Is it difficult to work as a tourist guide? What is a guidebook? Profession guide-excursion guide - pros and cons of work

Do you dream of leading groups around the Hermitage, accompanying foreigners on trips around Russia or Russian tourists somewhere in Rio de Janeiro? To do this you need to become a guide-translator.

The greater the tourist flow to and from Russia, the more active international business connections, the more in demand the services of guides and translators are. Most guides and translators are employed in the tourism sector.

The profession of a guide-translator combines two: a translator and a tour guide. Accordingly, the specialist’s knowledge base should be “two in one” - knowledge of a foreign language and the ability to conduct excursions.

Where and how to study to become a guide-translator? What are the pitfalls in studying and finding a job?

Who can become a guide-translator

Theoretically, anyone can choose this profession and achieve success. But without assessing your own abilities, character and possible risks, you can waste time and money on preparation.

To succeed in a profession, you need a certain type of character.

It's better not to try if:

a foreign language is difficult, you don’t like to improve in it and learn new things;
people irritate you, you are withdrawn, shy;
unforeseen situations unsettle you;
don't like business trips;
you are not at all interested in history;
you are not ready for “free floating” - searching for orders on your own.

At first glance, the work is not at all boring or difficult: you don’t need to sit in the office from 9 to 18 and follow the instructions of your boss. But experienced guides and translators also name the “other side” of the profession:

The need to repeat basically the same information for years and do it for each new client, just like the first time,

Have irregular working hours

Show miracles of patience with difficult clients,

Accept the unevenness of earnings - in the summer season there is an influx of tourists and there is a lot of work, but in winter it is difficult to find orders.

A guide-translator is somewhat akin to an actor: constant work “in public”; success depends not only on professional qualities, but also on excellent charm, the ability to present oneself, and luck.

If all this is not an obstacle, then you can begin training.

Step 1. Learning a foreign language

For a guide translator, fluency in a foreign language at the conversational level is required. Usually, course announcements set a minimum - from level B2 (Intermediate) and above.

A foreign language is not for everyone. Even studying it at an institute or abroad is not a guarantee of mastery. Therefore, before enrolling in a guide-translator course, you need to learn the language.

The method of study in this case is not important, although most guides working with foreigners or abroad are professional linguists, foreign language teachers who graduated from universities.

Nuances:

Some guide-interpreter courses offer training for those who do not have a language background. That is, first they teach a foreign language, and then specifically the specialization of a guide-translator. The danger is that you can spend 3-4 years and still not master the language to the required level; in the end, you will not be able to qualify as a guide-translator.

Step 2. Training in guide-translator courses

To enroll in courses, you will need to pass a serious test in a foreign language and an interview. Full-time training, from a month to a year. Classes are held, as a rule, in a foreign language, 50-70% of the time is devoted to practice.

Most courses for guide-interpreters are located in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Moreover, they are trained specifically for work in the tourism industry of these cities. In Moscow they read “Moscow studies”. In St. Petersburg they provide knowledge about the history, culture, and architecture of the city on the Neva. That is, if you are going to work in the capital, it is preferable to study here.

Common blocks of disciplines in any courses - special translation, tourism management, basics of guiding activities. When choosing courses, the most important indicator is whether their completion gives you the right to accreditation as a guide-interpreter. You can find out this information from the expert council under the Moscow Government and from the city tourist information bureau of St. Petersburg.

The second important point is programs and teachers. Before signing the contract, you should definitely get acquainted with the number of hours for different subjects, and read the latest reviews about teachers on forums where they discuss which courses are best to choose.

Nuances:

You should not consider online courses on the Internet for training. They will not provide the required level of knowledge, and after them you will not be able to pass the qualification selection.

Step 3. Accreditation and job search

To be employed as a guide-translator, it is advisable to undergo accreditation confirming the high qualifications of a specialist. The name of an accredited specialist is entered into the register, which increases the chances of finding a place in a good travel agency and significantly improves the attractiveness of a resume.

In Moscow, to obtain accreditation, in addition to a certificate of completion of the course and passing an exam, you will need Russian citizenship and registration in the capital.

It is advisable for a novice guide-translator to work for a large travel company to gain experience. Interpretation agencies provide excellent practice and security in the labor market. You can also go on an independent voyage, looking for orders on online exchanges and posting your offers on the Internet.

Quite recently, while traveling in the company of my friends in such a wonderful place as the city of St. Petersburg, I encountered one problem. As a non-local, it can be difficult to know the best place to go for sightseeing. In such cases, such a wonderful thing as a guidebook comes to the rescue.

What you need to know about the guide

Now I will try to briefly explain to you what it is and let you understand how necessary it is in the arsenal of every traveler. In short, this is audiovisual, electronic or printed reference book about this or that museum, tourist route, historical site or even city. As a rule, it describes and identifies in detail all the most significant and interesting places located in the area of interest to you. I sincerely recommend to everyone who is interested in tourism and travel, always have it with you in any form, it will greatly facilitate your vacation. Here are the advantages I see in using such a directory:

No chance of getting lost. If you have a clear map and plan of the area, it will be difficult for you to lose your route.

Save time. You don't need to wander or drive to all the places in a row; the guide will have a detailed description of each significant place.

No knowledge of a foreign language required. This point is relevant if you are traveling in a foreign country without knowing the language. You don’t need to try through incredible efforts to find out this or that information from local residents using sign language.

Calm. Knowing that you have such a thing at hand, you can safely enjoy your trip, and not think about all the problems that may arise for the reasons described above.

Which guide to choose

You have already received the answer to the question “what is a guidebook”, now I propose to help you figure out which type is more relevant in the realities of the modern world. As for me and my friends - when choosing this tool before going on any trip, we definitely we give preference to electronic. In more detail, these are special applications that are downloaded to your phone or tablet; unlike printed publications, they do not take up extra space in your bag.

However, printed publications should also not be neglected, since electronic devices have the ability to discharge, and you will not always have a replacement battery at hand. I have given you my advice, I advise you to listen to them, and then each of your trips will be as comfortable as possible.

Irina Davydova

Reading time: 9 minutes

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The profession known today as a “tour guide”, one might say, practically did not exist until the end of the sixties. Usually volunteers took on this work - and, most often, absolutely free of charge. Concerns for conducting excursions were entrusted to employees of museums and universities. As for full-time tour guides, there were only a few of them.

The development of excursion tourism in the USSR started only after 1969. And today this profession is considered fashionable, profitable and prestigious.

Features of the work of a tour guide - where and how does a guide work?

So is it a guide or a tour guide? Which is correct? And is there a difference?

There is definitely a difference.

The first, in addition to direct duties, accompanies guests on tours, as well as on hikes or even cruises, ensures their safety and solves their everyday problems. And the second one only leads excursions (usually the same ones) along a specific route or an object chosen by tourists (program), telling guests about the history of the object or area.

Where do tour guides work?

Most often, a tour guide’s place of work is a travel company (as well as museums, etc.). But, upon reaching a certain level of experience and skill, guides often go “free swimming”, preferring to work for themselves.

What does a tour guide do?

Some of the responsibilities of a tour guide include:

Accompanying tourists and informing them about the history of certain attractions.
Search and careful study of history.
Development of unique (and not very unique - depending on how it turns out) excursion programs.
Coordination of tourists' actions during emergencies.
Conducting safety training.
Providing first aid if necessary.
Acting as a translator.
Filling out excursion documents.
Checking documents of participants, organizing their departure and monitoring them until the end of the excursion.

Necessary skills, personal and business qualities to work as a tour guide

Among the main requirements that are put forward to the applicant for this profession:

Higher education in the humanities.
Knowledge of one (minimum English), and preferably 2-3 foreign languages.
Grammatically correct speech.
Inner charm and artistry.
Communication skills, ability to get along with people and quickly find contact.
The ability to competently, clearly and interestingly tell people about certain facts of history.
In most cases (in reputable companies) – accreditation.
Knowledge of museum/excursion business and local history, Russian language and literature, history and ethnography, cultural studies.
Knowledge of a specific excursion direction, in accordance with the chosen one (history, weapons, local history, etc.).

Personal qualities and talents, without which it is impossible to successfully master the profession:

Acting abilities.
Good memory.
Love of history and local history.
The talent to quickly find the right words and instantly find a solution in the most delicate situations.
The ability to concentrate people's attention, captivate them with interesting information and completely capture their attention.
The desire to improve oneself.
Love for your work.
Speech endurance.
Tolerance, the ability to communicate with a wide variety of tourists and groups of tourists, including those whom in ordinary life you would walk a kilometer around.
High linguistic literacy and cultural erudition.
Talent of a psychologist and teacher.
Ability to do without an interpreter (high level of foreign spoken language).
High performance and physical endurance.
A sense of humor (you can’t do without it in your work).

Who is this job suitable for?

This profession is most suitable for young, resilient and attractive boys and girls with a high level of intelligence and perfect knowledge of the English language, with leadership qualities, collected and responsible, extremely energetic and active in life, in love with the region where they lead excursions.

Profession guide-excursion guide - pros and cons of work

Among the advantages of the profession, of which there are many, we can especially highlight...

Lack of routine in your work. If a guide’s excursions remain the same from year to year, then the guide is free to independently plan the routes and excursions themselves, as well as make changes.
Constant communication and meeting new people.
Constant language practice when communicating with foreign guests.
Decent salary.
A fun job that you can really enjoy.
Opportunity to travel and work outdoors.
Prospects for developing your business in tourism.
Flexible schedule (unless, of course, you are a full-time employee at a museum, for example).
Stability of earnings when working in cities attractive to tourists.

Disadvantages of the profession:

Constant work on your feet.
The need to work in any weather.
Meals “on the fly” (often, instead of lunch, you have to solve various organizational issues or even look for your lost guests).
. The guide is responsible for his tourists.
The need to smile even at those whom you would never smile at in normal life.
Decrease in profits in the autumn and winter seasons (not everywhere).
Extremely serious competition.

Training for the profession of a guide – courses, educational institutions, self-study

Of course, you can try to become a tour guide on your own with a regular secondary education, completing some courses - or simply listening to a few lectures at a local museum. But this is only possible in small towns or villages, where the flow of tourists is low, and no one really thinks about the quality of the guide’s work.

If you are serious about this profession and intend to make good and stable money from it, then you should approach the matter with all responsibility.

University One cannot do without a higher education in the humanities (note: history, philology, cultural studies, etc.). There are enough specialized faculties in modern universities today. Naturally, you should study foreign languages at the same time. You must speak English perfectly at the highest cultural level. German, French and Chinese will also be useful.
Courses. Lectures and trainings are held at universities and museums. After completing the courses, participants receive the appropriate documents. The courses are suitable for those who already have a relevant diploma.
Training (you can’t do without this if you want to move forward and not stand still until the very end. old age).
Aptitude exam and obtaining a license.

Where to go to study?

University of Management and Economics in St. Petersburg.
International Academy of Tourism in Moscow.
RSUH.
Institute of International Tourism in Irkutsk.
University of Tourism and Resort Business in Sochi.
Center for training guides and tour guides.
Association of guides, translators and tour guides.

Peculiarities of a tour guide’s career and salary – how much does a tour guide earn?

More than 7 million guests visited St. Petersburg alone in 2016. Therefore, the question of the demand for the profession in large cities does not even arise: tour guides are needed wherever there are tourists.

Average earnings will depend on the region and place of work. The average salary in the country is about 35,000 rubles. In Moscow and St. Petersburg during the season you can earn up to 80,000 rubles or more.

The most profitable regions for tour guides are:

Moscow region and Moscow.
St. Petersburg and Leningrad region.
Krasnodar region.

As for the level of wages, today it remains the highest in Moscow, followed by the Kemerovo region, then the Republic of Tatarstan and St. Petersburg.

It is worth noting that when working for a travel agency, a guide's salary is, on average, about 2,000 rubles per day during the season, plus tips. When working for himself, such an employee naturally receives all the profits for himself.

Is career growth possible?

Of course, yes - as in any profession.

And the highest point of a career is not just working for yourself, but opening your own excursion bureau or other business in this area of the market.

a tour guide from scratch?

The path to success for a future tour guide is as follows:

Obtaining appropriate education and studying a foreign language (languages).
Completing courses (the average cost of quality training programs is about 50,000 rubles) – 2-4 months.
Internship and passing an exam at the museum.
Obtaining accreditation, without which you will not be able to get a really good job and conduct excursions (fine - up to 25,000 for individuals).
Employment in a travel company, museum, hotel, etc.

Accreditation - how to get it, and what is it?

Accreditation is a special state-issued permit that gives the right to conduct excursions for foreign guests.

These permits were introduced to improve the quality of service for tourists arriving to us.

There are a total of 3 levels of accreditation:

Category 3 – trainee (permit period – 1 year). Requirements: a diploma from a university, a certificate of completion of courses (or faculty) for a guide or tour guide, a document about listening to lectures on conducting excursions in a museum and (optional, but will be a plus) experience in conducting excursions in the work book.
Category 2 – for specialists with at least 2 years of experience. The permit period is for 3 years.
Category 1 – for specialists with at least 7 years of experience. Accreditation is unlimited and does not require renewal.

You can get a license only after training, and which place to choose for this is up to each future guide to decide for himself.

Accreditations for work in Moscow and St. Petersburg (for example) are different, and there is no uniform certification of guides in the country.

For example, in St. Petersburg you can obtain such accreditation at the city tourist information bureau, and in the capital - at the Association of Guides, Translators and Tour Guides.

Important:

Finding a job with accreditation is not difficult if you have your own interesting routes. It is enough to come in person or send to where you would like to get a job.

If you liked our article and have any thoughts on this matter, please share with us. It is very important for us to know your opinion!

Many people from the CIS countries dream of going to live and work abroad. This is especially true for the younger generation, who are eager to change their familiar surroundings to more comfortable living conditions in 2019.

Warm countries with a good climate have a beneficial effect not only on a person’s physical health, but also on his psyche, stimulating him to work and increasing interest in life. The dream of many is to work in hot tourist countries such as Sri Lanka. Others dream of living in an economically and culturally rich country, such as Germany or the UK.

A sufficient level of knowledge of the language allows you to make your dream come true. Almost every modern person knows English at least at a conversational level. This makes it possible to travel abroad, study at foreign universities, and work. Some then decide for good.

Having education and qualifications in a particular field of activity, as well as good command of foreign languages, you can easily find a job in your specialty. Work experience in a large foreign company, high salary level, improvement and practice of foreign languages - this is what attracts people in developed countries.

But this option of employment abroad is quite rare. Most often, unskilled workers and students cross the border in search of good earnings. If language proficiency is low, then in most cases applicants take up seasonal work or in the service sector, where language proficiency is not required.

Anyone who knows English well can easily get a job in the service sector, but with a higher salary. Working as a guide abroad is especially popular. Traveling to different countries, getting to know the cultural and historical heritage of different peoples is what seems like an ideal job to many. Especially if they pay well for it.

There are two ways to get a job as a guide abroad:

Working through a travel agency is suitable for those who have just decided to connect their life with work in tourism, and have not previously traveled abroad to work. Having settled through a tour operator, you will not have to worry about the correct execution of travel documents and finding accommodation. In addition, there will be no doubt that work will be found and paid.

If you want to get a job abroad, you should choose only proven large companies that have already proven themselves in the tourism market not only in Russia, but throughout the world.

This will provide the applicant with guarantees of trouble-free implementation of his professional activities, comfortable living abroad, good working conditions and payment.

It is best to choose international travel companies. Today there are quite a lot of these in Russia. Pegas Touristik is very popular both among vacationers and job seekers.

This is not the only major tourism operator in Russia, but for 18 years the company has occupied a leading place in all ratings of the country.

The search for work in tourism immediately after moving abroad in most cases begins with a placement through the same agency, only this time local. In most cases, the pay is higher, but there are also some risks. This is especially true for those applicants who decided to go abroad and get a job as a guide for the first time, that is, without any knowledge, skills or experience.

Working in tourism abroad: employment options

Working as a guide at first glance seems quite highly specialized. But this is only at first glance. Employment in tourism, as in any other field, involves a large number of different positions, which in turn are divided into different types.

What vacancies are there for guides in tourism:

Guide at the hotel. Working as a hotel guide is a vacancy that exists at all resorts of international importance.
working as a hotel guide
The main function of a hotel guide is to demonstrate a quick speech about the most interesting and attractive attractions and places of the resort. A guide's productivity is measured in the number of excursions sold to visiting tourists. But other guides lead excursions around the resort.
Excursion guides. When it comes to a guide, this is the type of guide most often represented. Excursion guides accompany an individual tourist or a group of tourists, noting the most significant attractions of the resort. In most cases, the guide works along certain routes. You can select a suitable route from the program; usually there are several of them. Excursion guides usually serve as a whole reference book, providing information not only about the planned places: museums, historical and architectural monuments, but also answering tourists’ questions and about everything that occurs along the excursion route.
Transfer guides. The name of this type of guide may not be entirely clear at first, since it took root relatively recently.
The variety of excursion programs has led to the division of excursion guides and the identification of another type - transfer guides, who accompany tourists only in transport. Such guides can accompany a tourist in a taxi on the way from the airport to the hotel, pointing out the most significant monuments, shops, and museums that pass by. But the most common activity of transfer guides is conducting excursions on a bus. Such excursions are especially popular and in demand in large cities, where it is simply impossible to see everything on foot.
Tour guides with a narrow specialization. These are, first of all, employees of various historical, archaeological, and art museums who have in-depth knowledge of each of the exhibits and can conduct a detailed thematic tour. Such guides can also lead excursions around the city, but then such a walk will be devoted only to specific monuments of historical and architectural significance and will take place within the framework of a specialized topic.
tour guide to historical sites

Other vacancies and offers

Working in tourism abroad does not end with vacancies for guides. There are many related offers and vacancies that may also be of interest to those who have decided to connect their lives with tourism.

This includes the following suggestions:

Gestrelation - employees in hotels, most often young girls, to whom guests of the country turn to with various questions of interest, complaints, clarifications. You can contact the gestrelation to book a table in a good restaurant, with a request for additional cleaning in the room, to find out where to hire a good guide, etc.
Promoters are the so-called “sellers” of various tourism goods and services to visitors. In most cases, tourism goods and services include everything that is cheap and unusual in the country. This could be a Thai massage, Afro braids, henna painting, a hot air balloon ride and anything else that might interest the average tourist.
Promoters wait for resort guests everywhere: on the beaches, near hotels, restaurants, on embankments and main streets. Promoters can attract tourists in different ways: handing out discount flyers, leaflets, balloons and other advertising products, or simply verbally encouraging them to use a service or purchase a product.
Animators. The goal of animators’ work is similar to that of guides – to interest and entertain tourists so that they don’t get bored. Only if guides and tour guides attract the attention of tourists with an interesting presentation of information, fascinating stories and stories, that is, visitors only listen and ask questions, then animators attract tourists to actively participate in various programs, competitions, and make resort guests participants in the fun. Animators most often work in hotels. They can be found in the lobby or near the pool. Animators conduct programs for both adults and children. Working as an animator is a great way. Since very often these people live and eat on the premises of the hotel where they work, for free, and not at their own expense. It is especially popular in Turkey.
Office employees in travel agencies who perform a wide variety of functions depending on their position, ranging from simply receiving applications from clients to developing tourism programs.
Work at the reception. This may seem to be the same as a gestrelation, but the responsibilities of the positions are very different. Working at a hotel reception involves issuing guest cards, checking in and out, making room reservations, monitoring the work of all services: cleaning, food delivery, etc. Working at a hotel reception is quite difficult. Managers are required not only to have excellent command of at least three foreign languages, but also to withstand stress and the ability to find contact with people. After all, the administrator and reception managers are the business card of the hotel; they create the image and impression of the hotel as a whole among tourists.

Each of the listed vacancies has its own requirements for applicants and employment nuances.

For example, for some positions only young and attractive girls are hired, in particular at reception and reception, as they are more attractive to tourists and create a positive image of the company.

But the requirements for applicants are based not only on age and external data. Much more important are professional skills, education and experience in the tourism sector. Let's look at this in more detail.

But you can’t get far on the state of mind alone - in the work of any guide there are nuances and technical aspects that must be taken into account. So, the main thing.

1. Terrain and history, history and terrain. It is very important to have a good understanding of the issue. But knowing only the names of streets and attractions, even the most interesting ones, alas, is not enough. You can’t go anywhere without knowledge of the history of the area. As a rule, tourists are curious people, and most likely they will ask you dozens of questions, including those related to the past. This is where knowledge of history will come in handy.

2. Communication is the key to success. Nothing is valued as highly as humanity. This is the truth of life. And in the tourism sector as well. Be open and responsive to tourists, smile, answer questions, even if these questions are repeated over and over again. Communicate with your group, find a common language, laugh together in the end. By the way, humor is a great help in working with people in general and with a tourist group in particular.

3. Voice and diction. Remember that you must be heard. Of course, in order to be heard, people must first be interested, without this you can’t get anywhere. But even interesting information will not be able to hold the group’s attention if it is simply hard to hear. Pay attention to this. It may not be easy in the first couple, but it’s a matter of habit. Be loud, clear and interesting. These are a kind of three pillars of a successful excursion.

4. Stress resistance and patience. You can't go anywhere without this. Be prepared for the fact that everyone is different - there is always a chance that someone will be dissatisfied with something. And this is exactly the moment when you need to take over both your emotions and the emotions of the dissatisfied. This is perhaps one of the most difficult moments, which is developed with experience. Keeping the mood of the group under control is a skill necessary for any guide.

Of course, to feel confident, you can take a guide course and receive a special certificate. Moreover, in many countries it is necessary to carry out activities. As a rule, the entire training takes a couple of months, which is very, very short. But after that all prospects are open.