DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITY OF TOUR GUIDES

Three Steps to successful Tour OperationStep One• Work out a route, remembering how different the view may be from a motor coach.• Plan stops-check suitable cafes, hotels, restrooms, viewing location.• Double check opening times, entry fees, pathways and steps.• Prepare a list of distances and a rough timetable for your driver and guides. Allow for stops and delays. Time goes quickly so don’t try to cover too much.• Pace the tour according to age and interest of group members.

Step Two• If you have not recently done the route, carry out a preliminary reconnaissance of the entire route, recording notes and comments. If you have recently done theroute, this suggestion may not be necessary—but things change quickly. Thereare new roads, new one-way streets, and restaurants open and close and parkingspaces vanish, so be careful. It is better to be safe than sorry on the day of thetour.• Make preliminary arrangements in person for coffee, meals, entry, etc. Checkcosts and how the should be paid.• Is there free parking? Some tourist attractions charge at the gate before you can park; others allow free parking so that those not interested can sleep or go for a walk instead.• Prepare visual aids you may like to show to the group, perhaps an oldphotograph to compare with the present view.• If needed, create and duplicate handouts, maps, etc. or collect materials from the local tourist board for distribution to the group.

Step Three• Return home and prepare commentary summaries on cards for reference. If you already have these on file from previous excursions, re-read and update them if you have not done that tour recently. Make a point to inform your staff anddrivers of all changes and that they have copies of your routes and rest stops.

In general we understand that a Tour Guide has a duty and responsibility related to the tour activities either individual or group tour. The duty of tour guide is not only limited to the tour activities ( when tourist visits a certain tourist object ) but also include all activities started of preparation, pre tour preparation, during the tour and ending the tour.

The Tourist Guide's main role is to guide groups or individual visitors from abroad or from the home country around the monuments, sites and museums of a city or region; to interpret in an inspiring and entertaining manner, in the language of the visitor's choice, the cultural and natural heritage and environment.

Tour preparation

The preparation that is needed by a tour guide include the steps as follow :

- Find out the name and the nationality of the touristThe first step before handling a tourist that is knowing a tourist its self, especially about name and nationality of tourist. This is necessary by a guide because of each tourist from any country has a certain characteristic which is different between a tourist and other. The difference of tourist characteristic will effect to way of a guide in giving service and also approach is given so that tourist can feel satisfied with guide’s service.

Related to the data about tourist’ name and nationality can be checked in a tourist file either in manual or computerized.

Ask a copy of the final tour program

If a tourist ( individual or group ) requests a tour package and then reconfirm the program so a travel agency prepare a tour program. This tour program contents all facilities and services of a tour package included in tourist activities when enjoying the tour program, from the first day until the last day. Usually in a tour program explains about accommodation ( hotel or jasmine ) where do they stay, tourist object which will be visited, restaurant where do they have lunch or dinner, souvenir shop where do they buy a gift for friends and relatives and others . Since of the tour program includes in an important document so a tour guide should has a copy of final tour program in order to can accomplish well prepared so in implementation can do his job well.

- Find out type of the tour such as the deluxe, first class or economy or budget class

Every tourist has a financial level which is different, any richest tourist and other tourist group. This condition has impact to the category of tourist its self and we know some category such as deluxe, first class, economy and budget class. The highest tourist group is deluxe which has fully fund resource. This group usually requests a tour package with best facilities and best services. For them, money is no problem on condition that facilities and services are good.

The second group is first class which has financial resource just one level under the deluxe. So this group also wants to reserve best facilities and best services.

The last group we know with term of economy class even any class under this class, that is budget class. Because of limitation of fund so this group not focus in facility and service but how do they reserve a tour program and having fun.

Related to the class of tourist, a tour guide should adapts to the tourist especially approach in giving service so they feel happy and well served.

- Reconfirm and recheck every reservation related to the tour program

In the beginning ‘ already reserved facilities and services from the other company such as accommodation, transportation, restaurant, and others. Our reservation usually has been confirmed but it is not a mistake if the tour guide’ recheck and reconfirm all reservation related to the tour program. This is more ensure to us that any thing is running well and there is no problem. So that we can give guarantee to our tourist that everything related to the tour package is well prepared and well operated.

- Collect the travel document if any, such as voucher, exchange order and others.

A travel document will be found when we have handled tourists. This document includes voucher, exchange order and other. This voucher as a proof of tourist payment for all tour package. If tourists joint in a different travel agency either in their country or in tourist destination ( abroad ) so they usually use voucher as a proof of payment. Although they pay in cash when buy a tour package in a travel agency in their country.

-Review of tour itinerary: Tour itinerary is a written travel schedule made by a travel agency for his tourist. The important point which usually mentioned in this tour program such as : name of program, name of tourist (individual or group), number of tourist, room required, name of hotel required, tour activities, meals service, departure and arrival time, and also additional services if any.

In this tour program is adjusted to the following thing :The duration of the tourThe point of interest

Other required information. Related to the type of this tour program, there is two types : graphic tour program and tabulated tour program. If the tour program is presented in graphic, is usually mentioned point of interests that will be visited through a certain symbol according to each tourist object. And the tabulated tour program is made in table that consists of day/ date of tour, time and description.

-Be at the point of departure before the tour starts

This action is done by a guide because of some consideration such as : to make sure that everything is ok and there is no problem related to the tour activities, is it related to vehicle is used ( machine, air conditioning, cleanliness, and others ), all crew condition ( tour guide, assistant of guide, driver, co driver ), all member of group and also all component related to the tour. Beside that this step is really necessary especially to ensure that travel agency gives best services and facilities for his tourist. Generally a guide and crews are ready in the point of departure one hour for the group and a half an hour for the individual.

During the tour

In detail the DUTY and RESPONSIBILITY of a tour guide during the tour are :to inform or to introduce

If concern to tour guide duty, he has to explain something about a region or a country and their characteristic. Without well information, a tour guide can’t accomplish his duty well even can be a source of tourist complaint. He should collects any necessary information that can support his duty. And the information can be collected through media ( such as internet, magazine or other literature ) and also directly come to the destination ( such as survey, interview ).

As a tour guide, he doesn’t only give information about a certain tourist destination which visited by tourists but also has function to introduce any other tourist destination that doesn’t be known yet. Beside to add knowledge for tourist, this effort also gives choice for tourist to determine other tourist destination in the next visitation that not only focus in famous tourist objects

-to guide or to directBeside have functions as orator that give any kind of information, a tour guide also guides tourists during the tour. The definition of : to guide, it means that he has an authority to arrange the tour according to tour program which has been composed and agreed. Because of tour guide as a leader in tour activities so he should direct his tourist in accomplishing the tour program. According to the tour program, he guides the tourists to visit one tourist object and others until end of program. With direction of a tour guide also make tourist visitation more focus and adapt to the program.