The use of tours for education is not something tour guides should take lightly. And while I mention often that we should make an effort to reveal a more diverse history on our tours…we should also take care with the more common history. Prefer to listen & watch? This article has
Arriving at least 15 minutes early to your experience can help you get ahead of most challenges that might pop up on your tour. Prefer to listen & watch? This article has a video version. Video please Showing up early is not just for the guests! By being proactive with
Back to the full blog... It's ok to give responsibility to your guests as sometimes, the customer is not always right... Prefer to listen & watch? This article has a video version. Video please So often we get angry with travelers behaving badly, and yet, I wonder if
So many skills can be taught, but the one tour guide skill that comes from being on the job is the ability to 'just figure it out'. Prefer to listen & watch? This article has a video version. Video please I mention often that I think most skills
Empathy is, by far, the most important skill for a tour guide. And they use it in more ways than you think. Prefer to listen & watch? This article has a video version. Video please Historical knowledge aside there are a lot of traits and skills* that make a great
Getting a 5 star review is top of everyone's list, from the guides to the managers. And yet, I have very mixed feelings about 5-star reviews... Prefer to listen & watch? This article has a video version. Video please I strongly feel that 5 star reviews give zero
How often do you get applause at the end of the tour? For me, applause is the ultimate sign of a job well done. Visible, real-time approval, directly from your customers. Prefer to listen & watch? This article has a video version. Video please And here's the secret;Getting
A tour theme is one of the most important ingredients and yet is often missing from tours. Prefer to listen & watch? This article has a video version. Video please One of my favorite formulas from Sam H Ham's 'Interpretation' is his TORE Model which says that, in order
To be honest, I've never been asked "How to talk politics" on a tour as most tour guides shy away from politics (and/or many Managers direct their guides to stay away from politics). Prefer to listen & watch? This article has a video version. Video please I talk often
Often, the biggest stressors for guides are around conflict and confrontation: unhappy customers, belligerent locals, an annoyed vendor, etc... Prefer to listen & watch? This article has a video version. Video please These are situations that, thankfully, don't come up too often for the average guide but perhaps because