Posts
It is nice to be nice and it costs nothing
Do not hold back your gratitude at end of the sightseeing tours. As a tour guide, you are probably a very hard working person. Surely you deserve the warmest thanks from everyone on your tour. You definitely will receive it if you have done an excellent job. Yet remember, a great successful tour can’t be completed by you alone.
If it is a private sightseeing tour just between you and your clients, thank them for their support and cooperation. For them being on time, listening to you attentively, following the rules in specific sights. Your clients also appreciate your gratitude and will think highly of you for offering it to them.
If it is a big tourist group, you need to publicly thank more people. Thank the driver for his safe driving and punctuate delivery. Thank the tour leader and organizing company, so that you have the opportunity to meet each other. Thank the national guide for his help and support during the tour. Any other parties that are relevant and deserve your appreciation? Please do.
What’s more, if you had a great time with your clients and co-workers, why not sing a farewell song to express your feeling?
A sightseeing tour closing speech with thanks can be quite sentimental.
Do you have anything special to show at end of the tour? Share with us.
Monday 14 December 2009
Thursday 10 December 2009
Sightseeing tours from a coach
Coach tours are often route tours that a tour guide can easily get accustomed to. To be a master at guiding sightseeing tours on a coach, here are some tips for you.
Best coach and driver option available
Locate a good coach and cooperate with the driver at all times. The coach and driver are important supporters to ensure successful coach sightseeing tours. It is important to locate the best coach and driver before the sightseeing tours, booked in advance. During the tour - Take note of coach colour, number, and parking location. You don’t want to walk all around the parking lot just to find the coach stops at entrance for you, do you?
Clear communication via microphone
The microphone on the coach needs to be found and tested before you talk to the tourists. Take the guide’s seat at the front so that you can talk to the whole group easily. Ensure you have clear quality sound and no speaker feedback noise.
Planning with the driver
Communicate with the driver about itinerary, time, stops, and other things that relevant to the sightseeing tours. The driver knows the tour, but it is worthwhile confirming again in person. Exchanging mobile numbers between the driver and tour guide is also necessary.
Now let us focus on your clients. Besides tour introduction and sight commentary that a tour guide shall already be capable of, the following points will contribute to a successful coach tour.
Is everybody on the coach and safely seated? Count the heads before departure. If you are on a big coach that requires walking to the end for accurate counting, you may count once more from back to front ensuring all people are boarded. Have a quick look at overhead luggage. Make sure there is no easy-fall-off items. Remind the tourists of safety belts or other facilities. Ask them please not to walk when the coach is moving. Don’t forget to introduce the coach, its number, colour, etc.
A great comfortable tour is impossible without the support your clients. So do make a note in advance if you are on a non-smoking coach. Shall eating and drinking be avoided while on the coach? Where they can find the disposal bag or garbage bin?
Are there any tips you would like to share as an experienced tour guide on coach?
Best coach and driver option available
Locate a good coach and cooperate with the driver at all times. The coach and driver are important supporters to ensure successful coach sightseeing tours. It is important to locate the best coach and driver before the sightseeing tours, booked in advance. During the tour - Take note of coach colour, number, and parking location. You don’t want to walk all around the parking lot just to find the coach stops at entrance for you, do you?
Clear communication via microphone
The microphone on the coach needs to be found and tested before you talk to the tourists. Take the guide’s seat at the front so that you can talk to the whole group easily. Ensure you have clear quality sound and no speaker feedback noise.
Planning with the driver
Communicate with the driver about itinerary, time, stops, and other things that relevant to the sightseeing tours. The driver knows the tour, but it is worthwhile confirming again in person. Exchanging mobile numbers between the driver and tour guide is also necessary.
Now let us focus on your clients. Besides tour introduction and sight commentary that a tour guide shall already be capable of, the following points will contribute to a successful coach tour.
Is everybody on the coach and safely seated? Count the heads before departure. If you are on a big coach that requires walking to the end for accurate counting, you may count once more from back to front ensuring all people are boarded. Have a quick look at overhead luggage. Make sure there is no easy-fall-off items. Remind the tourists of safety belts or other facilities. Ask them please not to walk when the coach is moving. Don’t forget to introduce the coach, its number, colour, etc.
A great comfortable tour is impossible without the support your clients. So do make a note in advance if you are on a non-smoking coach. Shall eating and drinking be avoided while on the coach? Where they can find the disposal bag or garbage bin?
Are there any tips you would like to share as an experienced tour guide on coach?
Tuesday 24 November 2009
Tips to best present your sightseeing tours on OurExplorer
As you know, OurExplorer has launched a new product Sightseeing Tours last month. OurExplorer is happy to see now over 150 sightseeing tours already saved this website, provided by our tour guides all over the world. Some tours are well presented and very attractive, so we would like to share with all. It is not only about your sightseeing tours on OurExplorer, but can be generally applied online or offline.
Tip 1: Shout out your specialty clearly. Why should travelers choose your sightseeing tour rather than anyone else’s? Because the sightseeing tour with you is unique. For example-
Barcelona Sightseeing Tour, Marta’s tapas tour for a delicious local experience!
Shanghai Sightseeing Tours with Jean, see how the old buildings, factories and houses have been fueled with new vitality by creative designs.
Prague Sightseeing Tours with Martina, look up for lady holding broom and lantern!
Tip 2: Photos are inspiring. Add photos to your sightseeing tour. Let travelers have a direct visual impression of what to see during the visit. See Classic City Tour in Buenos Aires.
Tip 3: Detailed and clear introduction. Clients can’t book your sightseeing tour if they are not clear about the tour length, price, routes…, right? So a clear introduction on tour details is critical. It actually saves a tour guide’s efforts by clarifying things in advance. See Acapulco Sightseeing Tours with Rudy!
Tip 4: Show your humor and wisdom!
Sightseeing Tours Exclusions: Bad tempered, no- sense of humor, it's-just-another-tour local guides. Isn’t it nice to experience a Zagreb sightseeing tour like this, More than an ordinary sightseeing tour?
Have you any suggestions on the best sightseeing tours?
Tip 1: Shout out your specialty clearly. Why should travelers choose your sightseeing tour rather than anyone else’s? Because the sightseeing tour with you is unique. For example-
Barcelona Sightseeing Tour, Marta’s tapas tour for a delicious local experience!
Shanghai Sightseeing Tours with Jean, see how the old buildings, factories and houses have been fueled with new vitality by creative designs.
Prague Sightseeing Tours with Martina, look up for lady holding broom and lantern!
Tip 2: Photos are inspiring. Add photos to your sightseeing tour. Let travelers have a direct visual impression of what to see during the visit. See Classic City Tour in Buenos Aires.
Tip 3: Detailed and clear introduction. Clients can’t book your sightseeing tour if they are not clear about the tour length, price, routes…, right? So a clear introduction on tour details is critical. It actually saves a tour guide’s efforts by clarifying things in advance. See Acapulco Sightseeing Tours with Rudy!
Tip 4: Show your humor and wisdom!
Sightseeing Tours Exclusions: Bad tempered, no- sense of humor, it's-just-another-tour local guides. Isn’t it nice to experience a Zagreb sightseeing tour like this, More than an ordinary sightseeing tour?
Have you any suggestions on the best sightseeing tours?
Monday 16 November 2009
Maximise Sightseeing Tour Length and Tour Guide Commentary
Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming. Are you as a tour guide designing a special program for the holiday period? Besides something specially related with Christmas, what else will you cover in your guiding commentary? A sightseeing spot may have dozens of stories or facts. Will you tell them all? Probably not. It is not necessary either.
A traveler once remarked on her day excursion in Shanghai (China),”The city is amazing. But for a city like this, I just feel there is too much to absorb and digest in a single day.” Not to mention shorter sightseeing tours e.g. a 3-hour walking tour. Avoid overloading with information is important.
Because of the limited time on a tour, a good tour guide will try to find the clients’ interest and thus focusing more on relevant aspects. How? Ask the client beforehand. Even with routine sightseeing tours, it could turn out differently with different travelers. Do not hesitate to add a simple question “Do you have any special interest?” Listen to them on the sightseeing tours. Listening is a kind of art. From the questions they asked and their personal backgrounds mentioned, you can detect what they might be more interested.
Sightseeing Tour length is an important element to consider when preparing commentary on a tour. If the travelers have a longer sightseeing tour with you, it is a good opportunity for you to share more knowledge and wisdom. Separate general information throughout days. Do not talk over all in one day and stay quiet in the other day. A day with certain theme requires commentary sticking to the same theme. Try different routes back to the accommodation, so that you won’t repeat similar contents.
One more point, when you are working together with another tour guide, e.g. national guide, local guide, or tour leader, cooperate in what to say in your commentary. Travelers don’t want repeated information.
Have you encountered similar problem, too less time but too much to say? Tips are welcome in comments.
A traveler once remarked on her day excursion in Shanghai (China),”The city is amazing. But for a city like this, I just feel there is too much to absorb and digest in a single day.” Not to mention shorter sightseeing tours e.g. a 3-hour walking tour. Avoid overloading with information is important.
Because of the limited time on a tour, a good tour guide will try to find the clients’ interest and thus focusing more on relevant aspects. How? Ask the client beforehand. Even with routine sightseeing tours, it could turn out differently with different travelers. Do not hesitate to add a simple question “Do you have any special interest?” Listen to them on the sightseeing tours. Listening is a kind of art. From the questions they asked and their personal backgrounds mentioned, you can detect what they might be more interested.
Sightseeing Tour length is an important element to consider when preparing commentary on a tour. If the travelers have a longer sightseeing tour with you, it is a good opportunity for you to share more knowledge and wisdom. Separate general information throughout days. Do not talk over all in one day and stay quiet in the other day. A day with certain theme requires commentary sticking to the same theme. Try different routes back to the accommodation, so that you won’t repeat similar contents.
One more point, when you are working together with another tour guide, e.g. national guide, local guide, or tour leader, cooperate in what to say in your commentary. Travelers don’t want repeated information.
Have you encountered similar problem, too less time but too much to say? Tips are welcome in comments.
Monday 9 November 2009
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 !!!
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 !!!
Thursday 15 October 2009
New Sightseeing Tours Product - Launched on OurExplorer
OurExplorer launched a new product range for tour guides in October 2009 - Sightseeing Tours with specific prices and photos. Click here to see a sample sightseeing tour
OurExplorer tour guides can now upload and save their top 4 sightseeing tours onto their OurExplorer webpage profile.
Why Upload Your Sightseeing Tours? - Benefits
- Increase your product range for clients to book
- Easy for clients to make direct booking on specific sightseeing tours
- More photos displayed to your clients
How to Add a Sightseeing Tour to your OurExplorer webpage?
1. Login to your profile
2. Click tab “Sightseeing Tours”
3. Click blue button “Add Sightseeing Tours”
4. Add tour details left of the page
5. Click button “Save”
6. Add sightseeing photos right of the page
7. Click tab “Back to sightseeing list” to add more tours.
Contact OurExplorer for more help with Sightseeing Tours Uploading
Add Your Best Sightseeing Tours Today
OurExplorer tour guides can now upload and save their top 4 sightseeing tours onto their OurExplorer webpage profile.
Why Upload Your Sightseeing Tours? - Benefits
- Increase your product range for clients to book
- Easy for clients to make direct booking on specific sightseeing tours
- More photos displayed to your clients
How to Add a Sightseeing Tour to your OurExplorer webpage?
1. Login to your profile
2. Click tab “Sightseeing Tours”
3. Click blue button “Add Sightseeing Tours”
4. Add tour details left of the page
5. Click button “Save”
6. Add sightseeing photos right of the page
7. Click tab “Back to sightseeing list” to add more tours.
Contact OurExplorer for more help with Sightseeing Tours Uploading
Add Your Best Sightseeing Tours Today
Wednesday 23 September 2009
Tour Guide Survey with Rudy in Mexico
Tour Guide Rudy Fregoso - Acapulco Sightseeing Tours
1. What is the best thing you like being a tour guide?
I think there is nothing better than being able to show your own country to foreigner and getting them acquainted of what it really take place in the nation, helping them, guiding them, making them realizing about the reality of my home!
2. What is your most memorable moment in guiding so far?
I still remember the face of a Latin American lady who when being a little child used to see Mexican movies and started dreaming coming to Acapulco, Mexico. I rembember the impression, the impact that the bay of Acapulco caused to the woman, her face is something that made thinking willing to pay "mucho dinero", making me think my KINGDOM for a camera at that time.
3. What is most challenging for you in this career? Have you coped with it?
Everyday is a fun challenge but to me is a pleasure!
4. What is your favorite place/thing that you want to show your travel clients?
I always like better what people, my customers like the most, and the positive feedback I get from my tourist make like even better that given place....!
5. What if you were not a tour guide? What do you imagine yourself to be?
I think of myself as a chemically pure Tour Guide, And IF I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A TOUR GUIDE.... I WOULD IMAGINE MYSELF WILLING TO BE ONE.
GRACIAS.
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