Topic: Conducting Tours
Objectives:
o Identify the procedures in conducting tours.
o Elucidate the types of transportation used in tour guiding.
Conducting Tours
• Conducting a tour is like leading an orchestra or directing a stage play
• Conducting a tour requires many skills.
• The actual production of a tour is a unique, creative experience.
• There is no such thing as typical tour.
General Tour Procedures
Pre-tour planning
• Involves careful planning
• Develop an itinerary and price structure
• Negotiate and make bookings
• Disseminate information to tour guides ahead of time
• Briefing period for tour guides before the overlooked aspect.
• Itinerary verifications by the tour guides, to check inconsistencies.
Paperwork
• Includes: passenger list, detailed itineraries, confirmation letters, check or vouchers for
payment, accounting sheets for expenses, telephone numbers of vendors and tour
representative, rooming lists, luggage tags, forms of documenting emergencies or problems and
evaluation forms.
• Paperwork is usually more complicated for extended tours.
• Paperwork is received before running the tour.
First Day of the Tour
• Confirm the arrival time of the group.
• Bring all the necessary paperwork
• Things to bring: first aid kit, maps, telephone numbers.
• Guides should arrive at the tour site at least 20 minutes before the start of the tour
• Meeting the Group
• First impression is lasting.
• Introduce oneself.
Meet and Assist
• The management of movement starts with the identification and gathering of the guests in one
controlled area and the proper introductions.
• Next is the identification and handling of everyone’s luggage. Always remember that to avail of
and pay for porter services is optional.
• Third is the type and sizes of the motor vehicle and the condition of the onboard equipment (air-
con, first aid kit and portable fire extinguisher), the designated and safe boarding and de-
boarding areas, route, and traffic conditions. If necessary, consult with the motor vehicle driver
about these factors beforehand.
The information required while onboard/and or in transit to the place lodging varies from the:
• Rate of exchange of the Philippine Pesos to the US Dollar
• Business hours of banks
• Offices and shops
• Potable Water in the locality
• It is advisable to prepare and memorize a short-list of information to impart.
• Always remember to remind the guest of the next scheduled activity.
Check-in
• At the hotel, resort, or any other place of lodging, including guest houses, the check-in
procedures involve the preparation of the registration card, and the distribution of room keys, which
is done at the Front Office or any other suitable area and the handling of the luggage, which is
normally done by the Bell Service
• Remember that tipping the bellboy is optional but expected.
• Depending on the size of the group, it is advisable to gather them in one area of the hotel lobby
and obtain the registration cards or ask the hotel staff to bring the registration cards and room keys
over.
• Once this is done, show them the direction to take to go to their respective rooms, and bid them
goodbye. Alternately, you may bid them goodbye after directing them to front office
• Always remember to remind the guest of the next scheduled activity.
• Visiting Attractions and Restaurants
• It is advisable for a guide to ask the group to remain outside while he or she informs the
management of the group's arrival.
Touring Activities
• Tour guiding techniques are developed and applied based on the tour cycle and must always be
geared to achieve the ultimate objective which is customer satisfaction.
• Reporting time-it is always advisable to report at least 30 minutes before the tour's schedule
departure time. This will enable the guide to execute the following:
a) checked the vehicle, equipment and brief the driver
b) assembled the people
c) has time to make last-minute adjustments
• Boarding Time-when boarding the passengers, the tour guide must position him/herself in a
strategic location, give an appropriate greeting, and count heads.
Changing Itineraries
• Itineraries may be altered because of unavoidable events.
Evening Activities
• Guides must not socialize with tour participants during non-tour activities at night.
Information Required for a Guide
• Location of medical facilities and local emergency procedures
• Availability of banks
• Currency and exchange rates
• Telephone and postal service information
• Information on buying tickets for transportation
• Current theater and movie information
• Information on getting taxis including fees
• Shopping information
• Restaurant recommendation
• Tipping customs
• Safety tips
• Unusual customs
Modes of Transportation
Walking Tours
• Enable people to use all their senses and give them opportunities for close contact.
Motor Coach Tours
• Most common, economical, and efficient mode of transportation since forty-five people can be
accommodated.
Driver-Guiding
• More economical for tour companies and they provide a more personalized service.
Van and Automobile Tours
• Good for family tours and small group tours with less than ten participants.
Limousine Tours
• VIP treatment, for small number of tour participants.
Types of Tours
Familiarization Tours
• Are promotional programs intended to inform clients of the available services and facilities in the
area by offering firsthand experience of the area on a group tour.
Incentive Tours
• Tour programs given to employees of a company for reward or motivational action.
Meeting and Convention Tours
• Primary purpose is to attend seminars or expositions, touring only play secondary.
Step-on Tours
• Conducts a small portion of a larger tour
Public Tours
• Tours that open to the public
Roles of the Tour Guide and Tour Escort
1. Overseer
The tour guide/escort is the overseer of the Tour Operator. As such the guide/escort makes sure that the
services reserved by the tour operator are in fact those being provided by the suppliers to the clients.
The guide/escort is the representatives of the tour operator in the field. If the reservations made are for
the orchestra section of a theater, the guide/escort must make sure that the client are not accommodated
in the balcony section.
The tour guide/escort is the central figure in field operations and is responsible to the tour operator for
the any unplanned failure of other suppliers to deliver confirmed services. If things do not go as planned,
the guide/escort must find alternative courses of action.
2. Coordinator
The tour guide/escort is also the go-between the various suppliers and coordinates the delivery from
each. The supervision of luggage handling- is which involves two suppliers- the hotel porters and
luggage van handlers- is coordinated by the tour guide/escort and assisted by the courier. This is all
well and good when things go right.
But when things go wrong, the reaction of the tour guide/escort vis-a'-vis the other suppliers can make
all the difference. Lack of coordination in this instance can result in a lost bag, which is the guide/escort
worst nightmare.
The other suppliers, be by the hotels, airlines, or transportation companies, are part of the seller group
and close coordination of this group is essential to keep the buyer group happy. It must be remembered
that the end-user's only contact with the seller group is the tour guide/escort.
3. Timekeeper
As a timekeeper the tour guide/escort makes sure that the services to be provided are delivered in a
timely fashion and within the schedule time frame. If an activity is scheduled at 0900Hrs. the tour
guide/escorts makes sure that the activity started at 0900 hrs.
4. Shepherd
The tour guide/escort is also a shepherd who looks after the well-being of the flock and makes sure the
flock moves in unison from one place to another without losing a single sheep.
5. Interpreter
Both the tour guide and tour escort act as interpreters in foreign languages for the clients. That is why
being multilingual will always be an advantage in the business of tourism.
6. Presenter
The tour guide more than the tour escort is also a presenter for the clients, as he/she provides relevant
and interesting commentaries on sights seen and places visited that are not only interesting and
informative but also entertaining. A tour guide is not expected to know everything about everything, but
a tour guide however is expected to know something about everything.
7. Giver of care
The tour escort more than tour guide is also a caregiver for the clients as he/she provides relief from
unpleasant situations at the most unholy hours. The tour escort services are technically available 24
hours a day, as he/she normally stays in the same place of lodging as the clients.
Tour Guiding Techniques in a Cycle
The technique used by a tour guide determines the quality of performance. The rating a tour guide attains
is almost always the rating of the tour itself. A tour may be rated as "outstanding", "average" or "poor
These techniques are applied in the so-called tour guiding involving four stages:
1. Pre-Tour
The first stage consists of all the preparations necessary for the arrival of the visitors.
2. Tour Proper
The second stage starts with the tourist arrivals and ends with the tourist departures.
3. Arrival Procedures
*Reception refers to the greeting of guests at the gateway (airport/pier/bus station/Village entrance-
reception area) and assisting them to move to their place of lodging and to undertake the check-in
procedures.
