Tour Guides | Adding More Value to Post-Pandemic Trips
Posted by Potpot - 6645 Views
- June 14th, 2020
- in Musings & Dispatches, Stories
- 2 Comments
If tourists feel bad about aborted holidays, think about those whose livelihood depend on people travelling. Among them are our tour guides, the sector in the travel value chain left to fend for themselves.
Everywhere, the story is the same. Flights grounded and attractions closed. Cancellations here. Refunds there. With nowhere else to go, tourism is struggling to stay relevant.
Tour guides are among the hardest hit casualties in the travel industry. And the saddest part is no one knows when these will all end.
New Hats to Wear for Tour Guides
There are many forecasts on how travel would be under the new normal scenario. There areย talks about how tour guides will reintegrate. But the stories of how to make ends meet between now and the future is aching.
Tour guides are on their knees. But many are finding hopes of picking themselves up off the floor soon as the Philippines slowly restart its tourism.
They will be critical in moving tourism as implementers of the safety protocols put in place by the government. Of course, this is a new task up on their sleevesย on top of the many things they do during tours.
Just when you think that tour guides only run commentaries as your bus rolls to the next site, think again. They perform other important roles such as interpreter, negotiator, tour manager, navigator, photographer and safety officer. And the truth is, sometimes they run errands or even carry things for us.
Travelling in this time of Covid-19 means tour guides will also act as enforcers ensuring everyone follows the safety protocols.ย Tours might pace slower now than in the past, so imagine them managing impatient guests. Also, it’s not far to think of them them doubling up as tour managers as many companies shrink their workforce.
Tour Guiding is Essential Spending
Tour guides are essential part of how we experience a destination. They are what makes the difference between plain sightseeing and a wonderful travel memory. Sure, their fees matter on your travel spendings but consider being cared for at a master’s level.
Travel for leisure in the near future will be regulated, monitored and government approved. Yes, whether we like it or not. And in a world used to DIY trips, hiring a guide is a positive change that needs readjustment.
No travel app can ever replace a good storytelling and the warmth of human interaction. No self-help guides from blogs or vlogs can take the place of a localโs insights of a destination. And yes, as we brave the uncertainty of coronavirus, tour guides will be there at the frontline of our next journeys.
-oOo-
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Betwixt and between the arthritic 40 and a horrendous body mass index of positive 30, escapism and yummyeology are my real-life double post-graduate degrees conferred with the highest honors. I lived nearly half of my life in fancy suitcases, jetsetting between reality and fantasy... read more
Comments ( 2 )
Wow. This is very beautifully written. For someone who almost always does DIY trips, I now appreciate the value of tour guides. In fact, as I now look back and reflect on those trips that I REALLY enjoyed in the past, they involved a tour guide. Thanks for writing this. Kudos to you!
Hi Danni! Thanks a lot. I do a lot of DIY trips too in the past. But yeah, having a guide is adding more comfort and information. Cheers! Hope we see that “beautiful day” to come sooner than we all expect.