Become a Tour Guide Abroad
Lead Tourists on City, Adventure, or Bus Tours in Another Country
May 6, 2009
From leading groups of tourists around to the major historical sights in a city to taking a group of adventurous students backpacking in the mountains, there are all sorts of opportunities available for those looking to lead some sort of tour in another country.
Basic Qualifications for being a Tour Guide Overseas
Here are a few necessary qualifications for anyone hoping to become a tour leader:
- An outgoing personality/great communication skills
- A sense of adventure
- In some cases, foreign language ability
- Strong appreciation for the place where you will be giving tours
- Previous travel and leadership experience
- A whole lot of energy
The ability to think quickly is also essential. A tour guide has to be ready to deal with unpredictable situations, from inclement weather to a sick tourist. .
Types of Tour Guiding Experiences
There are various outlets for tour guiding. Experiences range from basic, one-to-two hour city tours to day-long (or even week-plus long) tours on a bus or outdoors. Here are a few possibilities:
- Adventure Guide: Not all positions of this type will have this title, but basically this includes outdoor excursions. These trips are typically on the longer side. For this type of job, a love of the outdoors is the most basic qualification.
- City Tour Leader: Tour guides in cities must know historic, architectural, and popular culture information about the town in which they hope to lead tours. These tours typically only last one day at the most.
- Bus Tour Leader: Leaders should be familiar with scenery and landscape, as well as the history of a region. It's also important to know lots of exciting and interesting facts to fill long driving spaces. Tours can last anywhere from a few hours to one day or several.
Of course, opportunities are not limited to the three above categories, but these are just a few common ones.
Where to Find Tour Leader Positions Abroad
There are several organizations offering opportunities to become a tour leader/director, among them:
- Intrepid Travel
- Contiki
- EF Tours
- Kumuka Worldwide
- Topdeck Travel
- Breakaway Tours
Typically on these websites, tour leader positions will be posted under "Job Opportunities," "Careers," or "Employment Opportunities." Look for job titles such as Tour Guide, Tour Leader, Adventure Guide, Tour Director, and so on.
It's also possible to find a job as a tour guide through any one of the online job boards, such as jobsabroad.com. Some tour guiding jobs are seasonal, but there are several companies, such as EF Tours, that offer full-time Tour Director positions.
A job as an international tour guide is a unique opportunity to travel, meet new people, and share expertise with others. With the right qualifications, a clear idea of the most desirable type of tour guiding experience, and information about where to find such a job, it's possible to find satisfying work as a tour leader abroad.
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