Earn Money As A Tourist Guide
Tourist guides are most often than not, the travelers first contacts in a foreign country. To be a successful tourist guide you must have excellent communication skills and preferably knows two foreign languages aside from English. Multi-lingual guides make ten percent more money. You also must be presentable, friendly, punctual and articulate.
Aside from language proficiency, you must take a seminar sponsored by the Department of Tourism to get accreditation which is a requisite to secure a permit to work as a tourist guide. After you get your permit associate yourself with travel agencies. They serve as your booking agents. They give you your clients and returning travelers.
Your fee should be based on one flat rate for the whole trip. Ask your customers for a deposit which is approximately1/3 of the package cost of the tour to confirm their reservations. This will protect you in the event that individuals cannot make the trip for whatever reason.
Just like any field of endeavour, you can specialize like taking tourists to golf tours, kayak/canoeing tours, historical sites, museums or even camping trips. Some guides only handle transfers like taking the tourists from the airport to the hotel and vice versa. It really depends on what kind of deals you sealed.
Tourists don’t expect their guides to know everything but you must know a little about everything. So brush up on the history and culture of whatever country you currently live. So you can give tid bits of vital information as you go around your destinations. You should also be punctual and offer prompt service. Remember the travel agencies you are connected with, ask guests for feedbacks of your service. And if they like your services you will always count on repeat business.
If you like the outdoors, meeting new people, speaking different languages then earning money as tourist guide may be for you. By the way on lean season, tourist guides mostly augment their income by conducting private language lessons and as an interpreter.
Aside from language proficiency, you must take a seminar sponsored by the Department of Tourism to get accreditation which is a requisite to secure a permit to work as a tourist guide. After you get your permit associate yourself with travel agencies. They serve as your booking agents. They give you your clients and returning travelers.
Your fee should be based on one flat rate for the whole trip. Ask your customers for a deposit which is approximately1/3 of the package cost of the tour to confirm their reservations. This will protect you in the event that individuals cannot make the trip for whatever reason.
Just like any field of endeavour, you can specialize like taking tourists to golf tours, kayak/canoeing tours, historical sites, museums or even camping trips. Some guides only handle transfers like taking the tourists from the airport to the hotel and vice versa. It really depends on what kind of deals you sealed.
Tourists don’t expect their guides to know everything but you must know a little about everything. So brush up on the history and culture of whatever country you currently live. So you can give tid bits of vital information as you go around your destinations. You should also be punctual and offer prompt service. Remember the travel agencies you are connected with, ask guests for feedbacks of your service. And if they like your services you will always count on repeat business.
If you like the outdoors, meeting new people, speaking different languages then earning money as tourist guide may be for you. By the way on lean season, tourist guides mostly augment their income by conducting private language lessons and as an interpreter.
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