Tour Guiding: A Fun Profession That Can Make a Difference (ARA) - Travel today seems to be the “birthright” of most Americans and although the economy has changed dramatically, people are still traveling.
The most recent example was the historic presidential inauguration of Barack Obama, which brought over 2 million people to Washington, D.C. with enough motor coaches to stretch 76 miles. These same tour groups not only went to the nation's capitol but toured neighboring historic sites as well, filling hotels to capacity, eating at restaurants and shopping for souvenirs.
This past year brought record numbers of foreign visitors to the United States. Australians and the Brits top the list of tourists but tour guides speaking French, Italian, Dutch, German, Spanish, Chinese, Russian and Farsi were needed to speak their native tongue to foreign visitors.
Tour guides are usually the first person a tourist meets when they visit any country. It is not by chance that most countries train the brightest most articulate people to be their “ambassadors of goodwill” to visiting tourists. Tour guides possess inherent traits such as compassion, empathy and a strong desire to make a difference in the lives of all those they encounter. They embody the “Yes We Can” attitude that is turning our country around with their unshakable optimism.
The commanding General of the Allied Forces in World War II, who later became our nation’s 34th President, Dwight D. Eisenhower, called for “increased visits by citizens of one country to another to give each the fullest opportunity to learn about the people of other nations.” Eisenhower believed that in the long run people would do more to promote peace and understanding than our governments. Eisenhower’s remark, “the passport to peace is travel,” resonates more today than ever before in our history.
“Travel is the greatest university in the world”, says Ted Bravos, cofounder of the International Travel Management Institute (ITMI), a state certified school for training tour guides since 1976. “It teaches us about cultures, stereotypes, prejudice and helps us realize that we are but one small part of a very diverse and connected world.”
Tour guiding can be both personally and financially rewarding. A certified tour guide earns approximately $200 per day plus gratuities and expenses.
Freelance tour guiding is a perfect fit for entrepreneurial individuals, small business owners, people in transition or people with a flexible lifestyle. Tour guiding blends well with other vocational interests or pursuits. Schedules can be custom tailored to coincide with summer vacations, weekends, child-care hours or even around another job.
If you enjoy showing visiting friends and family around your own city, your country or around the world, Bravos suggests you consider doing it professionally. ITMI has been conducting intensive 15-day training programming for people to become tour guides and tour directors for over three decades. Students learn about the tour industry through practical “hands-on” experience in the field and five days training aboard a touring motor coach including a two-day overnight fieldtrip where they actually perform the role of a tour guide and tour director. The Institute also provides free lifetime placement assistance.
You can view a free 90 minute on-line Tour Guide/Tour Directing video by visiting the ITMI Web site at www.itmisf.com, e-mail travel@itmisf.com or call (800) 442-4864 to learn more about tour guiding and tour directing.
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