Where is the guide? Private guide search service

When going on vacation to an unfamiliar country, each of us wants to get as many positive emotions as possible from the trip. Therefore, many prefer to entrust their acquaintance with the sights to a professional guide, who will not only talk about the history and culture of the Aboriginal people, but will also show the most significant places, help in difficult situations and give some valuable advice on how to behave and what to avoid.

When going on vacation to an unfamiliar country, each of us wants to get as many positive emotions and impressions from the trip as possible. Therefore, before a trip, some carefully study all the available information about the chosen country and independently plan excursion routes, while others prefer to entrust their acquaintance with the sights to a professional guide, who will not only tell about the history and culture of the aborigines, but also show the most significant places, will help in difficult situations and give some valuable advice on how to behave and what to avoid.

As you probably already understood, this article will talk about guide profession, whose representatives can safely be called “guardian angels” of unlucky tourists who manage to “get lost in three pines” and end up in the most ridiculous situations “out of the blue.”

Who is a guide?

A guide is a specialist who accompanies a tourist (or a group of tourists) on excursions, hikes, car tours, etc., and introduces him to local attractions, cultural features and traditions. Quite often, the guide is also responsible for organizing leisure activities.

The name of the profession comes from the French guide (leader, guide), which almost completely reflects the essence of the work of a guide. It is not known for certain when the first guides appeared, but there is an assumption that the need for them arose simultaneously with the opportunity to travel long distances. It is known that the services of crowned persons who made trips abroad were always provided by the welcoming party, who not only introduced high-ranking guests to local attractions, but also provided them with any possible assistance.

Over time and as a result of the development of tourism, the need for professional guides arose, as a result of which this profession appeared. Today's profession guide includes several narrow specializations, among which guide-interpreter, guide-excursion guide and guide-naturalist are in particular demand.

The responsibilities of a modern guide include: meeting tourists upon arrival, organizing excursion tours, accompanying them during excursions or walks, introducing them to the peculiarities of local culture and customs, ensuring the safety of tourists, etc. That is, for a tourist group, the guide becomes a real leader, on whom the overall impression of the trip and the vacation spot largely depends.

What personal qualities should a guide have?

It is not difficult to guess that since guide work involves communicating with a large number of people, a representative of this profession must be not just sociable, but a very interesting interlocutor, capable of captivating listeners with his stories and conveying valuable information to them. In addition, the guide must have the following personal qualities:

• artistry;
• responsibility;
• punctuality;
• equilibrium;
• good memory;
• erudition;
• goodwill;
• tact;
• patience;
• resourcefulness;
• clear and competent speech.

Since during the work the guide has to deal with a variety of people, it will not be superfluous to know the basics of psychology and the ability to neutralize any conflict. If we talk about the physical training requirements of a guide, then a representative of this profession must be hardy and not get tired during long walks. A guide will also need an excellent sense of humor, which will help him always be in a good mood, regardless of the difficulties and complications that arise. And most importantly, the guide must love not only his job, but also the area with which he introduces tourists.

Advantages of being a guide

Talking about the benefits of being a guide, first of all, it is necessary to note the lack of routine in work. Unlike the related specialization of a tour guide, where a specialist sometimes has to conduct the same excursion year after year, the guide himself draws up a route to which tourists often make their own changes. The advantages of this profession also include:

• communication and meeting a large number of people;
• the opportunity to practice foreign languages ​​with native speakers;
• decent level of remuneration;
• the opportunity to travel a lot and discover new tourist destinations;
• working outdoors;
• Great prospects for developing your own tourism business.

Disadvantages of being a guide

Disadvantages of being a guide no less than advantages. Just think about the need to work at any time of the day and in any weather. The well-known saying “the legs feed the wolf” is perfectly suited to this profession, since the salary directly depends on the number and quality of the tours carried out: if you went to work, you received payment, if you didn’t go, you didn’t get paid. Don't forget that the guide:

• very often they are left without breakfast or lunch (while tourists are having lunch, the guide often has to either resolve organizational issues or look for tourists who have lagged behind the group);
• must answer any questions from tourists with a smile, even if, in his opinion, they are stupid and tactless (that is, one cannot demonstrate a bad mood and irritability);
• is responsible for the safety of tourists, who, by the way, are not always distinguished by prudence and discipline;
• Almost all day long he talks and tells something, and this is a very big load on the vocal cords.

Where can you become a guide?

In order to become a guide It is not at all necessary to receive special education. It is enough to complete special courses, pass a professional aptitude exam, and you can start working. Practice has shown that the knowledge and skills acquired in the courses are quite enough for the first time. A guide’s future career and, importantly, the level of a guide’s salary depend entirely on his ability to self-improvement and the desire to constantly improve his qualifications.

05.02.18 48 358 0

And ride around the world at someone else's expense

Four years ago I became a tour guide and went to work in the Indian state of Goa.

I am a journalist by training and never planned to develop in tourism. In Moscow, I led excursions for foreigners, but it was a part-time job. One day, a friend told me that she was flying to Goa as a guide, and I realized that I wanted to do the same. I sent my resume, had an interview, and then a training course in Moscow. Two months later I was already leading excursions in India. I had never been there before.

After two seasons in Goa, I worked as a tour guide in two more companies: in Crete and in the Dominican Republic. Every place has its own nuances, but the work and conditions are similar.

The main task of the guide

A guide conducts excursions for clients of a travel company. His main goal is to make sure everyone survives and is happy.

Depending on the number of people, excursions are divided into group and individual, depending on the route and theme - into historical and entertainment. The ideal guide can handle any excursion. He can make 60 people laugh on a bus and connect with a family with small children on a solo trip. He knows all the Hindu gods and the chronology of Columbus's voyages and will colorfully talk about how a starfish dines.

A guide is a teacher, an entertainer, a reliable guide and a patient mentor. Tourists want a trip that is worth the money and time spent. But everyone needs their own: someone wants to have fun, and someone wants to learn in detail the history of the country. A good guide will find a balance and conduct the excursion in such a way that everyone in the group will be satisfied.

How to Maintain Discipline

Tourists are interested in different things: some want to take a longer walk around the museum, others - around the store. They often get carried away and lose track of time. And when there are several stops on an excursion and there is a clear schedule, even a ten-minute delay can disrupt the program.

In Greece, I took excursions from Crete to the romantic island of Santorini. We got there by catamaran with 1000 seats, which sailed once a day. There was a program in Santorini, and then free time. Each time I was nervous and prayed that no one would be late or get lost. Once people were delayed for a long time and the driver had to drive along the serpentine road, and almost had to jump over the water onto the catamaran: the gangplank had already been removed.

Sometimes you want to yell at tourists and even punish the entire group for someone’s bad behavior, like in a pioneer camp. But if you do this to adults who paid for the excursion, everyone’s mood will be ruined. I used financial arguments: I told tourists in advance how much it would cost them to be late. Ticket for tomorrow's catamaran - 60 €, a night in a normal hotel in Santorini - 100 €, taxi from the port to the hotel in Crete - another 50 €. Everyone immediately became punctual.

You have to understand that these are only outwardly mature and conscious people. Inside, they are all children who came to rest.

The guide saves everyone

In tropical countries, things often go wrong. Cars break down, boats are late, the weather turns bad, and the rum runs out. Tourists blame the guide for all their troubles: there is no one else. You need to be on the side of people and try to turn a problem into an adventure.

One day our bus was stopped by the police and we stood in the mountains for two hours while they checked our documents. I did not hide from tourists that all this upsets me too, but I explained that we cannot influence anything. Funny stories about the country and the mentality of local residents helped out, and I used the situation as a clear example. This calmed the situation. Within two hours, the guests and I became friends, and they bought other excursions from the company.

Sometimes tourists themselves create difficulties. If a conflict arose within the group, I reminded that we were on vacation in another country and the police here were unforgiving. In the event of a fight, they will not figure out who is to blame.

If guests make complaints to the tour guide, the most important thing is to remain calm. You learn this quickly. No matter what strange questions people ask, no matter what they demand, not a single muscle on the face of a professional guide will flinch. Girls like to be asked if they have already married a local. Sometimes I said that yes, we already have five children.

The guide solves organizational issues

The guide communicates not only with tourists, but also with contractors - drivers of cars and boats, cafe employees, event coordinators. He makes sure everyone gets their tasks done and on time: calling ahead for the driver to come out of the parking lot and meet the group at the square, or rushing the waiters at lunch. The contractors do not speak Russian, so English or the local language is indispensable.

Sometimes the group is accompanied by a local guide. This is a cover in case of a meeting with the police. According to the laws of many countries, foreigners are not allowed to work in this position. When meeting with the police, the local guide pretends that this is his group. And the rest of the time he goes about his business.

After each excursion, you need to report on how it went: did all the guests return to the hotels, how did the contractors work, were there any force majeures. The report is submitted in paper or electronic form. The management evaluates the work of the guide himself using questionnaires that tourists fill out. Usually the guide is rated excellent, but this is not an indicator. Tourists are embarrassed to give a low score, because they give the questionnaires to the guide personally.

The real assessment of the guide's work is in the remaining points of the questionnaire. Formally, the guide is not responsible for the variety of the menu and the beauty of the attractions. But if everything is presented correctly, tourists will receive more positive emotions and give higher ratings.

For example, my colleague arranged quests for guests in boring ancient ruins: he asked riddles, created an ancient atmosphere with stories, and even scared them by portraying a mythical monster. His excursions were the most popular in the company.

Working hours and conditions

90% of excursions begin before dawn and end after sunset. A guide's working day lasts 12-14 hours. Of this time, an hour or two is spent visiting all the hotels in the morning and collecting guests. Another hour to take everyone back in the evening.

The number of working days depends on how many excursions tourists bought. Typically a tour guide works 5-6 days a week. During the peak season there are 10-15 excursions without days off - until the body and psyche break down. In other months, for example at the end of December, you sit without work for weeks. It hurts.

Income depends on the company. Some pay a fixed salary and bonuses for each excursion, others only pay bonuses. My employers paid 400-500 dollars or euros per month and 30-100 $ from each excursion. It was $1000-1500 a month.

A comparable amount can be earned from commissions in stores that are official partners of the travel company. There prices are inflated, but there is a large selection, and the employees speak Russian. You cannot fail to visit them during the excursion; you will be fined for this. To give tour guides a personal motivation to advertise the store, the owners pay them a percentage of sales or give them gifts - a bottle of good wine, natural shampoo or a cashmere shawl.

There are other bonuses too. Often the company pays for rent - a villa or apartment where 1-2 people live in a room. Sometimes tour guides can eat for free in hotels. I once spent the entire season eating at one of the best hotels on the island where I lived.

On excursions, everything that is included for tourists is also included for the guide. Helicopters, yachts, elephant and donkey rides, tasting local sweets, grilled lobsters, massages with aromatic oils, corporate parties in luxury hotels, even bungee flying - an experienced guide will not be surprised by the entertainment. Guides are given discounts in stores, and club cards are given to guides in restaurants.

There are regulations that the guide must follow: for example, he must wear a uniform and not swim in front of guests. But usually no one watches this. On trips to the islands, most guides sunbathe quietly on sun loungers next to their groups.

But for being late for an excursion, absenteeism, or working part-time on the side, you can be fined and even fired.

Where to look for work in tourism

The easiest way to find a job in tourism is through friends: they will share the email of the HR manager in the desired company and say a few words. This does not guarantee success, but it significantly increases the chances. You can also ask students of tourism universities, but they themselves are usually offered not the best conditions: one room for four and a total income of $300 per month.

If there are no acquaintances, traditional methods remain. I got my first job as a tour guide by responding to an ad on Headhunter. In order not to miss tour operator vacancies on this site, subscribe to the “Vacancies Abroad” newsletter.

It is useful to follow the vacancies section on the websites of the tour operators themselves, for example, Pegasus, Coral-Travel, Anex-Tour, Tez-Tour, Biblio-Globus. Many tour operators work with the receiving party: in Russia, the client buys a tour from one company, and in the country of arrival he is met by employees of another - local one. Then you should look for vacancies in the welcoming company.

There are closed groups on Facebook, for example

Irina Davydova

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The profession known today as a “tour guide”, one might say, practically did not exist until the end of the sixties. Usually volunteers took on this work - and, most often, absolutely free of charge. Concerns for conducting excursions were entrusted to employees of museums and universities. As for full-time tour guides, there were only a few of them.

The development of excursion tourism in the USSR started only after 1969. And today this profession is considered fashionable, profitable and prestigious.

Features of the work of a tour guide - where and how does a guide work?

So is it a guide or a tour guide? Which is correct? And is there a difference?

There is definitely a difference.

The first, in addition to direct duties, accompanies guests on tours, as well as on hikes or even cruises, ensures their safety and solves their everyday problems. And the second one only leads excursions (usually the same ones) along a specific route or an object chosen by tourists (program), telling guests about the history of the object or area.

Where do tour guides work?

Most often, a tour guide’s place of work is a travel company (as well as museums, etc.). But, upon reaching a certain level of experience and skill, guides often go “free swimming”, preferring to work for themselves.

What does a tour guide do?

Some of the responsibilities of a tour guide include:

• Accompanying tourists and informing them about the history of certain attractions.
• Search and careful study of history.
• Development of unique (and not very unique - depending on how it turns out) excursion programs.
• Coordination of tourists' actions during emergencies.
• Conducting safety training.
• Providing first aid if necessary.
• Acting as a translator.
• Filling out excursion documents.
• Checking documents of participants, organizing their departure and monitoring them until the end of the excursion.

Necessary skills, personal and business qualities to work as a tour guide

Among the main requirements that are put forward to the applicant for this profession:

1. Higher education in the humanities.
2. Knowledge of one (minimum English), and preferably 2-3 foreign languages.
3. Grammatically correct speech.
4. Inner charm and artistry.
5. Communication skills, ability to get along with people and quickly find contact.
6. The ability to competently, clearly and interestingly tell people about certain facts of history.
7. In most cases (in reputable companies) – accreditation.
8. Knowledge of museum/excursion business and local history, Russian language and literature, history and ethnography, cultural studies.
9. Knowledge of a specific excursion direction, in accordance with the chosen one (history, weapons, local history, etc.).

Personal qualities and talents, without which it is impossible to successfully master the profession:

• Acting abilities.
• Good memory.
• Love of history and local history.
• The talent to quickly find the right words and instantly find a solution in the most delicate situations.
• The ability to concentrate people's attention, captivate them with interesting information and completely capture their attention.
• The desire to improve oneself.
• Love for your work.
• Speech endurance.
• Tolerance, the ability to communicate with a wide variety of tourists and groups of tourists, including those whom in ordinary life you would walk a kilometer around.
• High linguistic literacy and cultural erudition.
• Talent of a psychologist and teacher.
• Ability to do without an interpreter (high level of foreign spoken language).
• High performance and physical endurance.
• A sense of humor (you can’t do without it in your work).

Who is this job suitable for?

This profession is most suitable for young, resilient and attractive boys and girls with a high level of intelligence and perfect knowledge of the English language, with leadership qualities, collected and responsible, extremely energetic and active in life, in love with the region where they lead excursions.

Profession guide-excursion guide - pros and cons of work

Among the advantages of the profession, of which there are many, we can especially highlight...

1. Lack of routine in your work. If a guide’s excursions remain the same from year to year, then the guide is free to independently plan the routes and excursions themselves, as well as make changes.
2. Constant communication and meeting new people.
3. Constant language practice when communicating with foreign guests.
4. Decent salary.
5. A fun job that you can really enjoy.
6. Opportunity to travel and work outdoors.
7. Prospects for developing your business in tourism.
8. Flexible schedule (unless, of course, you are a full-time employee at a museum, for example).
9. Stability of earnings when working in cities attractive to tourists.

Disadvantages of the profession:

• Constant work on your feet.
• The need to work in any weather.
• Meals “on the fly” (often, instead of lunch, you have to solve various organizational issues or even look for your lost guests).
• . The guide is responsible for his tourists.
• The need to smile even at those whom you would never smile at in normal life.
• Decrease in profits in the autumn and winter seasons (not everywhere).
• Extremely serious competition.

Training for the profession of a guide – courses, educational institutions, self-study

Of course, you can try to become a tour guide on your own with a regular secondary education, completing some courses - or simply listening to a few lectures at a local museum. But this is only possible in small towns or villages, where the flow of tourists is low, and no one really thinks about the quality of the guide’s work.

If you are serious about this profession and intend to make good and stable money from it, then you should approach the matter with all responsibility.

1. University One cannot do without a higher education in the humanities (note: history, philology, cultural studies, etc.). There are enough specialized faculties in modern universities today. Naturally, you should study foreign languages ​​at the same time. You must speak English perfectly at the highest cultural level. German, French and Chinese will also be useful.
2. Courses. Lectures and trainings are held at universities and museums. After completing the courses, participants receive the appropriate documents. The courses are suitable for those who already have a relevant diploma.
3. Training (you can’t do without this if you want to move forward and not stand still until the very end. old age).
4. Aptitude exam and obtaining a license.

Where to go to study?

• University of Management and Economics in St. Petersburg.
• International Academy of Tourism in Moscow.
• RSUH.
• Institute of International Tourism in Irkutsk.
• University of Tourism and Resort Business in Sochi.
• Center for training guides and tour guides.
• Association of guides, translators and tour guides.

Peculiarities of a tour guide’s career and salary – how much does a tour guide earn?

More than 7 million guests visited St. Petersburg alone in 2016. Therefore, the question of the demand for the profession in large cities does not even arise: tour guides are needed wherever there are tourists.

Average earnings will depend on the region and place of work. The average salary in the country is about 35,000 rubles. In Moscow and St. Petersburg during the season you can earn up to 80,000 rubles or more.

The most profitable regions for tour guides are:

• Moscow region and Moscow.
• St. Petersburg and Leningrad region.
• Krasnodar region.

As for the level of wages, today it remains the highest in Moscow, followed by the Kemerovo region, then the Republic of Tatarstan and St. Petersburg.

It is worth noting that when working for a travel agency, a guide's salary is, on average, about 2,000 rubles per day during the season, plus tips. When working for himself, such an employee naturally receives all the profits for himself.

Is career growth possible?

Of course, yes - as in any profession.

And the highest point of a career is not just working for yourself, but opening your own excursion bureau or other business in this area of ​​the market.

a tour guide from scratch?

The path to success for a future tour guide is as follows:

1. Obtaining appropriate education and studying a foreign language (languages).
2. Completing courses (the average cost of quality training programs is about 50,000 rubles) – 2-4 months.
3. Internship and passing an exam at the museum.
4. Obtaining accreditation, without which you will not be able to get a really good job and conduct excursions (fine - up to 25,000 for individuals).
5. Employment in a travel company, museum, hotel, etc.

Accreditation - how to get it, and what is it?

Accreditation is a special state-issued permit that gives the right to conduct excursions for foreign guests.

These permits were introduced to improve the quality of service for tourists arriving to us.

There are a total of 3 levels of accreditation:

• Category 3 – trainee (permit period – 1 year). Requirements: a diploma from a university, a certificate of completion of courses (or faculty) for a guide or tour guide, a document confirming listening to lectures on conducting excursions in the museum and (optional, but will be a plus) experience in conducting excursions in the work book.
• Category 2 – for specialists with at least 2 years of experience. The permit period is for 3 years.
• Category 1 – for specialists with at least 7 years of experience. Accreditation is unlimited and does not require renewal.

You can get a license only after training, and which place to choose for this is up to each future guide to decide for himself.

Accreditations for work in Moscow and St. Petersburg (for example) are different, and there is no uniform certification of guides in the country.

For example, in St. Petersburg you can obtain such accreditation at the city tourist information bureau, and in the capital - at the Association of Guides, Translators and Tour Guides.

Important:

Finding a job with accreditation is not difficult if you have your own interesting routes. It is enough to come in person or send to where you would like to get a job.

If you liked our article and have any thoughts on this matter, please share with us. It is very important for us to know your opinion!

But where can you find a guide who can present the material in an interesting way? You can try on social networks, but not all specialists are there. In addition, the most in demand rarely go there, because they often don’t have time. We offer an alternative option for finding a guide: contact us, the Youatlas service.

All guides in one place

Regardless of where exactly you want to go (Cambodia, USA, Ireland, South Africa), we have suitable excursions. To find a guide, you just need to look at our website. There is no need to look for anyone: we already have contacts of experienced tour guides! Moreover, all specialists are verified. And you can contact them even before you place your order. There is a special button on the website for this.

5 reasons to find a guide

In the modern world, there are many ways to explore different interesting places on your own. Why should you find a guide? What does this give? Let's figure it out!

A good guide knows a lot about the places and attractions that he will show you. Very often, famous cathedrals, palaces, mansions in which wealthy people of past eras lived, are shown, for example, by architects. They clearly explain why this or that building stands out, drawing attention to such nuances that an ordinary traveler would simply pass by.

Historians know how to competently immerse themselves in the past of a city or a specific part, describe a specific era, tell how people lived then. A walk with such a guide will be like traveling to another world, one in which it is still fresh and real. In addition, with guides with a history background, it is understandably very interesting to visit different excavations.

Tours are often conducted by experienced art historians. A visit with them to an art gallery or to a specific exhibition will enrich you with knowledge about the most famous paintings, frescoes, sculptures and other works. You will see in front of you not just a work of art, you will begin to understand the subtext.

Some excursions are compiled by journalists. They love to dig up things that cannot be found on the Internet, to find inconsistencies between popular theories that explain the past of a city or a specific place. Very often such people conduct entire investigations.

The second reason to find a guide is the opportunity to save money. Yes, you heard right. Although you will need to spend money on the services of the guide himself, he will save you from the need to hire a translator. In addition, experienced guides often know where you can buy souvenirs cheaper; some share their discounts when visiting popular shopping and entertainment centers.

Do you love photo shoots? Would you like to bring back unusual photos from your vacation? In that case, here it is, the third reason to find a guide! Many guides are keen on photography themselves. They are constantly looking for interesting and unusual angles from which they can photograph a famous landmark so that it looks original, perhaps even unrecognizable. And guides willingly share these secrets with travelers.

Unique features are what you get when you buy a specific program. Guides develop routes, book hotel rooms, tables in famous restaurants, buy tickets to museums or shows... In a word, they do everything so that you can find yourself in places where you otherwise would not be able to get. Thanks to the guides, you don't have to worry about queues. And, by the way, you are simply not allowed into many places without guides.

Finally, the fifth reason is pleasure and the opportunity to relax. You don't need to think about where and how to find something interesting, how to get to a specific place, where to find it on the map, how to get from one point to another, and then return to your hotel. The guide will do everything for you. And isn’t a vacation necessary to properly relax?

Going to the capital of Russia, we ask ourselves many questions: choosing a hotel, buying transport tickets, choosing places to eat, but with such a question as choosing places to visit, certain difficulties arise, what to visit? What to see? - but maybe it’s worth changing the last question itself a little. Choosing an experienced guide will help solve several problems that arise at once. An individual guide to Moscow will help us get acquainted with the cultural sights of the capital, tell us about their features and history.

But how to make the right choice? A guide to Moscow must certainly have a large amount of knowledge, because a huge number of attractions are concentrated in Moscow, and have a broad outlook, because historical attractions, as a rule, are ambiguous and you should not have only one point of view on them. To choose a truly worthwhile guide, you need to contact a reputable excursion bureau, where the requirements for this position are quite high, trainings and various historical seminars are constantly held with employees.

If you want to organize an excursion for a foreign guest, then you need to contact the Association of Translator Guides in Moscow, the official website, where you will find a good guide who understands a foreign language. A guide translator will help a foreign guest, get acquainted with the sights of the capital and better understand the history of our homeland.

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