Tour Guide - How to efficiently use your webpages?

The importance of internet is growing quickly in the travel industry. More and more travelers now use internet for trip planning, destination reviews, and online bookings... If you are a tour guide with your personal website, or a simply web profile page, how can you maximize your online presence with the webpages? Rather than creating a website and leave it aside, you can efficiently use these online contents when talking with potential clients. Your tour guide webpages can be a very strong sales tool.

When clients enquire about general tour information, the ready-made content from your webpages can be forwarded to the clients directly by URL. However, be specific. Don’t overload your travel clients with too much information. Forward them the very relevant page addressing their queries e.g. your profile page with prices and licence copy saved.

One easy way of using your webpage is to include the tour guide URL in your E-mail sign off (signature). It makes your “E-business card” more professional. People would like to know more about yourself and the guiding services before they confirm the booking. A web page is easily accessible for them to get some information.

Include testimonial pages when talking with potential clients. On www.ourexplorer.com these client reviews are outlined clearly if you enjoyed past client bookings. The reviews and testimonials from past clients help to build up trust. Webpage with testimonials can be a very strong sales tool. Do not hesitate to show your testimonials, either on your own website or from other travel review websites.

Use the social media. Everyone is talking about twitter, facebook, google buzz these days. Social media is a method of inbound marketing. You can use it to connect with clients. You can also use these social media sites to promote your webpages. For instance, add the URL to your twitter profile, share links with your facebook friends, buzz your unique sightseeing tours.

Promote your tour guide profile webpage URL on other websites, forums and blogs. Blogging is a good way to keep your website up-to-date. Search engines like google value new contents and updated website.

Your webpages shall not be a dead presence. It is a good platform to promote tour guide services and various sightseeing tours. Proactively use it to receive more visitors and get new client bookings.

Have you any suggestions on using your OurExplorer tour guide webpages?

Example URL = http://www.ourexplorer.com/tour-guide-suanne-adelman-6927.aspx

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Tour Guide Rob McElroy and Dublin sightseeing tours

1. What is the best thing you like being a tour guide?

Firstly, as I'm an expressionist, it gives me a chance to convey and impart what I know and have experienced in my life in Ireland. But in addition, because I'm a poet and a writer and also like to sing, it allows me the opportunity to use these skills and augment a tour and a commentary for clients. I also love telling and narrating a story so what better way than incorporating all of these things and joining them together like a thread to a needle!

I also feel that as I've studied many subjects and visited and been to many places in my land, tour guiding is the best format to bring them all out AND AVAIL OF THEM!



2. What is your most memorable moment in guiding so far?

I think I would have to go back to the time when I started out: I first worked on an Open Top Bus and by the nature of that service, many people Hop On Hop Off every day - one such person was a Jewish survivor of Auschwitz. We had a chat - which in itself - was memorable – and he said that ''I was the best Tour Guide in any of the places he had visited on his vacation of European cities because in places that weren't interesting, I still made them interesting!''. Then he gave me his autograph!



3. What is most challenging for you in this career? Have you coped with it?

The most challenging thing is, that one is dealing with human beings with different moods, feelings, interests, motivations, incentives, expectations, and one has to meet them - essentially it's being adaptable - I've coped quite well but life is a learning curve and there's always room for improvement!



4. What is your favorite place/thing that you want to show your travel clients?

Tara, Co Meath, because it was the ancient capital of Ireland – a special place which links history, mythology, legends, archaeology, folklore together. Unfortunately, it's not that easy to get to.



5. What if you were not a tour guide? What do you imagine yourself to be?

I'd be a Travel Writer because it'd incorporate my writing and my travel/tour knowledge!

A sample of Rob's dublin sightseeing tours

Have you had some similar tour guide experiences you want to share?

Tired out during your sightseeing tours? Tips to Relax

Tour guiding is a physically-challenging as well as mind-absorbing work. A tour guide can be really stressed out if you don’t relax properly. This is especially important when leading multi-day sightseeing tours. You shall not use up your energy in the first day and struggle with fatigue through out the remaining of the trip. Balance yourself.

While planning the sightseeing tours, leave the evening of the tour free. The clients can enjoy themselves and you can refresh yourself for the next day. Have a short break after max. 2 hours (especially in walking sightseeing tours). It can be on the coach/vehicle, a short tea/café break, free activity time in a scenic spot…

During the sightseeing tour, you can consciously relax your body now and then. When standing, stand straight with your weight well balanced on two legs, lower the shoulders and do not have a stiff neck. Keep your voice to a moderate noise level so long as every tourist can hear you. Take deep breath to fill brain with oxygen. Use middle finger to press in the middle of two eyebrows. Rub both ears from outer centre to top to hear better. Yawn or bubble the cheeks, shake muscles free.

When you have a moment with yourself, do some body exercises to get refreshed. For example, roll the head from left to right shoulder. Swing your arms around the body. Stretch arms above head and lean to each side. Turn around the body with arms swinging along…

What helpful tips do you use to release stress or fatigue while guiding? Share with OurExplorer .

Tour Guide Barcelona - Shares her experiences with OurExplorer

Tour Guide Marta in Barcelona


I took a course on the Catalan Way of Saint James. Low season is a time to keep training and learning new things that can be interesting for me and my clients, so Monday and Tuesday I attended a workshop organized by the Tourism Department of the Catalan Government.

In the middle ages, pilgrims used to cross Europe to reach Spain and visit the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, where the Apostle Saint James is supposed to be buried. Now the traditional paths pilgrims used to get there have become a very popular holyday experience that mixes religion, with hiking/biking/horse riding, enjoying nature and gorgeous landscape, getting to know first-hand the local lifestyle, and discovering valuable architectural and artistic heritage.

Although the Catalan ways to Santiago aren't as famous as the two northern ones, pilgrims have also traditionally crossed our region on their way there, and now the Tourism Department has collaborated with different specialists to promote them. Guidebooks are being issued, the paths have been marked, and they are working to get more and more services open for pilgrims along their routes. Althought it definitely isn't as fully equipped as the traditional paths are, our ways are a great option for those who have already done the others and are looking for something new, and it's also way less crowded that any other other option.

As for me, although obviously not many pilgrims are likely to use tour guide services, I thought the worshop was very interesting and I learnt a lot about the routes and what you find along the way. I now actually feel like exploring pieces of it with my boyfriend some weekend!

Read more on Marta's blog - http://foreverbarcelona.blogspot.com/

Thank you for this very interesting experience share. Do you have tour guide experience to share with OurExplorer?

Tips to confirm a booking with your clients

When a tour guide works for travel agencies, you usually wait for the company to pass on confirmed clients to you. When a tour guide is in contact with potential clients directly, do you realize that you actually play part of the role as a sales person? In fact you are the sales person and need to close the sale to get the business from the client.
You need to tell your clients why they should choose to travel with you. Give them confidence to click the final button “Book this Tour Guide” so you can earn some more income.

Here are some tips to seal a deal with your prospective clients


1. Give thanks to them for contacting you and welcome the clients to your city.


2. Notice the client’s personal interest and promote specific sightseeing tours. Pay attention to exactly what the client asks for in their first email to you. The closer you get to their interest, the more possible clients will choose your service. What differentiates a private tour guide from package tour is the tailor-made personal tour experience. The tour can be customized to personal preferences, tailored to their time of visit, or match the age span in the group.



3. Think in advance of your clients. As a tour guide, you are more familiar with the scenic spots, itinerary design, cost included or excluded in your tours etc. Will the place they are interested be closed at weekends? Is car renting required for their group and for what price? Is it better to quote also in their currency to save them from rate checking? Reply to your clients proactively. Do not wait for their queries.



Now that you are both happy about the tour arrangements, it is time for a booking. Do not presume that your clients are all internet savvy. Some people are but alot are not internet smart. Why not make it easier for your clients to book you? For example, if clients have chosen a sightseeing tour with you, send them the exact tour link/URL directly. So they can just hit the button “Book” and complete quickly and simply.



Do you have any successful tips to close a deal with your prospect clients?

Tour Guide Survey with Adel in Cairo

Tour Guide Adel Taha, Cairo Sightseeing Tours


1. What is the best thing you like being a tour guide?

the best thing of being a tour guide is the work and people. i go to this work and i love it. i have some days in cairo, some around other parts of Egypt.so i love to be at new area and enjoy it. Also i have no manager telling me what to do ,but i do what's my heart telling me to do for my clients to make them happy and enjoy every mintue. I was born beside the temple of kom ombo in aswan. so it's in my blood to show people our places, temples and that's making me more happy to see them smiling and want to visit and see more of this places.



2. What is your most memorable moment in guiding so far?

when people are ready to leave, specially when they are here for a long tour(many days)but sometimes they don't want to leave me not Egypt as their time here is so special. that happened to me the last group...



3. What is most challenging for you in this career? Have you coped with it?

some local rules that delay us from making the tours in the format we would like to.



4. What is your favorite place/thing that you want to show your travel clients?

the great pyramids of giza......for sure.



5. What if you were not a tour guide? What do you imagine yourself to be?

if i wasn't a tour guide - wow - i can't imagine to be anything else.....so i will be just an Egypt tour guide, nothing else.



Check out sightseeing tours offered by Adel


shore excursion from alexandria port to cairo 12 hours

As a tour guide, do you have stories to share?

101 top tips for the best Sightseeing Tours

Here is an excellent collection on 101 top tips for the best sightseeing tours - courtesy of OurExplorer

How to Design a Sightseeing Tour
1. Ask the client beforehand about interest and preference to develop a customized tour.
2. Mind the cultural background of clients.
3. Check with the clients about their physical strength in walking, hiking or other adventurous tours.
4. Check with the clients about food alerts if meals are included.
5. Design a sightseeing tour according to the client’s time of stay.
6. Choose the transportation that is convenient and with local characters.
7. Take different routes from and back to the accommodation to avoid repeated info.
8. Shout your specialty when designing a sightseeing tour.
9. Show your humor and wisdom in your sightseeing tour.
10. Do not include similar sites or activities in one day.
11. Offer alternatives to allow tourists choose with personal interest.
12. Visit the distant sites first and then the nearby spots.
13. Do not include distant visit on the day of departure.
14. Balance time of walking with time on the vehicle.
15. Leave the evening free with options recommended.
16. Consider influential elements like weather and have a plan B if possible.
17. Provide clear information on tour details to avoid misunderstanding.
18. Add photos to your sightseeing tour presentation to inspire tourists.
19. Add videos to your sightseeing tour presentation to be heard.
20. Offer freebie if available.
21. Offer more options to encourage client contact.
22. Include cancellation policy if necessary.
23. Introduce something about yourself to build up personal connection.
24. Present the tour proposal neatly on one page.
25. Provide full contacts for clients to find you easily.

What to Prepare before a Sightseeing Tour
1. Exchange email and mobile with travelers or tour leaders to avoid missing each other.
2. Check weather forecast 3 days before the tour to prepare for the unsatisfactory weather.
3. Get familiar with the tour itinerary and schedules.
4. Be prepared with knowledge on things-to-see.
5. Familiar with transportation between different stops.
6. Check arrival info of flight/train/bus/cruise on the day in case of delay or advance.
7. Confirm with the hotel for client reservation to avoid waiting in a wrong hotel lobby.
8. Do not forget materials of the tour like itinerary, microphone, tickets and pick-up signs, etc.
9. Be punctual at meeting time and place.
10. Locate the vehicle and communicate with the driver about the day tour.
11. Take note of the vehicle’s colour, number, and parking spots to get on smoothly at each stop.
12. Test the microphone before talking, either it is on the coach or your personal appliance.
13. Check if everyone is on board before leaving for the next destination.
14. Count heads one more time from back to front with big tourist groups
15. Have a quick look at overhead luggage to ensure no fall-over.
16. Remind the tourists of safety belts or other facilities on the vehicle.
17. Notice tourists not to walk when the coach is moving.
18. Make a note in advance if smoking, eating or drinking is not allowed on the vehicle.
19. Notice the facilities in each stop like toilets, entrances/exits, souvenir shops, taxi stands, etc.
20. Choose restaurants with good sanitary condition.
21. Dress professionally and properly for the sightseeing tour.

What to Take Notice on the Sightseeing Tour
1. Take the guide’s seat to talk to the whole group easily on a vehicle.
2. Give safety instructions to tourists when necessary.
3. Remind travelers of their belongings whenever getting off the vehicle.
4. Notify tourists of no-photography, no-smoking, no-feeding or other inappropriate behaviors.
5. Inform clear meeting time and location before free activities.
6. Do not guide in more than two languages.
7. Do not talk to the driver with the microphone on.
8. Do not talk when there is gum, candy or other things in your mouth.
9. Talk slowly and clearly when giving commentary.
10. Make sure tourists sit at the back can hear your words.
11. Face your tourist group while talking.
12. Guide in the front and lead the way - best tour guide method.
13. Adjust your pace to be ok with the slowest person in the group.
14. Stop or slow down at corners to avoid missing people.
15. Choose a place capacious of holding all your clients.
16. Do not talking to the whole group while walking.
17. Avoid talking in the sun, wind, rain or other uncomfortable environment.
18. Keep some distance from other tourist groups to avoid disturbance.
19. Start your introduction after your clients all gathered in front of you.
20. Adjust tones to fit into sites with special themes.
21. Point out good stops for photo-taking.
22. Manage the time to avoid over-stay or rush-around.
23. Recommend dishes with local characters.
24. Check food quality and quantity at meals.
25. Introduce unique local dishes and explain how to eat.
26. Spread your attention evenly to avoid any neglecting any client.
27. Deliver when clients ask for extra service and you agree.
28. Inform clients of itinerary changes and explain why.
29. Upgrade in service if possible.
30. Smile is never too much.

What to discuss during the Sightseeing Tour
1. Deliver a welcome speech with consideration of the pick-up location and time.
2. Do not overload with information.
3. Listen to the clients during the tour to find out their interest.
4. Separate general introduction throughout days with multi-day tours.
5. Stick to the same topic on themed excursions.
6. Give commentary according to the tour length.
7. Know the length of driving and prepare topics accordingly.
8. Commentary on scenes or people along the way.
9. Cooperate with national guide, local guide, or tour leader on what to say to avoid repeated commentary.
10. Comment when all clients can see what you are talking about.
11. Point out clearly what you are talking about avoiding ambiguous words like “here” “there”.
12. Introduce facts, and anecdotes.
13. Include latest news, developments and changes when available.
14. Use descriptive languages when introducing a something.
15. Talk informatively and humorously, but not act like a comedian or scholar.
16. Explain technical terms or jargon.
17. Welcome questions from travelers and answer properly.
18. Compare with things or spots familiar to clients for easy understanding.
19. Add stories/interpretation associated with the non-ideal weather to cheer up client moods.
20. Contribute to the local community or organization when appropriate.

How to Conclude the Sightseeing Tour
1. Reflect on what has been covered during the sightseeing tours.
2. Publicly thank the diver for his good job.
3. Publicly thank fellow colleagues cooperated in the sightseeing tour.
4. Thanks to the clients for their cooperation and support throughout the tour.
5. An email follow up with thank and feedback request to the clients.