Safari Guides Curriculum - Domestic Tourism Safaris

Tour Guides / Safari Guides Curriculum;

Professionally and truly speaking, Tour Guides/Safari Guides/Tour Manager/Tour Directors/Tour Leaders (are found nearly every region of the world and specialize in a wide variety of subject areas, so it is difficult to establish a curriculum that is appropriate for all guides. Topics of study or study units could be categorized in the ways as follows;

1. History & Pre – history, Geography, People and Culture, Religion and Government etc.
2. Those subjects that are relevant to all guides anywhere around the world (see and read our course curriculum (sample) as follows;

COURSE CURRICULUM (SAMPLE);

1. Travel Industry Terminology (Glossary and review of Industry terms).
2. Tourism Industry Overview.
3. Types of Assignments for Tour Guides.
4. Growing trends in the Travel and Tourism Industry.
5. Conduct and Ethics (Principles of Professional Conduct and Ethics).
6. Dress Codes
7. Leadership.
8. Commentary Skills (Commentary Planning).
9. Research.
10. Tour debriefing.
11. Tour guide role as Tour operator representative.
12. Profile of a Tour Director/Guide.
13. Pre-departure preparation by the Tour Director.
14. Aspects of Guiding.
15. Public speaking.
16. Group of welcomes (client welcome preparation)
17. Presentation Formats.
18. Team work.
19. In – class presentations and on the road presentations.
20. Physical relationships.
21. How a tour is developed by the Tour Operator and Marketed.
22. Tour Director Leadership.
23. Source of Income for the Tour Director.
24. Airline and Airport Procedures.
25. Baggage Handling and Control.
26. Hotel Arrival and Departures.
27. Destination Itinerary Planning.
28. Industry Networking.
29. Group Psychology.
30. Cultural Practices.
31. Missing Passports.
32. International Airport Departures.
33. Airline group check – in.
34. Airline check – in enroute.
35. Airline reconfirmations.
36. Airline cancellations, re-routes and forced overnight, and many more

GENERAL SUMMARY CURRICULUM;

1. The Tour Guide (A historical/overview).
2. Profiles of Today’s tour guides.
3. Tourism.
4. The traveler
5. Interpretation and the role of the guide.
6. Education.
7. Leadership and social skills.
8. Presentation and speaking skills.
9. Bringing a place to life.
10. The Nuts and Bolts of conducting Tours.
11. Travelers with special needs.
12. The business of guiding.
13. Professional Ethics & Etiquette;

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQUE);

1. What is the difference between a tour director and a safari guide/tour guide?

Answer; A tour director is also called a tour manager and, in some parts of the world, an Escort or Courier. Tour operators/ Travel Planners hire tour managers (or tour directors) whose responsibilities are varied and comprehensive. Tour directors travel with the group that has been organized by the tour operator. They stay at the same hotels, eat the same meals, go on the optional excursions, etc. They are responsible for the daily activities and to insure that what the passengers have paid for happens in a manner that is acceptable to the passengers and that the passengers have the “vacation of a life time.” The training program covers both domestic and international tours. A tour guide/safari guide provides local expertise and does walking tours, step – on – 4W drive narration in the city or wilderness, meets and greets at an airport, work at seminars and conventions. They are hired by Tour operators (Tour companies).

2. It sounds like a great profession. What are their responsibilities?

Answer; As a Tour Director/Tour Manager you are essentially on duty 24 hours a day. Your day begins with your personal preparation, then moves to supervising the handling of the baggage, counting passengers, narrating during the day, scheduling the 4W drive stop for breaks, lunch, picture stops, sight – seeing, etc. At the end of the day you handle check – in at the hotel, do “Lobby duty” and any associated paperwork for the day. You may also spend part of the evening re -confirming the events coming up in the next few days and/or spend part of the evening at a group dinner, optional excursion, etc. As a Tour guide/Safari guide, you may conduct local city tours either walking with groups or narrating on a 4W drive. These tours can be half day or full day tours, and sometimes several days.

3. Who are your tutors? What are their qualifications?

Answers; With a lot of staff as our tutors we do put the best in front of you each and every time. In order to be a tutor at our training company they must first have successfully taken the course and graduated. Then, they must have been employed in the industry as a Tour Director and/or Tour Guide for 5 or more years (our average tutor has more than 10 years).

4. What kind of assistance or help do you provide to your Tour guides/Tour director graduates after their certification?

Answer; We provide current employment information and industry information to all of our Tour guide/Tour director graduates via our email newsletter.

5. What are the demographics of your Tour guide/Tour leader students?

Answer; The Tour guides/Safaris guide students who attend one of our professional Tour – guiding programs come from all areas and all walks of life. The youngest was 20 and the oldest were in their 50. Age is not a barrier nor is gender, beliefs, lifestyle, etc.

6. What is the role of a Tour guide/Director?

Answer;

Motivate/Generate Enthusiasm;

It is your job to help people enjoy their vacation. You motivate people to stretch and grow and do things that they might not do without your suggestion. Encourage them to try new foods, learn a few words of a new language and participate in the customs or culture of a foreign land. This is where you put your “signature” on the tour by being creative.

Congenial host;

Your priority is to meld the group together into a happy family of travelers. You help everyone become part of the group and have a good time.

Set the mood;

Each tour has a certain theme or focus. Whether it is the relaxation and leisure of Serengeti vacation or walking safaris, it is your job to get the group into that mood.

Source of information;

You prepare commentary and briefings that are well organized, interesting, and relevant. You know when to talk, what to talk about and when to be quiet. You provide a balance of information and entertainment. You know the answers to the most frequently asked question on any tour.

Business Agent;

You are there to see that the tour company gets what they contracted for and the tour clients get what they paid for. You present the company in the field. You are the “face” of the company.

7. What is a typical tour schedule? Full time/Part time?

Answer; Tour guides/Directors have a passion for travel, enjoy being with people and want to make a difference. It is important to be in good health, have a high energy level and enjoy an active lifestyle. There are opportunities for all ages. Life skills, maturity and diverse experiences are respected in tour directing. You are hired because of your abilities and experience, not your age or gender.

8. How to become a Tour Guide/Tour Director? Are you interested in jobs that pay to travel? Have you ever wondered about how to become a tour guide? Then you might like to know what a tour guide actually does.

Answer; A tour guide is paid to guide visitors who have come to experience a destination or attraction. Using their extensive knowledge of the location, the tour guide provides them with information about the history and culture of the area and helps to make the trip memorable. A good guide also helps people discover things they would not have discovered on their own. Tour guides are often hired by tour operators, to guide visitors who are part of a tour group. Tour guides may also be hired by meeting or event planners seeking to provide participants with optimal enjoyment when attending a corporate meeting or event. Sometimes, individuals or small groups hire tour guides to show them the highlights of a location. Tour guides are very knowledgeable, they can provide facts and information, which helps visitors understand the places they see. Tour guides might lead visitors on tours of religious sites, castles, or other places of interest, tailoring the tour to meet the expectations of their visitors. Tour operators or Tour planners usually handle the logistics including transportation and accommodations, while the tour guide focuses on creating an interesting, entertaining and pleasant experience for the travellers in his/her care. If this appeals to you, you will want to know exactly how to become a tour guide. Tour guiding/directing is a profession that requires hands – on training. Domestic Tourism Safaris Training Company based in Moshi – Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, is the Champion Vocational Training Company for the professional Tour guides and Tour directors. At Domestic Tourism Safaris Training Company – approximately 80% of the instruction is done in structured field workshops, which give you hands – on experience in the operation of actual tours. Our course highlights include (Defining who’s who in the travel industry (Glossary of terms), principles of tour guiding/directing and storytelling, field workshops, handling people and situations, day to day problem solving skills, airport check in procedures, customs and immigration, and many more). Upon completion of the course, you will know everything you need to know about how to become a tour guide/safari guide and you will be ready for your first assignment. For more information, please, drop your email to (info@domestictourimsafaris.co.tz) or dial +255 784 815 517/+255 762 988 420.

9. What does the Tour operator/Tour planner expect from the Tour Director or Tour Guide?

Answer; Expectations are high. You will be expected to handle passenger movement from one place to another. During the day you will be expected to do some narration on the culture, history, geography, demographics, food, language, etc. You will be required to transit smoothly from one hotel to another. Tour operators may expect you to “sell” their optional excursions. They will look to you to be professional, courteous, and to get everything done in a timely and accurate manner and, of course, to submit all the required paperwork at the end of the tour.

GENERAL CONCLUSION (FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION);

In our certification program, Domestic Tourism Safaris Training Company educates and trains you on everything that can happen to you while on tour. We start with the basic terminology and cover all the paperwork. We teach you about hotel arrivals and departures, how to research and prepare your commentary, when to give the commentary, how to handle passport control, international and domestic airline travel including re -routes and forced overnights, interacting with suppliers of services along the way, selling and participation in optimal excursions, Lobby duty, Leisure days, how to handle the money and the accounting of it, and sheets. Also we train on what to do in emergencies such as a passenger illness or death as well as what to do if a passenger, tour debriefing, baggage handling and control, “Tour welcome” presentation, cultural practices, city tours, motor coach travel and team work with the motor coach driver. We also spend time on group psychology and individual behaviour of your passengers. And of course, much more.

NOTE & REMEMBER( Course fees includes – learning materials, binoculars, textbooks, in – person training, bird song CD’s, as well as other equipments/ learning materials);