Research Information

Relevant To Tour
Itinerary
The Tourism Industry
 Composite of industries and entities, both
public and private
 Involved in the planning, development,

marketing, sales & promotion, evaluation of

destinations, products and services
 Caters to the needs of travelers, both

foreign and domestic

Government Sector
 Department of Tourism (DOT)
 Phil. Convention & Visitors Corp. (PCVC)

– marketing arm
 Phil. Tourism Authority (PTA)

– implementing arm
 Local Government Units (LGUs)
 Other National Gov’t. Units (NGUs)
Private Sector
 Transportation Industry – land, sea, air &
rail
 Hospitality or Hostelry industry –

accommodation establishments
 Food & Beverage
 Entertainment industry
 Travel trade – tour operator, tour guides
 Other private sector entities
 LO 1. Sources Information

 components of a Tour Product

 Transportation(Sea,Air or Land )
 Transfers-transportation to and from

a destinations gateway.
 Accommodations/Lodging

Establishments

 Sightseeing Tours & Tour Packages

 Ad Hoc Group Travel Arrangements

-Ad hoc is a latin for “as the need arises”.
-It refers to the special travel
arrangements for pilgrims, studenst and
any other form of travel.
 Insurance/Assist cards

 Miscellaneous

-this is to ensure that the

demands of the client are being
met.
 Tourists
 People who leave their homes to temporarily
visit a place
 They should be spending and not earning

money from the place they visit

 Reasons can be pleasure, meetings or

seminars
 With the intention of learning something

about the place like its history, people, culture

Tour Guide
 Anindividual, who, either as an
employee or affiliate of a duly licensed
travel & tour agency, GUIDE tourist,
both foreign and domestic, for a fee,
commission or any lawful form of
remuneration.
Roles of the Tour Guide
1. Overseer
2.Coordinator
3. Time keeper
4.Sheperd
5.Interpreter
6.Presenter
7.Giver of care
The ten Commandments of Tour
Guiding

1.Smile
2. Dress Properly
3. Be patient
4. Be Ready
5.Be Friendly and Courteous
6. Be Calm and Positive
7. Be Prepared
8. Study your People
9. Protect Other Suppliers
10.Be Understanding, but firm
Qualities of an effective tour Guide
 Love of country
 Pleasing personality
 Must have a genuine interest in people
 Resourcefulness
 Trustworthy
 Tactfulness
 Good sense of leadership
 Good communication skills
 Good health
 Punctual
 Responsible, sensible and dedicated
 Confident
 Good sense of humor
 Analytical mindset ( above-normal

perception)
  
Code of Conduct and Ethics of the tour guides

1. A professional guide is expected to follow

the rules and regulations of the country and
act accordingly at all sites and facilities
where he/she takes visitors.
2. A professional guide shall all the time show
willingness to provide optimum services to
all tourists and shall give opportunity to
enjoy.
3. A professional guide shall always respect the
cultural, historical and environmental heritage of
the country and shall adhere accordingly at all
times.
4. A professional guide shall know and follow the
policies of the company for whom the guide is
working at the time.
5. A guide shall not accept or solicit a job from the
client of the company that has hired/employed
him/her without the consent of the company, nor
should a guide attempt to divert to another person
or company business from the company that
has hired him/her.
6. All business related communication with the
clients should be made under the auspices of the
Company.
7. A professional guide shall accept each tour as a
serious commitment and cancels only when
absolutely necessary and provides as much advance
notice as possible.
8. A professional guide shall carry out the
program/itinerary of a tour to his/her best
abilities and be loyal to the company/organization
that he/she is representing.
9. A professional guide shall be punctual,
reliable, honest, conscientious and tactful at all
times.
10. A professional guide shall cooperate with
tour group and other associates and shall
maintain ethical and professional conduct at all
times, cultivating a positive relationship with
all colleagues.
11. A professional guide shall respect the
research, intellectual property and copyrighted
materials
of other guides by not recording without
permission or quoting it without attribution.
12. A professional guide shall provide skilled
presentation of knowledge, interprets and
highlights
surroundings, inform and maintains objectivity
and enthusiasm in an engaging manner.
13. A professional guide shall prepare for each
tour when the itinerary is furnished in advance.
14. A professional guide shall be sensitive to the
interest and values of the tour group and does
not share his/her personal views on
controversial subjects such as sex, religion, and
politics.
15. A professional guide shall maintain good
personal hygiene and maintains dress code
appropriately every time for all tours and treks.
16. A professional shall at no time be under the
influence of alcohol or a narcotics substance, and
shall refrain from chewing Doma while on duty.
17. A professional guide shall in no way discriminate
in rendering services to any tourist on any basis,
e.g. color, gender, ethnicity, nationality, physical
challenge, age, etc.
18. A professional guide shall treat all people,
cultures and the environment with respect.
Nature of Tour Reception & Guiding
 First impression of tourists play a very
important role
 Receiving tourists is just like receiving
guests in your home
 Show the best without boasting or
overdoing
 Guiding is not simply telling them “to your
left, to your left”, there’s a lot more into it.
Guiding Techniques
 Be prepared, study the destination
 Plan your spiel or commentary, it should be
structured
 Have an update on the local and global news
and environmental issues
 Intercede when necessary in the interaction
with the guest and the locals
 Be aware on the basic human behavior and
attitudes
 Do not research to back up your facts
 Be ready for pertinent and impertinent

questions
 In cases of having more than one guide,

find some time to sit down, discuss to

synchronize information & learn from
each other
 Never tell your personal life at first

meeting
 Never sell anything at first meeting
unless they ask
 Be punctual at all times. Be there at

least one hour before the tour starts

 Learn map reading
 Learn how to say NO to indecent

proposals
 Always make a head count before,
during and after the tour, especially on
stops
 Be practical when making judgment,

think if the benefit of the majority

 Be a good decision maker
 Learn basic first aid
Do’s and Do not’s of Tour Guiding
 Avoid Guess work and Propaganda
-Check and update all information all the
time.
-never ever discuss religion or politics
- avoid using words “I think”, or “I guess” or
“probably”
its better to say “ I do not know-but I will
find out”.
 Avoid Memorizing Commentaries
 Be Honest and Sincere
 Be Positive and Patriotic.
 Be Sensitive in the Operating

Environment.
 Encourage responsible and sensitive

behavior from the clients.

 Establish rapport with the clients.
 Establish rapport with the suppliers
 Make Choices
 Never insinuate or ask for tips.
Dress Code
How do you dress as a tour guide at work?

It depends on what type of guiding you carry

on. mountain guides need different clothes
from city guides. Adventure guides wear
differently from museum guides. Walking
guides may require more comfortable
shoes than tour bus guides.
Dress comfortably for your guiding work. Tour
guiding is a physical work requiring a lot of
walking, standing, and climbing etc.

Wear clear and neat, casual but not too loose.

Guiding is a way of presentation. Clear and neat
dressing provides a good first impression to your
clients. As most tour guides meet clients on
vacation and trips, casual dressing is
recommended. It is awkward if you wear formal
suits while the travelers are on T-shirts. On the
other hand, because the guide is at work, it is not
professional to wear too loosely like slippers.
 Do not wear shinning but do stand out if
necessary. If you are taking a ghost tour, or guiding
for Halloween, abnormal costumes may add to the
fun nature of tour. In the case of busy tourist spots,
you may choose clothes with outstanding colours.
It will be easier for clients to identify you during
the sightseeing tours. Otherwise, casual smart
dressing is recommended.
 Do you have a brand or logo? Wear it on your

clothes, hats, umbrella, bags… This contributes to

your branding. Not only remind your clients of
who you are, but also shows other people along
the tour.
What should you bring during Tour?
1. Microphones/lapel Microphone
2. Megaphone
3. First Aid Kit
4. Flags
5. Hats
6. Whistles
Characteristics of Tourism
 Product is not brought to the consumer;
 The tourism product is not used up, it
doesn’t exhaust the country’s natural
resources;
 People-oriented;
 Labor-intensive;
 Multi-dimensional;
 Seasonal;
 Dynamic;
 Characterized by the changing ideas of its
customers.
 Basic factors for a successful
tourist destination
 Attractions which can be site itself or an
event
 Amenities or facilities like accommodation,
food, local, transportation, communication
and entertainment at the site
 Accessibility
 Peace and order
 Research Skills
◦ Domestic tourism
◦ Natural and man-made attractions
◦ Historical sites
◦ Events, fiestas
◦ National, local and regional
boundaries
◦ Geography and topography
Communication Skills
 Language proficiency
 Avoid using highfalutin words, use simple,
easy to understand words
 Try to get rid of regional accent
 Use synonyms to explain, to describe
something
 Use non-verbal communication in a
difficult thing or situation
 Speak audibly, not too soft and not too loud

 Conduct your commentary in a relaxed,

entertaining manner (they came here to
enjoy, remember)
LO 2. Arrange Information
Type of Commentaries
 Four types of tour commentaries:
1. Required Information and Commentaries
-it includes the introduction of the tour guide
and a vehicle driver and any other person in the
activity.
-a brief description of the day’s tour or activities.
-it includes a recap and reminder of the next
activity.
2.Informative Commentaries
-This may include data, facts and figures that is
conveyed for the interest of the guest about sites
and sights.
3. Requested Commentaries
-Oftentimes guests ask questions about the
locality, destination or country being
toured. The answers to these questions
constitute the requested commentaries.

4. Optional Commentaries
-It includes adlib comments, jokes, witty
stories, lore, legends and trivia.
Commentary Sequential Components

1. Introduction (Greeting)
2. Body of Commentary
3. Reaction to the Commentary
4. Recap the Commentary
5. Reminders
6. Thank You
Steps on how to make a commentary
 Begin with a smile, greeting and
introduction
 Brief the guests about the tour for the day
 Review the inclusions and exclusions of the

tour
 Give the distance and traveling time of the

destination
 What to expect from the tour
 Give necessary precautions
 Do not miss to point important

landmarks along the way

 Announce comfort stops
 Always do the head count
Tips for an effective tour commentary
 Startwith a greeting or introduction
 Information should be delivered in a
manner that would interest the guests
 Sense of humor should be part of the
delivery of information
 Remember, commentaries help people
understand and appreciate what they
actually see
 Face the group, not a few
 Speak slowly and clearly
 Voice should be audible
 Practice eye contact
 Prepare yourself for questions to be
asked
 Take control of your breathing and
emphasize important words
 Use synonyms, example in explaining
something
 When mentioning a name, repeat it or spell

it
 Maintain silence, if the need arises
 Listen carefully to questions and other

concerns
 Never argue with the guests
 End your tour always by thanking the guests
Activity Time
 Assign
Trainees for a
barangay to be introduce
 Individual commentary-
making
 Delivery of commentary
 The End

Thank you for coming

See you This afternoon