Tour and travel guides
Career Overview
Tour and travel guides, also known as tour directors or step-on tour guides, escort people on trips or give tours of locations of interest.
People in this occupation:
- May travel with tourists to their destination
- May work at a place of interest, such as a city, historical site or theme park
- Provide background information, describe features and answer questions from visitors and tourists
- Work for tour operators, tour guide agencies, convention services, attractions and other establishments
- May be self-employed
- Should have an interest in the travel destination or tour route they are presenting
- Should have strong verbal communication skills for public speaking
- Should have good planning skills as well as the ability to multitask
- Have conflict resolution skills and the ability to manage large groups
- Should be detail-oriented, customer-service oriented and an excellent driver
- Should have knowledge of other languages
Duties
Tour guides:
- Transport or escort individuals or groups on tours of cities, waterways and industrial and other establishments
- Conduct tours that are less than one day in length
- Describe points of interest, answer questions and provide information
- Provide historical and cultural facts related to the site
- May collect tour fees, which may require the use of a point of sale (POS) wireless terminal
- May need to conduct pre-trip and post-trip vehicle inspections
Travel guides/tour directors:
- Escort individuals and groups on vacation and business trips
- Conduct tours that are often longer than one day in length
- Make sure that reservations for transportation and accommodations are confirmed and that itineraries are met
- Visit and describe points of interest and plan and carry out recreational activities
- Resolve problems with itineraries, service and accommodations
- Take responsibility for the safety of the group
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
340% Employed Full Time
15%Tour and travel guides typically spend most of their work day on their feet or on tour buses. They also spend most of the work day speaking to clients while providing tour information. These workers need high energy levels during the entire length of the tour. Most tour and travel guides work irregular hours since tours may take place during evenings and weekends and on holidays.
Travel guides usually work long days while on trips. They are responsible for maintaining the tour and helping the group if there are transportation breakdowns, medical emergencies or other unexpected incidents. Depending on the tour, some workers may have to travel long distances for extended periods of time.
Career Pathways
This occupation is considered an entry-level job. New employees may obtain positions as tour guide/tour leader, interpretive guide or travel expert.
With further experience and education, these workers may progress to jobs such as tour guide supervisor or tour operator. They may also obtain positions in the administrative office, assisting with tour bookings, market planning or tour development.
Related Careers
Occupational Interests
It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.
For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Job Titles
Education, Training and Skills
Secondary school education is required to work as a travel or tour guide. Employers typically provide on-the-job training to employees. Employers may also require:
- Knowledge of both official languages in Canada, as well as other languages
- Courses in tourism or interpretation
- Basic first aid and CPR
- A Class 4 driver's licence
Professional certification for tour guides is available through the emerit training resource, created by the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council.
Education programs in B.C.
Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Convincing others to change their mind or behaviour.
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
340Employment by Region
| Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 0 | 0.0% |
| Kootenay | 30 | 9.0% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 175 | 52.2% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 10 | 3.0% |
| Northeast | 0 | 0.0% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 70 | 20.9% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 55 | 16.4% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2023-2033)
170Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2023-2033)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | Not available | Not available |
| Kootenay | 10 | 0.8% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 90 | 1.0% |
| North Coast and Nechako | Not available | Not available |
| Northeast | Not available | Not available |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 50 | 3.3% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 10 | 1.0% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
| Industry | Job Openings (2023-2033) |
|---|---|
| Business, Building And Other Support Services | 120 |
| Information, Culture And Recreation | 20 |
| Accommodation And Food Services | 10 |
| Transportation And Warehousing | 10 |
| Educational Services | 0 |
Insights from Industry
Limited new opportunities for these workers will arise in expanding tourism businesses, as well from the need to replace those who retire.
Industry sources report a growing need for multilingual tour guides, so there will be increasing demand for those with other languages. Tour participants are also now more interested in background information on a tour, such as details about the natural setting, political background and Aboriginal culture. Guides who can educate, as well as entertain will be in high demand.
Industry sources also report growth in tourism in the years following the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, as those who visited the province for the Games return to travel to other areas.
Resources
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Canadian Institute of Travel Counsellorswww.citc.ca
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Cultural Human Resources Councilwww.culturalhrc.ca
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Emerit Tourism Trainingemerit.ca/home
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Go2HRwww.go2hr.ca
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Tourism HR Canadacthrc.ca
