
There are no specific requirements to become a tour guide, as skills are gained while working. However, tour guides can complete on-the-job qualifications such as the New Zealand Certificate in Tour Guiding. ServiceIQ website - information on the National Certificate in Tourism (Tour Guiding)
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How do I become a tour guide?
Eva Vaughan is of Ngāpuhi descent. There are no specific requirements to become a tour guide, as skills are gained while working. However, tour guides can complete on-the-job qualifications such as the New Zealand Certificate in Tour Guiding. ServiceIQ website - information on the National Certificate in Tourism (Tour Guiding)
Can you be a tour guide in New Zealand?
There is not much work available in New Zealand for full-time tour guides, especially between May and October. According to the Census, 2,640 tour guides worked in New Zealand in 2018. some ability to speak a foreign language. wildlife sanctuaries and some government departments such as the Department of Conservation (ecotour guides).
What skills are needed to be a tour guide?
As a tour guide, you will also need great time-management skills, the ability to recall facts and stories and to communicate them in a compelling manner to the audience. If you want to start a career in this field, you should be prepared to work overtime during busy periods. How much does a tour guide make?
Why do you want to be a tour guide?
Working as a tour guide can be an exciting career choice for people who enjoy being around others. Tour guides meet with different groups of people each day of work and provide engaging experiences and interesting information. Developing the right skills to succeed is important for a rewarding career as a tour guide.

How do I become a tour guide NZ?
There are no specific requirements to become a tour guide, as skills are gained while working. However, tour guides can complete on-the-job qualifications such as the New Zealand Certificate in Tour Guiding.
What qualifications do you need to be a tour guide?
Prospective tour guides should possess a minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent certificate. Required academic backgrounds vary by company, but often a bachelor's degree in a field related to the subject of the tour is necessary.
How much do tour guides make NZ?
Tour guides usually earn up to $60,000 a year. Tour guides are usually self-employed and work on short-term contracts. Many tour guides do not work all of the year.
How do I become a local tour guide?
Become a Local GuideCreate your own tour. Where is that cool place that visitors don't know about your city? ... Receive bookings. Once your account & tour profile is approved and goes live, you'll soon receive confirmed bookings for your tour direct to your email. ... Meet your guests.
How long does IT take to study to be a tour guide?
Course study duration: 1.5 years. c) A-level qualification with a minimum of 1 principal pass or 3 subsidiaries or equivalent. Course Name: Certificate in Tour Guiding Operation. Course Duration: 12 Months.
How long does a tour guide course take?
Non-RSA residents must be in possession of a valid work or residence permit before they will be registered as a tourist guide. All learners must be able to communicate in basic English. The full time courses are 2 weeks (10 days) long made up of theoretical and practical training.
What knowledge should be mastered by a tour guide?
10 Qualities Every Tour Guide Should HaveStrong Communication Skills. Being a guide is all about having strong communication skills. ... Personable & Outgoing. This skill takes communication to the next level. ... A Memory Like a Steal Trap. ... Improvisational Skills. ... Just Enough Enthusiasm. ... Humor. ... Punctuality. ... A Keen Sense of Direction.More items...•
What are the responsibilities of a tour guide?
What do tour guides do?undertaking research and planning tours.preparing and giving presentations.offering sightseeing advice.organising and leading excursions.problem solving.translating and interpreting.transporting and accompanying tourists.
What does a tourist guide do?
Tour guides, or tourist guides, are members of the hospitality and travel industry who show visitors around places of interest. Tour guides may lead groups or individuals through historical sites, museums, geographic destinations and on outdoor excursions.
Is it hard to be a tour guide?
Being a tour guide is tough. Sure, they get to show off the places they love and meet travelers from all over the world (outside of covid times, of course), but they also have to work long hours, often on their feet all day, in the peak season heat, while dealing with demanding guests. It's not for the faint of heart.
Can you make a living being a tour guide?
Most entry-level tour guides only earn about $8-$15 per hour. But, there are experienced tour guides that earn upwards of $60,000 per year. These people often work for tour companies as managers. Since this is in the same service industry as restaurant workers, tipping is factored into wages.
How much do tour guides make?
Average base salary The average salary for a tour guide is $22.71 per hour in the United States and $85.00 tips per day. 3.9k salaries reported, updated at September 4, 2022.
Do you need anything to be a tour guide?
Prospective tour guides need to pass an exam, administered typically by states, cities and municipalities to get licensed. Dillinger's was 150 questions long, covering everything from ethnic food, architecture, history, art, and even rules of public transportation.
How much money do tour guides make?
Average base salary The average salary for a tour guide is $22.71 per hour in the United States and $85.00 tips per day. 3.9k salaries reported, updated at September 4, 2022.
Is it hard to be a tour guide?
Being a tour guide is tough. Sure, they get to show off the places they love and meet travelers from all over the world (outside of covid times, of course), but they also have to work long hours, often on their feet all day, in the peak season heat, while dealing with demanding guests. It's not for the faint of heart.
How do you become a tour guide in Hawaii?
Exam PreparationPass a knowledge exam regarding the history, language, and culture of Hawai'i as it relates to the tourism industry.Demonstrate recognition and appropriate response in servicing a global customer base of diverse visitors.Create a customized tour based on customer preferences and interests.More items...
What is a tour guide?
A tour guide is a person who offers assistance and guidance to people who visit a city or another place of interest. They may also be responsible f...
How much does a tour guide make?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual wage for tour guides was $29,630, as of May 2018. How much a tour guide makes depends...
How much does it cost to become a tour guide?
The education requirements depend on the employer and the city where you want to practice. For most positions, you will need at least a high school...
What is the demand for tour guides?
The number of tour guide jobs available depends on the region, the number of local touristic attractions and the number of travel agencies. Accordi...
How long does it take to become a tour guide?
Although there are no strict educational requirements for tour guides, some positions may require an undergraduate or a graduate degree. For exampl...
How to become a tour guide?
The cheapest way to become a tour guide is to simply start without qualifications and learn on the job. If the tour guide role requires a driving licence, there will be costs involved in obtaining this. There may also be fees for workers who complete a qualification through Service IQ.
How much do tour guides make?
The annual income for tour guides is estimated to be around $34,000. This low income reflects the low salary, level in the industry. Also, few tour guides work full-time all year, which contributes to the low median income.
What education do you need to be a tour guide?
Most tour guide roles require high school diplomas as the minimum qualification. However, other tourist guide jobs require degrees. For instance, to become a museum guide, you may need a college degree in a program relevant to museums. If you are considering a tourist guide job as your career, pursuing tour guide-related programs is an ideal plan. For instance, you can focus your education on subjects such as public speaking, history, transportation and safety.
How to get a tour guide license in New York?
To acquire a tour guide license in New York City, you must take and pass the Professional Licensing Examination. This is a 150-question exam where you must answer at least 97 questions correctly in order to pass. The questions cover topics like New York City's architectural landmarks, history and transportation.
What does a tourist guide do?
Tour guides help travelers visit attraction sites they are unfamilia r with. The guides organize trips with tourist groups to show the travelers essential sites and areas. With their knowledge of the local regions, tourist guides provide valuable information to tourists. Here are the roles and responsibilities of tour leaders:
What is a tour leader?
Tour leaders guide visitors and offer information about historical, cultural and religious sites like museums and other tourist attractions. The best guides are savvy and understand the regions where they work. For example, on historical or cultural sightseeing tours, the guides are able to provide tourists with interesting information because they are familiar with the sites. Most tour guides work on pre-established routes and visit selected locations. The tours they organize can be performed on foot or from buses.
What is a walking tour leader?
Walking tour leader: Walking tour guides work within a specific region and understand the region's history. These tour guides take travelers through various tourist sites along the way.
What makes a good tour guide?
Excellent tour guides possess significant and accurate knowledge of tourist sites and regions. The guides provide simple and engaging experiences, influence and personal touch to tourists. The following are qualities that excellent tour guides should possess:
What does a tour guide show?
Tourist guides don't seem dominating or abrasive but understand how to keep everyone on track. Great tour guides also exhibit other leadership qualities such as integrity, gratitude, influence and learning agility. For example, after the tour, a tour guide can thank all clients and express appreciation for their time as a way of showing gratitude.
What are the requirements to become a tour guide?
Some possible requirements that need to be met in order to attain licensure include passing a background check and passing a licensing exam.
How long does it take to become a tour guide?
For example, if you want to start a career as a tour guide at a museum, you may need a bachelor’s degree in history, which can usually be earned in 4 years.
What are the jobs of tour guides?
Professional Tour Guides can work for a variety of businesses including some of the following organizations: 1 Museums 2 Hotels 3 Travel guide companies 4 Nonprofit organizations such as a local Visitor’s Bureau 5 Tour guide companies 6 Freelance and self employed
What do tour guides do during a sightseeing expedition?
During a sightseeing expedition, Tour Guides will provide educational information in an informative and fun manner.
How do tour guides learn?
In addition, some Tour Guides may have the opportunity to learn about their field by receiving on the job training from their employer. Training is provided by the company and candidates may have to continue taking training courses through their career in order to brush up on their knowledge. A candidate should also have an understanding ...
How much does a tour guide make?
Annual wages start at around $19,000 a year and can go up to more than $45,000.
What education do you need to be a tour guide?
Candidates who want to become a Tour Guide should have the minimum of a high school diploma or its equivalent in order to secure employment.
What is the best way to be a tour guide?
A tour guide who is passionate about the subject of the tour is often the best option for the position. Being passionate about an area can motivate tour guides to remain well-informed as they enjoy learning about the subject. Passion is also apparent when giving a tour. When it is apparent to participants that their guide is passionate about the subject, it can be easier for them to invest in and maximize their enjoyment of the experience.
What does a tour guide need to know?
When delivering a tour, a guide needs to possess a great deal of knowledge about the subjects being covered. This includes memorizing the key facts and stories to share at each stop along the tour plus additional information that does not come up on every tour. Possessing a deeper knowledge of the subject of the tour allows the guide to supplement their standard tour in response to questions and unexpected situations.
What are tour guide skills?
The skills for a tour guide combine a mix of both interpersonal and educational skills. Tour guides need to be well-versed on the subjects they cover, while also possessing the confidence and personality to describe the subjects enthusiastically. Combining their knowledge with presentation abilities allows a tour guide to deliver an enjoyable tour experience and succeed in their career.
What is improvisational tour?
When leading a tour, improvisational skills allow a tour guide to react to situations as they develop and continue to deliver an enjoyable tour experience. Improvisational skills often work with humor, with a tour guide identifying the opportunity to make a joke in response to something a guest says or something unexpected that the tour group sees. Being able to respond quickly and with informative or entertaining lines helps to keep the audience engaged for the duration of the tour.
What is the importance of communication in delivering a tour?
When delivering a tour, the ability to communicate clearly is a fundamental skill. Clear communication skills allow a tour guide to speak clearly and construct their sentences in a manner that is easy for listeners to follow. This allows guests on the tour to follow along with the tour and makes their experience more enjoyable.
Why do tour guides use empathy?
When delivering a tour to a group, a guide can benefit from using empathy to interpret social cues from guests to determine how they are feeling about the tour. Using empathy allows the tour guide to identify when guests are enjoying the tour and to adjust the style of the tour if necessary.
Why is it important to tailor a tour?
By tailoring the style of a tour to match the participants' preference, the tour guide can maximize their enjoyment and provide a better tour. This not only allows guests to have a better time but also may result in higher reviews and improved career opportunities for the guide.
When do you apply to be a tour guide in Australia?
If you’d like to work in Australia and New Zealand, applications are generally taken around mid-year in preparation for the summer. As there is more demand for tour guides in summer months in most regions, the operators hire and prepare new tour guides for the peak season. Those tour guides may then apply or request to also have some winter work.
What does it mean to be a tour guide?
Being a tour guide means you get to travel while working, be the envy of all your friends, and visit dream destinations all over the globe! You’ll meet people from everywhere, wake up in a different city every other day, and truly become a citizen of the world. But do you know what you are getting yourself into, ...
How to sell your skills on a tour?
Be confident in selling your skills, especially the ones essential to successfully running a tour. Highlight any professional experiences like being able to perform under pressure, working with groups, and any relevant language or academic knowledge that will help you to stand out.
When to apply for tour operators?
If you’re interested in working in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s best to apply around September, as applications will usually close before the new year to have training arranged in the first months of the year.
Do tour operators invest in their guides?
Tour operators invest a huge amount in their tour guides. There are very few other jobs in the world where people work so independently of their managers’ presence from the beginning of their employment. Their brand and their customer’s experience is the most important thing to them, and they should have no doubts that you are a superstar who can do the job professionally and support their goals. Get a good night’s sleep before your interview and enter the room calm, confident, and personable.
Do tour operators require previous experience?
You should also find out how much experience you need for the tour operator you have your eye on. Some tour operators won’t require you to have any previous experience and will instead invest huge amounts of time and money in “auditioning” you.

How to Become A Tour Guide
- What they do
Tour guides advise, direct, and guide visitors in museums and on tours. They explain the background of, answer questions about and point visitors to the most interesting sights and objects. Their tasks may include: 1. meeting and greeting visitors 2. controlling visitors' access t… - Qualifications
There are no entry requirements to become a tour guide, except if the job involves driving a vehicle. Most skills are learned on the job. If the job involves driving, a driving licence for the relevant vehicle type and a passenger endorsement is needed. Tour guides can complete on-the …
Income and Employment Prospects
- Income
The annual income for tour guides is estimated to be around $34,000. This low income reflects the low salary, level in the industry. Also, few tour guides work full-time all year, which contributes to the low median income. Source: MBIE estimates based on Statistics NZ Census and Labour C… - Employment and skill shortages
Tour guides’ employment Source: Statistics NZ Census and MBIE projections. Percentages are compound annual growth rates. * Growth projections are based on the category “Personal Service and Travel Workers”. The number of tour guides in employment was stable from 2006 to 2013. E…
Other Information
- Links
More information on tour guides is available on the Careers New Zealand website and through the "Just the Job" videos. Careers New Zealand: www.careers.govt.nz Just the Job video clip: A Career in Tourism - Maori Tourism Just the Job video clip: A Career in Tourism Just the Job vide… - ANZSCO
The Australian New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) is the official classification of occupations in New Zealand. The occupation of tour guides has been coded to the following ANZSCO code for the purpose of this report: 4514 – Gallery, Museum and Tour Gui…