p R o F e s s i o na l
Guided tours – wHat demandinG tourists
really want?
w-
ay ho
. One d estion
od job e qu
an d a go answer th oad? In-
be fun must tion l t
ing might tour guide ?» Informa ke differen
guid bitiou
s nt ta
ly wa rent guides . Let us ge
t
Tour ry am urists real e m
ve iff e in
ever e do my to ck? D l of th ome,
t o od sna k at severa y lovers – R
«Wha stories? G can loo f histo
r
a.
resting d we n the city o in Malaysi
te s an
point ing i nfores
t
stand with guid he rai
ar in t
famili rk, or even
o
New Y
Oc tober, 2007
p RoF e s siona l : Gui d ed tours - w hat d e manding tour i sts really w ant ?
wHaT do THe culTuRal
TRaveleRs wanT?
N ationwide, studies show nearly 40 % of people visit a his-
toric site or structure when they travel. As more Boomers
retire (a generation raised on experimentation and diversity),
Some communities make the mistake of romanticizing or glo-
rifying their history, thinking a more sanitized version will attract
(and not offend) tourists. Heritage tourists are educated; they
they’re looking for interesting historic experiences. They’ve know history wasn’t always pretty. They’ll sense when they’re
done the beach and theme park; they’re ready for something not being told the real story – the story most of them seek – and
different. they’ll feel cheated.
In the past decade, nearly every state tourism office has cre- There’s a place for Old West gun fights, Frontiertown theme
ated a program to attract more heritage tourists. Why? Because parks, and other «staged» versions of history, but don’t build
they stay longer, spend more, and are respectful of communi- your entire approach around these spectacles. Avoid commodi-
ties they visit. Most places already have the product to start a fying or over-packaging history. It’s important that the story is
heritage tourism program – their town, buildings, cultural land- authentic (yes, a subjective term) and is told in a quality way
scape, history! Start with the raw material and enhance that, (also subjective).
rather than building a new «tourist attraction.» Tell history using multiple perspectives, not just the «grand
Heritage projects often reflect a community’s multicultural his- narratives» or popular myths. Your story is not complete without
tory. As the nation becomes more diverse, so does the traveling the working class, women, ethnic minorities, indigenous peoples,
public; heritage tourism can be an effective tool for connecting and others who are often marginalized in «official histories.» The
to and attracting a broader segment of the population. lesser-known stories help create a distinctive sense of place.
1
Oc tober, 2007
p RoF e s siona l : Gui d ed tours - w hat d e manding tour i sts really w ant ?
Don’t feel the only place your history can be exhibited is at the How many cultural tourists are there?
museum. Partnering with businesses, museums can showcase Nearly 118.1 million American adults say they included at least one of
history throughout town, festivals celebrate local traditions, in- fifteen arts, humanities, historic or heritage activities or events while
traveling. This equates to more than half of the U.S. adult population
terpretive displays can be installed along sidewalks, the crafts (56%). One quarter of these cultural travelers take three or more of these
sold in stores can reflect local customs, welcome centers orient trips per year. In fact, historic/cultural travel volume is up 13 percent
from 1996, increasing from 192.4 million person-trips to 216.8 million
and educate visitors, and, most importantly, the look and feel of person-trips today.
a place’s built environment communicates a sense of history.
Increasingly, when tourism officials categorize travelers, they
group heritage tourists (those looking to learn the history of a These types of educational or experiential tourism can com-
place) with others who also seek experiential opportunities. plement one another. They generally appeal to the same trav-
eler, and collectively they help build a more extensive, diverse,
For example, people who travel to historic sites often enjoy and attractive product base.
outdoor activities, which is usually labeled «Ecotourism» – ev-
erything from sightseeing to more rugged pursuits like hiking or
mountain biking. Communities also develop «Cultural Tourism» http://www.communityheritagegroup.com
programs around live theater and concerts, art museums and
galleries, opera and ballet, and other forms of artistic expres-
sion.
1
Oc tober, 2007
p RoF e s siona l : Gui d ed tours - w hat d e manding tour i sts really w ant ?
THe case oF mackinac:
TouRisTs wisH To see BeHind
THe scenes
Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau. The Tourism Bureau, she
said, will be offering architectural walking tours on the Island
every summer, highlighting building styles over a 300 – year
period.
Grand Hotel has offered behind the scenes tours for years,
including a kitchen tour, a lecture tour covering hotel history,
flower demonstrations, flower and garden tours, and cooking
demonstrations, said Grand Hotel Convention Manager Steve
Decker.
One of the responsibilities of a convention manager at Grand
Hotel is to take his groups through the kitchen. He said he likes
to walk guests through the steps of kitchen service, from the
time the order is taken until the meal is served.
«When you have a dining room that seats 900 guests, people
find it interesting to see how the hotel maintains such efficient
service to that many guests at one time,» said Mr. Decker.
David Sanderson, the new general manager at Mission Point
Resort, said the resort is working with several vineyards to bring
in some wine tasting events.
At Mackinac State Historic Parks, visitors can get an inside
view of archeology at Colonial Michilimackinac, where archae-
ologists are still uncovering the secrets of life here in the 1700s.
On special evenings, the visitors can even help sift through the
dirt. «As travel sellers, we need to find different ways to keep
people coming to the area,» said Mr. Shepler, who said his com-
pany offers three lighthouse tours.
He said the company also is looking into group walking tours
through its marina, where visitors might learn how a boat is
G etting a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes is the
latest trend in tour packages. The tourism industry calls
them affinity tours and the concept is nothing new to Macki-
painted or repaired, and learn about how the ferry service pro-
vides guest services. «Disney has been doing this for years,»
he said of affinity tours. «They were so far ahead on this.»
nac Island business people, including those who attended the
Mr. Shepler said as chairman of this year’s National Tourist
National Tourist Association convention in Detroit, which was
Association convention, he used every opportunity to promote
chaired by Chris Shepler of Shepler’s Mackinac Island Ferry.
Michigan and the local area, «Once we get them to Michigan,
«Visitors don’t want to sit and watch,» said Mr. Shelper. «They they’re going to come back,» he said, «because it is such a
want to do.» The meeting was attended by 450 tour operators beautiful place. »
from all over the country and some 2,500 tour suppliers.
What tourists want and what tour planners are looking for are
By Karen Gould
places offering programs that provide travelers with more in-
depth information about the place they are visiting, including http://www.mackinacislandnews.com/
kitchen tours, wine tastings, chef demonstrations, fudge tours,
and garden tours, said Mary Slevin, executive director of the
1
Oc tober, 2007
p RoF e s siona l : Gui d ed tours - w hat d e manding tour i sts really w ant ?
TouR guiding
in Rome and Beyond
T ouring for a living? Getting paid to show people around
town? Receiving an all-expenses-paid trip around Italy?
How can that be possible? Believe it or not, there are thou-
likes meeting new people, lecturing, and generally showing off
local knowledge, working as a step-on guide is a great way to
get tour and public relations experience which can lead to pre-
sands of people happily doing just that and more. They’re the mier tour positions with cruise lines or large, world-wide tour
tour guides, escorts, tour managers, and directors who are at companies.
the forefront of a growing segment of the travel industry. These Travel trends also indicate more travelers than ever are opt-
people are all engaged to make your trip to Rome a gratifying ing for in-depth excursions, also called private tours of Rome,
experience. that require the use of guides, at least for part of the trip. Future
Tour escorts and guides of Rome are often asked to take their opportunities should remain strong, especially for tour guides
people to unfamiliar areas or places that require unique or spe- who specialize in archeaology or art history, or those who may
cialized knowledge, like the underground Rome spaces, that have skills in foreign and sign languages. Still, the people who
the escort can’t easily learn. Tour companies get around this will do best in this profession will be those who excel at ac-
problem by hiring a guide from the area who simply «steps on» commodating the needs of group travelers through diplomacy,
the tour bus and temporarily takes over the tour (or at least the finesse, and humor.
narration part of the tour) in that particular area. These guides Every year at least 7 million of tourists visit Rome and its
are popularly called step-on tour guides; they are normally ar- treasures. Understanding what the people are looking for when
chaeologists and can be found in most major cities and popular touring in Rome is the goal. Unfortunately, not everyone is a
destinations like Rome. In addition to being fun for anyone who candidate for a tour in Rome. In fact, some people don’t like the
20
Oc tober, 2007
p RoF e s siona l : Gui d ed tours - w hat d e manding tour i sts really w ant ?
What is a Tourist Guide?
A person who guides visitors in the language of their choice and inter-
prets the cultural and natural heritage of an area which person normally
possesses an area-specific qualification usually issued and/or recognised
by the appropriate authority.
http://wftga. org/
When we meet our customers at the hotels in Rome before
sightseeing we always think to the following priorities:
• Focus on the persons: good tour guides talk to an audience
who is sympathetic. We talk to one person and then expand our
attention to the others so as not to seem obvious to everyone
else.
• Where we find our energy: adrenalin never makes us nervous
because we love our job and it helps sharpen our commen-
tary.
notion of tours at all. They perceive touring as an unpleasant • We are specific: people need constantly to know more about
form of travel, with limited freedom, forced companionship and Rome and we pay careful attention to what we say in order to
uncomfortable bus rides. They prefer, indeed, controlling their ensure the quality of our commentary and the synthesis of the
own travel experience rather than having someone else doing main highlights of Rome. This is because in 3 hours you have
it for them. to sum up 3000 years of history no matter what tour of Rome
Yet many others actively seek out private tours in Rome also you are leading that day.
because they are unsatisfied of a group experience. «When • Your curiosity is our advantage: few unpretentious personal ob-
I am on vacation I don’t want to worry about anything» it’s the servations or revelations can humanize a tour of Rome. Noth-
comment commonly heard from tour participants. Indeed travel ing irritates more than commentators who place themselves on
can be an exhausting task. Tours help cushion clients from has- a pedestal, in a pulpit, or on a soap box.
sles. A good tour guide in Rome solves problems long before
tour members can become aware of them.
By Stefano Sandano
Everyone has experienced how a wrong turn on a highway or
http://www.romanguide.com
an ill – chosen hotel can spoil a vacation. A well designed and
conducted tour minimizes wasted time: it ensures that the client
sees all the essentials in a convenient, efficient manner.
21
Oc tober, 2007
p RoF e s siona l : Gui d ed tours - w hat d e manding tour i sts really w ant ?
pied pipeR
Ferate is an urban historian and a former director of adult ed-
ucation at Cooper Union. Now 54, he has been giving walking
tours of New York and teaching touring classes for more than
20 years. In an industry dominated by double-decker buses and
oF THe TouR overly perky, microphone-toting guides, Ferate takes a distinct
approach. He injects wit, passion and scholarship into the tour-
ist experience. In place of a microphone, he carries a beat-up
guides
old binder filled with historical photos of New York streets and
yellowed newspaper clippings from 19th century gossip col-
umns. Like any good tour guide, he loves to make his clients
chuckle – and he does this often – but he also likes to challenge
them, posing questions about everything from Beaux Arts archi-
tecture to the most authentic recipe for New York cheesecake.
For Ferate, every tour is a quest for knowledge.
Ferate mourns what he perceives to be a trend toward passive
tourism – he cites Times Square – where people just absorb
images without interacting with their environment.» It’s a subur-
banized aspect I find puzzling,» he said.» I always try to physi-
cally involve the people, so that they form literal connections
with their surroundings.» In Ferate’s view, an ideal tour is more
a dialogue than a lecture. During his tours, he often persuades
his clients to walk up to vendors and people on the streets and
talk to them. He sees his role as that of a mediator:» I’m like
a matchmaker between the visitors and the locals,» he said.
«People will see all the great buildings, but they will remember
the person who helped them find their way on the subway.»
There are some 1,300 tour guides in New York City. An esti-
In the cinnamon-colored lobby of the Chrysler Building, eight mated 40 percent of them have been trained to some extent by
adults are running at full speed in a single file, holding Ferate, according to Anthony Bowman, a guide who specializes
their hands up as though they were clutching invisible steer- in Harlem and knows Ferate well.» If you scratch any guide
ing wheels. Occasionally pausing to admire the ceiling, painted in the city long enough, you will find Justin,» he said. Marta
with garish images of a bustling construction site, they snake Cooper, formerly the president of the Tour Guides Association,
through the orange marble-paneled halls. Alarmed bystanders concurred and likened Ferate to» the pied piper of the tour
jump out of their way. At the center of the lobby, the group of guides.»
pretend-drivers stops, smiling sheepishly at their leader, Justin At least part of the reason behind Ferate’s popularity is that
Ferate, one of New York City’s most respected and idiosyncratic he’s able to elevate the tour-taker above the slightly pejorative
tour guides. term «tourist.» He treats everyone as a student rather than as
22
Oc tober, 2007
p RoF e s siona l : Gui d ed tours - w hat d e manding tour i sts really w ant ?
a passive consumer, making each participant an integral part ternet sites.» The structure of the industry is changing,» Stul-
of the tour. He loves to make his charges reenact historical baum said. «It’s become more democratic.»
moments, such as Cornelius Vanderbilt asking his mother to Along with the sweeping hand gestures and rising and falling
borrow some money so he can finance the building of Grand tone of voice, storytelling is key to the Ferate performance.»
Central. His customers seem to like it.» I think it’s great how There’s a reason why I do all these silly things,» he explained
he makes you a part of his stories,» said Nancy Davis, a visitor later, adjusting his bowtie.» I don’t want people to ever walk out
from New Jersey, who toured Grand Central Terminal with Fe- of that building again, looking at it the same way as before.»»
rate. By involving the visitors in the tour, Ferate hopes not only Many tours are based on the premise that people are stupid,»
to spark their curiosity, but also to get them to think indepen- he said.» I base mine on the simple premise that people are
dently.» I want all my tourists to become tour guides,» he said. intelligent.»
With the rise of the internet, Ferate said, a class of better- Sometimes making tourists feel as though they are a part of a
informed, more demanding tourists has emerged. And he’s not single group is as simple as instructing them all to do the same
the only one who has benefited. Some of the larger companies thing at once. Like wave to commuters as they rush through the
have begun taking cues from creative, specialized guides like main hall of Grand Central Terminal until one of them responds.
Ferate. Gray Line, for instance, recently expanded its repertoire When someone finally waves back, Ferate tells his group,» now
to include a show biz tour. And like all other companies, New you’ve made someone’s day. And he made yours. This place is
York Gray Line now operates well beyond the boundaries of all about interaction.»
Manhattan.
According to Reagan Stulbaum, the director of tourism for Kristina Alda
NYC & Company, the tourism industry is not the same as it was http://journalism. nyu. edu/
ten years ago. Although big companies are able to spend far
more money on advertising, smaller companies and individual
guides are now gaining plenty of exposure via inexpensive in-
23
Oc tober, 2007
p RoF e s siona l : Gui d ed tours - w hat d e manding tour i sts really w ant ?
a JoB THaT Has a ToucH
oF gReen
thing from environmental laws to camping and first aid skills,
yet for some it’s just the start of their learning experience. One
time spare part deader P. Elangoven knows all about this – he
deals with hi-tech camera-totting Japanese tourists who shoot
a million questions a minute. The course has opened a whole
new world to him, says the 33-year-old in halting English, but
he needs to read up much more to satisfy his clients. Most
of them are people he met during the 13 years he worked in
a little town, 12 hours from Tokyo selling vehicle spare parts
and learning the Japanese language he so effortlessly speaks
today.
«Japanese people like golf… also shopping. But they like
jungle trekking and bird watching too, so I must know about
all this,» says the native of Cameron Highlands who speaks
in tones as soft and polite as the tourists he guides. Even with
experience, nature guiding isn’t easy, as many on the course
discovered. Not everyone passed, says examiner and organ-
iser Andrew Sebastian.
F ashion co-ordinator, spare parts salesman, accounts as-
sistant, adventure guide. What could they possibly have in
common? Their surprising choice in vocation – nature guiding.
Sebastian, who heads MNS’s parks division, struggled to hold
back a belly laugh or two at some of the answers candidates
came up with. One aspiring guide was asked what he would do
Miles away from the glittering fashion runways of the capital if his group got lost in the jungle. His answer: «Kita minum kopi
but still stylishly dressed in casual chic, Sahak Bah Udal has dulu.» (We’d have a cup of coffee first). «Of course the idea was
come to learn how to sell Malaysia’s green heritage to the world. to get everyone to calm down «but with limited hours of daylight
«I live in the shadow of Cameron Highlands, surrounded by jun- in the forest, there’s no time to start up the fire, put the kettle on
gles yet I don’t know anything about plants or animals,» admits and have a little coffee break,» says Sebastian, his voice tinged
the 35-year-old, blushing a little. In Sahak’s Semai village of Ulu with incredulous laughter.
Geroh – an Orang Asli settlement near Gopeng in Perak – there One candidate even offered to make an examiner a soup
is a committee on business and eco-tourism which he heads. from a protected species of pigeon. He thought he would earn
So attending the recent nature guiding course in sleepy Kuala brownie points for the extra effort. «He didn’t know the exam-
Selangor has been as much about setting an example as it has iner in disguise as a tourist was actually an enforcement officer
been about learning new skills. with the Wildlife Department.» Others didn’t stop the «tourists»
«We’ve got so much to offer but how to go about telling visi- from throwing sticks at the macaques lazing about in the trees
tors about it? «That’s what I wanted to find out so I can teach at the Kuala Selangor Nature Park where the course was held.
the others,» he says of the community that has an adrenalin Neither did they prevent the examiners from plucking leaves or
pumping rapid-filled river and the world’s biggest flower to show sticking thoroughly chewed gum on trees.
off to anyone who drops by. The scolding that followed these fabulous faux pas killed any
The course, organised by the Tourism Ministry, the Wildlife notion that this was an automatic-pass course. «We are serious
and National Parks Department and Malaysian Nature Soci- about quality. We don’t have enough quality guides,» says Se-
ety, is held three to four times a year throughout the country. bastian. «Sure eco-tourism is big business but it’s also impor-
According to the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry tant that guides understand the value of what they’re showing to
which supports the course, it is meant to provide the country tourists.» Even for the experienced, nature guiding is demand-
with trained nature guides – the lack of which is causing us to ing. «When you take tourists white water rafting, all you talk
lose out to other countries in the lucrative eco-tourism sector. about is safety. But in a jungle, you have to know everything
It’s a tough combination of field work and classes which last a right down to the scientific name of all the trees!» says the fit
good 12 hours a day for two weeks. Participants learn every- and feisty adventure guide Hafizi Yeap.
24
Oc tober, 2007
p RoF e s siona l : Gui d ed tours - w hat d e manding tour i sts really w ant ?
The 22-year-old happened to pick a spot near a mengkudu opportunity. Now in between jobs, Nurul says she would like to
tree during the exam and perspired buckets explaining the A-to- continue doing it part time even if her application for a govern-
Z of it to examiners. He’d come to the course thinking it would ment job comes through.
a little less rough going than adventure tour guiding. Thankfully, «You see, I got something from this course, I never thought
examiners were sufficiently impressed when he told them that I’d learn. A tree was a tree to me.» says the Kuala Selangor
the leaves of the mengkudu tree, popularly known as Noni, was lass. But the course has influenced not just her choice of career,
used to help alleviate a cough when heated and placed on the its changed her view of the country. Malaysia, has so much.
chest, says Hafizi. «We’re the first to meet tourists. What they She wants to show that to the world, even if its one tourist at a
hear about the country comes from us. So I guess it’s important time. «If I can do that one small thing, it will be great.»
for a guide to know all these funny little details,» says Hafizi with
a weary sigh. By Elizabeth John
Pint-sized Nurul Huda Razali didn’t have it much easier ex- http://www.nst.com.my
plaining the pokok kabung, a palm with feathery fronds. It didn’t
help that her only brush with nature was a during beach holiday
a long, long time ago. But her time at the course so attracted
the accounts assistant that she’s keen to pursue it at the earliest
2