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14 Pros and Cons of Being a Tour Guide

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So many people around the world love to travel and wish they had a job where they could do both simultaneously.

One such way to do so is to become a tour guide, which allows you to travel locally, domestically, or internationally and get paid to do so!

While this may sound like a glamorous dream job, there are some drawbacks as well as it is not just adventure and excitement every day.

To learn more about becoming a tour guide, it is important to consider the pros and cons before deciding. Keep reading to learn about this interesting career!

Table of Contents

1. Can Work in Different Locations

2. improve people skills, 3. interesting work, 4. learn about different destinations, 5. learn new languages, 6. no traditional office, 7. work with a variety of people, 1. deal with difficult people, 2. immediate changes in schedule, 3. low job security, 4. not lucrative, 5. reliant on seasons, 6. subjected to inclement weather, 7. work holidays and weekends, pros and cons of being a tour guide – summary table, should you become a tour guide, pros of being a tour guide.

Becoming a tour guide has numerous excellent benefits, with the best being:

Depending on the tour guide type, you could work in a variety of locations.

Some tour guides offer walking tours around the town or city, others manage tourists going on day trips to sites further away.

Some tour guides are involved with multi-day trips around their country while others travel internationally with groups.

The best tour guides get to embark on international trips with larger tourist groups.

As a tour guide, you really get to work on your soft skills through various interactions with tourists, other guides, and employees at different attractions.

Throughout your daily routes, you encounter countless individuals, some pleasant, some quiet, some difficult, some loud, and you learn how to deal with distinct types of people.

Since you get the opportunity to gain experience about all types of sites, attractions, and cultures, being a tour guide presents a variety of interesting experiences and interactions that lead to beautiful journeys.

No day will ever be boring or the same and there is a spontaneous aspect to being able to visit various locations.

As a result of these travels, you get to learn about different destinations.

Given that the tour company will give you specifics on what they want you to cover in the tour, you will likely master all the interesting details about your town or city first.

Next, you may move on to one day or multi-day trips, where you will learn about additional destinations and finally, you can graduate to the international circuit to learn about other countries, all of which make you a more well-rounded tour guide and individual.

Since you are meeting a variety of people, you pick up bits and pieces of different languages.

Some companies, they will pay for you to learn other languages since it is such a valuable skill that helps with the customer service you provide.

Other companies may not foot the bill, but there are plenty of apps and free online learning opportunities that can help you improve your tour guide service.

One of the best aspects of being a tour guide in the world is your office.

Many people are not built to sit in cube farms all day for their entire careers.

Some love being outside and looking at beautiful sites.

Best of all, you can work without a boss or colleagues watching over you, which can really take the stress off your back.

The final major benefit of becoming a tour guide is the opportunity to collaborate with people from different locations, countries, and backgrounds, with a variety of experiences.

Although you may only be together for a short time, you develop friendships and relationships with your clients.

This also allows you to gain experience more about different religions, languages, and cultures.

Learning more about your clients is an excellent way to cater the sites to them while providing exceptional customer service!

Cons of Being a Tour Guide

While there are many benefits to becoming a tour guide, it is important to also understand the drawbacks.

Whether you are a tour guide in your local city or a traveling tour guide, you will have to deal with different people with unique needs and personalities every day you work.

Sometimes, there are problematic and difficult individuals who are not well-behaved, complain about everything, or are generally miserable and want everyone to know.

To deal with this individual type, you must have excellent patience, professionalism, and customer service.

In many instances, being a tour guide is spontaneous, meaning there is little to no notice of schedule changes.

This is because clients’ schedules changes, there are cancellations, and often no-shows.

This can be incredibly frustrating when you need to make rent payments or have a major purchase approaching.

Being a tour guide has low job security, which can last for an extended period.

Tour guides can easily be replaced, especially if not great at their job.

There are many others in cities and towns across the world that can replace a tour guide.

If you are laid off or fired, it can be difficult to find another job.

Even in the largest cities, there are only so many tour companies, so word gets around about different employees within the industry.

One of the greatest issues of becoming a tour guide is it does not pay well.

As a result, you may need a second job to keep up with your payments and necessities.

This is especially the case in high cost of living areas.

That second job could be mundane and really not something that interests you.

Also, due to the low salaries, elderly poverty is an issue for many who can only afford to live, but do not have enough money to save for old age.

That means, you cannot be a tour guide your entire life, you need to have other skills.

The “high” travel season is typically over the summer between the end of May and the middle of September, depending on the location.

This is because children are out of school and teachers are off for the summer.

That means for tour guides, this is the busiest time of the year, and lucrative.

However, the remaining seasons are likely to be slow, so many companies temporarily lay off tour guides to save on costs.

Therefore, it is critical to have a second job as a backup for the offseason.

As a tour guide, you will spend most of your time outside, escorting groups to see beautiful natural landscapes, ancient monuments and architecture, and other local attractions.

That means, during inclement weather, you and your tour group may not get to see specific attractions, and you are subjected to rain and snow.

Aside from the tourist complaints about not being able to see a site, you could fall ill with constant exposure to the elements.

The final major drawback of becoming a tour guide is you will likely have to work holidays and weekends.

Your schedule is dependent on when tourists decide to book your services.

Most tourists are going to book in the summer, on weekends, and over holidays.

This could disrupt trips you want to take with your friends or family.

Instead, you must focus on strangers and ensuring they are having a good time.

Deciding whether to become a tour guide is a personal decision based on your individual preferences.

As a college student, this seems like a wonderful way to make money to put yourself through college.

However, as an older and more seasoned employee in any field, it may not be the best to make the career change, unless retired and looking for an interesting activity.

In any case, it is critical to weigh the pros and cons of becoming a tour guide before you decide.

Can you deal with a low salary for the rest of your life, or is this just a temporary, fun job?

Do you value knowledge and experience more than money?

While many of these questions relate to earning money.

It is a critical aspect of this job.

While there are many perks, if you cannot pay your bills then you will need to consider getting a second job, which you may hate.

Like with deciding upon any career path, many choices and considerations must be made to ensure you have a fruitful and enjoyable career!

Related Resources

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• 14 Pros and Cons of Being a Flight Attendant

4 thoughts on “ 14 Pros and Cons of Being a Tour Guide ”

The role of a tour guide encourages continuous learning. You’re always researching, staying updated on local history and current events, which deepens your understanding of the destination.

Handling difficult situations can be challenging. Dealing with difficult tourists, emergencies, or unexpected situations can be stressful. Tour guides need to stay composed and handle situations with grace and professionalism.

Good read! Tour guides play a significant role in educating people about history, art, and local customs. This intellectual engagement can be personally satisfying.

Many tour guides enjoy the flexibility of their schedules, allowing them to pursue other interests or spend time with family and friends when there are no tours to conduct. It’s like a remote work.

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30 Major Pros & Cons Of Being A Tour Guide

“I was a food tour guide – I took people on a tour to different restaurants in the area.”

Kelly Marie Tran, Actress

Pros and Cons of Working as a Tour Guide

You think about becoming a tour guide?

While working as a tour guide can be great, there are still some issues related to this career path.

Thus, make sure to check out all the pros and cons of being a tour guide in this article.

After evaluating all the arguments, you may change your mind and go for a different job instead.

Table of Contents

Tour Guide Job Profile

Advantages of being a tour guide, you can work with many different people, tour guides can learn new languages, tour guides can work in many different locations, you may be able to travel the world, you can get to know every detail of your city, tour guides don’t have to work in classical office jobs, working as a tour guide can be interesting, being a tour guide is not that stressful, you can improve your people skills, you can get out of your comfort zone, tour guides learn how to lead people, you don’t need extensive education, tour guides get paid for what other people pay for, good job if you are a rather extroverted person.

One advantage of being a tour guide is that you can get to know many different people.

This can be pretty interesting, especially if you have an international audience and can talk to many people from all over the world.

Not only will this give you the opportunity to see the world from a different perspective and to hear many different opinions about politics and about what’s going on in the world right now, it also gives you the chance to make many new friendships over time.

In fact, it is pretty easy to stay in touch over social media thanks to our modern technology and you can easily stay connected with the clients you liked most.

Who knows, maybe you’ll visit them in their home countries one day?!

Having those contacts always helps since you only get to know the real experience on your travels if you know locals in foreign countries and can rely on their expertise.

Since you will meet so many different people from all over the world during your career as a tour guide, you will also be able to learn new languages in a pretty natural manner.

Sure, chances are that your grammar and your pronunciation will not be perfect.

Yet, you will still learn some new words and even this limited knowledge can greatly help you out during your travels since locals will be pretty impressed, especially if you learn some words in a pretty exotic language that almost no tourist speaks at all.

As a tour guide, you can also work in many different locations.

While you might start your tour guide career in your home town, you could also work in many different locations across the country or even work in foreign countries all over the world.

If you are really good at what you are doing and are also able to speak English fluently, you will be able to work in almost every country of our planet as a tour guide.

In fact, many people decided to quit their office jobs and to travel the world.

Many of them now work as tour guides to earn some money while they are able to see many beautiful places and make unique experiences while loan officers and many other people often just work in boring office environments.

This can be pretty nice, especially in case you are still young and don’t have a family yet since you will be free to make your own decisions without having to care about any other opinion than your own.

Another upside to being a tour guide is that you can learn a lot about your own city.

Even though you might have lived in your home town for your entire life, I bet there are still many places you haven’t seen yet.

In fact, many people just stay in certain favorite places in their city, yet they don’t know that there is so much more to experience.

As a tour guide, you will get to know almost every spot of your city since you will always have to provide new experiences for your clients to stay competitive in the long run.

Due to that, you will really get to know every secret spot and this can make your life much better since you will find many new places to spend your time in.

By working as a tour guide, you can also avoid working in front of a computer screen all day long.

Even though some people like working in classical office jobs, many people just don’t like the office world at all.

Hence, if you are the type of person who rather wants to do some exercising during work and doesn’t want to sit on an office chair all day long, working as a tour guide can be much more suitable for you compared to working the classical corporate world.

Another benefit of working as a tour guide is that you can experience so many new things every day.

In fact, no day will look the same and you will often also have to change plans in a rather spontaneous manner.

While this might be annoying to some people, others love this kind of uncertainty.

Your life as a tour guide will also not be that stressful.

Yes, you will sometimes have to deal with difficult clients and some days will just not work out as you want them to be, yet there are many other jobs out there which are far more demanding on both a mental as well as on a physical level.

As a tour guide, you will not have that much time pressure.

You also don’t have a boss who watches you all day long. Instead, you can just work rather independently as long as you are good at what you are doing and your clients are happy with your work.

As a tour guide, you will also be able to greatly improve your soft skills.

Since you will deal with many different people every day of your tour guide career, you will soon figure out how to motivate people and what really drives them.

This is quite important, not only for your life as a tour guide but also on many other occasions of your private life since only if you understand the nature of people, you will be able to push them in certain directions to make your life easier.

Consequently, working as a tour guide also gives you the great chance to really understand human psychology and what happens on a subconscious level.

While many people don’t like getting out of their comfort zones, this can be really beneficial for them since only if you get out of your daily routine, you will be able to really learn new things.

In fact, we as humans learn the most when we do things we have never done before. Even if we fail, we still get plenty of experience out of it.

Through your job as a tour guide, you will experience some failures and you will sometimes also feel uncomfortable, especially when clients are not happy with your work.

However, instead of seeing only the negative, you can also learn a lot from those experiences and can really grow as a character who learns to deal with adversity.

As a tour guide, you will also be responsible to lead people.

While many tour guides are not born with characteristics of a leader, they soon develop those character traits.

In fact, many tour guides start out as rather shy persons.

However, after a while, they realize that there is nothing to be fearful of and that having a leading role can be quite a lot of fun if you know how to handle all of the things that come along with it.

If you learn how to become a true leader, you will have many advantages, not only in your professional but also in your private life and working as a tour guide can really get you to the next level in this regard.

You also don’t have to get fancy education or even a college degree for becoming a tour guide.

In most states, it will be enough to finish high school and you are good to go.

For being a good tour guide, it is much more important that you are really passionate about what you are doing since your clients will feel this and your tour will also be much more authentic.

In fact, most people would rather book a tour guide who hasn’t even finished school but is really passionate about his job compared to someone who has a doctor’s degree but just does not have any drive for what he’s doing.

Therefore, you can avoid spending many years of your life in college to get a fancy degree.

You can also avoid student loan debt that often comes along with college education.

Instead, you can even earn money right after finishing high school and this can give you the opportunity to become independent of your parents pretty soon in your life.

Through your career as a tour guide, you will also be able to see many nice places.

In fact, you can work in locations and make trips for which other people often have to spend plenty of money.

Not only will you be able to see all those nice places for free, but you will actually even get paid for it.

Hence, becoming a tour guide can be great for you if you have a natural interest in seeing many different places since you can follow your passion and can earn money from it at the same time.

Especially if you are the type of extroverted person who loves to talk to people all day long, working as a tour guide can be great for you since you will just meet so many new people and can share your ideas and opinions about many different things with others and you may also learn a lot from those conversations.

While you might think that working as a tour guide is a dream job due to all the advantages that come along with it, there are still some downsides related to this career path which are discussed in the following.

Disadvantages of Being a Tour Guide

Tour guides often have to work on weekends, your schedule can change without prior notice, you don’t make much money as a tour guide, many tour guides need a second job to survive, short-term contracts are pretty common, seasonality plays a big role in the life of tour guides, old-age poverty is quite common, bad weather can be a problem, rather poor job security, limited promotion opportunities, tour guides have to deal with difficult people, being a tour guide may become boring in the long run, you can’t work from home as a tour guide, difficult if you have children, rather low social standing, tour guides have a hard time switching fields.

One disadvantage of being a tour guide is that you often have to work on weekends.

This means that you will just not be able to make nice weekend trips with your family compared to roofers and many other people who have free weekends quite often.

Instead, you will just have to work while many other people out there enjoy their leisure and this can be really frustrating, especially if you see their nice pictures on social media.

You also have to be pretty spontaneous as a tour guide.

Schedules may change unexpectedly since your clients might be late and you may have to work many extra hours due to that.

In fact, many tour guides work extra hours for what they don’t even get paid for and this can be extremely unsatisfying, especially if you really put in the effort and work hard to provide the best experience possible for your clients.

Another downside of working as a tour guide is that you will just not make that much money.

In fact, many tour guides struggle to pay their bills, especially those who live in rather expensive metropolitan areas since rents are often far too high to be affordable for tour guides.

Thus, be prepared that you will just not be able to afford any luxury as a tour guide.

In extreme cases, tour guides may even need a second job to cover their basic expenses.

This is especially true in regions where living costs are quite high and the average income is far above the income of most tour guides.

Hence, be prepared that working as a tour guide may not be enough to stay out of debt, especially if you live in one of those fancy neighborhoods and that you are willing to work in a second job to pay your bills.

Many tour guides also only have short-term contracts with travel companies.

In fact, it is hard to forecast how many tour guides will be needed in the future and you may just get laid off in case you are no longer needed.

Your contract may also just expire and may just not get renewed.

Working as a tour guide is also often pretty seasonal.

Especially if you work in a field where you offer summer activities, you will be basically unemployed in winter since you will just not find any clients who want to book your activities during this time of the year.

Thus, try to find an evergreen niche where you can offer activities all year long if you really want to work as a full-time tour guide for an extended period of time.

Due to the rather low salaries of tour guides, you will also not be able to save enough money for your retirement.

Consequently, many tour guides suffer from old-age poverty and may even end up homeless once they retire since they may simply no longer be able to pay their rent.

As a tour guide, you will also often have to work outdoors.

This means that you will often be exposed to rather bad weather like rain or snow and you will just not have the same comfort level as someone who just works in a cozy office and does not have to worry about outside conditions that much.

You can also never be certain that you will keep your job for an extended period of time.

In fact, tour guides are pretty replaceable and if you are not exceptionally good at what you are doing, chances are that you will just get fired sooner or later and may struggle to find a different job that pays enough to cover your basic expenses.

Another problem with being a tour guide is that you will also have rather limited promotion opportunities.

Even if you do your job pretty well and your clients are happy with your work, you will still not get promoted and will do almost the same work after a decade like someone who just starts out with his career as a tour guide.

While many clients will be nice and you will really enjoy working with them, a minority of people is just difficult and always find reasons to complain about.

Hence, make sure that you are also willing to deal with those difficult people and that you have a stable mindset so that their comments just don’t bother you.

While working as a tour guide can be exciting at first, this excitement can quickly vanish.

In fact, many tour guides get bored with what they are doing sooner or later and secretly wish they had learned something different.

Thus, make sure that you are really passionate about working as a tour guide before deciding for this career path.

While many people who work in classical office jobs for big corporations will have the option to work from home, you will just not have this luxury since you will be present at a specific location to do your tours.

In turn, you will be less flexible to manage your private life since you can’t work location-independently.

In general, being a tour guide is not the best job option in case you have children.

Not only will you make rather poor money, but you will also have to work on weekends pretty often and will just not have time to spend enough leisure with your kids.

Tour guides are also not that appreciated by the general public.

Sure, it is ok to be a tour guide.

Yet, you will not be admired the same way as doctors since you will just not save the lives of many people.

It is also not easy for tour guides to switch fields.

Since tour guides often don’t have high levels of education in different fields, they often get stuck in their jobs.

Therefore, make sure that a career as a tour guide is really what you want to do long-term so that you can avoid any problems in this regard in the future.

Top 10 Being a Tour Guide Pros & Cons – Summary List

Should you become a tour guide.

Now that I have shown you all the advantages and disadvantages of being a tour guide, you should evaluate all the pros and cons of working as a tour guide to make a profound decision in this regard.

If you come to the conclusion that a career as a tour guide is not for you, don’t be discouraged.

There are many other job options out there that you can choose from instead.

If you still want to become a tour guide, you should also get detailed information on salaries, job prospects, future outlook, educational requirements, work-life balance, duties and job satisfaction of tour guides .

Also make sure to check out the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of working as a fundraiser

Advantages and disadvantages of working as a comedian

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tour_guide

https://www.statista.com/statistics/917089/number-of-tour-and-travel-guides-us/

About the author

My name is Andreas and my mission is to educate people about the different career paths that are possible in our current state of the world. In my opinion, people often make the mistake to choose their profession solely based on how much money they can earn from it instead of doing what makes them really happy.

This is quite sad and I just want to give people a more objective picture of how a fulfilling career could look like. I did the same when I started working in consulting after finishing my Master’s degree in Economics. However, I’ve quit pretty soon after that since I haven’t found true meaning in my job.

Now I can do what I really love to do and I want to enable as many other people as well to go this exciting path towards happiness instead of money.

I conducted various interviews with employees to give you a good impression of what working in different fields will look like and that you can make the best possible decision regarding your future career choice.

Wanna support my blog? Share it!

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10 Tips for Being a Good Tour Guide

• More: Preservation Tips and Tools
• By: Emily Potter

In the spring of 2013, when a hint of warmer weather got us ready to think about being outside, we put together a toolkit with ideas to help you organize a tour in your community . But don’t let the current chilly winter season stop you from giving―or going on―tours.

Instead, use these 10 tips, compiled by Johns Hopkins, Executive Director of Baltimore Heritage , to help you be the best tour guide you can be. (Not a tour guide? These tips can also give you insight into being a good tour goer.)

1. Face the crowd, not what you’re talking about. Tour guides often get so wrapped up in their subject they forget to face the people they are addressing. One secret to avoid this is to designate somebody in the crowd to interrupt you if they can’t hear you.

2. Be personal. No matter how much we love buildings, it’s a fact that people connect with people. So it’s good to have a few personal anecdotes ready, even if they’re just about past tours you've done. You’ll build a more personal connection to your group and create a memorable tour.

3. Tell a story (historical or contemporary). Make sure you have a few fun and compelling stories to tell about the buildings and sites you’re looking at. People are more likely to feel engaged when they are listening to a story, rather than a list of dates and names.

photo by: Marcin Wichary, Flickr

Tell a story, share your passion, get your tour group engaged in the places and sites you're excited about.

4. Get moving right away. Tours often get bogged down before they ever begin with tour guides doing the “big wind-up”―introductions, setting the theme, providing context, etc. Plan to scrap 90% of it.

Hint: If you have a script, the first line should tell you: “Move thirty feet up the street before you say anything.”

5. Don’t worry about being perfect. People don’t expect you to be perfect. Set the stage for human imperfection by acknowledging that people who may know more than you should speak up and share their knowledge with the group. The more interactive the tour is, the better!

6. Get help to get organized. Try to get a volunteer to check people in so you can chat with tour goers. People give tours for many reasons, but a big one is to meet new people, and the time before the tour is a great chance to get to know your group.

Hint: If you don’t have a volunteer beforehand, ask somebody on the spot. (They’ll love it!)

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7. End on time. (Or try very hard to.) Try like crazy to end on time. Nobody wants to feel like they are in tour jail. Tours on paper always seem too short and on the ground are always too long. Two hours is the absolute maximum. An hour to an hour and a half is better.

8. Limit your number of speakers. It’s hard to talk for just five minutes, so when you have multiple guides talking about different subject areas, it’s easy to lose track of time. Avoid it if you can, but, if you do have several different guides with you, designate one as the lead guide and the others as experts in a specific area.

9. Send a follow-up email. Follow up with an email―it can be as simple as a “thank you” note. If you can follow the tour with another contact, by email or otherwise, that’s another step towards creating a better link between the tour taker and your organization.

10. Avoid these traps:

• “12 (or 20…) people on the tour is the max.” Rather, let the space and tour guide set the scene.
• “You MUST plan everything out ahead of time.” In fact, a little spontaneity is good.
• “Don’t do outdoor tours in the winter.” People will still come, even in the snow.
• “Always have a backup plan in case it rains.” Don’t worry, people will come out in the rain, and it’s much easier than rescheduling.

A version of this story was published on 1/5/2016.

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The Top 25 Qualities of an Effective Tour Guide-Guiding the Way

Are you passionate about travel and enjoy sharing your knowledge with others? Becoming a tour guide might be the perfect career path for you. Being a practical tour guide requires a unique set of skills and qualities that go beyond simply knowing the facts about a destination. In this article, we will explore the 25 qualities of a practical tour guide and how they contribute to creating memorable and enriching travel experiences.

Being an effective tour guide is not just about knowing the destination but also about possessing a range of qualities that enhance the overall experience for travelers. From excellent communication skills to a deep passion for the subject matter, a practical tour guide can make all the difference in creating memorable and meaningful experiences for their guests. 

In this article, we will explore 25 essential qualities for any tour guide looking to excel in their profession. Whether you are already a tour guide or aspiring to become one, this comprehensive guide will provide valuable insights and tips to enhance your skills and become an exceptional tour guide.

Table of Contents

What Qualities Do I Need To Be A Tour Guide?

To be a successful tour guide, there are several essential qualities that you should possess.

• Firstly, strong communication skills are vital. As a tour guide, you will need to convey information to your clients clearly and engagingly effectively. Excellent verbal and written communication skills will help you effectively communicate historical facts, local customs, and interesting anecdotes.
• Secondly, a deep knowledge and passion for the subject matter is crucial. Whether you are guiding tourists through a historical city, leading a nature hike, or conducting a food tour, you should have a thorough understanding of the area’s history, culture, and attractions. This knowledge will not only enhance your credibility as a guide but also enable you to answer questions and provide interesting insights to your clients.
• Lastly, being personable and friendly are essential qualities for a tour guide. You will interact with people from various backgrounds and cultures, so being approachable and adaptable is critical. Your enthusiasm and positive attitude will not only make the tour more enjoyable for your clients but also help create a welcoming and inclusive environment.

In conclusion, to be a successful tour guide, you should possess strong communication skills, a deep knowledge and passion for the subject, and be personable and friendly. These qualities will help you effectively engage and connect with your clients, making their experience memorable and enjoyable.

What Skills Make A Tour Guide With 5-Star Quality?

Regarding being a tour guide with 5-star quality, several critical skills are essential. Firstly, excellent communication skills are crucial. A tour guide must effectively convey information, engage with their audience, and answer questions. Clear and concise communication is essential to ensure tourists have a memorable and enjoyable experience.

In addition to communication skills, a tour guide should also have extensive knowledge and expertise in the area they are guiding. This includes historical facts, cultural insights, and local tips and recommendations. A 5-star tour guide is well-prepared and can provide accurate and exciting information, enhancing the tour experience.

Furthermore, a tour guide with 5-star quality must possess exceptional customer service skills. They should be friendly, approachable, and able to create a positive and welcoming atmosphere. A great tour guide understands the importance of personalizing the experience for each tourist and goes above and beyond to ensure their satisfaction. From anticipating needs to providing an exceptional level of service, these skills are vital in creating a memorable tour experience.

What Is The Most Important Quality Of Becoming An Effective Tour Guide?

When it comes to becoming a practical tour guide, several qualities are important to possess. However, one of the most crucial qualities is knowledge. A tour guide must have extensive knowledge about the destination they are guiding tourists through. This includes knowing about the history, culture, landmarks, and other important aspects of the place. Being well-informed allows the tour guide to provide accurate and interesting information to the tourists, enhancing their overall experience.

In addition to knowledge, communication skills are also essential for an effective tour guide. Communicating clearly and concisely is important in delivering information to the tourists. A tour guide must be able to articulate their thoughts and ideas in a way that is easily understandable to a diverse group of people. Good communication skills also involve listening to the tourists’ questions and feedback and being able to respond appropriately.

Lastly, enthusiasm and passion for the job set apart a great tour guide from an average one. A tour guide who is genuinely excited about the destination and their role in showcasing it will be able to create a positive and engaging atmosphere for the tourists. Their enthusiasm will be contagious, making the tour more enjoyable and memorable for everyone involved.

What Are The 5 Roles Of A Tour Guide?

A tour guide plays multiple roles in ensuring a successful and enjoyable travel experience for their guests. Here are the five primary roles of a tour guide:

1. Informer:  The primary role of a tour guide is to provide accurate and relevant information about the destination. They should be knowledgeable about the history, culture, landmarks, and other significant aspects of the place. Tour guides should be able to answer questions, share interesting facts, and engage their guests in informative discussions.

2. Interpreter:  Tour guides bridge the gap between different cultures and languages. They act as interpreters, translating information and conversations for their guests. They ensure effective communication between locals and visitors, enhancing the understanding and appreciation of the destination.

3. Organizer:  Tour guides are responsible for planning and organizing the itinerary. They arrange transportation, accommodation, and activities, ensuring a smooth and efficient travel experience. They handle logistics, such as coordinating schedules, managing reservations, and running any unforeseen circumstances that may arise during the trip.

25 Qualities Of An Effective Tour Guide Pdf

To view a PDF document that provides more detailed information on these 25 qualities of a practical tour guide, please click the link below: 25 Qualities of an Effective Tour Guide PDF.

25 Qualities Of An Effective Tour Guide Ppt

https://www.slideshare.net/jen199629/qualities-of-an-ideal-tour-guide

Skills Of A Tour Guide

• Communication Skills:
• Clear and confident speaking voice
• Appropriate language for the audience
• Ability to engage and connect with travelers
• Responsive to questions and concerns
• In-Depth Knowledge:
• Strong understanding of the destination’s history, culture, and attractions
• Staying updated on current events and changes in the area
• Organization and Time Management:
• Creating well-planned itineraries
• Efficient coordination of transportation and accommodations
• Handling unexpected situations effectively
• Interpersonal Skills:
• Building rapport with clients
• Friendliness and approachability
• Patience and attentiveness
• Sense of Humor:
• Creating a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere

These skills and qualities collectively contribute to a tour guide’s ability to offer travelers an exceptional experience during their journey.

Characteristics of an Exceptional Tour Guide

• Knowledgeable:  Possesses in-depth knowledge of the destination’s history, culture, and attractions.
• Excellent Communication Skills:  Communicates information clearly and effectively to travelers.
• Enthusiastic:  Inspires excitement and engagement among tour participants with their passion for the subject matter.
• Flexible:  Adapts easily to unforeseen situations and changes in the itinerary.
• Organized:  Ensures a smooth and efficient tour experience through careful planning and preparation.
• Problem-Solving Abilities:  Capable of finding solutions quickly and efficiently, especially in challenging situations.
• Multilingual:  Speaks multiple languages to cater to a diverse group of travelers.

How to Become an Effective Tour Guide

• Gain Extensive Knowledge:  Conduct thorough research to acquire a deep understanding of the destination you’ll be guiding.
• Develop Communication Skills:  Practice and consider attending public speaking courses to improve your ability to convey information effectively.
• Cultivate Enthusiasm:  Stay curious and continuously learn about new attractions and experiences to maintain a high passion for your subject.
• Enhance Adaptability:  Seek opportunities to work in different environments and practice handling unexpected situations to become more flexible.
• Improve Organizational Skills:  Create detailed itineraries and proactively plan logistics for a well-organized tour.
• Sharpen Problem-Solving Abilities:  Participate in scenario-based training programs or seek advice from experienced tour guides to become a more effective problem solver.
• Learn Additional Languages:  Consider taking language courses or participating in immersion programs to become multilingual.

10 Characteristics Of A Tour Guide

• Knowledgeable
• Communication skills
• Flexibility
• Organizational skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Problem-solving
• Professionalism
• Sense of humor

As A Tour Guide, How Will You Manage Tourist With High Expectations?

Strategies for Managing Tourists with High Expectations

1. Listen Actively:  Listen to tourists’ expectations, interests, and preferences.

2. Manage Expectations:  Be transparent about what the tour can realistically offer and set clear expectations.

3. Provide Detailed Information:  Ensure tourists have comprehensive information about the tour itinerary, attractions, and activities.

4. Be Knowledgeable and Professional:  Demonstrate expertise in destinations, history, culture, and local customs.

5. Offer Personalized Experiences:  Tailor the tour to cater to individual preferences, arranging special interests-based activities.

6. Maintain Effective Communication:  Keep tourists informed about changes and provide alternative options.

7. Handle Complaints Professionally:  Address dissatisfaction empathetically, offering solutions to resolve concerns.

8. Seek Feedback:  Encourage tourists to provide feedback after the tour to improve future experiences.

What makes a great tour guide and host? | Rick Steves | TEDxSeattleSalon

In conclusion, a practical tour guide is vital in crafting unforgettable travel experiences. With extensive knowledge, excellent communication, and adaptability, they enrich journeys and create lasting memories. Beyond information, they foster a sense of camaraderie and storytelling, making them essential for exceptional adventures.

In conclusion, an effective tour guide plays a vital role in crafting unforgettable travel experiences. With qualities such as extensive knowledge, excellent communication, and adaptability, they enrich journeys and create lasting memories. Beyond information, they foster a sense of camaraderie and storytelling, making them essential for exceptional adventures.

Travelling Without a Passport

8 Reasons Why Being a Tour Guide is the Best Job

Everyone is telling you to quit your day job, live the dream, escape your office cubicle and travel the world, right? You’re sitting at your desk reading this, dreaming of open roads and stunning sights, but probably wondering ‘how the hell can anyone afford that?’

The answer, my friends, is to earn while you’re travelling.

There’s a number of different paths to earning as you travel; teaching English overseas, working remotely for your company, becoming a virtual assistant or even travel blogging – but only one option that will enrich your travel experience. Becoming a tour guide is one of the most rewarding and exhilarating ways to see the world, learn about a country’s culture and history while sharing your love of travel with people just like you.

Here’s 8 reasons why being a tour guide is the best way to travel the world and still earn a living.

1. You’ll learn a valuable skill set for a future career

Tour Guides wear multiple ‘hats’ while running a trip. It may look like your guide is having a relaxed holiday alongside the group, but the reality is that a tour guide is a travel agent, therapist, accountant, event manager, historian, conflict resolution manager, tax and currency expert and professional public speaker. All skills which carry across impressively to any future career.

Depending on what types of tours you decide to lead, you’ll also be required to become certified in a few different core competency areas which are irreplacable skills to possess for your own travels as well.

2. You will see more countries & cities than you ever thought possible

In most cases, a tour guide does not just do the same tour loop for an entire season. A fully trained tour guide will have the opportunity to guide many different itineraries for their tour company – meaning you will visit, study and experience new destinations multiple times! Start racking up that country count, you’re about to become a professional full-time traveller.

See Also: The Truth About Being a Tour Guide: Exposed

3. You will be living the dream

You will be paid to travel. Your job, every day, will be to show first-time travellers their way around a new destination. As a tour guide, ‘work’ means being a part of someone’s happiest holiday memories. You are actually required to have fun for a living while travelling! Be warned – most of your friends back at their desk jobs will be insanely jealous of your daily updates from Monaco, Barcelona and Bali.

4. You’ll become an expert on history, art and architecture

To be a truly excellent tour guide, you need to know your stuff, which means studying up on architectural styles, historical fun facts and the best places to eat, drink and party. This isn’t your boring old history teacher studying – think researching the funniest stories of a royal family or the perfect recipe for goulash to share with your groups.

Pretty soon you will be an expert in Corinthian columns, traditional eating habits in multiple countries and the hilarious history of inter-country grudges. Your pub quiz score is going to go through the roof once you’ve become a tour guide!

5. Your colleagues will be just like you!

Forget trying to make friends with Steve from HR who just doesn’t understand your wanderlust obsession. When you work in the travel industry, all your colleagues are as crazy about travel as you are! You will finally be surrounded by people who understand and encourage your need to see the world and experience new cultures. It will be a relief and inspiration all at once. (Sorry Steve)

See Also: The 11 Best Travel Jobs In The World

6. You can save while travelling

When you are guiding, your transport expenses, accommodation and some meals are all covered – meaning half of what you earn can be saved. With no rent, car payments or gas bills, you can accrue a decent amount in savings while you travel. This means that at the end of a season of guiding you will have some cash stashed for your own travel adventures!

7. You will become a destination expert

Knowing a destination inside out means you’ll know all the best restaurants, bars, cafes and insider tips to maximize the fun you’ll have while also getting the best possible price on meals and drinks.

8. You’ll have friends all over the world

Just like anyone who takes a tour, at the end of a trip you are best friends with the other people who shared the experience with you. That means, as a tour guide, you will have hundreds of best friends who were on your tours scattered across the world.

Next time you go backpacking in Australia, Mexico, South Africa or Canada you’ll have local friends from your tours ready to show you their home towns, and maybe even a free couch to crash on. What an excellent excuse to do even more travelling!

Becoming a tour guide isn’t easy, there are some intensive training and a long interview process, but if you manage to score the job, it is undoubtedly the best way to travel the world and still earn the cash you need to enjoy it! 

So, are you ready to abandon the 9 to 5?

Carly Hulls

Carly Hulls writes at Austrian Adaptation about her expat life in Vienna and the places she discovers on her part-time travels. She is an Australian writer, traveller, brunch-fiend and book-nerd who can’t resist a good castle or historic monument. After 5 years travelling to over 34 countries she currently calls Vienna home, facing the daily struggle of the German language! You can follow her adventures on Facebook , Twitter and Snapchat @CarlyHulls.

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12 reasons why good tour guides are so important

Ah, the tour guide. That special person who welcomes you to their country and looks after you, ensuring you have a fabulous trip! But how and why exactly are they a great addition to a trip? We enumerate ...

1. Tour guides navigate for you

Wondering if you've missed your bus connection is frustrating. So too is getting off at the wrong stop. And fuming at a loss of signal at the very moment you need your app to tell you which exit to take ... nobody needs that.

So yes, primary among the benefits of a tour guide is having someone to do all the navigating for you.

Navigating can include:

• Getting your from the airport to your hotel without hiccough.
• Leading you through the warren of streets in an old town.
• Taking the lead on a trek so you don't go in a circle.
• Even just ensuring you find your way out of that enormous botanic garden.

Some of our trekkers with their selfie-taking guide Angelu on the EBC trek

Navigating can include driving you

A tour guide also often drives you around. Or in some cases, they'll acquire a vehicle and driver for you.

This is a big help, saving your from the hassle of a car hire. You also won't have any heart-stopping moments when you pull out and realise you're facing oncoming traffic. And you won't ever come back to your vehicle to discover you didn't feed a hidden parking meter.

On safari, your tour guide is also your driver

2. Tour guides do your admin for you

This is a biggie. Tour guides take care of all of your admin for you, like:

• Preordering permits and pre-booking accommodation.
• Paying admittance fees beforehand, saving you the need to queue.
• Coordinating travel times for buses, trains, flights, etc.
• Overseeing the transfer of luggage.
• Ordering and collecting packed lunches, drinking water and the like.

Some of our trips, like Kilimanjaro climbs, involve a LOT of admin!

3. Tour guides keep you safe

If safety was the only benefit of a tour guide, we think it would be enough for us to be super pro tour guides! A tour guide looks after you from arrival to departure.

It's worth pointing out that at Follow Alice we believe tour guides should be locals. One of the reasons for this (although there are certainly others as well) is that only locals can truly know the do's and don'ts of their society and environments in order to keep you safe.

Mario is our Cusco and Inca Trail lead guide

Local tour guides are there with you to ensure:

• You don't go into any dangerous areas.
• You're not accosted by overly zealous vendors.
• Your belongings are kept safe.
• You don't get bamboozled by shysters.
• You don't pick a poisonous plant, or pet a treacherous animal.

The list could go on.

Tour guides also ensure you don't get 'little things' wrong, like wearing sandals on a day when they know you need closed, sturdy shoes.

Adventure tour guides are especially important

The adventure tour guide offers a whole other level of safety and security. Whether it's guiding you safely through islands on a kayaking adventure, or leading you through thick forest on a trekking trip, they're there to ensure you:

• Set out with the right clobber to protect you from the elements.
• Stay on path and don't get lost.
• Don't push yourself too hard (sometimes by monitoring your vitals).
• Receive timely and appropriate treatment (medical or otherwise) should you need it.

Chris, our Tanzania local leader, doing his refresher mountain first aid course

It's impossible to overstate the value of a tour guide in keeping you safe, especially on an adventure trip.

4. Tour guides are interpreters

A tour guide speaks the language of the locals, and as such is your ever-present translator. Without a tour guide, you wouldn't be able to communicate with some locals. You'd also miss out on many interesting insights and some beautiful moments of connection.

Brad and Rebecca opted to do a homestay in Rwanda through Azizi Life

Remember to always ask before taking photos of locals; your tour guide can assist in this to ensure nothing is lost in translation.

5. Good tour guides explain things to you

It's easy to find out the name of the bridge you're walking over. But do you want to know why it's called that? And yes, you can take a pic of a gorgeous tree and use an app to tell you it's name. But do you want someone there to explain why, for instance, the bark is stripped away near the base?

Tour guides are there to answer your questions, and also supply answers to questions you hadn't even thought to ask!

An Annapurna Circuit trek guide explaining tomorrow's route

Tour guides have intimate knowledge of the area and can drop all sorts of fabulous knowledge bombs.

Tour guides also give you insights into how locals feel about what's going on in their country and around the world. So from them you get to learn about some truly local perspectives. And we all know that logic isn't universal – what seems logical to one culture can be very different in another, and it helps to have a guide with you to illuminate such things.

A Follow Alice group with their Bhutanese tour guide

Finally, tour guides are there to ensure you don't blunder unnecessarily in terms of local customs and sensitivities. They can also advise you ahead of time if you need to dress smartly or cover up in order to enter certain places.

6. Good tour guides get you good deals

When you travel with a tour guide, they (and the tour company they work for) are able to get you the best deals. They know which days have cheaper admittance fees, for instance. They can also sometimes get tour guide discounts that aren't available to tourists.

Finally, when you join a tour guide who's leading a large group, they're often able to get some sweet group discounts.

7. Good tour guides are photographers

Sometimes it's great to hand the camera to someone else to take a photo with you in it. 📸

They can take a snap for you ...

... or a selfie with all of you in it!

8. Good tour guides encourage you

On tough adventures like high-altitude trekking, most of us end up in need of some encouragement when the legs tire and the mind starts to tell you sneaky lies like you can't keep going. Your guide is invaluable is encouraging you in such moments. They can also provide little tips for the mind and body to help you to keep going.

One of our groups tackling the tough Kala Patthar near Everest Base Camp

A good tour guide believes in you and knows how to help you to believe in yourself.

We can't tell you how many folks have told us that they would literally not have made it to the summit of Kilimanjaro if it hadn't been for the support of their guides.

Our client George K. took this fab pic of two of his Kilimanjaro crew members

9. Good tour guides ensure you miss nothing

A tour guide knows the area intimately and knows of people, quiet spots and experiences that aren't discussed on any website. They're there to ensure you get the most out of your time, and have the most authentic experience possible.

Dean with his safari guide Heri on a walk near Lake Natron

This includes seeing animals!

Safari guides are trained to spot hard-to-see animals that city-dwelling mortals would surely miss. It's amazing the number of camouflaged animals and birds that safari guides are able to point out to clients.

Dannielle took this pic with her group's safari guide in Tanzania

They give you recommendations

A tour guide can also be invaluable in terms of recommendations for markets and shops to pop into, museums, galleries and palaces to visit, gardens and parks to explore, and so on.

And the reverse is true too. They know what places to avoid because they're actually letdowns, overcrowded or overpriced.

Amber on a chimp trek in Uganda

Tour guides also know where the locals like to eat – and those are often the places with the tastiest and best-prices meals. And when you have a local with you, there's no possibility of feeling awkward, like not knowing if you should seat yourself or wait to be seated. (Your tour guide is also a good person to ask about tipping customs.)

10. Good tour guides pivot when necessary

If you arrive somewhere and it's closed for renovations, or unexpectedly overcrowded, then your tour guide is able to pivot and suggest the next best option, or an alternative, to ensure you still maximise your time in the destination.

They really do take the headache out of travelling!

An experienced guide can pivot when necessary in a way that still gives you a memorable trip

11. Great tour guides celebrate your wins with you

A really great tour guide is invested in your trip. They want you to get the most out of the experience. And if it's an adventure trip with a set goal in mind, they want you to succeed in that!

Then, when you reach your mark, or push yourself beyond what you thought possible, a great tour guide is there to celebrate with you! They add to the victory moment by high-fiving you and generally making a fuss. 😄

Also, if you're a solo traveller, then it's especially wonderful to have another person there to make a noise about your win with you.

Tour guides are there to celebrate your achievements with you!

12. Great tour guides can even become friends

Sometimes, your tour guide adds so much to your trip, and you spend so much time together, that you end up becoming friends!

We cannot begin to tell you how many times this has happened on our trips. In their post-trip feedback, our clients often express not just gratitude for the encouragement and support of their guides, but also a genuine affection for these special people with whom they bonded and shared an incredible adventure.

One picture that perhaps best sums this up is this one below of Jack with one of his Kilimanjaro crew members at the end of the climb ...

Jack and David celebrating with Jack's summit certificate

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7 Skills That All Great Tour Guides Possess

• Xola University
• Business Operations

13 Tips To Be a Better Tour Guide

Being a tour guide is a fun, exciting, and rewarding job. You spend your days sharing your knowledge and chatting with guests. 

While you will improve your skills naturally with every tour you provide, there are some things you can to more proactive build your skills. 

In this post, we’re sharing 13 tips to help you be a better tour guide, including: 

What Are the Key Job Responsibilities for a Tour Guide?

Tour guides have to manage various responsibilities throughout their day to provide memorable experiences for guests. Successful tour guides enjoy working with people, are excellent storytellers, and solve problems independently. 

Tour guides have to manage multiple responsibilities throughout their day, including:

• Greeting visitors and interacting with them before the start of the tour
• Letting participants know about the tour’s itinerary and rules
• Planning and managing the itinerary 
• Learning and memorizing interesting details and facts and turning them into stories 
• Having a strong understanding of your tour’s layout and location 
• Setting up and maintain equipment before the start of a tour if necessary
• Being prepared in case of an emergency
• Ensuring guests remain safe and follow all proper protocols  

13 Top Tips To Be a Better Tour Guide

Successful tour guides continuously build and improve their skills throughout their careers to provide memorable and engaging experiences. Learning new information and skills also helps keep the tours and experiences you deliver engaging and fresh for you. Your enthusiasm and enjoyment will show to guests and help capture their attention.

So whether you’re just starting out as a tour guide or have been working in the field for a while, here are 13 ways you can continue to build your skills as a tour guide. 

1. Skip lengthy introductions or setups at the beginning of the tour

Introductions to the tour and a review of rules can help provide structure and context for your guests. That said, you don’t want the introduction information to go on so long that you lose your guests’ attention. 

When planning what to say at the start of the tour, look for ways to provide the necessary information while keeping guests engaged and maintaining their enthusiasm for the tour or activity.  

Depending on the type of tour you provide, you may have to first cover safety measures before moving visitors to a location, so use your judgment. If you’re unsure whether your introduction is too long, consider asking a fellow guide to listen to your opening. They can provide you with feedback on what it’s like from a visitor’s perspective.

2. Bring information to life through a story

People love stories. Your guests are more likely to remember, understand, and appreciate the information you share when you can tell it through a story. The stories can be historical or contemporary. This strategy increases the likelihood that guests will ask questions and engage with you, making the experience more fun for everyone.

You don’t have to tell everything as a story, but sprinkle them in throughout the tour to maintain everyone’s attention. If you feel uncomfortable telling stories, you can build your storytelling skills. You can listen to audiobooks or podcasts of famous or popular storytellers or take a public speaking course.

3. Face guests when sharing information

When you’re discussing something, it’s natural to point and look at the object. As a tour guide, you’ll engage your audience better by facing them. This strategy allows them to see your gestures and hear you better. 

You can teach yourself to turn toward the group. To help learn this habit, consider identifying one person in the group that you will look at when you first start talking. To ensure the whole group feels engaged, be sure to move your gaze to other visitors soon after you start talking.

This strategy provides you with a consistent cue to help you develop the habit of turning towards the group when you start talking. After a while, you’ll naturally turn toward the group when you’re giving your tours. 

4. You don’t have to know everything

As a tour guide, you purposefully try to learn everything you can about the locations on your tour. That said, you don’t have to know everything. You may have a guest who has unique expertise or insider’s experience. Let them share with the group. Everyone will have a richer experience, and you can potentially incorporate this information into future tours. 

5. Avoid exaggerating information

You want your tours exciting and engaging, but you also want to be known as a credible and knowledgeable expert. Therefore, resist the urge to exaggerate information. Your guests won’t trust what you say or recommend the tour if they discover you’ve provided inaccurate details or facts. 

Sometimes exaggeration can sneak in when telling stories, so make sure your stories are based on facts and verifiable information. 

6. Provide anecdotes when possible

Telling personal anecdotes can provide a special touch and experience for your guests. These can make the tour more engaging and help you connect with visitors. 

While you can plan ahead of time what anecdotes you will tell, being able to spontaneously provide anecdotes and insights tailored to the group can help enhance the overall experience. You can take a local improv class to help practice this skill.

7. Be punctual (and ideally early)

When people are on vacation, they often have carefully orchestrated plans. If one part starts late or goes too long, they may miss another planned opportunity. Your guests will appreciate you starting and ending your tours on time. Being punctual will help build their confidence in you as a professional and expert. 

When it’s possible, try to arrive early for tours. This strategy will give you time to get to know participants before the tour starts. This strategy helps you build rapport and start learning what types of information they want so you can tailor the experience to their needs. You’ll also be able to answer any questions people have about the area before the tour begins. 

8. Be attentive to guests’ needs 

Being attentive to your guests’ needs is about more than just guiding them from one point to another. It’s about creating a comfortable and enjoyable experience. For instance, if you notice guests looking tired, suggest a short break or a slower pace. If a particular topic sparks interest, consider diving deeper into that subject. This adaptability shows that you’re not just following a script but are genuinely committed to providing a fulfilling experience.

Moreover, being attentive means being prepared to answer questions or provide solutions to unexpected issues. Whether it’s a question about local dining options or needing assistance with accessibility, your readiness to help can significantly enhance guest experience. 

9. Be passionate 

Your enthusiasm and passion for the subject matter are infectious and can enhance the tour experience. When you speak about the history, culture, or landmarks with genuine excitement, it engages your guests and makes the information more compelling. This enthusiasm can transform an effective tour guide into a truly 5-star tour guide.  

However, it’s important to balance your enthusiasm with the ability to read your audience. Some guests may prefer a more subdued approach, while others might enjoy high energy. Tailoring your enthusiasm to suit the group’s dynamics is key. 

10. Use humor 

A well-timed joke or a witty remark can lighten the mood and enhance the overall experience. It helps in breaking the ice and making even the most difficult customers feel more comfortable. However, it’s crucial to exercise guest discretion. Tailor your humor to the audience and avoid jokes that could be misunderstood or that touch on sensitive topics. The goal is to add a light-hearted touch to your tour, not to make anyone uncomfortable. 

11. Offer personal recommendations

Take a nod from hotel concierges by offering personal recommendations towards the end of the tour. This adds a special touch to the experience. Sharing your favorite local spots, eateries, or hidden gems provide guests with insider knowledge they might not find in guidebooks. These recommendations should be tailored to the interests of the group and can range from the best places to catch a sunset, to a local café known for its specialty dishes.

12. Invite feedback and follow-up

Inviting feedback at the end of the tour is a great way to show that you value your guests’ opinions and are committed to improving your service. Encourage them to share their thoughts and suggestions. This feedback can be invaluable in refining your tours and making them more enjoyable for future guests.

Additionally, offering to stay in touch for any further questions or recommendations can leave a positive lasting impression. It shows that you’re not just interested in providing a service but are genuinely invested in their experience. This openness to feedback and follow-up can lead to more positive reviews and recommendations, which are essential for a successful tour guiding career.

13. End with a memorable conclusion

Summarize the key points of the tour and leave your guests with a final thought, story, or anecdote that encapsulates the essence of the experience. This could be a poignant story, a surprising fact, or a humorous observation. A strong conclusion ties the entire tour together and gives your guests something to remember and talk about long after the tour has ended.

Moreover, a memorable conclusion is an opportunity to not only thank your guests, but it gives you an easy opportunity to ask for a review. This can not only increase the chance that you’ll get a nice tip but you can also wind up with more customers from the 5-star reviews they leave.  

In sum, being a tour guide is a fun and interesting job that allows you to interact with various people. Like many professions, the more you practice and work on building your skills, the better everyone’s experience, including yourself.  

Incorporating these strategies and tips can help you elevate your tour from good to great, making your visitors more likely to tell others about your tours.

Pro Tip: Not a customer but interested in checking out Xola? Explore all of the features including guide management.

Writer Jessica Malnik

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How to be the kind of tourist that tour guides love

The kind of tourist you are determines the kind of tour you get, but unfortunately, I have learned, sometimes good people are bad tourists.

In my 2 1 / 2 years leading bicycle tours of Paris, I've met them all: the social-media addict who takes selfies in the middle of traffic, the whiny cyclist who complains about the hills, the happy-go-lucky adventurer who takes off on her own and immediately gets lost.

Here are a few simple tips about how to avoid common mistakes on group tours and be the kind of tourist that tour guides love.

Engage with your guide. Unlike at the theater, there is no fourth wall in tour guiding, and guides will watch you just as attentively as you watch them. Guides who sense that their group is uninterested will quickly go into autopilot, downgrading the experience for everybody. So get involved. Answer their questions, laugh at their corny jokes and stand close so they don't have to strain their voices.

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“A tour is a dialogue between you and the guide. An interactive tour is a fun tour,” says Stephanie Paul, a tour guide and specialist on Franco-Jewish history. “Put your phone away. . . . Look, listen and enjoy interaction with a real human being.”

Be prepared. Sometimes there truly is nowhere to buy water, a sweater or gloves once the tour has begun. Come prepared, dress appropriately and don't expect your guide to "Mary Poppins" extra supplies out of thin air. If you don't know what to wear or bring, ask — before the day of the tour. Should you find yourself woefully underprepared, try to bear it graciously.

Paris guide Ellen Quinn-Banville sees plenty of underprepared tourists in her job. “I know you want to wear your best outfit because it’s Paris but, like, you will be freezing — and can you walk in those shoes?”

One person in a T-shirt complaining about being cold when the season calls for a parka puts unfair pressure on the guide and spoils the mood for everybody else.

Use your noggin. Don't distract your guide when she is doing something tricky, such as negotiating a busy traffic intersection on a bicycle tour or setting up safety lines during a rappelling excursion. Your safety may depend on her concentration.

Be a team player. Majority rules when it comes to group tours, so be prepared to make compromises. If you can't play nice with others or have legitimate special restrictions or needs, book a private tour. A guide giving a private tour will generally bend over backward to suit your needs and has the ability to make major changes to the tour according to your liking. Bicycle tour guide Mark Daly puts it bluntly: "You want a private tour that caters to your special requests and desires? Pay for it."

Simply being on time is the first thing you can do for your team. April Pett, owner of Paris for You Luxury Tours, explains: “Being on time for a tour is not only important from a guide’s view but also for the others in the group. . . . If everyone arrives on time, everyone will be happy, and people won’t feel like they are missing out on any of the action or having to rush through parts of the tour.”

Be discreet. Your guide almost certainly knows a bunch of great little restaurants, speak-easies and local joints that you would love. But he won't share them if he thinks they might end up on a tourism-review website (TripAdvisor, Yelp, etc.) and subsequently become overrun. If you want a truly local experience, gain the trust of your guide by quietly asking for off-the-record advice, and tell him you'll keep it a secret.

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Continue to be a parent. This should go without saying, but a guide is not a free nanny. No matter how well the guide seems to get along with kids, she already has a job. Your children are your responsibility, and you must be quick to pull them into line if their enthusiasm or bad behavior is dominating the guide and the rest of the group.

Randa Akhras, an American tour guide and owner of walking-tour company Paris Uncovered, says: “Please, parents, step in if the kids are monopolizing the guide’s attention with nonstop questions. I love kids being engaged, but know when to tell them to save questions till the end so it doesn’t affect the tour for the entire group.”

Let your guide eat. If you are on a tour that includes a meal break, try not to pepper your guide with questions. It's fun to chat, but it's also impossible to eat at the same time.

Sarah Braun, a specialist in sustainable heritage tourism, explains: “Usually it comes easy to stay enthusiastic about my work, but people run the risk of getting a sub-par tour because my brain is still back at the restaurant thinking about the other half of my sandwich.”

Your hardworking guide needs the energy and may want to use the quiet time to plan his next move or muse over that historical question somebody asked earlier.

Don't take it personally. Understand if your guide doesn't talk about herself too much or gently deflects personal questions. It is natural to want to get to know your guide, but even a rookie will have been asked, "Why did you move here? How long will you stay? Do you have a boyfriend?" thousands of times. If you feel a need to keep a conversation going, chat about yourself. Tell the guide about your vacation, your experiences, your opinions on the local sites. She'll appreciate your views and insights.

Review right. If you had a great tour, try to remember the guide's name and write it at the beginning of your glowing online review. Managers read these attentively, and some agencies even award bonuses or incentives based on good reviews. Guides also love seeing feedback and knowing what people liked or didn't. But resist writing a blow-by-blow of the tour or transcribing any great jokes or facts they shared (see "Be discreet"). Let future tourists be surprised and delighted, too.

From bon voyage to bon appétit: When travel is all about food

Be respectful. Understand that being a guide is hard work. You know that expression "You don't notice good makeup"? The same is true of guiding. If your day went smoothly, it's because your guide worked hard. Quinn-Banville can attest to that. "I wish people would stop asking if I'm a student. . . . That's the most familiar reason for a young person to be living abroad, but I'm not a student. I'm an adult, and this is my job." If you're having a great time, tell the guide you appreciate how well he's managed things. Above all, don't ever ask a guide, "So, what's your real job?"

Hartley is a tour guide and writer. She writes travel, sports and lifestyle articles from her adopted home in Paris. Her website is annahartleywrites.com .

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How to look for the qualities of an effective tour guide operator when hiring

By Kevin Tjoe — 24 Jun 2018

amadeus   tips   tour guide   tour operator

Updated June 2022 – Raise your hand if you’ve ever felt like giving up on hiring your next tour guide. When you on-board new hires, you’re hit with the realization that they’re just not a good fit, killing any sense of confidence you had about finding the best person for the job. It’s daunting enough finding a new hire – never mind going through the on-boarding process all over again when it doesn’t work out.

Well, there’s good news: selecting your next tour guide role doesn’t have to be that hard. With the right set of criteria of tour guide skills at your disposal, you could easily find the best tour guide for your business, all without the hassle that comes with having it not work out.

Wondering what personality traits do tour guides have that will reveal their future success or failure? To help you answer this, we’ve outlined 10 important qualities of a good tour guide. 

With these tour guide characteristics tips, you’ll know exactly what makes a good tour guide and have the proper tools in place to hire someone who will exceed customer expectations and customer satisfaction. 

1.  Enthusiasm

One of the most fundamental tour guide characteristics is enthusiasm.

Customers can tell if a tour guide doesn’t want to be there. Considering that nobody wants to feel like their presence is a nuisance, it is impossible to provide customers with a fun and engaging tour if it’s obvious that their guide would prefer to be at home.

On the other hand, enthusiasm is contagious. If a customer notices that their tour guide is as excited to be there as they are, they’ll feel a lot more satisfied with their overall experience. Enthusiasm fosters an authentic connection between the tour guide and customers. It’s also the backdrop of all of the other essential characteristics of a good tour guide. An enthusiastic tour guide will be not only willing but excited to grow their skills and engage with the customers.

2.  Organization and punctuality

Besides dressing themselves well, this involves setting expectations prior to the tour – informing customers of location, time, and length of tour, what they need to bring, and any rules or special considerations (if your online booking system doesn’t automate this for you). Your tour guide needs to have organisational skills to be able to run through the structure for each tour in advance.

Ultimately, one of the key characteristics of a good tour guide is effective time management skills and punctuality. They shouldn’t make customers wait for them, and they should end the tour on time.

How punctual are they when it comes to their appointments with you during the interview process? This is a good indicator of how they will be when running your tours.

The speed with which they speak and move the tour along should also be just right – it can’t be too fast or too slow. You don’t want your customers to get bored or feel rushed through certain parts of the tour.

3.  Prepared for anything

A good tour guide is adept at improvising, no matter whether it’s responding to hiccups in the tour’s timing, unexpected customer questions, or responding to crises. It’s key that your tour guides are capable of efficiently detecting and responding to any crisis, no matter how big or small. They should also have a comprehensive understanding of your company’s tour guide insurance policies and how this may relate to their work.

Unexpected situations can crop up where medical assistance is needed. Every guide should know First Aid and carry the appropriate equipment. Can your candidate attend to the injured using this equipment? If not, are they willing to attend First Aid training prior to starting?

4.  Can read the room

A good tour guide will take the initiative to learn about customers on the tour, then include universally relevant information to tailor the examples they use to make it more personal. They need to be aware of who they’re speaking to, the audience needs to see that your tour guide engages with all the attendees.

5.  An engaging storyteller

Obviously, you don’t want people to become disinterested whilst on your tour. Your guide’s personality is a huge part of that. Can they make the tour more interactive? They should be able to invite questions and use demonstrations to help tourists to learn by themselves. 

One of the most essential qualities of a good tour guide is a great customer service experience and the ability to hold good conversations. It’s also important that they have a passion for travel as this will keep the audience interested and engaged .

Make sure that they themselves are interested in the subject matter, because they need to be enthusiastic about what they’re saying.

6 .  Knows their stuff

Another one of the most important characteristics of a tour guide is their ability to retain information.

Your guide must be able to recite facts from memory and be clear in delivering them. Facts have to be accurate – otherwise, they should be able to say they aren’t sure and get back to the customer asking.

Of course, you can’t expect your tour guide to know everything from day one. But hiring a tour guide who demonstrates an enthusiasm for learning and has clearly researched your tour company prior to their job interview, is key to ensuring that your staff are committed to learning and understanding the tours they provide.

7. Multilingual

While it may not be a necessity, speaking multiple languages is an excellent and particularly useful quality of a good tour guide. A multilingual tour guide will dramatically broaden your target audience and help welcome people from varying backgrounds to your tour.

A tour guide doesn’t need to be fluent in dozens of languages for their lingual skills to be handy. All tour guides should at least have a conversational grasp of commonly encountered languages. This knowledge becomes extremely useful if someone has an emergency.

8.  Leadership and initiative

Since they’re managing a group of people, the ability to have a certain level of authority is crucial. Tour guides must be able to lead a group of people without being condescending, snobby, or aggressive. If something unexpected happens on the tour, a good tour guide will be able to take charge in an assertive manner to ensure that all customers receive the right directions.

9.  A good sense of humor

Whilst they don’t have to be total comedians, tour guides need to be quick witted so they can throw in friendly jokes or light banter with the customers. Again, it’s not a stand-up routine, so they should also know when to be quiet. You can gauge this aspect of their personality when they interview for the job.

10. Willingness to learn

 A key part of your tour should be collecting feedback and using it to make it better. Your tour guides should be open to change based on customer criticism – without taking it too personally.

Of course, the ideal tour guide will look differently for each tour operator company as some traits are necessary for certain activities but not others. However, there are certain qualities of a good tour guide that transcend time and place: enthusiasm, a willingness to learn, leadership skills, and punctuality.

Now that you’ve found what makes a good tour guide, it’s time to ensure that your newly hired tour guides are given the right tools they need to succeed.

Rezdy’s all-in-one online booking software simplifies the management of your tour company so you can ensure that your customers receive a satisfying experience. Curious to see how Rezdy can help your tour guides succeeds? Start a  FREE 21-day trial  or  book a demo so you can  experience first-hand the benefits of automated activity booking websites.

If you enjoyed this article then make sure to follow the  Rezdy blog . There are a lot of marketing tools and tour operator tips designed with businesses like yours in mind.

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Pros + Cons: Travel Guide Services

Consider integrating a travel guide into your next trip, or try a fully guided tour to help you ease into international travel.

Related To:

This summer, I took a guided educational tour of Australia and New Zealand with my brother, mother and a group of almost forty travelers from our hometown in Tennessee. The group was a combination of high school students and adults with almost a one-to-one ratio. On the trip I held a koala (what a dream!), snorkeled in the Great Barrier Reef, toured the Sydney Opera House, visited Hobbiton, luged down a small mountain, learned first-hand about Djabuki and Maori cultures, surfed for the first time and ate some of the best food I've ever had. Luke, our amazing tour guide, was there all along the way to point us to the best food and attractions, answer our crazy American questions and teach us about Australian Rules football.

The trip was undoubtedly worth the price, and I know it could have been years before I would have planned and executed it on my own, especially as a beginner international traveler. Is a tour service the best way to experience Australia? Doesn't matter. It's the way that got us there. Of course, a fully planned and guided tour shouldn't always be your go-to for travel. Independent travel has so many virtues and benefits that can't be overlooked, but there are ways to incorporate guides without sacrificing these. Whatever your reason for traveling, there's likely some kind of guide service that can add to your experience.

Local Guides

So you're a budget independent traveler who scoffs at big tour groups and actively runs the other direction. I get it; you want to escape the tourist traps and really get to know a place. There are tours for you, too. Think small and local. Often found with a simple call to a tourism department, small operations offer day guiding and walking tours that cover significant historical sites. These guided tours can usually be booked day-of or at least the day before, offering flexibility and spontaneity to planning-averse travelers.

Whakarewarewa Thermal Village

Waiting for the geyser to spout during a local tour of Whakarewarewa Thermal Village in Rotorua, New Zealand.

Photo by: Carol Shannon

Carol Shannon

Local and personal guides are usually passionate about their towns and very well versed in local knowledge. Not only can they teach you about local history, culture and lore but also provide excellent advice on restaurants, bars and off-the-beaten-path experiences.

Adventure Guiding + Active Tours

Backpacking in the Andes, mountaineering in the Alps, rafting the Grand Canyon, cycling the West Coast, climbing in Patagonia — I go could on with the list of adventures I would love to have but am not experienced enough to undertake on my own. Adventure guiding services offered by REI , Adventure Unbound and thousands of local outdoor guiding services are integral to anyone who wants a unique and challenging outdoor experience but can't devote time to tackle it on their own.

Enjoying Hobbiton on a semi-guided tour.

Too many people exclude themselves from incredible experiences like summiting a difficult 14'er or rafting treacherous rivers or camping in a desert because they lack experience. A proper guiding service will make up for inexperience and help you achieve your goal with the least possible risk. They can be hired for any level of adventure and budget from one of the 7 Summits to an overnight hike in an unknown part of the world.

Clay Britt, a friend who has traveled internationally on a budget over the last few years, prefers to rely on himself and knowledge picked up from locals on his adventures, but he makes a few exceptions for guiding services.

Clay says, "I used a guide on a five-day hike on the Salkantay Trek in Peru and on a camping trip in the Sahara Desert [in] Morocco. There is a certain sense of accomplishment when you complete something without help. However, for me there are certain cases where a guide is more beneficial in the long run. When trails are not easily navigable, and the knowledge of a local guide can provide you with more time enjoying the journey, I think a guide service is the best option."

On the other side of the coin, too many inexperienced people attempt ambitious and dangerous feats without guides and face severe consequences. Guided trips are the smartest way for most of us to check big adventures off the list.

Photography Workshops + Tours

Offered in hundreds of locations by as many professional photographers, these workshops satiate both the travel and photography bugs. Hobbyist and amateur photographers (pretty much anyone who knows how to use their camera) can spend 5-10 days developing their skills while exploring a new region or country with an experienced landscape or street photographer.

Sydney Opera House

Admiring the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Leading photographers have often been to the destination multiple times and scouted for the most beautiful landscapes and the best street photography areas. You'll be on location every morning for sunrise, and you'll set up every evening to capture sunsets, but between those key timeslots, some trips allow you to enjoy the city, town or park you're visiting. Think of the time in-between shooting as your personal exploration time. A few major travel destinations for photography workshops include Iceland , Cuba , the Pacific Northwest and China .

Student Tours

Parents of students, pay attention. Student tours offered by companies like Education First and Brightspark can ignite a passion for travel and cultural education in many young people before they're old enough to travel independently. These tours often cover everything you would need to worry about: flights, transportation, lodging, most meals and great activities.

Franklin Islands National Park

Watching waves roll in on Franklin Islands National Park after snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef.

Photo by: Clint Shannon

Clint Shannon

Kayla Kitts, managing editor at Discovery who has traveled in 13 countries on both independent and guided trips, first travelled internationally as a student ambassador to France, Italy and Malta.

"This trip ultimately fed my passion for traveling and inspired me to take even more international trips," Kayla says.

After a few guided and independent trips, Kayla was able to pinpoint her preferred style of unplanned and laid-back travel.

While the benefits of international tours and travel for students are numerous, a few stand out. They will learn how to adapt when surrounded by different cultures, better understand diverse cultures, expand their perspectives of the world and develop meaningful connections with friends and fellow travelers.

Yes, these tours can be pricey, but the value can't be beat. Tour groups often host fundraisers and recommend grants and scholarships to ease the burden of cost. When possible, these tours are great opportunities for parents to join and share a potentially life-changing experience with their children.

Educational + Cultural Tours for Adults

Although some people can book their first flight ever, head across the world, plunge into an unknown culture and thrive, most of us have to work up to independent travel, especially international travel. Fully guided tours are perfect for anyone wanting to break into the travel world but nervous about their first trip. While great for first-time travelers of all ages, middle-aged to elderly adults who are finally finding themselves with time to travel may especially benefit from these.

Hyde Park Barracks

Sun lights a restored prisoners' sleeping quarters in the Hyde Park Barracks in Sydney.

Road Scholar , Go Ahead Tours (a subgroup of Education First) and Artisans of Leisure are three notable companies offering guided tours to adults. Major museums like The MET and Smithsonian also offer tours to unique places. Like educational tours for students, these can come with a hefty price tag, but again, consider the value. Were you to spend weeks planning and booking the same trip with all the same experiences, opportunities and amenities, you will likely be paying the same, if not more.

These tours reduce your planning time to none, save you the hassle of figuring out transportation, solve language barrier issues, provide an opportunity to make great friends with fellow travelers and maximize the amount of experiences you'll have in a short period of time.

However, there are potential downsides to consider. If you prefer spontaneous and flexible travel, most of these trips aren't for you, but day guides and local tours can still offer so much.

Travel guides can and should be used by everyone to enhance an experience, even highly independent and spontaneous travelers. From education to adventure to culture, different levels of guiding and the right guide will help new travelers find their way and add value for experienced travelers.

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The Pros and Cons of Guided Tours

As travel bloggers, we face a very real dilemma: Do we try to see and experience as much as possible during our trip, or do we allow ourselves more time to explore and wander at our leisure?

Both approaches have their own unique benefits and drawbacks – and if you find yourself wondering which is right for you, this blog will help you decide!

The Pros of Guided Tours

1. you get to see all the major points of interest. .

We took a tour bus to Mount Rainier National Park and were able to see all the items on our bucket list:

• Mt. Rainier (of course)
• Grove of the Patriarchs
• Reflection Lake
• Christine, Myrtle and Narada Falls

2. You always have someone to take your photo. 

What’s more annoying than getting home from your trip only to realize all you have on your camera are selfies of your giant face with few recognizable details in the background?

Gone are the days of the selfie stick and, with them, all the semi-decent shots of you and your fellow traveler(s). But fear not! When traveling in a group, you can ask your tourmates to snap a few shots for you.

Disclaimer: OK, so the photos might not always be great, but at least they show more than your right arm and face.

3. [For extroverts only] You get to meet other travelers.

There’s something special about sharing an adventure with a bunch of strangers. During a guided tour to the Loire Valley in France, we ate a private, family-style meal at Château de Nitray with our tourmates, and it ended up being one of our favorite parts of the entire trip!

4. You don’t have to worry about transportation.

There are few things more terrifying than navigating public transportation in an unfamiliar destination, especially one in which you don’t know the local language.

We found ourselves in Paris trying to navigate the RER for a trip to Versailles. Though we successfully purchased our train tickets at the kiosks, the digital screens didn’t show any trains going to Versailles. Turns out, the announcements they were playing on the overhead speakers (in French) alerted travelers that there would be no trains to Versailles that day.

When we got back to the land of free wifi (thank you, Hotel Regina!), we booked a coach bus. We were thankful to have reliable – and air conditioned – transportation on this trip and many others!

5. You get the inside scoop. 

With a local tour guide, you get more than just what’s written on the brochure. You get an insider’s perspective and opinion on the locale’s history, impact, people, traditions, celebrations and more. You discover the hidden gems and the funny stories that give each destination its character.

The Cons of Guided Tours

1. it always feels rushed..

No matter what tour you take or how long you’re at your destination, a guided tour always feels rushed. We’ve missed out on photo ops and off-the-beaten-path adventures by taking guided tours during which there’s no time to stop for these last-minute detours.

The photo above was taken through a bus window during a guided tour. We wanted to beg the driver to please pull over and stop so we could capture this beautiful scene, but we were on a time budget and couldn’t afford to do so.

2. There are usually people in your footage.

If you’re traveling with a large group, chances are that some of your tourmates will photobomb you. In Mount Rainier National Park, Mike was carefully setting up a shot of me walking across a bridge, under which was a beautiful waterfall.

As I was “acting” my way to the other side of the bridge, a group of our tourmates thought I was lost and swiftly entered the shot to guide me to a different location. Bye bye, dreamy footage. Hello, photobombers.

3. [For introverts only] You have to spend time with other travelers.

For some travelers, being with a group of strangers all day is a nightmare. It really depends on the crowd – we’ve had wonderful tourmates and we’ve had loud, obnoxious ones (who you can hear in every video we shot).

If you have time, call the tour company in advance and ask about the size of the tour group. This will help you decide which tour to take – or whether to take one at all.

4. Certain tours might not be worth your investment.

Guided tours range in price, but some can be pretty expensive depending on your destination. In some cases, they might not be worth your investment at all.

Consider this: We booked our Mt. Rainier day trip in advance and figured the weather probably wouldn’t be great. What we didn’t know is that when the weather isn’t great, it affects your chances of seeing the mountain at all, which was the main reason we booked the day trip.

When I asked our tour guide what our chances were of seeing Mt. Rainier, he wouldn’t even say. For a tour that cost $130 per person, that was a pretty risky gamble!

Read more about our hunt for Mount Rainier . 

5. Guided tours can be exhausting.

I know, I know – first-world problems. But guided tours can seriously take a toll on you!

Most of our tours have been 12-hour day trips. We get up at the crack of dawn, head to the meet-up spot with nothing but a cup of coffee in our stomachs and set off on a long and often draining tour.

This is usually the trade-off when you decide that you want to see everything on your bucket list.

Whether you’re booking a guided tour or not, we wish you happy travels and hope this blog post helps you plan your next adventure!

We’re going to spend some time roaming on our own during our next vacation in Anaheim, California. Be sure to subscribe for updates and follow us on Instagram at @travtwogether .

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Emily Malott

3 responses to “The Pros and Cons of Guided Tours”

So true about yours. I’ve always felt rushed and exhausted. So I book time a few days before and after your in the country I toured!

[…] Guided tours that are included in packages afford you the opportunity of exploring the surrounding area. As useful as it is to have a local tour guide showing you the sights, it can limit where you can go. Pre-booked excursions are particularly applicable to first-time visitors, as they can experience the best of the local attractions on offer. However, returning visitors may find it rewarding to add a window of flexibility in their itinerary to do some of their own exploring. […]

thanks for the pros and cons about tour .

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ZigZagonEarth

Plan unforgettable road trips!

The best & worst of Tour Guides

Last updated on February 23, 2016 by Claire Robinson - this article contains affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I get a small commission ( more )

As a solo traveler, I often use group tours for just Day tours or week-long trips

And what makes the tour unforgettable (except for the place…) is not so much the organization, equipment, weather etc… it is the tour guide!

Some are exceptionally good… but some can be horribly bad. I have decided to share with you some of the best and worst tour guide experiences I had.

Australia – Red Centre: the one with whom it did not click

During my 5 day tour around Uluru , the guide was quite impressive taking care of driving, getting the wood, cooking etc… especially as it was pouring rain. However I had a reallz hard time as we did not have the same style at all. He was completely free, things will happen when they will happen and, as you know, I am a crazy planner.

So when he told us we could go walking around Uluru, I said ‘great, where and where are you picking us up?’ And his answer was ‘oh I will tour Uluru many times and find all of you!!!!’ Ahhh, driving me crazy!

Japan: the replay-guide

I joined an organized day tour to Mount Fuji. This was sadly a huge bus, and I prefer small group tour.

Well, it was not that bad. He had drawings and maps to explain but he was repeating all of his sentences twice word for word the whole time! Also driving me crazy!

Thailand: worst situation ever

I booked a day tour at the hotel to go & visit the amazing ruins of Ayutthaya. This is a beautiful place, but if I had taken a bus to go there it would have been exactly the same

Also the hotel guaranteed an English speaking guide, the guide actually did not speak a word of English… he could not even tell us at what time we were supposed to be back to the bus! We had to draw a clock on a piece of paper…

Australia-Great ocean road: in the heart of the action

In Melbourne for the weekend, I booked a small group tour to the Great ocean road and this was one of the best tours I’ve ever done. First the scenery was stunning.

And on top of that the guide was really great: funny, knowledgeable, helpful. At one point we stopped and head down to the beach at Loch Ard Gorge where he had some of us climbed on a big rock and re-enact the history the place was famous for. It was the wreck of the Loch Ard and its 2 survivor ( check the story here ). Strangely he picked the good looking blond girl to be the survivor… 🙂

Namibia: YoYo Quality

On my second week of Namibia, we had a very nice guide that was exceptional for some part and terrible for others.

For example, explaining history was not really his thing. We arrived at Twyfelfountein, famous for its engravings, and he started telling us how the New Zealand people requested that site to be on the World Heritage Site List with 31 votes etc… 2 min later I read the sign and found out the real story, LOL :

However, he did something so fantastic for us that week, that we awarded him with a card of best tour guide ever!

He got us to look lions in the eyes. Go check the story here !

So yes, a guide can change your experience, but I found that when booking a small group tour, you are almost assured to have a good guide even if he is not your style!

And you, do you have some good stories about tour guides?

ZZOE from ZigZag On Earth Travel Blog

Reader Interactions

June 21, 2014 at 6:41 AM

I appreciate your blog well written by you. We can find both worst and best tour guides. In this blog you discussed about good thing which is useful for everyone especially for the people those who loves to travel. I’ll share this through my blog and thanks for sharing this informative post. Keep up blogging.

September 23, 2014 at 11:39 AM

This is a great blog and I have got inspiration on this blog for tour to Western Australia. It is helpful tips are really helpful for me.Thanks for sharing this valuable article. ……..

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The Good or Bad Tour Guide

At the suggestion of Ellen Jacobson of Centennial, Colorado, we asked readers, “What makes a good guide and why and what makes a bad guide and why?” We threw in the questions “What are some constructive ways to communicate with a guide or help him or her better their performance, deal with a specific expectation of the group or improve the progress of the tour?” and “Have you come up with ways to salvage a tour led by a poor guide?”

We requested comments of a general nature, excluding names of specific guides, but allowed that if there were a particular tour company whose guides have been consistently great, it would be okay to mention it along with when the tours were taken. Shown below are replies from readers — an experienced bunch of tour takers.

If you have something to add, write to The Good or Bad Tour Guide, c/o ITN, 2116 28th St., Sacramento, CA 95818, or e-mail editor@intltravelnews . com (please includse the address at which you receive ITN). Remember, photos are always welcome, and ITN prints no info on destinations in North America or the Caribbean.

Having taken dozens of guided tours (among them an hour’s visit to a president’s boyhood home, a 2-hour city highlights tour and a 3-week multicountry trip), my husband and I have experienced the skills (or lack of same) of many guides. Fortunately, we can honestly say that we have had far more good guides than poor ones. Whether they work for Grand Circle, Trafalgar, Viking, Vantage, Globus or Cosmos or independently, in general they seem to be well trained.

A good guide is cheerful, good-natured and confident. She (or he) has good communication skills and speaks clearly. If English isn’t her native language, she must speak it well enough to be easily understood. She may, however, teach the group some words in her own language or even a song or two, as our Norwegian guide did.

Guides should not single out any individual or couple for special attention. Usually, guides do follow this rule and do not sit with the same people at every meal, instead often eating with the driver (probably a company policy), but we have had some who consistently got into long conversations with one or two people, ignoring the rest of the group.

Flexibility is important. On a Scandinavian trip, we told our guide that we really would like to see a stave church. Other members of the group agreed, and she took us a few miles off the planned route to accommodate our request. Seeing that church was a highlight of our tour, and many of the group were able to take wonderful pictures.

On the other hand, sometimes far too much time is allowed for a planned activity. Unfortunately, many guides (tour companies) have bought into the notion that most women like nothing better than to spend most of their vacation time shopping. It is very disconcerting to be dropped off in a small village for three hours and in less than 30 minutes to have visited every little shop within walking distance. Whether or not it is true that guides get a percentage of everything purchased by their group, tour members should have some say in the length of time allotted for shopping.

When taking a group on a walking tour, the guide should be careful to include everyone in her comments and to speak loudly for those in the back. The best system I have seen of communicating with a large group of walkers was on a March ’04 tour with Globus (Littleton, CO; 800/221-0090 or www.globusjourneys.com ) in Italy, where the guide had a small microphone and we all had earphones. The guide was very careful to be sure that we all knew how to use our earphones before we started out. He could speak in his normal voice, and even if we were 20 or 30 feet away we could hear him. Even in the Sistine Chapel, where quiet is mandatory, he could talk to us softly and unobtrusively.

If a tour covers several days, the guide should explain a seat-rotation system on the first day and then stick to it, allowing everyone a chance at the front seat. Otherwise, there will be one couple who will pitch their tent on the front seat and remain there for the entire trip.

A good guide is an expert on the area covered by his tour, whether it is a single house or an entire country. He must transmit a lot of information and not allow too much “dead” time between information bites. He should also know the territory well enough not to get hopelessly lost, as our guide and also the driver did in Brussels when we were trying to find our hotel for the night.

If it is necessary to vary from the published itinerary, the guide should explain clearly what is happening. Although tour companies, not guides, make decisions about alternatives and/or compensation for promises not kept, it is up to the guide to communicate what has happened. On a cross-country rail trip in Canada, our train sat on the track without moving for several hours before our guide finally explained that we had to wait for a delayed freight train.

A good guide keeps his group on schedule. If some people are consistently late for morning departure or in returning to the bus during sightseeing excursions, the guide needs to deal directly with them and explain the consequences that could occur.

If the subject of tipping must be broached, the guide’s comments should be tactful and concise. Nearly all tour members are aware of what is expected and should not have to hear the lengthy guilt-trip lecture. Extraordinary guides deserve to be well rewarded. Those who do only what is required do not.

To salvage a bad situation, such as a guide who is too chummy with a small faction of the group, honest one-to-one communication is the best policy: “Some of us are feeling left out. Could you come and talk to us for a while?” or “I would really like a chance to sit in the front one day. Could you arrange that?”

Guides have a huge responsibility, and travelers certainly appreciate those who take their job seriously and help make the experience one to remember.

Audrey Henry Newberry, SC

During the past 30 years, I’ve enjoyed superb tour guides and endured the opposite.

The superb guide is enthusiastic and knowledgeable about his country, demonstrates great interpersonal skills and is organized. To be more specific, the superb guide. . .

• shares a broad knowledge about his country’s history, sights and contemporary culture, including religion, the economy, education, etc.;

• desires his guests to “love” his country as much as he does;

• is sensitive to the special interests and needs of each individual in the group while creatively keeping the tour flowing positively for the welfare of the group;

• provides maps, introductions to public transportation systems, and suggestions for optional sights, restaurants and experiences that might be missed;

• enables independence for those who want to explore and “find their way back to the hotel” rather than staying with the group;

• can manage the difficult traveler — the tardy, the know-it-all, the obnoxious — without detriment to the group;

• is flexible and open to serendipity or the bringing in of extra experiences, such as watching net fishermen or witnessing a Buddhist ordination ceremony;

• provides helpful information about a site before arrival so that time at the site may be better used to savor the essence of the place, and

• loves life and the world he lives in.

When enduring a poor tour guide, I learn as much as I can from hotel staff, information services, etc., as well as from my own guidebooks and maps. I seek out the travel-savvy, like-minded, compatible members of the group and share insights and experiences.

When enduring a prolonged shopping experience, a wait for the tardy or the eternal lecture at a site, I explore and appreciate the world around without disrupting the group flow.

The simple question “When should I be back at the bus?” grants time away from a poor guide at a site or store. Furthermore, the statement “I’ll find my way back to the hotel from here” nearly always results in interesting experiences.

Most importantly, I try to keep a positive attitude and make happy memories. I can’t change others; I realize I am responsible for my own happiness.

Wanda Bahde Summerfield, FL

I am sure that everyone will mention the obvious qualities — a professional manner, knowledge of the area, good grooming, punctuality and reliability — all necessary requirements for a good tour guide.

However, the attributes that make a tour and a tour guide especially memorable are those “extras”: a genuine enjoyment of the job; a great sense of humor; giving that little bit more than what was expected or paid for, whether it be time, energy or personal contact, and dealing with unscheduled, unexpected events (good or bad) with a calm and professional manner — in short, giving the tour participants the best possible travel experience. These are the hallmarks of excellence in guided tours.

I have had the good fortune to travel extensively using various tour companies, and the company that comes to mind when I think of consistent excellence is Midway Motor Travel (800/214-8738) in Great Britain. Having made more than a dozen tours with this company (at least one tour annually since 1998), I can say with confidence that their guides possess all of the necessary characteristics found in great tour guides.

Judy Prentice Markham, Ontario, Canada

Thankfully, there are more good guides than bad guides in the world, and in over 20 years of traveling I can think of only two instances where I’ve had a really bad guide.

• In Azerbaijan in 2001, I was with a group organized by Regent Holidays (15 John St., Bristol BS1 2HR, U.K.; www.regent-holidays.co.uk ), a British company that specializes in the Commonwealth of Independent States. The young lady worked for a reputable travel company in Baku and spoke excellent English, which I suspect is why she got the job. But she knew very little about the history or culture of her own country. The bus driver kept prompting her (he didn’t speak English but fed her the info), and she would repeat what he said. Our “full day sightseeing” ended right after lunch each day, at about 1:30 p.m.

What do to? I consulted my Lonely Planet guidebook and contacted a guide mentioned. I explained the problem, and on the four days thereafter he picked me up at the hotel at 1:30 p.m. for another six to eight hours of guiding. He told me more in the first hour we were together than the assigned guide had told us in three days.

He and I didn’t have the luxury of a car/driver, so we used taxis and public transportation and did walking tours. Yes, it cost me extra, but I feel I salvaged that week, which was part of a 3-week trip in Georgia, Armenia (both of which had excellent guides) and Azerbaijan.

About a month after returning home, Regent Holidays sent a letter acknowledging the problem plus a check for the “inconvenience.”

• In India in November ’05, it was just bad luck. I was with Explore (U.S. contact, Adventure Center, Emeryville, CA; 800/227-8747 or www.adventurecenter.com ), a British company known for its excellent itineraries and young, energetic, well-informed tour leaders. We had a last-minute substitute guide for a 17-day trip in Rajasthan which included the Pushkar Camel Fair, the reason I had selected that particular itinerary.

He was a very nice man, but I suspect his experience was with FIT passengers (guiding single travelers or a couple). He had very poor group skills and never had anything to say to our group of 17 beyond “toilet stop” or what time we were leaving the hotel in the morning. He was pleasant to talk to one on one but clearly could not handle a group.*

In four instances, when problems arose en route, some people on the tour used their cell phones to contact Explore’s London offices to complain. Luckily, local guides and a company representative stationed at the Pushkar Camel Fair filled in the gaps and answered all of our questions.

I learned an important lesson here: don’t let a poor guide ruin your trip.

A good guidebook is one of the most cost-effective and essential purchases you can make. I like Lonely Planet or Rough Guides, as they are geared more toward independent travelers who want to see everything and do everything.

Do a bit of research and bring magazine and newspaper clippings on the area. Use the information from these sources to plan your activities.

Talk to hotel personnel and have them help you arrange day tours and trips to museums or archaeological sites. If you want to be more independent, ask the hotel to organize a taxi or tuktuk and get out there and do things. It will cost you extra money, but it will salvage your trip.

Esther Perica Arlington Heights, IL *In a follow-up letter to ITN, Ms. Perica said that she asked Explore for a credit voucher to assist in taking the India trip over again and received one for $174.

I have taken probably 30 or more trips using Trafalgar (Long Island City, NY; 800/854-0103 or www.trafalgartours.com ), the last over Thanksgiving 2005 to Scotland, and have always found their tour guides more than satisfactory. The company makes a real effort to please, and I have never had a really bad trip with them. Their guides are very knowledgeable and seem to love their jobs.

David Williams Dallas, TX

I became a “tour guide” in 1952, at first leading grand tours of Europe. In 1974 I organized a Spanish travel seminar from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and my husband and our three children went along. Our university had a yearly trip nearly every year. So here I am, 79 and going on 60, still taking groups to Spain, Portugal, Central America and on cruises.

My wonderful assistant on the last several tours has been our son Peter, who has taken university groups abroad. Our son Paul has also led tours. They, of course, rate among my good guides. Why? In addition to language, teaching and leadership skills, they are clearheaded in emergencies.

On a bike trip in the north of Spain, a bike spill sent the carry-on holding all the passports into a ravine. Paul had to scramble to find people with mountain-climbing equipment to rescue the bag.

Peter’s ability to read maps, train schedules and signs saved us kilometers and time when our driver ventured off the scheduled route.

Guides — local guides or tour leaders — need to be calm in emergencies. Contacting a doctor is often not enough. The guide often has to take a prescription to a pharmacy, make a hospital visit if a physician cannot go to the hotel, and even help with plans for evacuating a tour member, all the while keeping the rest of the tour moving smoothly.

Roma Hoff Eau Claire, WI

My husband and I travel extensively and prefer to work with individual guides and drivers. Our experiences have varied widely, but there are a few “musts” we believe make the trip a pleasure rather than a disappointment. All of these traits, we believe, are equally important.

First, the guide must speak understandable and relatively fluent English. Our guide in Beijing spoke English so poorly that he could not understand us nor we him. We finally gave up trying. However, on that same trip, our guide in the far-flung city of Urumqi spoke near-perfect English and took us through a fascinating itinerary.

Second, the guide should love (or at least pretend to love) what he or she is doing. Our guide in Bulgaria was so outstanding, because of her love for her country and her work, that we asked her to dine with us each evening of our stay. We laughed our way through dinner and couldn’t wait for the next day’s touring.

Conversely, our guide in Romania was moonlighting to pick up extra money and had virtually no interest in even staying with us at a site. We took to calling him Waldo after the children’s book “Where’s Waldo?” because after taking us to a site he would disappear.

Third, the guide needs in-depth knowledge of his or her itinerary. Granted, guides can’t be expected to know everything; nevertheless, we have never had a guide in Israel who wasn’t totally knowledgeable about every aspect of the history, geography and politics of the country.

Fourth, a guide needs to be a good storyteller. A pure recitation of facts is mind-numbingly boring. Our Peruvian guide in Machu Picchu made the Incas come alive for us as our guides in Vietnam and Cambodia did for their peoples.

Next, a guide should try to go “above and beyond.” This does not have to be a gigantic act. For example, we loved some Peruvian CDs that the driver played in our car, and the next day our guide found them for us.

Finally, a guide should be a human being, not an automaton. Granted, we spend time with our guides on a one-on-one basis, so we have a closer relationship with them than do most travelers, but we have gotten to know many of these people as not merely professionals but family men and women willing to discuss their countries and their lives quite candidly with us. Our guide in Laos was a charming young man who shared with us his rather touching and, ultimately, inspiring life.

All in all, we have been more than pleased with those who have led our travels. Guiding is not an easy task, and we have been fortunate to have had some of the best men and women in the field.

Judith Beiner Boca Raton, FL

Good guides. . .

• are technically competent. They are well informed about their country, the locale and the sites they guide people through. Equally important, they can speak the language of their clientele well and are easily understood.

• have the discipline to be well organized, alert, on time, conscientious, energetic and flexible. They follow through on what they say they’ll deliver.

• have the personality to be outgoing, to like people and to enjoy their work. At they same time, they can skillfully manage opposing interests in a group setting, set limits and keep everyone on time and on task.

• have the judgment to gear the information they present to the interest level of their clientele, the resourcefulness to adapt activities for varying physical abilities, and the experience to provide alternatives when well-laid plans go awry.

• have the maturity to not take things personally and to maintain composure, professionalism and a high level of service even when clients are having a bad day.

Bad guides. . .

• lack knowledge. A local guide on a trip to China gave us no information about the places we were visiting but launched instead into how she overcame immense difficulties to become a tour guide when she lacked the usual formal training.

• lack adequate language skills, for example, having a really limited vocabulary or a heavy, difficult-to-understand accent.

• are lackadaisical in their attitude, such as being late, appearing disinterested or not following through on what they offer. Recently, I had a guide who tried to cut short an itinerary.

• try too hard to be liked by everybody, such as catering to a small but vocal subgroup instead of the group as a whole, or not firmly keeping the group on time.

• allow self interest to precede the interest of the group. I had a guide who tried to rush us through a museum and into the gift shop. I have also been in groups where we were dragged from one overpriced factory to another, at the expense of free time for us to browse small shops or markets at our own pace.

• are immature and unable to accurately gauge their position or their impact on others. I had a group leader once who joined in the group dynamics and ostracized one of the travelers rather than try to defuse the situation. Another group leader, a professor, fancied us his adoring students rather than paid customers. His knowledge and great lectures did not compensate for his talking down to us and freely interrupting and correcting. On a recent tour, a guide had a wealth of knowledge but rigidly gave us all of the information, in excruciating detail, before we entered an archaeological site. When we suggested he save some of the details for when we were at the specific locations so we could better utilize the information, he sulked for two days.

Since I happen to be an atmosphere junkie rather than an information junkie, on a group tour I usually just wander away and do my own thing when bored, when I’ve had enough or when I’m otherwise not enjoying what is happening. There is always something else to get interested in, even if it’s just reading a book, taking a walk or attempting a conversation with the driver while others are going through the second or third carpet shop. My expectations are different when traveling in a group.

This is more difficult on private tours, as there are no buffers between the guide and me. Over the years, I have learned to take deep breaths and communicate calmly but firmly, asking for what I know I have a right to expect. I have learned that as long as the words are polite and the tone of voice calm, there’s not much that cannot be addressed.

I’ve also found that it’s much better to tell the other person the solution I want rather than just recounting the problem, which is far more likely to elicit a defensive response. I keep it short and simple, without explanations or reasons.

Do not expect guides to understand you, but be satisfied instead with getting the service you need. Then let it go and don’t allow any grudges to mar your trip.

Nancy Tan Fresno, CA

For what it’s worth, here are “Tourist Guide Ethics & Standards” as adopted by the National Federation of Tourist Guide Associations - USA (Vicky Schwartz, President, NFTGA-USA, 2242 North Columbus St., Arlington, VA 22207; 703/524-4448 or www.nftga.com ).

1. A professional tourist guide provides a skilled, knowledgeable presentation; informs, interprets and highlights the surroundings; maintains objectivity and enthusiasm in a courteous and polite manner.

2. A professional tourist guide ensures that all information presented is factual, and makes a clear distinction between what is true and what are stories, legends and opinions.

3. A professional tourist guide keeps current on changes throughout the area s/he works, including but not limited to seasonal events, new exhibits, traffic laws and facilities, and follows the rules and regulations at all sites where tours will be conducted.

4. A professional tourist guide is prepared for each tour when the itinerary is furnished in advance; reports on time and is responsible for facilitating the smooth, safe, efficient and timely movement of the tour.

5. A professional tourist guide is sensitive to the interests and values of the tour group and does not share his/her personal views on controversial subjects such as religion, politics or lifestyles.

6. A professional tourist guide knows and follows the policies of the company that contracts him/her and does not solicit a job from that company’s client without the consent of the company; maintains loyalty to the company and protects the confidentiality of proprietary information. Also, s/he strives to establish a friendly and helpful rapport with the client, and uses discretion in the conduct of the personal business while on tour.

7. A professional tourist guide dresses appropriately for the type of tour being conducted.

8. A professional tourist guide extends professional respect and a spirit of cooperation to fellow guides, and strives to establish a good working relationship with all service providers on the tour route.

9. A professional tourist guide accepts each tour as a serious commitment and cancels only when absolutely necessary, providing as much advance notice as possible.

I found the above list in the Arizona Guides Association newsletter.

Kent Spriggs Tallahassee, FL

Several years ago while visiting one of those remote islands in the South Pacific, my wife and I, along with two other couples, engaged a driver, his ancient van and a female he referred to as a guide.

Upon introducing the guide, she said, “Hello,” and three hours later when we departed she said, “Good-bye.” But each time we got out of the van to visit a site, she held the doors open for us; while we were gone, she swept the seats and swept the sand from the floorboards, and, upon our return, she held the doors for us and shut them once we were inside.

Upon completion of the tour, I looked over to my wife and said, “My God, that may have been the best tour guide we ever had.”

All was not lost, though, for the driver drove on with a very nice commentary, and we tipped them both.

Richard T. Skinger Swansea, MA

Top Qualities of a Good Tour Guide for Amazing Experiences

The difference between an ordinary tour and an unforgettable experience relies on the qualities of a good tour guide. For that reason, finding an amazing tour guide is not easy, and being one also requires effort.

This blog post is as much for those who aspire to become the best tour guides, as is for tour operators. If you run a tour business, you should know what skills to look for in a good tour guide . If you are a tour guide, you should know how to deliver the best experience for your guests.

The qualities of a good tour guide

A good tour guide is made of a combination of qualities related to personality traits and professional skills .

Of course, if you are a tour guide, you don’t need to have them all to shine in your profession, let alone be born with all of those characteristics. Most of it you can learn and improve with experience.

Now let’s take a look at those traits.

Most desirable tour guide personality traits

Many of the qualities of a good tour guide are related with their personality.

When attending a tour, the guest wants to be involved by the story they are being told. Hence, the person who is telling it needs the ability to transmit all the knowledge and emotion of it.

• Mastering the Art of Storytelling Is All Tour Operators Need in 2021

To delight the guest, a good tour guide needs to be:

1. Enthusiastic

It’s pretty much safe to say that enthusiasm is the most important part of this job. The tourists will sense if you don’t feel passionate when you’re talking to them.

Also, when tour guides are enthusiastic about their subject, they are inclined to acquire more knowledge about it. It doesn’t hurt to mention it helps the guides to withstand mentally and physically exhausting experiences.

2. Engaging

Great tour guides will share their knowledge in an engaging, interactive and entertaining way. Effective tour guides also invite questions and interaction from tour members, rather than treating the tour as a one-person show or a school lesson.

The tourists themselves should be interested in the subject matter because they need to be enthusiastic about what the tour guide is saying.

Let’s not forget that the success of a tour often relies on the members of the group getting on well and enjoying the shared experience. The guide can do a huge amount to make that happen by making sure everyone gets to know each other.

3. Communicative

Having strong communication skills is one of the most important qualities of a good tour guide and a must for tour guide personality traits . You could say they need to have extremely good people skills. As much as tour guides need to be able to speak loud and clear, they need to know how to listen.

Good listening skills mean they can understand what the group is interested in. The conversation between the tour guide and guest has to be an interactive relationship, not just one way. Tour guides have to talk to new people daily, and it has to be in an easy-to-understand way.

4. Outgoing

Well, the trait mentioned above leads us directly to this one. It takes communication skills to a whole new level.

There can be a bit of social awkwardness when a new group of strangers shows up, and a guide should be able to break that immediately. That helps people feel comfortable talking to each other and their guide. This ensures, later on, they feel open to add comments or add questions along the way.

The ability to entertain people with stories and anecdotes would be hard for someone with an introverted personality.

A sense of humor is one of the most welcome qualities of a good tour guide. Intrepid Travel’s Dheeraj “Monty” Bhatt, who won the Wanderlust award for outstanding achievement cited “a good sense of humor” as one of the strongest weapons in a guide’s armory.

It especially helps if you can crack a joke in a crisis. Just like being outgoing and enthusiastic, humor can be the perfect tool to cut any tensions. And as always, add an extra layer of entertainment for guests.

6. Decisive

Leadership and decisiveness are important skills of a tour guide. Although they have to be friendly and funny, at the same time they should maintain a certain level of authority.

There will probably be many unpredictable occasions where they’ll need to make a decision. And make it fast. That has been put nicely in the book Conducting Tours: A Practical Guide .

“Tour leaders translate experience and common sense into firm, quick actions.”

Professional tour guide skills

Every tour company will want that their tour guides leave a professional appearance. It instills trust and confidence in travelers. That way, it makes them feel safe and like they made a great tour company choice!

It will certainly help with your goal if your staff has those qualities of a good tour guide:

1. Organized

It comes almost without saying. Tour guides, responsible for organizing and leading a whole group of people, have to be well organized.

Among other things, this involves setting expectations before the tour – informing customers of the location, time, and length of the tour, what should they bring, and/or any rules or special considerations (if your online booking system doesn’t automate this for you).

For tourists, the tour should seem effortless and seamless.

2. Punctual

Punctuality comes hand in hand with organizational skills. Nobody would be happy about having displeased customers if a tour guide didn’t show up on time to meet them.

3. Able to handle the crisis

Improvisational skills are always needed, not just in crisis situations and tour guide traits. Whether it’s just a minor hiccup in the plan or something bigger happened.

A quality of a good tour guide is to always find a way to calm down people, explain everything in the right way and make them feel better. The same goes for preparedness in case of medical emergencies. Some kind of tours can be much more dangerous than others.

Patience is the kind of virtue that any tour guide without it, usually, won’t be very successful. Jonny Bealby, founder of Wild Frontiers came into guiding following a career as a travel writer. He cited “patience, and lots of it” as the premier quality of a tour guide.

Tour guides will sometimes have to be taking time to explain a complicated historical event. Answer questions they’ve already answered multiple times in their speeches. Walk as slowly as is humanly possible, while waiting for a part of the group to catch up with them. A tour guide needs to be comfortable taking things slowly and to do so with a smile.

5. Sensitive

A great tour guide should be sensitive towards the needs of the group. Tour guides must be aware that what is obvious to them may be completely new for their tourists.

Their clients come from different backgrounds and they are presumably in unfamiliar situations. A perfect guide will be attentive and respectful to everyone in the group, making sure that everyone can see and hear well.

They should make sure everyone is as safe and comfortable as possible. It’s important for the tourists’ satisfaction with your tour.

Other qualities of a tour guide: Be well-informed and interested in the location

There’s no need to state the obvious—tour guides have to know what they’re talking about. Ideally, they would be experts in that area. It helps a lot if they are personally interested in what they are presenting.

Travelers will sense it in the enthusiastic tone of their voice. Tour guide presentation style and tone give a unique touch to the tour experience and an irreplaceable sense of authenticity!

These are a few things they should aspire to be:

1. Multilingual

Speaking multiple languages is, if not a necessity, then just an excellent quality in all the tour guide traits. Ideally, your tour guide should speak a range of languages, including your own, as well as the local lingo.

At the very least, tour guides must have a conversational grasp of commonly encountered languages. This knowledge becomes extremely useful if someone has an emergency.

2. Knowledgeable

Knowing a local is truly an asset when it comes to tour guide traits. They must be able to recite facts from memory and be clear on delivering them.

Facts, of course, have to be accurate—otherwise, they should be able to say they aren’t sure and get back to the customer asking.

Guides provide information about the area, including facts that may be of interest to the group. Which means, they should get to know the group.

Storytelling is a key part of the job. A great storyteller will make any story sound like it’s their own.

3. Willing to learn and improve

The great tour guides should continuously work on fine-tuning the tour to make it an exceptional one.

They pay attention to what guests enjoy the most and the least about the tour. They ask the guests some questions and answer theirs. And they encourage guest feedback at the end of a tour.

This trait can help realize what further steps need to be taken to enhance the tour.

These were some of the most important qualities of excellent tour guides. Sure, for even better success, one could always add a few more. For example, a good sense of direction, good pacing (not too slow, not too fast), good health, etc.

Well, if you find a tour guide who’s got all this or if you are this guide—you don’t have to worry about the success of your tour.

Which quality would you add to this article? Feel free to share your thoughts in our LinkedIn group .

ORIOLY on April 26, 2022

by Lidija Šomodi

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Harry Joseph Devery

2024 Taste of Ireland (Tour A) - 7 Days/6 Nights Everything was well thought out and fullfilled flawlessly.

Trisha Lyons

Book the tour.

My husband and I absolutely LOVED our 8 day tour of Ireland! We are so incredibly fortunate that Brendan was our tour guide. He was incredibly knowledgeable and personable. He shared songs, poems, stories, and recommendations of places to check out at every stop. There is no way we would have been able to see and do as much as we did if not on the tour. We covered so much ground and soaked up so much of Ireland. I’m so glad we chose this tour. Highly recommend!!

CIE Tours Customer

Irish legends review.

Tour was good but gave no time to explore the places we stayed in even though we were there for 2 nights in each town or city. We would have loved more time in THe National Stud and Japanese Garden, also Clonmacnoise , visits were too short. Food was excellent , but each hotel served up the same basic menu as the last hotel and to try to cater for all tastes . NewPark Inn , Kilkenny was our least favorite hotel, too many children and the hotel put us into room right next to the three kids activity areas not a pleasant stay. Another critique was that all the hotels had centrally controlled air , no a/c and guests had no way to regulate the situation. The heat was belting out each night , made the rooms really stuffy and we woke up loggy and feeling as if we'ed had no rest Our Driver Frankie Mulcahy was great.

Mrs. Janet Lee Bellezza

My bucket listt trip.

We had a wonderful time albeit long bus rides! I understand the necessity of the over night leave the next morning but I do wish that overnights could be maybe 2 nights a couple more times. We also enjoyed meeting new people from around the USA! Ourdriver, Ollie, was a real card! He was funny and very knowledgeable about Ireland. Becky was also very knowledgeable about Scotland.

Richard Lee Cummings

We accomplished so much and enjoyed each stop along the way..

The number of items of historical note that we visited was impressive and while the pace was quick, with good planning and paying close attention tourist can maximize their tour. We certainly did and enjoyed every minute!

Mr. Terrance Lynn Tiede

Driver Tony did an excellent job driving safely as well as a tour guide on the road. He was precise on a needed time schedule to stay on schedule. This allowed us plenty of time for the main points of interest. Although adamant on a set time, he was patient and kind.

The tour was well organized and delivered as promised.

Mr. James Theodore Laplante

All i hoped for.

Everything was taken care of. We were informed of all we would be doing and all we needed with us. There were no surprises and no Oops moments.

The tour guide was very knowledgeable! Most of the hotels were good!

Mr. Gerard Peter Littrell

Awesome trip.

They did an awesome job with everything! All was well planned out and went smoothly. Would HIGHLY recommend. We cant wait to plan another trip with them

Ms. Caroline Bevacqua Miller

Hotels were clean, coach bus comfortable, tour guide excellent!

Mr. Gerard A Barbero Jr

Murt oshea our tour guide was fantastic. made the trip a complete success..

Murt O'Shea our tour guide was fantastic. Made the trip a complete success

Linda Marie Reash

Best tour ever.

Our driver, Austin McArdle was absolutely fantastic, was a fabulous driver and guide all in one. He told us a lot of the history of each place as we went by. Amazing!

Lorraine Susan Leno

Wonderful experience and wonderful sights

Tracy Regis

Perfect way to see ireland and northern ireland.

CIE really has their tours well organized. We had great hotels, food and service the entire time. Brian was a wonderful tour guide as well. If you want to take a trip and not have to stress over the details this is a great way to go.

Susan Ann Morabito

Excellent tour.

I learned and saw so many things while on the tour...our tour director, Dianna, was excellent. Very knowledge...funny and just made our tour so great!! We saw everything you need to see in Italy

Carolyn Blount Brodersen

The joys of the magical land of eire with no worries.

Patrick was OUTSTANDING! Actually, I feel like he became a friend--and now we MISS him. Learned so much from his accounts of the history and culture of Ireland as we rode along. Also, everything he recommended turned out to be SPOT ON. He nailed it every time. If Patrick said it was great, we did it--and were so glad! Want to commend Patrick for something else--Bobbi lost her diamond wedding band and was frantic with worry--Patrick found it for her on the tour bus--and promptly returned it. He deserves a raise for that--what a gem of a gentleman! A few non-Patrick-related pointers. We didn't use the nice backpacks you sent us--I'm a fashionista so used a snazzy backpack, and my husband had a bigger and sportier backpack he used. I looked around and saw only four out of 24 of us were using the CIE backpacks. Because that was a significant expense, I suggest skipping the inclusion of backpacks, and instead send a laundry bag (which is necessary, but not expensive)--with the accessories tucked inside it (water jug, power adapter, etc.). Use the leftover money to buy tickets for some other event. Maybe that WONDERFUL Irish dancing performance in Killarney could be included? That was PRICELESS and a highlight of our trip. Maybe a small thing, but our bed at the hotel in Killarney was saggy in the middle and it listed to one side--room 129, if memory serves. All the other beds in the other hotels were great. And the linens were exception everywhere--nice cotton sheets and down comforters--just lovely. Lastly, the first place we had lunch--some pub outside of Dublin--had simply AWFUL food. Flabby, overcooked veggies, giant chunks of dry chicken in the salad--some said the Shepherd's pie was good, but most thought the food sub-par--maybe another option for the first lunch? Otherwise, we enjoyed our food during the tour and were most content. We would definitely recommend CIE tours--we were so impressed and delighted. A couple of small tweaks to optimize--that's all. Was a wonderful vacation and we felt very well taken care of.

Philip R Kelley

Cie was great.

CIE took care of every aspect of our tour from transportation, accommodations, meals, as well as our air travel. Each day was a pleasant surprise!

Mr. Grant Douglas Thomas

Great tour guide and driver. Transportation was accommodating.

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15 Tour Guide Do’s and Don’ts for Cultural Sensitivity

By Erick Tomaliwan

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A tour guide can easily make or break an experience based on cultural sensitivity. When they embrace a group’s diversity, everyone feels welcome. On the flip side, miscommunication, impatience, or blatant intolerance often leads to unhappy guests — no matter how exciting a tour may be. 

Skip ahead to 15 tour guide do’s and don’ts for cultural sensitivity.

A tour example of cultural sensitivity gone wrong

I know this all too well from a night jungle walk in Costa Rica. Although we spotted a tarantula and a couple of active snakes, our tour guide ended up being the scariest sight of the evening. His constant shouting frightened the group and probably the two-toed sloth we never saw. But the most horrifying part was how he treated my friend from Germany. 

Instead of talking about the creepy critters and nocturnal animals with parts of commentary in tour guiding , each member of the group had to take turns reciting from a fact sheet. Already, this was a tedious way to present the information — not to mention it took us back to grade school and the anxiety of reading out loud.

For the native English-speakers, this wasn’t a big deal. But my friend felt uncomfortable the entire time and how the tour guide reacted made it worse. As she struggled with every word, the more frustrated he became. At one point, he even ripped the fact sheet out of her hands and said she couldn’t read anymore. 

Needless to say, we walked away wishing we hadn’t booked in the first place — which is something a tour operator hopes to never hear.

Why is being a cultural tour guide important?

When you work in the tourism industry, you encounter guests from all walks of life. It’s a perk because you get to learn about other cultures without traveling full-time. But with it comes the responsibility of respecting and adapting to cultural differences, social norms, and language barriers. Part of that starts with proper tour guide training. Why?

1. Tour guides interact face to face

Without a doubt, your tour guides spend the most time with guests. They take phone bookings, check-in arrivals, show them around and entertain, offer travel advice, handle complaints, answer questions, and so much more. There are countless opportunities for a tiny slip up, and one cultural faux-pas can turn into a negative review. 

If your tour guides know how to interact with guests appropriately — regardless of cultural background — you should have nothing to worry about. What does that look like? Check out our tips for effective intercultural communication below.

2. Tour guides are brand ambassadors

Your logo isn’t the only face of your brand — your tour guides are, too. Everything they do and say is a direct reflection of your tour company. When they make a fool of themselves, they also make a fool of your business. Put another way, if they offend a guest, it shows you condone that behaviour. 

To ensure your tour guides are on the same page, go over your mission statement and core values during the onboarding process, and as a refresher for team meetings. Let them know what you stand for as a tour company, and why their words and actions should always align.

3. Tour guides represent the destination

Chances are your guests will meet other locals during their trip who can offer a glimpse into the community and way of life. But for the most part, your tour guides give the best insight because of the lengthy interaction and in-depth conversation they have with them. 

So essentially, your tour guides act as the welcoming committee. By being culturally sensitive, they demonstrate a hospitable attitude on behalf of your destination — which can influence a guest’s overall perception of the people and place. If they get warm, fuzzy feelings, they might boast about it back home, and even consider living there one day.

4. Tour guides set an example for tourists

Kindness is a chain reaction. It only takes one person to show acceptance for many more to pay it forward. That is to say, a tour guide who takes the time to learn about another’s culture — their background, traditions, and customs — can inspire guests to have similar conversations outside of the tour.

But more so, when they treat everyone in the group with respect, there’s a better chance your guests will do the same and leave a positive social impact of tourism. Ultimately, that’s what travel is all about — making new connections and embracing cultures different from our own.

15 do’s and don’ts in tour guiding

Even if a tour guide claims to be worldly and knowledgeable, it’s easy to forget about cross cultural communication once they get into the routine of facts, stories, and jokes. So here is a cheat sheet they can use as a constant reminder:

• Research before guests arrive: With Checkfront’s Guest Form , your tour guides can find out where guests are from and do a quick Google Search or use an app like CultureMee to see what cultural expectations they need to keep in mind. 
• Speak slowly and deliberately: When using our native tongue, many of us tend to talk fast and mumble. But that makes it challenging for those who speak a different language to understand. So have your tour guides practice slowing it down and enunciating — public speaking is all about the delivery anyway.
• Treat every guest equally: One place isn’t better than the next. Your tour guides shouldn’t pick and choose which guests to pay the most attention to based on their unique accents. 
• Learn how to say their names: Dale Carnegie says, “A person’s name is to him or her the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” When your tour guides say a guest’s name correctly and use it in conversation, they make them feel valued. 
• Respect physical boundaries: This should be standard practice anyways. Tour guides should never touch a guest — unless it’s offering a hand for an awkward step or helping with gear related to the tour. 
• Show interest in where they’re from: The number one way to engage with guests is to ask them questions. Since most people love talking about where they live or grew up, your tour guides can start with that.  
• Explain more than once: Not everyone is going to understand the first time. If someone asks for clarification, your tour guides should be more than willing to repeat something differently. 
• Travel to unfamiliar places: The best way tour guides can learn about other cultures is to go out and explore themselves. Encourage them to travel in the off-season and visit places off the tourist trail.

• Use slang or idioms : Anyone who’s learning another language starts with the basics first. So there might be a little miscommunication if your tour guides drop in local lingo or even popular idioms like “speak of the devil” or “a penny for your thoughts.”
• Get impatient with questions: There are no wrong questions. Even if someone asks something that seems like common sense, your tour guide should never make a guest feel bad about it because to them; it might not be. 
• Stereotype nationalities: While some guests will laugh at what their country is known for, others might quickly get offended. That’s why it’s best to avoid poking fun at stereotypes altogether. Let your guests be self-deprecating if they want to instead. 
• Discount the feelings of one: When everyone in the group is from one place, and there’s only one from somewhere else, that one guest should still receive the same attention and catering. 
• Use offensive hand gestures: One secret to excellent public speaking is animation, but there’s a risk of giving someone the wrong signal. So, your tour guides should become familiar with rude hand gestures from around the world and get out of the habit of using them.
• Make inappropriate jokes: This might seem like a given, but a tour guide can easily cross the line once they build rapport and banter with guests. They can still have funny tour guide jokes that are family-friendly.
• Expect a tip from everyone: In some countries, tipping isn’t customary for customer service. While you hope travelers brush up on local etiquette before their trip, your tour guides shouldn’t hold it against them if a guest leaves without a monetary thank-you. 

Final thoughts

Handling cultural differences as a tour guide isn’t always easy — especially with everything else they have to juggle. But as long as they do their best, guests will notice and appreciate the effort.

Looking for a tour guide with cultural awareness?

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Good tourism: a practical guide.

• October 1, 2021
• 12 Comments

A practical guide for good tourism

In its simplest definition, tourism is the activity of travelling and visiting different places. There are many benefits of tourism where it’s creating positive impact for the environment and local communities. However, when it’s not done right, tourism can cause significant disadvantages and a negative impact. That’s why, we need good tourism.

In this article

What is the role of tour operators, what are the negative impacts of tourism, what are the positive impacts of tourism, why do we need good tourism, what is good tourism, how do you implement good tourism in practice, move towards a future of good tourism.

Tourism is an industry that drives people to travel for leisure and fun. In particular, it’s a set of inter-connected activities of people while travelling to different places. Thus, the tourism industry consists of many industries that directly and indirectly provides products and services to tourists.

From tour operators, hotels and restaurants, to local fishing companies, constructors and local communities. Many industries, and with that people, are dependent of tourism for the survival of their business. The task of the tour operator is to:

• Facilitate and operate the tourism activities for travellers
• To map and advise on their trip
• Book the right accommodations and experiences
• Make the trip as comfortable and unique as possible
• To create a positive impact on the destination

Tourism is a sensitive industry that can bring problems and consequences to a destination. If tour operators don’t consider the well-being of local communities or the pressure on the environment, it will most likely have disadvantages on the destination.

Below list shows the main negative impacts of tourism on a destination. It shows us the importance of good tourism and the consequences if we don’t work and travel responsibly.

Negative impacts of tourism

• Overtourism and overcrowding
• Leakage to western companies
• Seasonal and poorly paid jobs
• Dependency of tourism
• Local prices increase
• Loss & exploitation of cultural identity
• Damage to environment
• Exploitation of wild animals
• Increased carbon emissions
• Commercialisation of culture
• Culture clashes
• Increased (plastic) pollution

Luckily, tourism can also bring many benefits and positive consequences to a destination. If tour operators work responsibly, they can directly contribute to the wellbeing of local communities, the environment and its wildlife and secure their future.

Below list shows the main positive impacts of tourism on a destination. If done right, tourism is in the position to create a better life for everyone on the destination, the traveller included.

Positive impacts of tourism

• Builds destinations’ image and brand
• Economic growth contributor
• Increased employment
• Training opportunities for locals
• Increased local spending
• Preservation of local culture
• Conservation of environment
• Protection of wild animals
• Developed infrastructure and facilities
• Greater demand for local food & crafts
• Cross-cultural interactions
• Environmental-friendly experiences

The tourism industry has great impact on (local) economies, and it leaves a large footprint on the environment. As shown above, tourism can cause significant negative impact on destinations, nature and local communities. As tourism industry, and especially tour operators, we have the responsibility to offer tourism that is responsible and benefits the destination.

Services and experiences that create a positive impact. Tourism that is done right, in a responsible way and that makes the world a better place. In the end it comes down to fair tourism where everyone involved is treated right.

From the traveller, to local guides, lodge owners, nature and wildlife. To move towards good tourism, the decision-making process needs to change. As tour operators, you’ll need to take into account people, planet and profit in tourism management and development.

The big question remains, what is good tourism? How can you ensure you’re creating tourism experiences that have a positive impact on the destination and are minimising the negative effects? We can call it sustainable tourism , responsible tourism, green tourism, eco-tourism or good tourism, in the end it all comes down to creating a futureproof tourism industry that does well for everyone.

To guide you in the process towards good tourism, you can use the triple bottom line model as guidance. This framework balances people, planet and profit and focuses on creating greater business value and a better world.

The People bottom line refers to respecting and benefitting local cultures and communities in a destination. Conserve their living and built cultural heritage and authentic values and contribute to equal opportunities and inter-cultural understanding.

The Planet bottom line refers to protecting natural areas and wildlife, supporting a viable natural environment. Make the best use of environmental resources in your experiences and help conserving natural heritage and biodiversity.

The Profit bottom line refers to ensuring fair long-term, profitable economic activities. Provide socio-economic benefits to all parties involved, offer stable and local employment opportunities, and prevent leakage by supporting the local economy .

The theoretical part of good tourism is clear. Take the triple bottom line into account in your tourism management and development process and focus on ensuring a futureproof tourism industry. But how does good tourism look like practically? What aspects are important and how do you implement them?

To make it easier and more accessible for you, we’ve created an overview of the key aspects of good tourism and how to implement them. Important to remember is that good tourism can be implemented in endless ways and that the list below is not the only right way. Good tourism is all about finding the right way for your own business, destination, local stakeholders and customers.

1. Travel off the beaten track

Overtourism has become a serious issue worldwide. Cities, beaches and heritage sites are overcrowded with travellers. Destroying it for both locals as other travellers. This impacts the image of the destination as well. To combat overtourism, the best solution is to spread the travellers. Take them off the beaten track to have more local people benefit from tourism, spare the environment and heritage sites, and offer more unique experiences.

2. Support the local economy

The tourism industry is a significant contributor to the economic growth of destinations. It allows an economy to develop a new form of income as it allows communities to diversify their sources of income and to not rely on a single one. However, to prevent leakage to western countries and businesses, make sure to spend your money locally and advise your customers to do the same. Purchase and book with local businesses and ensure fair prices at all times.

3. Create local employment opportunities

One of the most obvious examples of good tourism is that it creates jobs for local people. From tour guides , drivers, hotel maids to locals selling food or crafts. Work with local people and train and qualify them to be excellent in their job. They are responsible for good tourism on the ground and know the destination best. Provide them with fair wages and appropriate benefits.

4. Develop culture community-based tourism

By turning local culture into an authentic and meaningful experience, you are not only satisfying customers, you are also preserving this local culture. Use tourism to protect their cultural identity. Collaborate respectfully with local communities to avoid commercialisation. Give them means to keep their culture and traditions alive and relevant. Have travellers learn about their ancient local culture and facilitate cross-cultural interactions to create a win-win situation.

5. Raise awareness among travellers

To ensure that community-based tourism is developed and practiced well, it’s essential travellers are educated about the local destination, culture and local customs. They need to be informed about the do’s and don’ts, how to behave and how to dress. Avoiding cultural clashes is all about creating awareness among travellers. Use community-based tourism to broaden their mind and to truly interact with local communities in a respectful way.

6. Conserve natural assets and environment

The tourism industry puts strains on the local environment. It can cause damage with risks such as erosion, pollution, loss of natural habitats and overcrowded beaches. By conserving natural assets and environment, you are directly contributing to a futureproof tourism industry. Avoid damaging the environment by lowering your carbon footprint, contributing to protecting natural areas, paying official park fees and planting trees.

7. Ensure animal welfare

The use of animals in tourism is still common practice in the tourism industry. Unfortunately, the negative impact on animals is enormous. It thereby also puts pressure on animal welfare and conservation. Start to understand your animal footprint and operate accordingly in your business. This basically entails no experiences that involve captive wildlife or interaction with wild animals. Take responsibility for local animal welfare and set the right example!

8. Lower your carbon footprint

The carbon footprint of tourism is relatively large. Of all emissions worldwide, 5 to 8% is caused by the tourism industry. Tour operators are in the position to contribute to slowing down global warming by simply reducing their emissions . Start managing your carbon footprint and identify ways for your business to lowering and compensate CO2 emissions . Start with avoiding domestic flights and including public transport and zero-emission transport modes such as cycling and walking!

9. Say no to single-use plastic

Plastic can be found everywhere. In our oceans, wildlife and in nature. Tourism significantly contributes to the issue by using a lot of single-use plastic during trips and in accommodations. The industry increases litter and pollution in nature and therefore have the responsibility to reduce plastic throughout to avoid pollution. Make clients aware of the issue, offer refillable water bottles and prevent use of plastic bags. Awareness and education is key here.

The tourism industry has proven to have a massive impact on destinations, communities and the environment. It’s a sensitive industry where it can have both positive as negative impact, with all its consequences.

Tour operators have the opportunity and responsibility to move towards good tourism. To create experiences that benefit the destination, that provide a fair income for local communities and that protect the environment and wildlife. This is the future of tourism.

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Very thoughtful, just learnt a lot… looking forward to a total good tourism near future.

So do we Eloi!

very important courses that build your skills in the tourism industries even beyond,very pleased to attend this courses.

Thank you Shema!

Don’t forget that tourists choosing to stay in local neighborhoods should remember that their neighbors are not on vacation; they are in their homes. Staying in a neighborhood is a different experience from a hotel/motel and needs to be respected. If tourists are there to party and bring in a crowd, they should opt to stay in a commercial area.

I have really learnt alot and understood why good tourism sustainability is important. Thanks alot Anne & Rik

That’s great to hear Hilda, thank you for letting us know!

Very good insights, will implement the concepts learnt to become a better Tour operator

On my journey of practicing good tourism; and today i had a task to pick my kids from point A to point B but remembering the carbon car emissions i used the walking option to point A picked the kids to where my car was about 1km. Good tourism if practiced well, is a game changer to improving the quality of lives, rejuvenate nature and our environment at large! Thanks Team at GT for putting all this together!

This is a very thoughtful article. I like how issues are discussed and examples used. This is helping me understand more concepts.

Thanks Good Tourism Institute

Thank you Asuman for your positive feedback and we’re happy you’re enjoying our content!

Anne de Jong

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Ecotourism 101: What is Ecotourism? The Good, The Bad, and Sustainable Ecotourism

I may earn income from affiliate links or partnerships in this post. I spend time to curate tours or products that align with my values. Thanks for supporting my work, at no additional cost to you.

Last updated on April 30th, 2024 at 08:04 pm

A re you curious about what ecotourism is, if it’s really as beneficial as it sounds, and how to ensure you’re engaging in sustainable ecotourism? Ecotourism is when we travel to vulnerable natural places to increase our understanding of the surrounding natural and cultural landscape while delivering equitable socio-economic benefits throughout the surrounding region. When conducted properly and aligned with these values, ecotourism can work toward preserving a region’s environmental conservation and cultural preservation while simultaneously improving the quality of life for those impacted by tourism. However, when models of ecotourism are put in place that don’t carefully consider the impacts of tourism and work to counter them, ecotourism can have adverse effects, such as contributing to the loss of biodiversity in a region and ultimately adding to the stresses that put these vulnerable regions at risk. 

Whether ecotourism can be a force for good or damaging in some of the world’s most sensitive environments is up to us, the travelers! It is up to us to be informed about how our behaviors and choices can impact natural places. That all starts with education surrounding the topic. Let’s dive into the nuances of ecotourism, the benefits and the negatives, what “good” ecotourism looks like in practice, and, most importantly, why sustainable ecotourism matters. By understanding how to identify sustainable ecotourism, you’ll become a more informed traveler doing your part to save travel and the protected natural areas we choose to visit.

This post was carefully curated based on personal experience, an MSc in biodiversity with a thesis covering biodiversity and tourism, and research based on government documents, case studies, and international conservation entities. Get to know me better to learn more about my expertise on this subject matter. 

Looking for more 101 guides to becoming a more responsible traveler? Start here!

• Agritourism 101
• Responsible Travel at UNESCO sites
• Economic Tourism Leakage 101
• Sustainable Travel Tips

What We’re Covering

What is Ecotourism

5 Requirements of Sustainable Ecotourism

Benefits and Negative Impacts

Real-life Examples

Tips to Plan an Ecotour

Discuss, Share, Engage

• Ecotourism happens in vulnerable communities and protected natural areas.
• Sustainable ecotourism engages the 3 pillars of sustainability: environmental , economic, and social benefits.
• Unsustainable ecotourism neglects 1-2 of the pillars resulting in negative implications for nature or locals.
• Nature-based tourism is often confused with ecotourism – learn how to spot the difference.
• Before engaging in ecotourism, ask yourself or the company you book how they benefit ALL three pillars.
• Often the best solution is to work directly with local tour groups or organizations.
• Ecotourism does not always mean ethical tourism.
• There is no perfect model of ecotourism. It is up to you to ensure you have a positive impact on vulnerable natural destinations.

What is Ecotourism?

One of the most common buzzwords in the sustainable travel industry is ‘ecotourism.’ Many travelers rely on this word being synonymous with environmentally friendly, ethical tourism. Others might be asking if ecotourism is as good as it says it is.  When ecotourism is executed sustainably – based on research and understanding of the impacts on the natural environment and with guidance from the local communities, then yes, it can be synonymous with ethical tourism. This type of “good” ecotourism is if you create a powerful positive force for environmental conservation and local community well-being.

On the other hand, unsustainable ecotourism, a model of tourism that happens with the best intentions but fails to involve the community or maintain checks and balances regarding the environmental impact of tourism, can be detrimental to both the natural and local communities.

Ecotourism is often conducted in protected natural areas surrounded by vulnerable communities such as nature reserves, national parks, wilderness areas, heritage sites, or natural monuments. In these incredibly culturally and ecologically sensitive communities, true ecotourism can do a lot of good, while failed models of ecotourism or tourism operating under the guise of ecotourism can have catastrophic impacts.  In these protected areas, ecotourism must contribute to environmental conservation and the alleviation of poverty or risk destroying the places we love as travelers. 

Sustainable Ecotourism

Sustainable ecotourism, or really just ecotourism as it was intended to be, is responsible travel to protected or vulnerable natural areas focusing on environmental conservation/education while sustaining local communities’ economic and social well-being. For ecotourism to be sustainable for generations to come, it must include all three pillars, or the triple bottom line, of sustainability, as seen in the infographic. It isn’t quite enough to have all three of these pillars included; they need to be somewhat balanced, ensuring that tourism develops in a way that doesn’t take too much of an environmental toll while infusing a lot of economic benefits into the economy.

Ideally, the economic development from ecotourism is equitable and able to sustain long-term job development and growth in the region while equally contributing to wildlife conversation and preserving cultural identity. It is normal to have one piece of the Venn Diagram to be slightly larger as true equilibrium is difficult and impossible, but each should grow at a rate that doesn’t create too much imbalance. When things get out of balance, or one circle takes priority over another, no matter the intentions, we begin to have unsustainable ecotourism.

Unsustainable Ecotourism

Unsustainable ecotourism may embody or prioritize only one or two pillars of sustainable ecotourism. This can happen for a variety of reasons.

• Tour operators and travel companies may conduct ecotours as a marketing ploy to get the attention of travelers looking for more environmentally friendly travel options. These operators may conduct businesses without fully understanding their impact on the natural environment or equitably distribute tourism’s benefits within their community. 
• Adventure companies or individual travelers may enjoy nature-based adventures while disregarding local communities.
• Others may seek to capitalize on the economic gain of nature-based tourism while exploiting nature.
• Culturally sensitive communities may alter their customs or traditional crafts to appeal to tourists, thus increasing their economic gain while degrading their culture.
• Perhaps a national park becomes so popular that the number of people visiting begins to have irreversible impacts on natural vegetation or wildlife.
• Other companies may lack adequate support and resources from their governments, communities, or foreign tour companies to meet well-intended goals.

These are all examples of unsustainable ecotourism, ultimately resulting in the problematic exploitation of natural resources or local communities. 

Nature-based tourism vs. ecotourism?

Many people use nature-based and ecotourism interchangeably, but they are not the same. Nature-based tourism is traveling to a natural landscape to enjoy nature. Ecotourism is visiting a place with the goal of contributing to conservation while benefitting the community for a positive impact. I consider the multi-day hikes in the European Alps nature-based, as I am just out for a hike to enjoy nature. If I were to hire a local guide in Peru to take me on a culturally infused hike to learn about nature and culture – then we start to cross into ecotourism.

The penguin tour I did in New Zealand is a great example of a sustainable eco-tour . We learned about the local conservation efforts of a penguin colony on the brink of extinction (environmental), supported a local farm and conservation group (economic), and had a high-quality social engagement learning about New Zealand’s connection to the environment (Social).

Mass Tourism vs Ecotourism? What is better?

When I first started on my journey toward embracing sustainable tourism, I automatically assumed that mass tourism = bad. Ecotourism = good. This is something I see across the board among travelers. However, many tourism academics disagree on this binary and highlight the nuances and importance of well-managed tourism development, whether eco or mass.

Their arguments hinge on the fact that mass tourism ultimately contains people in places that generally already have the infrastructure to support large groups of people. Imagine if we took the thousands of people staying at an all-inclusive Disney resort – a place with adequate infrastructure to handle these numbers and dropped them all at a small Peruvian rainforest eco-lodge. The small ecolodges set up for sustainable ecotourism and minimal crowds would be overwhelmed, and the environmental and cultural damage would be dramatic. There are also examples of how ecotourism can bring tourists into places previously undisturbed by tourists historically, and it is important to first understand and plan for potential impacts.

This isn’t to put mass or ecotourism into their boxes, but it highlights that there are examples of well-managed mass tourism in areas with infrastructure that are worth supporting. Just as there are examples of poorly managed ecotourism disturbing nature for the first time, it all comes down to how tourism is managed.

What do you think about this argument? Share in the comments!

Five Requirements of Sustainable Ecotourism

What else separates sustainable and unsustainable ecotourism? It’s not enough for ecotourism to vaguely target the three pillars of sustainability at free will. Carefully thought-out itineraries should be constructed before engaging in ecotourism. While there is situational and regional flexibility in how sustainable ecotourism plays out in real life, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed five minimum requirements, hitting all three pillars, that tourists and tour operators should address before engaging in ecotourism. We can use these guidelines to create a custom itinerary when visiting vulnerable natural communities or booking a tour operator.

1. Tourism should benefit environmental conservation

Tourism activities, development, and tour operators should safeguard the environment, conserve natural resources, protect ecosystems, and benefit biodiversity. Several key players need to work together to ensure this. Governments and land managers should ensure that proper scientific impact assessments are done prior to tourism development. Rules and regulations should be established so tour companies, guides, and tourists follow. Involving the community in conservation-based tourism is key.

For us travelers, environmental education is a key component of this. As you visit vulnerable areas, you should try to learn about local biodiversity and environmental concerns. Doing some research ahead of time allows you to align your behaviors in a way that doesn’t degrade the environment, and you can also hold tourism companies accountable for their actions if you are more informed.

• Mass crowds, overdevelopment, and overtourism. Overdevelopment of the region surrounding a protected area to accommodate mass tourism may negatively impact nature. Many species are not confined to the protected natural zone, and over-development can damage migration and breeding patterns, increase water and air pollution, and increase erosion. Protected areas often have a limited capacity before ecosystem degradation may occur.
• Large tour buses or cruise ships drop large groups of people off in a protected region for a short amount of time.
• If a protected region is capitalizing on economic profit and bringing in as many guests as possible without sticking to a sustainable plan.
• Clear-cutting and ecosystem fragmentation to build large resorts
• Tour companies that allow you to touch, feed, or interact with wildlife

Actionable Steps

• Look for places with non-invasive infrastructure that keep you a safe distance from animals. Look for well-planned trails, viewing platforms/sky bridges, nature centers for education, etc.
• Find alternatives to nature’s hot spots, seeking out small-scale educational nature-based tourism.
• Visit places that minimize capacity with permits and quotas.
• Be willing to pay fees and fines that support sustainable infrastructure.
• Learn and follow all regional, local, and tribal etiquette before entering a protected area. 
• Support eco-lodges, regenerative hotels, and other low-impact options.
• Book small group tours or go alone and hire personal local guides to take you into nature on a designated trail.

Read a guest post by an ecologist from India about the do’s and don’ts for visiting national parks in India . This post highlights proper behavior to ensure that you, your local guide, the ecosystem, and the animals you see are safeguarded and protected. – A great example of sustainable ecotourism.

2. Safeguard the cultural and natural heritage of the region

Oftentimes, without even knowing it, we, as travelers, support the decline of a region’s cultural heritage. With the presence of tourism, locals may feel the pressure to please us with certain trinkets or displays that don’t align with their culture to put on a show. There are a few cruise shows in Alaska that are not traditional and are upsetting to certain elders as they have permanently altered traditions to appeal to Western tourists.

There are mindful ways we can learn about and support traditions by appreciating authentic experiences; for example, The Alaska Native Heritage Center is operated by Native stakeholders, and the art, song, dance, and cultural shows are true to the tribe’s heritage.

Unsustainable tourism booms at UNESCO sites such as Hoi An are notorious for contributing to tourism tourism-fiction. This means that culture becomes a commodity rather than part of the heritage. Some have described tourism’s impacts on Hoi An as leaving the city a husk of its former self and operating more like Disneyland than a place of important culture.

• Locals selling mass-produced or cheap trinkets, such as sunglasses, outside protected zones. Many of these people may have given up traditional crafts or lifestyles to get short-term benefits from tourism in the area because they have been exploited and excluded for economic benefits.
• International tour companies that host cultural shows in which traditional songs, dances, or clothing have been changed to appeal to foreigners.  
• Commodification of culture
• Invest in quality certified crafts work from master artisans – look for certifications.
• Seek out authentic cultural experiences from homestays or by learning from local guides.
• Visit Indigenous or locally-owned culture centers for an authentic educational song, dance, and cultural experience.  

3. Respect Indigenous Peoples and local communities rights

If there is one thing that can grind my gears, it’s when tourists have more rights than locals. When Glacier Bay National Park first opened to tourism many Indigenous groups were no longer allowed to use the land for subsistence hunting and gathering . Meanwhile, massive cruise ships pulled in and dumped their greywater. Efforts are being made to restore subsistence rights, and Indigenous tribes can now harvest certain things, but as it still stands, most cruise companies have more rights in that Bay than many Alaskans. While the Indigenous peoples of Alaska are left suffering the consequences of cruise impacts on their ancestral land, they are also excluded from tourism’s benefits, with multinational cruise companies making the most money.

But, it is not enough to consider Indigenous peoples and the surrounding communities impacted by tourism; they must be a key partner in tourism. Their consent and well-being regarding tourism in protected areas should come first. They should have a direct say in developing tourism while receiving equitable benefits.

• Areas that give tourists more rights than local or Indigenous Peoples. i.e., when people climbed Uluru on eco-excursions despite the wishes of Australia’s Aboriginal People.
• Tours that bring you into protected natural areas without providing ways to learn about local or Indigenous culture directly from the marginalized people. 

Actionable Steps 

• If Indigenous groups have been displaced from an area, take it upon yourself to enter the protected area as a guest respecting the traditional owners.
• Hire local guides or meet locals to engage in cultural exchange.
• Learn about tribal history, present, culture, and wishes.
• Perform a land acknowledgment.
• If an area is sacred to an Indigenous group and they ask you not to enter, reconsider your plans and find a viable alternative. 

4. Create viable, long-term economic operations in the region

The presence of a booming tourism industry looks great on paper in any region. But, if you dig deep, you’ll start to notice that maybe a lot of that money leaves the local destination and ends up in the pockets of large multinational companies. Or maybe locals don’t have access to year-round jobs that provide them with enough healthcare and healthy food because of boom-bust seasonal cycles. Ensuring local access to stable employment is important to reduce global poverty. Tourism jobs can’t only be seasonal jobs that exploit foreign workers. Locals should be interested in tourism jobs to reach management positions and receive benefits.

Many cite the economic benefits of tourism as the sole reason to develop tourism, but research shows that many locals aren’t interested in tourism jobs because of the lack of sustainable and beneficial long-term employment. When I was a tour guide in Alaska, I worked long hours during the summer months without long-term security, health care, or retirement benefits.

• Tourism leakage . Leakage happens when large international tour corporations or foreign-owned all-inclusive resorts profit off ecotourism while locals are forced deeper into poverty. Locals should be primarily profiting off tourism as they suffer any negative impacts. 
• Lack of local guides. Lack of locals in management or hospitality positions.
• Mass-over-tourism booms happening during a short seasonal window, resulting in an employment depression during the off-season.
• Foreign workers are imported for cheap labor exploitation or to make tourists comfortable.
• Support locally owned tour companies providing residents with stable year-round jobs, training, and income-earning opportunities. 
• Support local businesses and buy local products when traveling through vulnerable communities.
• Visit places during the shoulder or off-season to support a healthy year-round economy.
• Avoid booking with international tour companies and all-inclusive resorts unless they engage in the trip-bottom line. 

5. Create meaningful and high-quality visitor experiences

If you’re stepping out of a tour bus for that Instagram photo opportunity without learning about your destination, you are not having a meaningful or high-quality experience. Slow down and enjoy the lesser-known sights, and learn about the local food, nature, and people. These tourism experiences should be led by locals with a deep affinity for a region, allowing you to connect them to the place on an intimate level. Canada has a rigorous tour guide certification called interpretative guides. The guides aim to foster a deep and meaningful connections between the local people, places, and tourists. Tourists are more likely to care for their destination if they have a connection and understanding regarding why its protection is important.

• Tour busses that drop people off in a protected area to look around and snap a few photos and leave without offering educational information or ways to learn about the landscape.
• Violating local rules to gain access to a protected area for an Instagram photo.
• Engage in ecotourism that hinges on environmental education and cultural connection.
• Stay in a region longer than a bus stop or half a day.
• Book locally-owned accommodation, engaging in regenerative practices that educate you meaningfully.
• Please do it for more than the gram.

The Pros and Cons of Ecotourism

There is no perfect model of truly sustainable ecotourism. Even the most sustainable ecotourism models will have some negative implications, but the ultimate goal is to create a long-term sustainable plan that maximizes benefits and minimizes negative impacts .  As you can see the potential benefits are almost equal to any potential negative impacts. The key is understanding how your presence can have a positive or negative impact, and strive to check as many positives as possible. Ensure you are engaging in ecotourism that ticks positives in environmental, social, AND economic, otherwise, it is likely the negatives outweigh the positives of sustainable ecotourism. 

Does the Good Outweigh the Bad?

I went on an eco-tour to see brown bears in the wild in Alaska . We learned about brown bears from a distance and the Lake Clark National Park ecosystem (environmental) with a local company (economic) on a quality tour (social). However, they could have included more information about the region’s Indigenous culture (social). So, I did some of my own research, doing a land acknowledgment  and discovering the park’s true name is Qizhjeh Vena , meaning a place where people gather in the Dena’ina language. Despite a few shortcomings, I decided this ecotour had more positive than negative impacts especially since Indigenous Alaskans have access to the park. But this shows that not everything will be perfect. You can weigh your options and take personal actions outside of the tour to balance it out, such as independent research, donations, land acknowledgments, and buying high-quality souvenirs.

Ecotourism in Practice

We’ve covered a lot so far, but let’s review a few real examples of sustainable and unsustainable ecotourism in practice so you can better identify them.

Sustainable – Mountain Gorilla Trekking Ecotourism

Mountain gorilla treks in Uganda and DR Congo are great sustainable ecotourism models supported by local government, residents, and conservation groups. Uganda even has a conservation economy that prioritizes conservation as an economic value. Mountain gorillas are endangered in a vulnerable natural habitat surrounded by high-density rural farmers. A sustainable ecotourism model in the region protects both gorillas and includes the livelihood of residents.

Environmental: The presence of tourists deter poachers and encourage local governments to implement protection of the gorillas. Gorilla populations are increasing as a result of sustainable ecotourism. 

Economic: Locals are offered stable employment opportunities as guides, trackers, and anti-poaching guards. Many of them are ex-poachers, which reduces the poaching threat even more.  Over five years, US$428,000 was directly invested in Rwandan communities, helping locals build schools, enact locally-driven environmental projects, and aid food security.

Social : Cultural exchange between local guides and tourists enhances cultural and environmental education. Local guides can showcase years of local expertise and take pride in their culture and nature. Gorilla ecotourism has played a fundamental role in keeping the peace in Rwanda in a post-genocide landscape. 

Interested in learning more about ethical mountain gorilla treks? Kesi from Kesi to Fro created an awesome guest post detailing her first-hand experience seeing mountain gorillas in the wild. You can join her on a group trip to Uganda to work with local tour operators to support conservation, boost the local economy, and engage in cultural exchange. Learn more about sustainable gorilla trekking!

Unsustainable – Machu Picchu Ecotreks

Ecotourism in Machu Picchu has exploded over the last decade. Tourism in the region has grown unchecked, with international and local tour companies capitalizing on the economic benefit of a booming industry. However, tourism grew unsustainable, focusing primarily on the economy rather than the environment or social aspects. This is a prime example of when ecotourism turns into mass overtourism. 

Photo by Alan Hurt Jr. Unsplash

Environment: Mass development in the region surrounding Machu Picchu threatens South America’s last remaining pocket of the Andean cloud forest. Increased waste from humans adds to air and water pollution. Heavy foot traffic damages the fragile Paramo grasslands. Noise pollution contributed to the disappearance of the Andean condors from the region. Migrating and breeding patterns of threatened animals have changed.

Economic: Most workers and guides are left without work or stable year-round income during the off-season. Tourism leakage, where locals do not benefit as much as they should from tourism in the region, is problematic. 

Social: Portions of the city are sliding downhill, causing damage to a cultural and historical icon. Visitors have defaced, broken, and damaged parts of the city. An increase in cheaply made trinkets has caused a decline in local artisanal craftwork. Overall, the region has suffered a loss of cultural authenticity. The visitor experience has suffered greatly, too, with packed trails and long waits.  

*This does not mean that all Machu Picchu treks are bad. You can still visit, but be respectful as you visit, support local tour operators, respect permits, buy quality souvenirs, pay additional fees, and follow all instructions from your guide to minimize your impact. You should also consider other ways to learn about the region’s history or find an alternative hike.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Susanna • Sustainble Travel (@curiositysaves.travel)

Tips for Planning a Sustainable Ecotour

By now you should have a pretty good idea of what constitutes sustainable ecotourism and be able to identify if your next nature-based adventure checks some of these boxes, but here are my top tips to help you get started. 

Read Their About Page

You can tell a lot about a tour operator by looking at their “about” page. I always say the more details, the better. Tour companies, hotels, and excursions near vulnerable nature and communities should freely offer up a lot of detailed information about how they are hitting that triple bottom line. If any of the three pillars of sustainable ecotourism is missing from their mission statement or is not easily accessible online, that is your first major red flag. Browse the website to see how they support the environment, local economic development, and cultural conservation. 

Look for Greenwashing

There is the possibility that companies will engage in greenwashing, presenting information on their website that makes for a convincing sustainable ecotourism model. Some signs companies are greenwashing are when they offer vague information, make general statements about committing to sustainability without examples, or put customer satisfaction and fun at the center of their advertising rather than social impact. 

When in Doubt, Ask

I always recommend sending an email asking how they give back to the community, where your money goes, what local conservation efforts are, how they engage with local culture if they employ locals, etc.  The tour company should be able to respond with detailed statements of how they consider and benefit local communities, economic vitality, and conservation of the natural environment.

Check Their Business Model

Is sustainability part of their core mission, or is it an afterthought? Research shows that companies built around a sustainable business model prioritizing social, economic, and environmental benefits to the local community are more likely to be ethical in the long term. Companies that create a sustainable statement as an afterthought or in response to harmful behavior they are caught for are more likely to engage in damaging behavior. A great example of this is Carnival Cruises. Carnival has literal pages outlining their commitment to the environment, but this was created because a court ordered them and not necessarily because they wanted to do it from the goodness of their heart. Look for companies that were founded to create a positive impact. This information is often included in an origin story or about section.

Find the Owner

Who owns the company? Is it locally owned? Google the name of the owner. For example, many cruise lines and resorts appear to be small boutique companies, but they are owned by large international conglomerates. If in doubt, Google “Who owns X eco-resort.”

Look for certifications, read reviews, and the internet stalk them. Look for environmental warnings report cards, read comments on their social media, and dig up any information you can find.

Self Planning? Carefully Craft Your Itinerary

If you are self-planning carefully, identify each hotel and excursion operator to see how they engage in the triple-bottom line. Research environmental concerns in the area. For example – did you know you should clean your shoes in Hawai’i before entering protected natural areas?  Learn about Indigenous and local culture and history. Be aware of local etiquette for engaging in nature.

• Create a checklist and save it on your computer to help you identify sustainable ecotourism. Having this handy will help you identify sustainable ecotourism excursions that you can feel good supporting.
• What are some of your favorite sustainable eco-tour companies or excursions you’ve supported? Let us know in the comments so we can all learn about great companies around the world working toward helping local communities and protecting our environment.

Make sure you share this post so all your fellow travelers can discover the benefits of sustainable ecotourism and be able to identify the difference between sustainable and unsustainable ecotourism – so we can all do our part to save travel!

About the Author: Susanna Kelly-Shankar

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20 comments.

Eco-tourism may eventually turn into over-tourism. AFAIK Bhutan is the leader in eco-tourism and they have achieved so through active community participation and effective government regulation.

Thanks for writing the post.

Hi Pawan, Yes, ecotourism can quickly turn into over-tourism and it is the responsibility of the traveler to do their research and engage in sustainable ecotourism. That’s lovely you’re engaging the community! I wish you the best and hope I am able to visit Bhutan in the future!

This is so detailed! So much to think about and consider how we can do better during our travels. There’s always room to do better!!

I love how much ecotourism is starting to get attention. I think, especially for travelers, we love the earth and communities around the earth so much that it’s so important to learn how to connect responsibly and take care of it/each other

It really is important to learn about sustainable ecotourism and how to engage to be mindful of the environment. Thanks for reading.

This is alot of great information.

Thank you for such a thought provoking post. I learned a lot. You’ve given me much to think about. Thank you for all that you’ve invested in this post.

Thanks for sharing this insightful post on ecotourism. The way you broke down and explained everything was better than anything else I’ve read on the topic.

I love this! It’s so important to differentiate between nature-based tourism and eco tourism, and I feel like even I have been guilty of confusing thee two in the past. Definitely saving this and sharing!

It’s super confusing – and not always the fault of the traveler with greenwashing or companies that simply don’t know any better or lack resources to be sustainable. So, hopefully, this guide to ecotourism helps differentiate between nature-based tourism, sustainable and unsustainable ecotourism. Thanks for reading.

This is such a smart post. It’s well written and very compelling. It’s the kind of information I would gladly assign my environmental ed. students. Great job!

Oh let me know if you end up sharing it with some of your students. It is a great topic to learn about regarding the intersection of the environment and tourism.

For island destinations, the problem is often even more a concern. Islands belonging to countries with a mainland usually have tourism that’s developed from the mainland, with resorts being technically local but are really effectively like foreign owners since there’s often a distinct cultural difference between the two. After all, if the tourism collapses because the nature is gone, the resort investor just liquidates and goes back to the mainland, where they have their real homes. But the islanders are often tempted by the promises of employment by such resort developments, that sometimes they don’t query too hard which of the resorts are legit committed to them and which are insincere. It’s really bullying and it pisses me off.

That’s a great addition talking about islands with the mainland – that even though they are local there can still be problems. I know this likely happens in the Hawaiian islands. I agree with the bullying tactics. Sometimes the lure of money is so tempting for these places that they are pigeonholed into supporting sustainable tourism. In Alaska, one small Indigenous town simply asked a major cruise line to limit capacity during their drop-offs and within 2 days the cruise line said they would no longer dock there and take all their money. It was an all-or-nothing situation for people simply asking for larger cruise companies to engage in some sustainable behaviors. Thanks for sharing!

That’s a good hard look at an issue we are all struggling with. I’m going to keep all this in mind when booking my next trip.

Thanks for this insightful blog post! Love to read something different and outstanding! We really need to talk more about ecotourism!

this was so informative I didn’t realize there were so many aspects to eco tourism. Thanks for sharing

It is a great article about eco-tourism and sustainable tourism, you have explained everything in detail. It only teaches us how we can travel responsibly. Thanks for this valuable information.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, I really appreciate it. I hope you learned something new about sustainable ecotourism. Make sure you share it to pass along the message.

Very insightful article. Thank you so much.

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Kelly Clarkson Turns a ‘Bad Idea’ Into a Good One With Olivia Rodrigo Kellyoke Cover

The singer previously performed "Vampire" and "Can't Catch Me Now" on her talk show.

By Hannah Dailey

Hannah Dailey

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Kelly Clarkson singing an Olivia Rodrigo song? That’s always a good idea.

On the latest episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show on Thursday (May 16), the talk show host took the Kellyoke stage for a cover of the 21-year-old pop star’s single “Bad Idea Right?,” injecting her New York City studio with a bit of pop punk angst.

Olivia Rodrigo Expands ‘GUTS’ Tour of Australia

Dressed in a cheetah-print top and joined by her band Y’all, Clarkson’s powerful voice added some oomph to Rodrigo’s playful anthem about hooking up with an ex-boyfriend — in spite of what your friends might think. “Yes, I know that he’s my ex, but can’t two people reconnect?” she belted, washed over by intense red stage lights. “‘I only see him as a friend,’ the biggest lie I ever said.”

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Rodrigo herself has also stopped by the talk show in the past. In December, she and Clarkson gushed about the “Good 4 U” artist’s Edward Cullen in-ear speakers and fangirled over Alanis Morissette together.

Watch Clarkson perform Rodrigo’s “Bad Idea Right?” on Kellyoke above.

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I visited Ride1Up’s e-bike factory to find the secret behind good quality, low-cost e-bikes

I’ve been riding Ride1Up e-bikes since just about their first model. Over the many years since I first threw a leg over that bike, I’ve watched the company roll out an ever-increasing lineup of diverse e-bikes that all shared one common trend: great bang for your buck.

So when I was recently touring Asia to visit micromobility factories for a peek behind the curtain, I knew Ride1Up’s factory would be high on my list. They invited me out to join the company’s founder, Kevin Dugger, on a tour of the factory so I could see just how Ride1Up goes about ensuring they can keep the quality high and the prices low.

Like nearly every other e-bike company in the US, their bikes are produced in China. But you can get a wide range of quality across such a large country with vast manufacturing facilities. If you cheap out, you get cheap products. But if you design a production system with triple and quadruple quality-assurance inspections, you get well-made products that treat their owners right for years to come.

That’s the calculation Ride1Up made, and it’s paying dividends for the company in reducing customer issues and thus, customer complaints. And when you have as generous of a return policy as Ride1Up, you darn well better make sure people get their bikes in good shape and that those bikes last as long as riders expect them to.

My tour of Ride1Up’s factory took me straight onto the factory floor where parallel production lines were busy cranking out Ride1Up’s ultra-affordable $995 Portola folding e-bike on one side of the factory, and the company’s budget-priced $2,295 CF Racer1 carbon fiber road/gravel e-bike . And yes, when it comes to carbon fiber road and gravel e-bikes, 2 g’s is crazy low-priced.

To see a tour of the factory and learn the secrets behind making high-quality e-bikes, check out my video below. And don’t forget to keep reading below for even more detail!

Before parts get to either of those lines though, they first go through pre-check. Wheels are built up around motors and front hubs using automated lacing machines that then feed into automated checking robots to ensure they’re properly laced and tensioned.

Any wheel that doesn’t come out exactly right is shunted off to a side chute where a human inspector can evaluate it and send it back for reworking until it’s perfect.

The process combines both manual and automated tasks, drawing from the best of both types of resources.

Frames are inspected at this point too, having been sent in from another off-site welding and painting building (as Ride1Up’s factory is located in a lower-emissions area).

The frames are inspected for any paint knicks or imperfections, and any frames with issues are marked for repair before being sent off for assembly.

The rest of the frames move on to the assembly line.

Those pre-inspected frames are hoisted off to the initial assembly area by an elevated conveyor, where initial assembly will begin.

On the other side of the conveyer, a worker receives the frame and sets it up at its first station so that lights can be installed on the rear rack and internally run cables can be passed through the frame tubes.

Controllers are then installed into the frames, but only after being scanned into an intelligent management system that digitally pairs each component with the bike frame. This is used for accountability in the future. If a component is ever found to be defective, such as if a controller manufacturer reports back that a certain batch of 20 controllers has an issue, Ride1Up can instantly know which bikes may be affected and can trace that exact bike and controller to its owner, even months or years later.

For the Portola folding e-bikes, the frames are then ready to be loaded on the assembly line’s conveyor system, which slowly moves down the line to each worker’s station.

The first step is to install the pedal drivetrain, which includes the bottom bracket, chainring, cranks, and pedals. Next the folding hardware is installed, followed by the kickstand and the rear wheel with the motor. Each component is held on using specially treated hardware designed for corrosion resistance, with bolts having thread locker compound applied to ensure they don’t shake loose.

The handlebars are then mounted to the frames along with the front fork. With the handlebars mounted, the wiring, shifter cable, and brake hoses can all be routed up to the bars. Wire wraps are applied to make the wiring hardness look neat and tidy, and then a battery is installed. Just like the controller, major parts like the motor and battery are also scanned and recorded so that documentation exists for each e-bike to maintain a record of its entire parts list.

The tools used in each step are also regularly calibrated using sophisticated electronic tools, ensuring that if a bolt requires 10 Nm of torque to be applied, the torque wrench is truly outputting 10 Nm of torque.

Reaching the end of the automated conveyor system, the e-bikes are flipped onto their wheels and rolled over to a finishing station, where another worker indexes the shifter, calibrating it so that all of the gears shift crisply and without jumping.

On this day, the parallel line was assembling the carbon fiber CF Racer1 e-bike. Only the most experienced workers are put on this assembly line due to the higher tolerances of carbon fiber bike work. There also aren’t any power tools used on this line; all of the assembly steps are performed using precision hand tools to avoid applying too much stress to the carbon fiber frame.

The general steps are similar to those seen on the first assembly line, but performed with an even higher level of sophistication. Frames are first visually inspected to weed out any imperfections before being hoisted along a hanging conveyor system to the assembly line. From there, workers install the controllers, batteries, wheels, handlebars, shifter, pedal drivetrain, and any other hardware.

After reaching the end of the assembly line, the bikes are rolled off to their own finishing area, where the brake lines are bled and the shifter is calibrated.

Once fully-assembled, both bike models are rolled off into their own corrals, where they await visual inspection. Quality testers go over the bike to inspect dozens of points and ensure they are assembled correctly.

Any issues are marked and the bikes are rolled off into a side corral for remediation. The intelligent tracking system also correlates the issue to the worker who performed that task, allowing the factory to root out systematic issues by immediately addressing any mistakes that a worker might make. Workers with few or no mistakes also get monetary bonuses to their salary, providing further incentive for the bikes to be assembled perfectly the first time.

The approved bikes are then passed onto the next stage of ride testing.

At this point, none of the e-bikes have any saddles. That’s because they’re all ride-tested to ensure all functions are working properly, and these workers use the same seats that are switched from bike to bike. The actual saddle that ships with the e-bike is added just before packaging, ensuring that when a customer eventually opens their e-bike, theirs are the first cheeks to grace that saddle.

Once the bikes pass their ride testing, they are considered complete, though they aren’t yet ready for packaging.

Before the e-bikes can be packed up, they first must go through a series of third-party inspections. These outside contracted inspectors aren’t Ride1Up’s factory employees, but actually work somewhat antagonistically with them. Their job is to redo all of the inspections and find anything that was missed in the several previous rounds of inspections.

Because they are technically not Ride1Up’s factory employees and instead come from an outside inspection agency, they approach the inspections differently and are better positioned to find any issues that could have slipped through the previous several rounds of in-house inspections.

Only once the e-bikes pass third-party inspections are they considered ready for boxing up. At that point, they head to the last conveyor belt of their journey, which sends them along a packaging routine that has been meticulously refined by Ride1Up over several years. The company has applied the experience of shipping tens of thousands of e-bikes to find ways to best protect the bikes while also minimizing the amount of plastic and foam used in the process.

As I looked through the packaging steps, I couldn’t find any foam traditionally used in bicycle packaging, and the only plastic I saw were the cable ties and a single piece of soft plastic used to protect the fork.

Interestingly, there was still one final inspection point applied even after boxing up the e-bikes. The entire box is precision weighed, which ensures it comes out to the exact right weight.

If a single component or piece of packaging was forgotten, the box would be too light and the factory would know there was an issue.

It’s just the cherry on top of an entire system full of redundant safety and quality inspections performed before, during, and after the assembly process.

I’ve seen a lot of e-bike factories in my years covering the industry, but it’s rare to see this many spot checks and quality assurances built into so many different areas of the production and assembly process.

The tour was a fascinating look behind the curtain of how Ride1Up builds its e-bikes, and helps answer the question of how they can offer so much value.

As a direct-to-consumer company, they have to offer e-bikes that work well right out of the box. These e-bikes are being shipped largely to private customers, not bike shops and professional assemblers. So they have to be ready to roll, without the need for repairs, right from day one. Anything else would result in a costly return process for Ride1Up.

Over the years, they have refined their system for building quality e-bikes that are built to last while still offering a reasonable price point for riders.

I’ve long touted the company’s quality and performance from my own testing of their various e-bike models. But that was always merely the end of the story – riding the finished product. Now, having seen the assembly and quality inspections firsthand, I can finally vouch for their professionalism from the very start of the process.

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Micah Toll is a personal electric vehicle enthusiast, battery nerd, and author of the Amazon #1 bestselling books DIY Lithium Batteries , DIY Solar Power,   The Ultimate DIY Ebike Guide  and The Electric Bike Manifesto .

The e-bikes that make up Micah’s current daily drivers are the $999 Lectric XP 2.0 , the $1,095 Ride1Up Roadster V2 , the $1,199 Rad Power Bikes RadMission , and the $3,299 Priority Current . But it’s a pretty evolving list these days.

You can send Micah tips at [email protected], or find him on Twitter , Instagram , or TikTok .

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Good riddance to bad rodents

Olivia Gieger

After 20 years of work, the Chesapeake Bay can finally bid goodbye and good riddance to the exotic, invasive nutria — who for years has wreaked havoc on marsh landscapes.  

On Friday, September 16, the Chesapeake Bay Nutria Eradication Project invited leadership from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, state and federal leaders, and local partners to celebrate the long-earned eradication of the rodent and tour the Chesapeake Bay marshes to learn more about the removal efforts. 

Nutria and their destructive feeding habits have destroyed thousands of acres of marshes since the 1940s when they were introduced to the Delmarva peninsula in Maryland from South America for the fur market. 

Maryland’s Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge has seen some of the worst of this destruction and has lost over 5,000 acres of wetlands due to the combined siege of nutria impacts, sea-level rise, and land subsidence. 

In 2004, the total annual economic, environmental, and social services losses due to nutria damage were estimated at $5.8 million with projections to drastically increase if nutria were not addressed. 

In order to address the problem, we along with U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services, and Maryland Department of Natural Resources formed the CBNEP, which worked closely with private landowners and other public partners.  

Half of the 14,000 nutria removed during the project were from private lands, thanks to over 700 participating landowners, which ultimately protected over 250,000 acres of marshes on the Delmarva Peninsula. 

To detect and remove the rodents, the CBNEP deployed specialized detector dogs, who were trained to detect scat. The dogs and their handlers were key to confirm the absence of nutria in previously trapped areas.  

“Traditional tools, such as trapping and wildlife surveys, were integrated by wildlife biologists with new technology and detector dogs. These tools were applied by dedicated individuals to put every nutria at risk, every day of the year. Due to this hard work, partnership, and perseverance, we are excited to announce the destructive invasive species invasive species An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars. Learn more about invasive species , nutria, will no longer be damaging and destroying the marshes of Delmarva,” said Kevin Sullivan, USDA-Wildlife Services State Director. 

The project was the first of its kind — attempting to eradicate an aquatic mammal from a non-island locale. The group has worked for 20 years to fully eradicate nutria from the region. 

In 2015, the project hit an inflection point, when the last known Maryland nutria was captured.  

Since then, CBNEP has been monitoring and revisiting historic nutria areas to ensure eradication through statistical monitoring. The team has moved into a scaled-down biosecurity phase to respond to any reported sightings and assist other states like Virginia that are experiencing an increase in nutria that could potentially reinvade the Delmarva if not controlled. 

The removal of nutria reinforces other ongoing efforts to bolster marsh resilience in the Chesapeake, where sea level rise and historic ditching and diking efforts of the past are quickly converting acres of marsh into open water. Managers have also been placing native plants, depositing thin-layer sediment, and restoring hydrology to help rebuild marsh processes that will help the landscape keep up with climate change climate change Climate change includes both global warming driven by human-induced emissions of greenhouse gases and the resulting large-scale shifts in weather patterns. Though there have been previous periods of climatic change, since the mid-20th century humans have had an unprecedented impact on Earth's climate system and caused change on a global scale. Learn more about climate change . These resiliency efforts would not be possible if nutria remained on the Delmarva Peninsula. 

The project was funded by the National Wildlife Refuge System and Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, and supported by 27 partner organizations. The Service’s Chesapeake Bay Field Office and Chesapeake Bay Marshlands National Wildlife Refuge Complex administered the project, implemented by a crew of 17 federal wildlife specialists from the Department of Agriculture’s APHIS Wildlife Services. 

“After years of hard work and partnership, we have proven that eradication of this invasive species is possible,” said Maryland DNR Secretary Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio. "Maryland’s wetlands, particularly in this region, are special because of their ecological and economic importance but also because of their historic and cultural significance, and we have successfully protected them from this threat.” 

“The Chesapeake Bay Nutria Eradication Project is an excellent example of foresight and collaboration,” said Service Director Martha Williams. “This project is a powerful case study for how federal and state agencies can work closely together to achieve a shared goal that benefits the environment and the community.” 

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Chiefs' offensive linemen arrested, charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana, per report

Wanya morris and chukwuebuka godrick were arrested on thursday night.

The Kansas City Chiefs have already seen wide receiver Rashee Rice have multiple run-ins with the law this offseason, and now they have seen two of their offensive linemen get arrested. 

According to ESPN , Wanya Morris and Chukwuebuka Godrick were arrested Thursday night in Johnson County, Kansas, and charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana. They each posted a $2,500 bond and were subsequently released. The team told ESPN that it was aware of the arrests but did not issue any further comment.

Morris, a third-round pick in 2023, played in 14 games last season, starting four of them. He is expected to compete with this year's second-round pick, Kingsley Suamataia , for the starting left tackle job. Godrick was signed through the NFL's international pathway program and spent all of 2023 on the team's practice squad.

This post will be updated as more information becomes available.

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