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• Tourism may have originated from the Hebrew word "torah," meaning "to study" or "to search"
• Historians suggest that the earliest form of tourism dates back to the beginning of civilization when ancient people traveled in search of food for survival
• Monumental structures in Babylon and Egypt, as well as spas in Greece, Belgium, and Rome, are remnants from ancient times that have become tourist attractions today
• Noah and Moses are considered some of the first guides in history, with Thomas Cook being a prominent travel agent in the 1800s
• In the Philippines, archaeologists found human fossils dating back approximately 67,000 years ago in Peñablanca Cave in Cagayan Valley, the earliest human fossils in the Asia-Pacific region
• Tour guiding involves giving assistance, information, historical background, and cultural knowledge to tourists
• Types of tours based on duration include Excursion (less than 24 hours) and Holiday/Vacation (beyond 24 hours but not more than one consecutive year)
• Types of tours based on movement of tourists include Domestic/Local tourism, Inbound tourism, and International/Outbound tourism
• Types of tours based on objective or theme include Ecotourism, Medical/Wellness tourism, Education tourism, Pilgrimage/Religious tourism, Business tourism, and Visit tourism
• Other forms of tours include Incentive tours, Optional tours, and Culinary/Gastronomy tours
• Tour guiding is a promising and high-paying profession in the hospitality industry, with guides in the Philippines undergoing rigorous training and accreditation by the Department of Tourism
• Tour guides should be service-oriented individuals ready to assist guests, and they can be self-employed, employed by the travel industry, corporations, or governments
• Types of guides include Freelance guides, Staff guides, Step-on guides, City guides, Specialized guides, Museum guides, Driver guides, Local Tour Guides, and Linguist Guides
• Travelers are classified into categories like Explorers, Elite Travelers, Off-beat Tourists, Unusual Tourists, Incipient Mass Tourists, Mass Tourists, and Charter Tourists based on their behavior and impact on regions
• Mass and charter tourists are concerned with having Western-style amenities, placing a strain on local economies, environments, and cultures
• Tour guides need to understand the impact of mass tourism on both travelers and local people
• Group travelers opt for group travel for comfort, safety, education, economy, and companionship
• • Clubs or Affinity Groups share common interests and are usually pre-acquainted and compatible
  • Public Tour Groups have diverse participants visiting the same place at the same time
• Types of group travelers:

  • Families, extended family reunions, corporate travelers, association executives, association members, clubs, school groups, university and alumni groups, people with disabilities, foreign and domestic travelers, business and incentive groups
  • Student groups usually aged between 11 and 17, popular in historic places or places relevant to the school curriculum
  • Business travelers visit regions for business purposes like sales, research, meetings, and conferences, with sightseeing usually secondary
  • Incentive travelers are rewarded by companies for accomplishments, visiting areas for pleasure
  • Family travelers require interpretations appealing to multiple generations, with a focus on adults when touring with parents and infants or toddlers
  • Senior citizens have varying characteristics and preferences for tour types
• Challenges of group travel:

  • Travelers have diverse tastes, behaviors, and values due to coming from different countries
  • Travelers are exposed to various cultures, requiring guides to provide a broader perspective
  • Travelers may be more discriminating and demanding about service and care
  • Travelers may wish to see more in less time or prefer in-depth, slower-paced excursions
  • Guides in rural areas may have more opportunities as travelers seek unusual places
• International travelers provide a dynamic and rewarding experience, requiring guides to understand different customs, body language, and personalities
• Values Americans live by according to Robert Kohls:

  • Control over the environment
  • Change
  • Time and its control
  • Equality/egalitarianism
  • Individualism and privacy
  • Self-reliance
  • Competition and free enterprise
  • Future orientation
  • Action/work orientation
  • Informality
  • Directness, openness, and honesty
  • Practicality and efficiency
  • Materialism/acquisitiveness
• Roles and duties of a tour guide:

  • Tour operators view public relations as the most important role
  • Foreign visitors see guides as representatives of the region or country, ambassadors, and interpreters of culture
  • The guide's role varies depending on the setting, visitor, purpose of the visit, and the guide
  • Characteristics of a professional guide include the ability to carry out a wide variety of duties and functions simultaneously
• The Leader role of a tour guide includes:

  • Navigating, providing special access, shepherding, maintaining control
  • Tension management, integrating the group, keeping good humor and morale, entertaining members
• The Educator role of a tour guide requires proficiency in various subjects depending on the site, region, travelers, and situation
• Roles of a tour guide:

  • The Educator: proficient in various subjects, provides opportunities for travelers to interact with residents
  • The Public Relations Representative: crucial aspect of a guide's work, trained to answer controversial questions, creates personal connections between places and visitors
  • The Host: plays roles of companion, mediator, advocate, entertainer, concierge, storyteller, creates a comfortable environment for guests
  • The Conduit: acts as a channel or link, integral to all guide's functions, emphasizes the importance of the visitor, local culture, and travel experience
  • The Watchdog: ensures services arranged are provided by tourism service suppliers
  • Go-Between: coordinates between tourism service suppliers
  • Timekeeper: ensures schedule and itinerary are delivered on time
  • Shepherd: ensures the group moves together without losing anyone
• Qualities of an Ideal Tour Guide:

  • Enthusiasm, outgoing and approachable nature
  • Self-confidence, proactive nature, sensitivity
  • Flexibility, authenticity, pleasant appearance
  • Sense of humor, knowledge, good communication skills
  • Organization, decisiveness, good health
  • Personal integrity, charisma
• Moments of Truth:

  • Success in guiding depends on "moments of truth," defined as when a customer forms an opinion about the quality of service
  • The traveler's "Cycle of Service" highlights moments of truth for travelers on a tour
• The Seven Sins of Service:

  • Treating customers with apathy
  • Brushing customers off
  • Being cold to customers
• Guides who give the impression they would rather be elsewhere turn away customers quickly
• Being cold to customers expresses coldness toward them
• Treating customers with condescension is a common complaint of visitors
• Working like a robot in guiding is offensive and shows lack of interest and boredom
• Guides should refrain from saying "Sorry, our policy is ..." if they are not convinced that deviating from the rule book is detrimental
• Guides should establish firm policies on punctuality for habitually late passengers
• Experienced guides are more likely to welcome challenging questions
• Guides should avoid topics about politics and religion to maintain a neutral stance
• Guides should never feel obliged to answer personal questions
• Guides should acknowledge controversial questions and then move on to more positive points
• Guides should use humor when appropriate in answering questions