Tour Guides Create A Destination’s Image
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Memory Phiri is a Travel and recreation consultant who has…
It takes a lot of talent to be able to conduct a worthy guided tour for visitors. Meaning to say, there is no room for misgivings, instead, you need the knowledge at your fingertips. We must pay homage to our dedicated brand ambassadors, the tour guides, who also act as mediators more so airing out views between tour operators and tourists.
In terms of professionalism, guiding has changed tourist perceptions of hospitality at large. Adroitly, guides are influential for they bend over backward in marketing our destinations; that is why we call them our bonafide frontline representatives. Tour guides call the shots when it comes to word of mouth and they often affect repeat business, talk about that positive upper hand. Due to the kid gloves reception that they would have received, tourists time and again tend to visit the same destination.
If our guides fail to market our destinations then we are marooned we will be going nowhere as an industry. Acting as our mouthpieces and eye-openers they go on to sell our products with aplomb. Distinguishing whether a tour would be a relaxed or an adventurous one. At the end of the day, it’s only fair to explain beforehand what is on offer to both our risk-averse and adrenalin junkies concerning what activities they will embark on. These come in the form of braving the crocodile cage in Victoria Falls or finishing that lengthy walk along the skywalk in Mutarazi.
Believe me, our visitors have the right to know the code of conduct to prepare themselves.
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Focusing on natural tours in Sanyati, a guide can give a pep talk before the tour promoting awareness about sustainability, green, and ecotourism. Tour guides are the most friendly and confident people ever. Thumbs up to their tolerance of different types of people, some with mercurial moods. Travel and tourism are so complicated that some of our attractions cannot thrive without guided tours. A cultural tour in Murehwa requires a culture custodian and there are no two ways about it. Therefore, guided tours are needed to show visitors the nooks and crannies of the sites. Game drives cannot come alive in Gonarezhou without rangers present because they have an undeniable bond with wildlife.
By the same token, tour guiding drives us to pacify our wanderlust and footloose pursuit of sights unseen. That tour guides are big on multi-tasking in terms of risk management. Gone are the days when guiding was left to the locals who are always on the lookout for quick money. Lately, tour operators are hiring trained tour guides who can deliver and add weight to their packages.
They are equipped with skills like diving, tracking, hunting not forgetting piloting those helicopter rides. They are our fountain of knowledge when it comes to cultural norms and safety. Guides are our pillar of strength, kudos to them for their dedication.
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Memory Phiri is a Travel and recreation consultant who has vast experience in the tourism industry. She also is a free-lance writer in addition to being a sustainable activist. You can get in touch with her on phirimemory491@gmail.com.