Tour guide

Tour guides show groups of visitors around attractions, such as sports stadiums, historic buildings and towns and cities.

Work activities

Tour guides give an informative and entertaining tour of the attraction they work at.  They offer a friendly and courteous welcome to visitors and aim to make their visit an enjoyable one. Sometimes, guidelines are given on what to say during tours; other times, tour guides have control over the content. In these cases, they need to research the material and put together suitable information.  They can help make tours more interesting by using visual aids, such as pictures and diagrams, for example. Guides must be prepared to field questions from visitors. Questions could range from a specific item of interest to a general historical query. If they don’t know the answer, guides sometimes offer to find out and let the visitor know later on. Guides have health and safety responsibility for visitors; some – if suitably qualified – can offer first aid. Tour guides are sometimes responsible for keeping the attraction clean and tidy. Guides sometimes have a split role, combining tours with work at an attraction’s shop or as a museum assistant, for example. Some tours, e.g. ghost tours, require an element of acting to create a suitable atmosphere.

Guides work in teams with other guides and related staff members. They report any areas of concern to supervisors.  They often work at weekends or on public holidays. Some guides work on tour coaches which travel around key sites of an historic town, for example. Tourism work can be seasonal, with less work available in the winter months. Tour guides often wear a uniform.

Personal qualities and skills

As a tour guide, you need to have:

• Excellent people skills.
• Good presentation and communication skills.
• Self-motivation and enthusiasm.
• A clear speaking voice.
• Good descriptive skills.
• Good planning and organisational skills.
• An interest in history, culture and general knowledge.
• A willingness to learn.
• A good memory.
• Flexibility.

You need the ability to:

• Engage with and interest people.
• Adjust your tour content to suit the audience.
• Show initiative.
• Solve problems.
• Promote a good image of the organisation you work for.

The ability to speak one or more foreign languages can give you an advantage (and is sometimes a requirement).

Pay and opportunities

Pay rates for tour guides vary depending on employer. The Association of Professional Tourist Guides publishes a recommended fees guide on its website. On average, tour guides earn a salary of £18,000 - £30,000 a year.

Tour guides normally work a 28-30-hour week, but longer hours may be required.  The work is often of a seasonal nature, and hours worked may be linked to the opening times of a specific tourist attraction. Evening, early morning, and weekend work may be required. Part-time opportunities are also available.

Demand for tour guides can be seasonal, with fewer posts available in the winter.

Employers include regional tourist boards, historic attractions, museums and galleries, sports stadiums, and private companies specialising in tours.  Opportunities for tour guides occur with employers in towns, cities and rural areas throughout the UK.

Where are vacancies advertised?

Vacancies are advertised in local newspapers, on job boards, on employers’ websites, and on the Government’s Find a Job service.

Entry routes and training

There is no set entry route for this job. Employers usually prefer those with experience of working with people and public speaking.

Relevant training will be given by your employer on issues such as health and safety and fire and emergency procedures. The Institute of Tourist Guiding (ITG) accredits relevant courses, available at levels 2 to 4. The ITG level 4 qualification is the Blue Badge, which is recognised in tourism around the world.

Progression may be to supervisory or management roles. With experience and business skills, it may be possible to set up your own tour guide business, if you spot a gap in the market.

There is not currently an apprenticeship programme available.

Rehabilitation of Offenders Act: When working with groups of children or vulnerable adults, this career is an exception to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. This means that you must supply information to an employer about any spent or unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings, if they ask you to. This is different from other careers, where you only have to reveal information on unspent convictions if you are asked to.

Qualifications

Employers usually prefer candidates with a good basic education, to at least GCSE level.  Although people with higher qualifications also enter this career. For some roles you will need a valid driving licence.

Adult opportunities

Age limits: It is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

The Institute of Tourist Guiding offers courses which enable candidates to obtain an industry recognised Blue Badge level 4 qualification by distance learning.  No qualifications are necessary to gain entry onto one of these courses.

Numerous private training providers offer courses in travel- and tourism-related subjects, at a variety of levels, by distance learning.

Related careers

• Courier/resort representative
• Tourist information centre assistant