320. Short Seminars: Professional Tour Guiding Skills.

Short Seminars on Professional Tour Guiding Skills.

Home Page: www.protschool.blogspot.com/

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Last year, 2009 we actively participated in the Teacher’s Development Program and also the the construction of the New National Curriculum for Tour Guides by the Ministry of Tourism and Natural Resources, NACTE and the European Union.

During the coming low season we will be conducting short seminars on Professional Tour Guiding & Leadership Skills so as to equip guides with the new competent-based approach and the use of commentaries during guiding. We therefore, invite you to register some of your guides to join these refresher seminars.

Target Group: Driver Guides, Mountain Guides, Walking Safari Guides and other interested parties.

Photo left: Izoba at Hotel 77 during the Seminars of this nature organized by the Tourism Training Unit and Irish Aid in 1999.

Duration: The seminars will range from ONE DAY to FIVE DAYS and they will start tentatively from early December 2009 way through to late May 2010. You may choose any Seminar(s) on a Number of Days basis and we will advise of the dates it will be on.

Time Table:

The daily time tables will be from 9:00am to 3.00pm divided into three sessions.

The first session will comprise of lectures, the second session the participants will Simulate and Role Play and the last session will be for Re-cap and Evaluations.

Venue: Most of the seminars will be conducted at the school campus in Sanawari, Arusha but others may be conducted at your premises (in house) whichever will be more convenient both of us.

Photo: Izoba in Makambako Iringa during the short seminars organized by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism - in 2009

Topics: The topics and the details are listed below.

At least Five days must be attended to cover the entire package if one wishes to graduate with a Certificate of Attendance.

Major Topics are:

1. 0. Tourism Awareness

2. 0. Professionalism & Qualities of a Professional Tour Guide.

3. 0. General Knowledge & Information File.

4. 1. Presentation.

4. 2. Prepare Commentary

5. 3. Deliver Commentary

5. 0. Procedures

5. 2. Conduct Tour

5. 3. Manage Clerical Details of Tour

6. 0. Problem Solving

Cost: Our Professional Fee will be Tshs 50,000.= per day per participant. This will include notes and any other stationary. Minimum participant per day will be 5.

Booking: We are keeping a Booking List. Please make your payment for a reservation and get listed. Then we can discuss the best day(s) for you to be slotted in.

Payments: Payment may be done in cash or cheques:

Payments should be made in favour of : PROFESSIONAL TOUR GUIDE SCHOOL

A/C 0102014114200, At STANDARD CHARTERED BANK - TANZANIA LTD. Arusha Branch.

Don’t forget to read on for more on our interesting activities like the Special Program for Training Female Guides on Page 248.

Karibu sana.

Vedasto Izoba,

Principal - PROTS.

1 Day Seminar:

1.Tourism Awareness

1.1.Describe Tourism Industry

1.1.1. Describing tourism industry

1.1.2. Identifying importance of tourism

1.1.3. Describing your role as an ambassador

1.1.4. Outlining guidelines for responsible tourism

1.1.5. Indentifying the Players in the Travel Trade Sector

1.1.6. Identifying the Types of Local Tour Guides

2 Days Seminar

The above topics in 1 day seminar plus:

2.Professionalism

2.1.Be Professional

2.1.1. Being professional

2.1.2. Being service-oriented

2.1.3. Maintaining professional appearance

2.1.4. Managing own stress

2.1.5. Participating in professional development

2.1.6. Maintaining positive working relationship with driver

2.1.7. Following guidelines for cross-cultural awareness

2.1.8. Maintaining positive working relationship with tour director

2.1.9. Responding to passengers with special needs

2.2.0 General Knowledge

2.2.1. General Knowledge.

2.2.2. Listing sources of information

2.2.3. Identifying types of information required for tour

2.2.4. Identifying importance of developing and maintaining 3.1.4.up-to-dating information file

2.2.5. Developing and maintain information file

2.2.6. Reading map

3 Days Seminar

The above topics in 2 days seminar plus:

3. Presentation

3.1.Communicate Effectively

3.1.1.communicating clearly

3.1.2.being a good listener

3.1.3.describing nonverbal communication

3.1.4.answering questions

3.2. Prepare and Deliver Commentary

3.2.1.developing commentary

3.2.2.identifying importance of tailoring commentary

3.2.3.tailoring commentary to passengers

3.2.4.identifying importance of using communication systems

3.2.5.using communication systems effectively

3.2.6.delivering commentary & Briefings.

4 Days Seminar
Topics from above 3 days seminar plus

4. Procedures

4.1. Prepare for Tour

4.1.1. Preparing for tour

4.1.2. Confirming reservations

4.2. Conduct Tour

4.2.1. Identifying importance of adhering to itinerary

4.2.2. Adhering to itinerary

4.2.3. Identifying information to announce to passengers

4.2.4. Recognizing special days or events

4.2.5. Co-operating with leader of preformed group

4.2.6. Checking in at transportation terminals

4.2.7. Greeting passengers

4.2.8. Checking in at hotel

4.2.9. Checking out of hotel

4.2.10. Using seat rotation

4.2.11. Keeping track of passengers

4.2.12. Following procedures at sites/stops

4.2.13. Handling international border crossings

4.2.14. Providing directions and traffic information to driver

4.2.15 Selling optionals

4.2.16. Taking leave of group.

4.3.Manage Clerical Details of Tour

4.3.1. Exhibiting clerical skills

4.3.2. Identifying importance of completing tour report

4.3.3. Completing tour report

5 Days Seminar
Above from the 4 days Seminar topics plus:

5. Problem Solving

5.1.Manage Difficult Situations

5.1.1.assisting passengers in locating lost items

5.1.2.handling complaints

5.1.3.responding to passenger's disruptive or undesirable behavior

5.1.4.solving problems

5.1.5.responding to emergencies

5.1.6.locating missing passenger

5.1.7.assisting sick or injured passenger