The development team

part. In this instance, a guide is a 
communicator as well as a salesman who helps us by providing mementoes in the coach 
itself. 

---

Once a group went to Panna from Khajuraho to see tree houses but unfortunately the tree 
houses were closed. Their guide however tried to get some tea for the tourists in the 
forest area, where the tree houses were and 
ultimately arranged four logs and used these 
logs as a Torch (Mashaal) to use for the 
safety of the group since these people 
reached at midnight. However in the 
feedback the tourists mentioned that it was 
the best part of the tour. A guide is someone 
who makes your tour interesting by using 
innovative ideas as in the case of Panna Tree 
houses.
We went to Orccha and visited the palace. 
By the time we reached the Ram Raja 
Mandir Temple, it was closed and we were 
forced to come back after having lunch. I always feel unlucky when I think about my 
Orccha trip. It was my bad luck that being a devotee of Ram, I could not visit this temple 
even after going there. Thus, a guide can spoil your tour if he is not organised. So, a 
guide is an organizer: he has to work according to the instructions of the Travel Agent 
and the Tourists.
I went to Panna National Park; we were provided a guide to accompany us in the gypsy. 
He started telling us about the forest, the trees, the animals and their habits. He had with 
himself a binocular and used it to spot animals. He gave us examples of groups that had 
come in the past. Thus, a guide must be a subject expert. He should be able to give 
answers to queries raised by the tourists. 
A group saw a sculpture in which a lady was pointing to her foot. One guide near me 
started explaining that she was picking thorn; my guide told that she was painting. It was 
contradictory and we raised our objections. My guide asked us to look at her facial 
expression- she is blissful. So, she must be painting. Thus, a guide must be able to justify 
his statements. 
2.5 Why people want to become a tour guide 
Role of a Tour guide
 Adviser 
 Informer 
 Investigator 
 Organiser
 Encourager 
 Reassurer
 Leader
 Coordinator 
 Motivator 

---

Tour guiding is not the first choice for many in India. People opt for tour guiding as a 
profession because of certain reasons. Young people who are interested in travelling, 
meeting people, and are extroverts usually aspire to become tour guides. I met many 
people from popular tourist places who told me that Foreign Individual Tourists (FITs) in 
their localities are becoming tour guides. Many people who run their own businesses like 
shops, hotels are interested in obtaining a tour guide license.
2.6 What is expected from a tour guide? 
A tour guide must have certain qualities. Tourists wear casuals during the tour or they are 
free to wear whatever they like as long it’s not 
objectionable to the authority or the locals but a 
guide must wear professional attire. His dress 
has some meaning and helps him to get 
recognition as a professional. 
He must be clean and not chewing Tobacco, 
Naswar, Paan, Gudhakhu, Beetlenut ( Supary), 
Gutka etc. he must know the norms of hygiene 
followed in the tourists’ country. He must be 
clean shaven or keep a trimmed beard. In 
Rajasthan, you will find guides with peculiar 
moustaches and different styles of suits 
(Jodhpuri style etc.).
A guide must wear shoes of good quality. He must choose cloths that suit the climate. I 
would not say that the guide must wear a tie and a suit in the summers in Khajuraho. 
Cloths must help him during commentary. 
Guide must keep in mind the culture of the tourist and how to behave with them. There 
are many cultural differences, something good in our culture might be wrong in some 
other country.
A tour guide must be argumentative in nature. It means that he must seek out arguments 
in the subject to know more about the monument, attraction, region, and culture. But, he 
should not argue with the tourists.
Guiding Gadgets
Torch 
Cap 
Dictaphone 
Pen and Paper 
Mobile phone 
LED Torch
Binoculars 
Paper soap 
Tacho or Tachograph 

---

He must be open for lifelong learning. I had one trainee who was a retired teacher and 
had a good collection of books at home. He joined the guide training programme. There 
is no age bar to learn a new subject and skill set.
2.7 Guiding Gadgets
Guides also have gadgets to make their job better. When you are going to a forest, a 
water fall, a nature park, caves, or for a safari, carry a common torch or head mounted 
torch.
Traditionally, guides used to encourage tourists to touch walls and domes in palaces to 
have a feel of stone. But, nowadays, we have become environmentally conscious and 
people are requested to look at these things from a distance. A guide’s job is to point out 
the objects which one cannot touch. If the objects are at a height, he may use a laser light 
to point to the object. 
When you go with a group, you have to leave them for lunch and start then start again 
from where you left off. If you carry a Dictaphone you will be able to record your 
commentary and the questions raised by the tourists. A guide may play these questions 
during lunch and answer them after lunch. A guide may use the Dictaphone as a 
recording device which will help him improve his guiding skills.
I was talking to my friend over my phone while I was on a tour. He asked me to write a 
number, and I asked my guide to give me a pen and paper.
Once a man met with an accident while he was on a tour, the guide called for an 
ambulance and took him to the nearest hospital. In many major cities of Madhya Pradesh, 
the government has started the 108 service for citizens and tourists. It is a multi-purpose 
service.
It was a nice experience when the guide offered us paper napkins after a tour to a palace 
in hot summer.
I discovered that many guide friends keep a smart phone with internet connectivity. They 
are updated with weather, public utilities around them, important numbers and other 
related information. They can even book tickets using their phones and palmtops. These 
are some gadgets that will be useful for a guide: 

Map: A good map helps a lot. You must also know how to read a Map. A good 
guide must know Map reading. 

---


Goggles: Goggles will help you to speak in hard sunlight. 

Handkerchief or perfumed paper wipes: A handkerchief is an essential thing and 
helps you keep your face fresh.

Mobile: I recommend a good mobile (with a good operating system i.e. Android, 
Windows, iOS etc., camera, video, internet, useful apps etc.).Mobile is a life 
saving device in a crisis. It helps to navigate, take photos, store your dossier, 
check your health and stay connected. 

Camera: A good small camera will help you keep memories of your clients and 
your work.

Important telephone numbers, contact details: Keep important numbers in your 
pocket. 

First aid kit: First Aid Kit is a must and helps in cases of emergency. 

Identity Card: Keep your identity card (if given by the company). 

Business Card or Visiting Card: Carry your business card. 

Mouth freshener/ Mint: Mouth freshener or Mint keep your breath fresh while 
working for long hours. 

Paper soap: Paper soap helps to clean hands while travelling. 

Tour Guiding License (TGL): A tour guide must carry his license.

LCD projector (portable): One Tour Guide who I know is linking NGOs with 
Tourists. A portable LCD projector helps you display your work in rural areas 
where the availability of light is doubtful. 

Dictaphone: Dictaphones help you record voices from a distance. You can record 
your commentary and improve. 

---

Figure: Dictaphone 
Source: 
https://www.google.co.in/search?q=laser+torch&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&sqi=2
&ved=0ahUKEwioiMWWj-
rUAhWHtI8KHTviDrAQ_AUIBigB&biw=1517&bih=675#tbm=isch&q=%E2%80%A2
%09Dictaphone&imgrc=TcQMT7AD7nAe-M
: accessed on 30/06/2017 

Laser Torch: It helps to point out an object that you want to show to the tourists. 
Figure: A laser Torch 
Source: 
https://www.google.co.in/search?q=laser+torch&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&sqi=2
&ved=0ahUKEwioiMWWj-rUAhWHtI8KHTviDrAQ_AUIBigB&biw=1517&bih=675 

---


Tiffin or Candy: If you have 
something to eat on the way, 
your confidence level will 
be up.

Tachometer: 
A 
handy 
device for recording speed 
and distance covered by 
vehicle. 
2.8 Do I need a Guide? 
Many tourists avoid hiring a guide. 
Many prefer having a person who 
engages them in stories apart from 
his other roles as a care taker and 
interpreter. A guide indentifies your needs and serves you to satisfy them. A guide in 
hilly areas will explain each and every plant.
I pay a good share of my travel expenses on transport, hotels and shopping but a guide is 
the person who creates a dialogue with the monument, for example the Tajmahal. Why 
do people visit a place again and again? According to me, they feel happy when they visit 
a particular place. A guide could help you make your tour more blissful. A tour guide 
tells you about the TVPs (top visual priorities) of a place, he creates interesting tales 
about the place and helps make your tour memorable.
2.9 Future tour guide 
In a tourist place, one can see that there are many people working as guides. Do we need 
so many people flocking around? The numbers do not matter, a person who has the 
qualities required in the field and who is supported by gadgets like laser torch, binoculars 
etc. and the knowledge of how to handle the situation and attract tourists (if tourists are in 
need of a guide) will be able to survive and work successfully in the trade. The future will 
see an increase in the use of ‘smart technology’. Guides in the future will be facilitators. 
One can predict the adoption of virtual guiding, audio guiding etc. 
Why do tourists come? 
Being a part of the tourism 
industry, one must know why the 
tourists come to see your city? 
Many come to see temples, many 
for recreation. If you know the 
reason why they come to your 
place, you may be in a better 
position to make them happy. 

---

People love to travel and they need someone to accompany them so that he could help 
them understand the place. This person is known as the Tour Guide or Tour manager. 
They are also called by many other names like Tour Escort, Tour Manager and Tour 
Guide.
A Tour manager accompanies a tour group on the tour; this tour may go through many 
places/ countries/destinations. A tour guide is someone who will be with you at a