Tour Guide Survey with Adolfo in Mexico

Tour Guide Adolfo Soberanis-Rios, Acapulco Sightseeing Tours


1. What is the best thing you like about being a tour guide?
Being able to “brag” about my Country and show our visitors the true colors of it, sharing our valuable History, customs, traditions and most important of all, helping them feel the warmth and heart-felt care of my people by taking them by the hand into their environment.

2. What is your most memorable moment in guiding so far?
When I took care of a famous blind golfer by the name of Charles Boswell (author of the book “Now I can see”) in the company of Late Mr. John P. Kern and I took them out for dinner at this fantastic Restaurant “El Campanario” (1988) which was located on the very summit of a high hill, overlooking a breathtaking view of Acapulco bay, & as we sat in our table, his expression turned very thoughtful as he turned to me and expressed: “Adolfo, this is the most beautiful place I have ever seen in my entire life” Needless to say, my jaw fell to the floor among the other diners !

3. What is most challenging for you in this career? Have you coped with it?
When I received an email requesting assistance for booking a private villa for a Jewish family visiting Acapulco for the first time. After exchanging many emails back and forth with several different options for this client to choose from, and just as I thought he finally agreed upon one, he disappeared, only to return about a week later to let me know he had found another villa for a lower price. Since I was aware of the lousy conditions of such villa, I sent him an email (after talking to the owner of the villa he had chosen previously and getting him the same rate as the other cheap one). Upon their arrival to Acapulco I pick them up at the airport and took them to the villa they have booked. Right then I offered my ground transportation service to his full party of 7 adults and 4 children and again had to agree on a much lower rate for him to accept such service.

One thing led to another and from then on, it was like pulling teeth to cop with him, so I finally decided to send him a colleague of mine, to drive them around on the same deal …but he wouldn’t hear of it and he demanded I was the one to do his driving. So I did and it was the longest week of my entire life !!!

At the end and as I saw them off at the departure gate at the airport, he came towards me, embraced me and thank me for everything I did for him and his family …and even gave me a tip.

4. What is your favorite place/thing that you want to show your travel clients?
Definitely the Culture, wonderful History, my charming/friendly fellow citizens, the close family bonds among our people, the colors, the delicious cuisine, the wonderful beaches, the archaeological sites nearby, Taxco (Silver capitol of the world) …and breathtaking sights. I could carry and rant on & on, but I’d basically love to at least show that much.


5. What if you were not a tour guide? What do you imagine yourself to be?
I was born into the Tourist Industry by having a father that became the first Federal Government Tourist Inspector in Acapulco, in the late 1950s-early 1960s. When he died in 1970, I inherited his job and was sent to Mexico City for 5 months to take Certification Course to become a Federal Tourist Inspector myself, which I did. Eventually I had the opportunity to move to San Francisco where I lived and studied to become a Certified Auto-mechanic, which I worked as one for about 12 years in my own auto repair shop.

In 1983 I decided I wanted to do a different job for about a year (sort of giving me a little room to breath) & went to work for a local travel agency. At the end of two seasons I just knew this was it for me and I applied for my Government-licensed as a Certified Tour Guide and became one in October 1985. Since then (only after the birth of my 3 children), this has been the most important and happiest thing to happen in my life.

What would I be if I were not a Tour guide …I just can not picture my life in any other way !!!