As you’ll discover when studying online short courses with OCA, the travel industry is complex, with many professional openings for anyone with the right skills and drive. From the pilot to the hotel manager to the tour rep, there’s something for every type of person to enjoy. One we look at in this blog is that of a tour guide and what the position entails.
In the end, we’ll take a look at online travel courses Australia-based students can use to get into the industry, but not before we delve into what tour guides do and the many types of venues you’re likely to encounter in the job. So, if you’re ready for some fascinating insight into the position, keep reading!
Work Locally Or Internationally As A Guide
As you’ll learn on any good travel management course, excursions and tours are an essential way for travel companies to maximise the profit they generate from holidaymakers. When carrying out this role, you can work either locally or internationally, guiding tourists around places of cultural interest, attractions, museums and whatever else the locale offers.
The main thrust of the job includes arranging, planning and then hosting tours around places of interest, providing commentary and interesting facts about the area. You won’t need to take official tafe courses in history to gain encyclopaedic knowledge of the area. Still, you must know your stuff, as you’re a cultural ambassador, to provide an engaging, fact-filled experience.
Work Employed Or Self-Employed As A Tour Guide
Studying a course in tourism management will cover, you can either work as a tour guide on an employed or self-employed basis. Whether working for a tour operator, council or freelance professional, the possibilities open to you are very much in line with the area you’re working in. You'll never be short of work in major cities like London, Sydney and New York.
Basic salaries on offer can be pretty modest for some. However, tour guides often get tips, heavily subsidised accommodation, and commission from customers using tourist attractions. Again, depending on where you’re working, the role can be seasonal, although that’s not always the case.
As a tour guide, you’ll need:
- Excellent organisation and punctuality
- Good general communication
- An ability to converse with non-English speakers
- Great public speaking skills
- A good sense of humour
It is a competitive industry, so you’ll need to demonstrate all the skills and knowledge learnt in travel courses and your confidence and ability to tell a captivating story. For those with the right skills and talent, though, there are lots of opportunities for work and diversification into other areas of the travel industry.
Train the Easy Way With Flexible Learning From OCA
Tour guide represents just one of a whole multitude of careers that can be enjoyed in a travel industry that’s quickly recovering from the Covid lockdowns. So, suppose you’re looking to train for the sector. In that case, we’re pleased to be able to tell you that doing so has never been easier thanks to travelling courses like our Travel & Tourism course, that’s like all our training in that it’s also CPD-approved and video-based for easy digestion.
If you’d like to know more about this or any of our training covering over 20 different industries, you need to visit us today at www.onlinecoursesaustralia.edu.au. While you’re there, you’ll discover that we also offer flexible payment options, one-to-one tutoring and 24/7 tutorial support.
Alternatively, to speak to us directly about your needs, simply call us on 1300 611 404, and we’ll do our utmost to answer any questions you might have.
