some extra information, knowledge. Guide them with wisdom.
26. Be responsive
The Tour guide must be a responsible person. He must advise clients time to time and realize tourists that he is working responsibly not only in talk but in action also.
27. Reliability
Your (tour guide’s) behavior and commitments must be reliable. Your reliability will create a sense of trust among tourists. A reliable tour guide sustains for a longer time.
28. Be a man with knowledge
Knowledge gives a sense of confidence in a commentary. A knowledgeable person can give an answer of all queries raised by the tourists. So, nurture habit of reading regularly from good and reliable sources, create information base. Knowledge is essence of information.
The Success of tour depends on knowledge imparted by the tour guide. A tour guide must be passionate about tour. He must also be well aware of each and every detail of the tour. Knowledge helps in raisings satisfaction level of clients.
Also read Tour Guiding in a museum
29. Value for money
Always keep in mind that you are providing value for money. Clients have paid for the deluxe tour; he must be served in the way to feel that he is given privileges. But, in one group do not differentiate clients. If you are treating two clients differently, they will not carry good impression and your purpose of making everyone happy will be defeated.
If you will work as per your principle to treat everyone equal, it will help you sustain for longer without any measure complaint. You must have a principle about tips also. Do not act against system or practices of your company, system or country.
30. Grooming
In principle, our dress must suit the occasion, profession, weather conditions and traditions. I feel that a tour guide must be in proper attire in which he must feel comfortable. Keep away from trendy dresses distracts clients. Do not try to look smarter then tourists.
Do not compare yourself. A good dressing sense gives a lot of confidence in working. I feel that Indian dresses are also creating positives impression and good image. Indian dresses are designed keeping in mind climate and comfort. Principles of Tour Guiding
Tourists also accept people wearing dresses as per their culture. After dressing, we must know how to groom. If we are groomed properly, we will be able to impress the tourists.
31. Have complete information
Have principle to be transparent and believe in full disclosure. Your tour guiding profile must be updated, precise, and accurate. Sudden changes in the tour are possible due to change in weather, climate, nature etc. Be keen to know details about hazards, safety and security of tourists.
Why tour guide must have principles
Our daily actions decide habits. A tour guide must have to follow a certain set of statements about his profession. These statements must be framed in line with nature.
These statements are known as principles. Principles decide success or failure of our profession. If a tour guide abides by the principles, he will be able to sustain for linger time. His job will be easier. Principles of Tour Guiding
