how to be a tour guide

[Bak_Chor_Mee]

hi just wondering, what are the requirements and qualifications needed to be a tour guide? For instance, leading a local tour group to foreign countries and bringing them around instead of handing over to the tour guide over at the foreign country. i know most important is must have the knowledge of the foreign country history and heritage.

can enlighten me on this? thanks!

 

[Bak_Chor_Mee]

any advise?

 

[beanstalk6]

I am of the impression that Singaporean guides hardly guide overseas these days, since native guides are probably more knowledgeable and economical. There is perhaps a Singaporean tour leader who stays throughout with the group to look after administration, but even this is dispensed with, these days. Mediacorp celebrity guides are more the exception than the rule. Even then, I am aware they serve to draw participants and "lead" very large groups.

 

[tedXted]

The award-winning Singapore Ducktours has been ordered by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) to stop using illegal guides - which the 12-year-old company has been doing for at least five years, say industry sources...

While both Ducktours and the STB declined to give details, the company's employees, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the company had hired at least 10 illegal guides, either locally or from the Philippines.

The guides, they said, were hired as 'guest relations officers'. They are typically paid less than tour guides and do not undergo training set out by the STB.

Singapore Ducktours warned over illegal guides

cheaper, better, faster!

 

[e-Tian]

hi just wondering, what are the requirements and qualifications needed to be a tour guide? For instance, leading a local tour group to foreign countries and bringing them around instead of handing over to the tour guide over at the foreign country. i know most important is must have the knowledge of the foreign country history and heritage.

can enlighten me on this? thanks!

Hey, i guess there are a few type of tour guide.

1. If you are going with a group and merely gonna hand them to a local tour guide at your destination, i dont think you need any license

2. If you are going to lead the tour group around in a foreign desintation, you would need a local tour guide permit. For instance, if you are going to country A, you need to apply at country A. At time, if it gets quite complicated because you might need to apply for separate license for specific places in country A. There are also attractions where you must definitely use the guides at that place.

3. Similarly, if you want to be a tour guide to bring ppl around Singapore, you need to apply at STB.

Hope it helps.

 

[tedXted]

Local tour guides lose business to foreign guides

by Shin Min Daily News
- 14 June 2012 12:59 PM | Updated 2:18 PM

A Singaporean tour guide has complained in The Straits Times that many local guides are losing business due to competition from foreigners.

This is mainly due to the fact that many overseas tour companies are not hiring local guides for their tours here.

The female guide, who has 15 years of experience in the field, said that tour guides have not seen their fees increase in 15 years and don’t get CPF or medical benefits either.

She also raised the importance of portraying a good image of Singapore to tourists, and questioned whether foreign guides have sufficient knowledge of the country’s history and cultural background to do that.

The woman wondered if the use of tour guides from overseas can be considered illegal and suggested that Singapore take the lead from Malaysia and ban foreign tour guides from operating in the country.

When contacted, the chairman of the Singapore Society of Tourist Guides (STGS) Lin Rong Hua confirmed that local tour guides have lost as much as 40 per cent of business over the last five years to heavy competition from overseas counterparts.

“Although 13.2 million tourists visited Singapore last year, according to official statistics, this did not translate to more business for local tour guides,” Lin added.

Wang Qi En, honourable-secretary of STGS, said that while it is not easy to be granted a tour guide licence in Singapore, getting one does not guarantee that you will get jobs.

According to Wang, the income of tour guides is generally unstable and many guides have been forced to abandon this line of work as result. This has caused the number of tour guides in Singapore to decline. Based on Wang’s understanding, there are over 2,000 people with tour guide certification in Singapore, but not all of these licence holders are active guides.

The Singapore Tourism Board said that it has conducted 200 spot checks in order to prevent illegal tourist guides from operating. Responding to The Straits Times, the Board said that they conducted two rounds of spot checks last year.

The Board also said banning tour groups without local tour guides from entering the country presents issues of its own. One of the problems is that a blanket ban would bar tour groups that come to Singapore for free-and-easy tours which do not require a guide at all.

However, it said that it will continue to engage stakeholders to ensure healthy market conditions for local tour guides.

Source: Shin Min Daily News, 13 June 2012.

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[Soomp!]

I am preparing to go for the Tourist License course..

Anyone coming with me?..

It will be part time and venue will be at Eunos Lifelong Learning Centre (TMIS).

 

[aidilfitri]