Introduction to
Core Concepts in
Tour Guiding
Services
J A M E S C. LO BH OY,M M - BM
LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of the lesson, the students
should be able to explain the basic
concepts in tour guiding services,
identify the roles of a tour guide,
discuss the history of tour guiding in
the world and in the Philippines. Explore
opportunities for tour guiding services
as a career and discuss the relevance of
the course.
Lesson 1. Introduction to Core Concepts in Tour Guiding Services
Core Concepts in Tour Guiding
What is a tour?
Coined from the Latin word tornare and Greek
tornos, meaning to circle around, the word “tour”
means to come back to the point of origin after
going to a destination elsewhere (Theobald 1998).
In tourism, the word “tour” refers to the activities of
people when they go through a place in order to see
and learn it in person.
Lesson 1. Introduction to Core Concepts in Tour Guiding Services
Who is a tour guide?
A tour guide is a person who guides people as
they go through a foreign place to help them gain
better appreciation of the place and the interesting
things to see there. The tour guide likewise helps
these people make efficient use of their time during
their tour.
Lesson 1. Introduction to Core Concepts in Tour Guiding Services
Who is a tour guide?
The Philippine Department of Tourism (1995)
defines a tour guide as “an individual who guides
tourists, both foreign and domestic, for a fee,
commission, or any other form of lawful
remuneration”. The Philippine Department of
Tourism recognizes tour guides who undergo proper
training.
Lesson 1. Introduction to Core Concepts in Tour Guiding Services
What is tour guiding?
Tour guiding therefore refers to the provision of
professional service to interpret the cultural and natural
heritage of an area (World Federation of Tourist Guide
Associations n.d.) in this sense, interpretation does not only
refer to translation of information from one language to
another, but also the description of cultural and natural
attractions that help people gain better understanding and
appreciation of such.
Lesson 1. Introduction to Core Concepts in Tour Guiding Services
Roles of a Tour Guide
❖ A tour guide plays important roles in tourism. According to
the Australian Government’s Job Guide (n.d.), these roles
include:
❖ Meeting and greeting the tour participants upon arrival and
facilitating introductions;
❖ Coordinating pre-arranged accommodation and transport
and making sure that tour participants are comfortable;
Lesson 1. Introduction to Core Concepts in Tour Guiding Services
Roles of a Tour Guide;
❖ Coordinating pre-arranged tours including visits to
local attractions, shops, restaurants, etc.
❖ Leading tour groups and pointing out places of
interest;
❖ Preparing and presenting tour guide spiels called tour
commentaries;
Lesson 1. Introduction to Core Concepts in Tour Guiding Services
Roles of a Tour Guide
❖ Researching and sharing general information about the city
and/or country;
❖ Attending to operational problem, such as booking errors
and changes, lost bags, or sickness and providing first aid
if needed; and
❖ Preparing and submitting written reports of how the day’s
tour turned out, including financial report and other
administrative work.
Lesson 1. Introduction to Core Concepts in Tour Guiding Services
Elements of Tour Guiding
The previously mentioned definitions suggest that the
elements of tour guiding include:
• Professionalism
• Service
• Interpretation
• Physical Elements
• Characteristics of a Tour Guide
Lesson 1. Introduction to Core Concepts in Tour Guiding Services
Elements of Tour Guiding
1. 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.
Lesson 1. Introduction to Core Concepts in Tour Guiding Services
Elements of Tour Guiding
2. Service.
Tour Guiding is a form of service. Service is
intangible, perishable, and unique. Guiding
services are created at the same time of
consumption, making each tourism experience
different.
Lesson 1. Introduction to Core Concepts in Tour Guiding Services
Elements of Tour Guiding
3. 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 meanings
and significance of cultural and natural
attractions.
Lesson 1. Introduction to Core Concepts in Tour Guiding Services
Elements of Tour Guiding
4. Physical Elements.
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.
Lesson 1. Introduction to Core Concepts in Tour Guiding Services
Elements of Tour Guiding
5. Characteristics of a Tour Guide.
Tour guides must be genuinely interested in the
destination where they practice. They must be
mature, responsible, patient, tactful, and sensitive
to different cultures. They must also be articulate,
quick-witted, organized, and healthy to cope with
the physical demands of the job.
Lesson 1. Introduction to Core Concepts in Tour Guiding
Services
Tour guides must understand that their main
reason for existence is the tourist. A tourist is a
tour guide’s client. In this regard and in
consideration of the abovementioned elements
of tour guiding, all tour guides must possess an
understanding of the tourists, the tourism
industry, communication, tour programming, and
tour management. Let us learn about these in
the succeeding lessons.
Thank you
Introduction
to
Tour Guiding
JAMES C. LOBHOY,MM-BM
DESIRED LEARNING OUTCOMES
❖ the students should be able to
explain the basic concepts in tour
guiding services, identify the roles of
a tour guide, discuss the history of
tour guiding in the world and in the
Philippines.
Explore opportunities for tour guiding
services as a career and discuss the
relevance of the course.
Lesson 2. History of Tour Guiding
The roles that tour guides play have changed over time. Zenaida Cruz
(2008) provides an account of the evolution of these roles throughout
history.
• Ancient Times
• Dark-Middle Ages
• Renaissance
• Modern Age
Lesson 2. History of Tour Guiding
Ancient Times
Tour guides have been around since the ancient times
when travelers found the need for guides who could help
them in their journey. The information that guides provide
were prized by many historians, including Herodotus who
valued guides who could recite “with great authority,
dates, dialogues, and other specifics about people who
had lived hundreds of years ago.” Homer’s literary piece
Iliad mentioned guides who showed the battlefields and
the shores where the Greek ships arrived. (Cruz 2008,
13).
Lesson 2. History of Tour Guiding
Dark-Middle Ages
With the fall of the Roman Empire, this period is
regarded as a dangerous time in European history. Thus,
the period emphasized the guides’ role as safety escorts
for travelers, including pilgrims and businessmen.(Cruz
2008, 14)
Lesson 2. History of Tour Guiding
Renaissance
During the Renaissance, guides took a more demanding role
– that of an educator or a mentor in addition to the role of
protector- when the Grand Tour became a fashion as a rite
of passage for sons of well-to-do Europeans. A carefully
appointed guide served as the young man’s tutor and
chaperone as he went on a journey through a prescribed
route from England through France, Germany, Austria,
Switzerland, to Italy, which was the final destination. After
which, the student would return and be welcomed home as a
gentlemen. (Cruz 2008, 14)
Lesson 2. History of Tour Guiding
Modern Age
No evidence exists of organized training for guides before
the 20th century other than the company training given by
the Thomas Cook Travel Agency (Wei Hu 2007). England is
one of the first countries to regulate and train guides when
authorities were prompted by the guides’ aggressive
competition with each other for the business that tourists
bring in the 1930s. today, many countries train and accredit
guides to maintain standards and professionalism.
Lesson 2. History of Tour Guiding
Modern Age
Nonetheless, even though the guide’s roles have
evolved over time, the history of the tour
guiding profession still confirms the roles that
tour guides play even to this day: as
communicator, educator, and shepherd who
takes care of the tourists.
Lesson 2. History of Tour Guiding
How can one become a tour guide
nowadays?
In the Philippines, the Department of
Tourism (DOT) (1995) defines a tour
guide as “an individual who guides
tourists, both foreign and domestic, for
a fee.”
Lesson 2. History of Tour Guiding
Career Opportunities in Tour Guiding
According to the DOT’s Rules and
Regulations to Govern the Accreditation of
Travel and Tour Services (1995), the
requirements
for the issuance
of
accreditation to a tour guide are the
following:
Lesson 2. History of Tour Guiding
Career Opportunities in Tour Guiding
• Proof that the applicant has passed a seminar for tour guides
duly conducted by the Department, or other agencies duly
authorized by the Department to conduct the seminar.
• . Certificate of good health issued by any duly accredited
government physician
• Clearance from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)
Lesson 2. History of Tour Guiding
Career Opportunities in Tour Guiding
• In the case of alien applicants, valid visa from the
Bureau of Immigration and the proper permit from the
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)
• Mayor’s permit or municipal license
• Latest Income Tax Return
• Such other documents that DOT may require from time
to time
Lesson 2. History of Tour Guiding
The Mayor’s permit is necessary
because it identifies the place where the
tour guide works. As mentioned in the
WFTGA definition, a tour guide’s
qualification should be “area-specific”.
Lesson 2. History of Tour Guiding
Types of Tour Guide
• Employed Guides
• Freelance Guides
• Docile or Volunteer Guides
Lesson 2. History of Tour Guiding
Types of Tour Guide
Employed Guides
Employed guides are those employed by a company
who earn a regular wage whether there are clients or
none. These companies include the government, private
travel agencies, museums, and industries that run their
own tour facilities. Based on an average of 16 tours per
month, a tour guide in the Philippines can earn P16,000
to P40,000 per month. Tour guides can also earn from
tips or monetary gifts from clients in addition to the
regular wage, if the employer allows. Tips can range
from P100 to 100USD per tour.
Lesson 2. History of Tour Guiding
Types of Tour Guide
Freelance Guides
Freelance guides are entrepreneurs who,
like other businessmen, depend on the
influx of clients to earn. These are selfemployed guides who make and sell their
own tours..
Lesson 2. History of Tour Guiding
Types of Tour Guide
Docile or Volunteer Guides
Docile or volunteer guides are unemployed
guides who are mostly hobbyists such as
retirees and environmental advocates. They
earn non-monetary rewards such as
friendship,
experience,
and
cultural
exchange. Some volunteer guides accept
tips too.
Lesson 2. History of Tour Guiding
Here are the types of guide based on
their specialization:
• Plant Guides
• Adventure Guides
• City Guides
Lesson 2. History of Tour Guiding
Here are the types of guide based on their specialization:
Plant Guides
Plant guides are employed by corporations,
usually as part of the public relations department.
They conduct tours in the company’s plant or
factory, with the primary aim of uplifting the
company’s public image by educating visitors
about their business goals and operations. In a
way, they are like museum guides who specialize
in a particular collection.
Lesson 2. History of Tour Guiding
Here are the types of guide based on their specialization:
Adventure Guides
Adventure guides are, first and foremost,
hobbyists who love a particular sporting activity
and introduce this activity to the tourists. They
require a special skill set, including those related
to guest safety. In the Philippines, for instance,
cave guides undergo an accreditation process
that is different from that of a city guide.
Lesson 2. History of Tour Guiding
Here are the types of guide based on their specialization:
City Guides
City guides specialize in a particular city or
province. They guide tourists to see the city’s
places of interest while providing information on its
history and heritage, and their relevance to the
country’s socio-economic development. City guides
may be freelancers, government employees, travel
agency employees, or volunteers.
Lesson 2. History of Tour Guiding
Here are the types of guide based on their specialization:
Other types of guides include golf guide,
shopping guide, special interest guide, and
cultural and heritage guide, all of whom
specialize in a particular activity, collection or
location.
Lesson 2. History of Tour Guiding
Relevance of the Tour Guiding
Course
Tour guiding can be a rewarding occupation,
especially in areas frequented by tourists. Some
tour guides earn enough from tips alone. There are
tour guides in Manila and Cebu who regard tour
guiding as a lifelong career. They have raised their
families through tour guiding proceeds. Some have
risen up the corporate ladder and rose to executive
positions in their companies.
Lesson 2. History of Tour Guiding
Relevance of the Tour Guiding
Course
Whichever path they choose, ,most
tour guides remain steadfast in their
dedication to the profession for the
non-monetary gratifications, such as
meeting people and learning about
other people’s cultures as well as
their own.
Lesson 2. History of Tour Guiding
Relevance of the Tour Guiding
Course
Tour guides play an important role in the
multibillion-dollar tourism industry. Tourism
cannot progress without trained manpower.
As professionalism is one of the core
elements of tour guiding, it is imperative to
provide a well-defined program for training
aspiring tour guides.
Lesson 2. History of Tour Guiding
Relevance of the Tour Guiding
Course
The inclusion of tour guiding as one of the
specialization tracks in the K to 12
curriculum in the Philippines is therefore a
significant
advancement
toward
harnessing the potentials of tourism
growth in the country.
Thank you