Adventure Tour Guides PDF  | Print |  E-mail
Planning on setting off the see the world?  Want to get paid for it?  Then you should consider a career working as an adventure tour guide.  If you have what it takes, your job may actually be the adventure of a lifetime.

When travelers take an escorted tour, they're hiring the services of a professional who is not only familiar with the specific geography of the area traveled, but is also well-versed in the customs and traditions of the people living there.  These guides are also experts in organizing and implementing all of the details required with group travel packages .  Leading tours that run for a week or two involves quite a bit of work, and as an adventure tour guide you need to be prepared to take your responsibilities very seriously.

Adventure tour guides meet people arriving from other countries, and often play the role of "unofficial spokesperson" for the travel company.  In addition, these knowledgeable men and women serve as educators and all-around experts in the history, geography, and culture of the vacation destination.  Adventure tour guides will travel with the group, as an active member, so that they are able to contribute firsthand and make the entire journey more enjoyable.

There is a great deal of work that an adventure tour guide undertakes before the journey even begins.  As a guide, you'll be responsible for organizing the tours, making all the travel arrangements, arranging for visas, planning meals, making lodging reservations, scheduling activities and educating your group on the cultural customs.  Once your voyage begins, your duties will also include organizing and leading the group to exotic places, and coaching participants on the basics of each activity.  When required, you may need to give lessons in mountain biking, kayaking, hiking, skiing, horseback riding, diving, sailing, cave explorations, white-water rafting and whatever other activity your adventure might entail.  Part entertainer, part troubleshooter, you will be an indispensable guide serving as a professional ambassador for the tour company you represent.

Adventure tour guides must have effective people skills.  This is extremely important, as you'll be spending many days with your group and must be able to communicate clearly and effectively.  While friendliness is important, you also have to command the respect of those in your group.  Dealing with different personality types and people of varying cultures is not easy, and you may find it a struggle to please everyone in the group.  Last, but definitely not least, as an adventure tour guide you must possess contagious enthusiasm, and have a wealth of experience in a variety of adventurous disciplines.

While an exotic tour may seem luxurious, playing the part of an adventure tour guide is not always glamorous.  These escorts are responsible for leading a group of twenty or more individuals.  They must look after the needs of every person in the group, answer questions and deal with emergencies.   As a group leader you must be reliable and trustworthy, and able to build the group confidence to the degree necessary for successful completion of potentially dangerous activities.  Without this level of confidence, the entire tour will fail; and to an adventure tour guide, failure is not an option.  It's your job to ensure success in every activity in the tour.  That's why it's so important that you're able to use good judgment under pressure and be resourceful when dealing with any emergency situations that may arise.

Acting as an adventure tour guide is not an easy profession, but if you crave excitement it could be the perfect job for you.  Not only will you get to meet different people and travel to exotic places, every day will really be a new adventure.
 
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