Tour Commentary Delivery- WEEK 2

PART 1

Work Activities :

1. Gather Information on relevant topics

2. Prepare storyline for commentary delivery
3. Conduct tour commentary on the topics
4. Handle questions and answer

Introduction

TOUR COMMENTARY DELIVERY

Tour commentary delivery shall be performed in a precise manner following the norms using
pre-set procedures in accordance to the Tourist Guides’ Code of Ethics, so that the tourist are
fully and accurately informed. The Tourist Guide who is competent in tour commentary delivery
shall be able to gather information on the relevant topics, prepare storyline for commentary
delivery, conduct tour commentary on the topics and handle question and answer.

Once guests have all be seated in a coach, opening information dissemination is best carried out
as follows :

1. Welcoming speech – welcome the guests on board, introduce yourself, brief information
about Malaysia and the destination they are currently at, time difference, exchange rates,
weather etc
2. Brief information about whole itinerary – from start till completion of the stay.
3. Explain about accommodation – general information about the accommodation,
popularity, interesting facilities etc.
4. Briefing information about meals arrangement – all meal arrangements including
breakfast, lunch and dinner
5. Brief information about places of visit – highlight all top destinations arranged for them
during their stay.

Prior arrival to a visiting place, a tourist guide firstly need to recognize 4 different strength of
places of visit which will influence the style of information dissemination. The strengths are :

1. History – if a place is strong in history element such as Porta de Santiago, then the guide
needs to tell more stories about the history
2. Culture – if a place strong in culture, then the cultural information shall dominate the
information delivery
 3. Place of Interest – if a place does not have a prominent cultural or historical values, then
the strength of information dissemination shall be about the interesting things the guests
can do or expected.
4. Travel Trade – food, drinks and any other tourism products which cannot be categorized
by no 1-3 above, such as Cendol, Gamat, Ais kacang, Gula Melaka etc

NOTE 1 : Some places may have the combination of history, culture, place of interest and travel
trade. In this case, the tourist guide need to arrange all 4 areas of information in such a way that
would create interest among the listeners.

NOTE 2 : There is no specific rules and regulations that a tourist guide must abide to follow,
however a successful tourist guides are those who are able to create interest in what he is
talking about. It is a personal skill which may differ from one guide to another.

1 GATHER INFORMATION ON RELEVANT TOPIC

Depending on the destination of the tour, a responsible Tour Guide should make his/her own
research and gather as much information about a place as much as possible such as :

 Its history
 Its specialties
 Its surrounding
 Entrance prices
 Facilities
 Latest development etc

2 PREPARE STORYLINE FOR COMMENTARY DELIVERY

Once all information has been gathered, a Tour Guide needs to summarize information in an
such a way that he/she will be able to deliver the information correctly and systematically.

Use 5W and 1H method in order to prepare the storyline.

What – what is the name of the place, what is the distance, what is the specialty etc..

Where – where is the location, where to enter, where to get down from the bus etc

Why – why the guests need to go there, what is so special etc

When – when was it first opened?, when will we arrive there etc

Who – who built it, who discovered it etc

How – how can we enjoy the place, how to go about etc

Often, the question what will lead to where, why, who, how etc..

3 CONDUCT TOUR COMMENTARY

The basic rule when delivering information is :

1. Opening – introduce the place in details

2. Content – the storyline which the guide has prepared
3. Safety & health – brief on safety all the time, such as do’s and dont’s, bus number, danger
of feeding animals or danger of touching something etc
4. Closing – end the topic as the place is nearing to arrival

PERFORM AS INTERPRETER

Interpreter work does not only mean translating a language to another language. It also means
interpreting or delivering clearer information to the guests. The guests hope for a tour guide to
explain if not all, as much information as he/she can. A successful guide would do a lot of
reading and be prepared with a lot of updated information. He/she is like a walking dictionary to
the guests. A guide must first equip himself/herself with knowledge about places that he/she will
be taking the guests to. If any information cannot be immediately delivered, a guide needs to
request excuse, verify the information and get back to the guests.

Advise Security Measures

Remind safety measures to be taken at a place of accommodation :

1. Valuables must be kept in safety deposit (if available)

2. Door (entrance) must always be locked
3. Do not leave handbags or luggage all over the place
4. Keep room key at a safe place
5. Study the location of emergency doors

Safety measures to be taken at a shopping center :

1. Be careful when wearing jewelry and holding cameras

2. Handbags must be carried at the side or infront position
3. Do not count money in an open area
4. Do not leave handbags unattended
5. Walk in groups
6. Be alert in public areas
7. Ensure all goods are taken when leaving restaurants etc..

Safety measures at eatery outlets :

1. Be careful when wearing jewelry

2. Keep camera in a safe place
3. Keep handbags at safe place
4. Ensure the place is clean
5. Do not stay in a place if there is a doubt on cleanliness and health
4 HANDLE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Communication Skills and Guiding Techniques – The Art of Guiding.

The identification and consideration of visitors’ expectations and needs requirespsychological

insight, flexibility and appropriate selection from a wide range of knowledge. Specific
communication skills are essential to enable tourist guides to present the knowledge they have
chosen for the particular audience in a dynamic and pleasing way.

Tourist guiding techniques optimise the use of voice, gestures, positioning and group
management. These skills and techniques can only be taught in a practical way. They are not
area-specific but nevertheless it is imperative to teach and assess them in the areas and sites
where they will be applied, as they have to be adapted to local conditions.

PART 2

GLOSSARY OF USEFUL ITEMS & GUIDELINES

Clarify Time Differences

Guests who are from abroad may feel a little confused with the time difference. A tour guide
needs to inform the local time during his/her tour briefing. He should study the origin of the
guests and be ready to inform or clarify the time difference. Be specific so that the guests
understand it. Eg : “Good Morning, It is 9.00am in Malaysia right now, and that makes it 1.00am
in London and 11.00am in Sydney and Japan.” Certain countries apply day-light saving system,
meaning the time is forwarded by one hour in winter and reversed one hour in summer. A tour
guide needs to double check the right time before making any announcement to the guests.

Deliver Weather Information

Weather is a hope for everybody each day. Most guests would prefer a sunny day to go for
outing. Check the local weather forecast every morning repeatedly before making
announcement to the guests. Even though Malaysia has an equatorial climate, there are still dry
and wet seasons.

Here is an example of Langkawi weather information :

Langkawi has one of the more stable climates for an island in Malaysia. Located on the
northwestern coast of Peninsular Malaysia in the Malacca Straits, it is shielded from major winds
and storms by the mainland on one side and Sumatra on the other.

Deliver Money Changing Information

Every morning, before a tour guide meets the guests, he/she should make a practice of checking
the foreign exchange rate of USD, Euro, Pound Sterling, Japanese Yen and other major rates to
Ringgit Malaysia, because if a guest ask this question, at least he/she has already acquired
information to deliver. Other than money changers, foreign currency can also be changed at any
banks in Malaysia. Brief them the locations of banks around their place of stay.
Ringgit is the official currency in Malaysia, but some resorts and establishments do accept other
notes or offer foreign exchange. The current exchange rate is around RM3.30 to USD 1.00 – but,
consult banks for the latest exchange rates prior to your trip. Kuah town and the airport is
where you will find most of the banks and money-changers. Banks open daily from 09:00 to
4:30pm Monday to Friday

Deliver Accommodation Information

Remind the tourists about the common hours of check-in and check-out, to double check with
their accommodation place whether an accommodation includes breakfast in its price or not,
and its logistic position(s), ie whether it is near town area and public amenities, or is it in a
secluded area.

Inform Tourist on Shopping Facilities

A tour guide needs to inform the tourist about local shopping centers and also the national
shopping centers/areas. Describe the shopping centers to the guests, and what sort of
purchases are popular at particular shopping centers. Also, explain what other facilities are
available at the shopping centers such as cinema, restaurants, taxis, ATM machine etc.. If a guest
would like to get or buy local products or souvenirs, make suggestions to which shopping center
they could go.

For example, if the tourists are in Langkawi, they can do shopping at the following leading and
largest venues :

1. Langkawi Parade – facilities available : hotel, cinema, food court, supermarket

2. Langkawi Fair – facilities available : various restaurants, Mc Donald, clothes shops
3. Langkawi Mall – facilities : fabrics, clinic, stationary outlets, restaurants, banks
4. Kuah Town – facilities : banks, fabrics, electrical goods, various restaurants etc..
5. Jetty Point complex – facilities : bowling center, handicrafts outlets, restaurants etc..

Inform Tourist of Food Outlets

Explain to them about the night market and what are available there. Explain the whereabouts
of Malay food outlets, Chinese food outlets, Indian food outlets, Western food outlets etc..
Explain to the them the price range of the outlets and recommend which one would give value
for money.

REFFERENCES: https://geotrainingstudio.com/2019/08/13/cu4-tour-commentary-delivery/