Submitted by: John Beede

Can you imagine getting paid to take a Caribbean cruise, or lead a trek to the most scenic locations in the world?

Being a tour guide has become a very promising profession. The tourism industry has always been budding and now the growing demand for tour guides has opened a lot of openings for aspiring world travelers.

With a tour guide job you get the opportunity to travel as well as the financial rewards. You also get a lot of one of a kind social interactions with different kinds of people from all over the world. You lead people to see world wonders they would never have experienced, you answer their questions and teach them about the experience and you get to see the looks of amazement on their faces as they experience your adventure.

Don t be misled into thinking that just anybody can do this job. A tour guide should be knowledgeable about the outdoors but also have good public speaking skills. Tour guides should radiate positive energy, almost 24/7, to give the travelers a pleasing and worthwhile experience.

Tour guides should try to always be in a jovial mood. They should never show impatience and they should always be on top of things. The job requires great organizational and leadership skills. Keep in mind that you are responsible for the lives of the group you are escorting.

If you want really want to be a tour guide, you must be able to handle emergency situations in a calm and collected manner. Unexpected problems may arise and situations like, transportation breakdowns, client meltdowns, or hotel unavailability will test your tour leading skills to the limit.

If everything goes well, you will feel like you are not doing any work at all.

Requirements to become a tour guide:

First and foremost, you must be good at speaking English and it doesn’t hurt for you to speak another foreign language which one depends on the location and tour requirements. A good speaker will always find a place in the touring industry. If you are able to speak more than one language your chances of finding a job are even better.

Tour guides should be physically fit especially if you are intending to lead tours that require demanding work. Also, you must have a good sense of direction. A decent skill in map-reading is always a plus.

If you want to work in a company, they may require some kind of certifications. Although, not necessary for some but it can be a great help for you to land a job. Better take some training courses and examinations to get hold of that certification. It will give you more credibility.

Working as a freelancer is also a great option. But the best way to get client le, especially for starting guides is through an agency or touring company.

Next, is to choose the region in which you want to operate as a tour guide. After you have chosen, study it and do a lot of research. You must learn and take to heart all the accompanying information about the region. You must become an expert.

Having an expert aura and pleasant attitude can make you earn large sums of tips from satisfied customers. Eventually, you will become a veteran in the industry. You can then afford to work independently and become a contractor for companies that are willing to compensate you for your efforts as well as providing free accommodations and travel. They will be willing to provide this because you are considered an authority in the field.

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