Being a tour guide is easy right? All you have to do is keep a group together, rail off a couple of facts and walk around. Piece of cake!… if only this were true. If you’re considering a career in tour guiding, that’s great; it can be a very rewarding job. However, it’s important to familiarise yourself with the essential tour guide skills every success story needs. Without these skills, your tours aren’t likely to move anywhere fast.
This blog will share insights into the skills and qualities of a tour guide, breaking down the bare essentials that anyone should keep in mind if they’re considering a career in the industry.
It’s worth noting that this guide shouldn’t be confused with exam guidance for the Institute of Tourist Guiding qualifications. These skills are all essential, but the official curriculum is expansive and requires dedicated education.
Research skills are essential for tour guides
One of the most important skills for a tour guide is the ability to research history and culture with great depth and detail. It’s one thing to guide people around a site of interest. What makes someone a good tour guide is the ability to actually share fascinating, illuminating insights about the sites as they go. The ability to go beyond Wikipedia and actually get to the juicy stuff will set your tours apart from your competitors.
Being able to research and understand safety protocols
Along with all the research into the history and culture of the tour, it’s also important to treat safety protocols and legal regulations as equally important subjects. This will ensure that all of your tours are above board.
People skills, public speaking and acting ability will enhance tour guiding
Interacting with people is arguably the broadest category when it come to the skills and qualities of a tour guide. It can be categorised into two sides. One being the ability to present and speak publicly and the other being the back-and-forth capacity to handle concerns and answer questions. On the one hand, you need to be able to control a group and keep them transfixed; on the other, you need to make individuals feel cared for and comfortable.
Some acting ability is also useful if you’re doing a themed or more theatrical tour.
Understanding your equipment
There are suitable tour guide systems of equipment that can be used in tours of all sizes, such as conference audio and assistive listening devices. Understanding how they work, how to troubleshoot issues people might have with them and the right times and places to use them are essential tour guide skills.
Master the essentials and then choose your path
These are the essential facets of running tours, and when you’ve got them down, you can start to take a path. That means working in a pre-established site, setting up your own themed tours or redirecting your energy back into further education. Choosing your direction will lead you to a longer, more successful career.
For more insights into tour guiding and equipment, visit our blog today.