tour guiding

• Tour guiding


  The provision of professional service to interpret the cultural and natural heritage of an area
• Interpretation


  The process of describing the meaning and significance of cultural and natural attractions
• Elements of Tour Guiding

  • Professionalism
  • Service
  • Interpretation
  • Physical Elements
• Professionalism

  Tour guiding is a profession, which means that before becoming a tour guide, a person must first undergo a training program. In many countries, one must acquire a license to practice legally.
• Service

  • Service is intangible, perishable, and unique.
• Interpretation 


  • Tour guiding is a form of interpretation. This means that one of the tour guide's roles is to educate the tourists about the meaning and significance of cultural and natural attractions.
• Physical Elements in tour guiding

  • Tour guides combine service with the physical elements to create the total tourism experience for clients. The physical elements include the facilities of hotels, modes of transportation, and the things that tourists find in tourist attractions, such as parks and museums.
• Importance of Quality Tour Guiding Services

  • Enhancing the Tourist Experience
  • Providing Accurate and Reliable Information
  • Ensuring Safety and Security
  • Personalized and Customized Experiences
  • Promoting Cultural Understanding and Respect
  • Supporting Local Communities and Sustainable Tourism
• Importance of Professionalism in Tour Guiding

  • Enhancing Tourism Satisfaction
  • Positive Impact on Destination Image
  • Creating a positive experience
  • Ensuring safety and security
  • Building credibility and trust
  • Promoting destination and cultural understanding
  • Upholding ethical standards
• Docents


  Guides who volunteer for a small museum, not often work for free only in the Philippines but all over the world
• Tourism is one of the largest and fastest growing industries
• Tour Guiding ranks among the world's oldest profession
• Punctuality


  One of the characteristics a tour guide must possess
• Conduit


  The tour guide assumes the roles of the host, public representative, leader, and educator
• Herodotus was the world's first travel writer
• At the time of Herodotus, people depended on guides who spoke their language
• Tourists are helpless without a guide
• Despite the slow and dangerous nature of travel, civilizations like the Persians, Assyrians, and Egyptians pursued organized land and sea journeys
• Tourism flourished with tour guides sharing discoveries and observations, and events such as festivals, shows, and the Olympic Games, which began in 776 B.C., inspiring pleasure travel
• Periegetai


  Leaders also known as proxemos whose role was to assist citizens in traveling abroad
• During the era of the Great Empire, the first travelers were the Greeks and the first tour guiding were the Egyptians
• Tour guides during the Ancient Empire played a significant role in facilitating travel and exploration
• Guides were knowledgeable individuals who provided assistance and information to tourists, whether they were foreign or domestic
• Guides served as interpreters and translators, explaining the cultural and natural heritage of the region to visitors in their preferred language
• Guides were often recognized and authorized by the relevant authorities, ensuring the quality and authenticity of the information they shared
• The period between Rome's fall and the Renaissance is known as the Dark Ages (500 A.D. and 1508 A.D.)
• Rome's fall has led to a decline in trade and the economy in general and a decline in travel desire
• During the Dark Ages, guides' positions as pathfinders, protectors, security escorts, and even bridges were stressed to ensure safe passage
• A guide was paid a large fee during the Dark Ages, according to Casson, a historian
• Most common journeys during the Dark Ages were religious pilgrimages undertaken by the middle and upper classes to holy sites, and trade trips by merchants
• Due to the economic decline and social chaos during the Dark Ages, safety became a concern, enhancing the role of guides as pathfinders, protectors, and safety escorts, who were highly compensated for ensuring safe passage
• During the Renaissance, the image of tour guides significantly improved as they became integral to the Grand Tour, a cultural journey undertaken by young men of the upper classes through several European countries, ending in Italy
• These guides played a crucial role in educating the 'grand tourists' in foreign languages, self-reliance, refined tastes, and graceful manners
• In the 17th and 18th centuries, travel was primarily undertaken by explorers and individuals seeking a new way of life, rather than for pleasure
• Pleasure travel was limited due to constraints of distance, time, money, and transportation
• The 19th century saw the advent of inclusive tours with Thomas Cook, who founded the first travel agency, and the recognition of the tour guide profession grew worldwide
• The history of Tour Guiding in tourism holds significant importance as it provides insights into the evolution of the tourism industry and how it has developed over time
• Understanding the historical context helps us appreciate the progress made in terms of travel infrastructure, modes of transportation, and the growth of tourism destinations
• Studying tour guiding history allows us to recognize the contributions of individuals who played pivotal roles in shaping the industry
• Tour guiding history highlights the cultural and social aspects of tourism. It showcases the role of guides in facilitating cultural exchange, promoting understanding between different communities, and preserving the heritage of destinations