Profession guide

Guides assist individuals or groups on any art facility, travel or sightseeing tours or through places of touristic interest, such as museums, monuments and public places. They help people to interpret the cultural heritage of an object, place or area and provide information and guidance.

Would you like to know what kind of career and professions suit you best? Take our free Holland code career test and find out.

Personality Type

Related professions travel

  • Travel agency clerk
  • Travel agency manager
  • Travel consultant
  • Travel guide
  • Travel organiser

Skills

  • Maintain working relationships

    Ensure effective working relationships with colleagues and others. Maintain them over long periods of time.

  • Monitor visitor tours

    Monitor visitors' touring activities to ensure compliance with legislation and safety practices.

  • Manage health and safety standards

    Oversee all personnel and processes to comply with health, safety and hygiene standards. Communicate and support alignment of these requirements with the company's health and safety programmes.

  • Select visitor routes

    Examine and select points of interest, travel routes and sites to be visited.

  • Escort visitors to places of interest

    Bring tourists to places of interest such as museums, exhibitions, theme parks or art galleries.

  • Train guides

    Give training to fellow guides and volunteers.

  • Handle veterinary emergencies

    Handle unforeseen incidents concerning animals and circumstances which call for urgent action in an appropriate professional manner.

  • Create solutions to problems

    Solve problems which arise in planning, prioritising, organising, directing/facilitating action and evaluating performance. Use systematic processes of collecting, analysing, and synthesising information to evaluate current practice and generate new understandings about practice.

  • Register visitors

    Register visitors after greeting them. Distribute any required identification badges or safety devices.

  • Speak different languages

    Master foreign languages to be able to communicate in one or more foreign languages.

  • Maintain customer service

    Keep the highest possible customer service and make sure that the customer service is at all times performed in a professional way. Help customers or participants feel at ease and support special requirements.

  • Assemble visitor supplies

    Collect and check all required supplies and equipment before departure.

  • Collect visitor fees

    Collect fees from visitors and group members.

  • Inform visitors at tour sites

    Distribute booklets, show audio-visual presentations, give guidance and relevant comments at tour site locations. Explain the history and functionality of tour highlights and respond to questions.

  • Conduct educational activities

    Plan, perform and supervise educational activities for a variety of audiences, such as for school children, university students, specialist groups, or members of the public.

  • Use different communication channels

    Make use of various types of communication channels such as verbal, handwritten, digital and telephonic communication with the purpose of constructing and sharing ideas or information.

  • Perform clerical duties

    Perform administrative tasks such as filing, typing up reports and maintaining mail correspondence.

  • Provide visitor information

    Provide directions and other relevant information to visitors.

  • Ensure health and safety of visitors

    Take the necessary precautions to ensure the physical safety of an audience or people visiting an activity. Prepare actions in case of emergency. Administer first aid and direct emergency evacuations.

  • Assist clients with special needs

    Aid clients with special needs following relevant guidelines and special standards. Recognise their needs and accurately respond to them if needed.

Optional knowledge and skills

tourism sector policies sightseeing information environmental impact of tourism maintain relationship with suppliers monitor nature conservation advise on nature conservation natural areas maintenance tourism market read maps local geography follow ethical code of conduct in tourism identify plants characteristics demonstrate intercultural competences in hospitality services manage tourist groups distribute local information materials handle personal identifiable information transport visitors maintain incident reporting records welcome tour groups handle customer complaints plant species promote recreation activities inspire enthusiasm for nature provide tourism related information apply foreign languages in tourism local area tourism industry measure customer feedback animal species handle tour contract details maintain relationships with doctors geographical areas relevant to tourism

Source: Sisyphus ODB