Master in Tourist Management

The right mix of efficiency and competence

Tour guide

The tour guide, as defined by law, is he or she who "by profession, accompanying individuals or groups of people when traveling across the country or abroad, provides significant factors and news of interest to tourists on regional transit outside the competence of the guides. Figure specific skills, which is entrusted with the delicate task of interface between travel agencies and suppliers, from hotels to transport vectors. Unlike the technical director of an agency, the tour leader's managerial and executive responsibilities, but has all the technical and practical flexibility to give customers entrusted to him the best possible course of the trip or vacation. The importance and delicacy of the best role in ensuring the wider employment prospects.

Tasks

The tour guide is, in fact, the operational arm of the agency since the beginning of the trip: in essence, must ensure that everything works for the best. Accompanies tourists, support them, provide them with all the information needed for the trip and stay in place established, dealing with paperwork and customs when traveling abroad, takes care of hotel accommodation booked, collects all the needs and possible Travelers' complaints and tries to solve any practical matters to ensure the smooth operation of their vacation and better delivery of services offered by the agency for which he works. It must be dynamic, flexible and efficient way to deal with any situation - including mishaps, from canceled flights to lost luggage - and, if necessary, must be able to make contact with the authorities, the police forces, consulates and embassies.

Origins

The tour guide plays a very complex and  important role and this profession was already required in the old merchant law. Its first legal definition was in 1300  when for the Jubilee, the Holy See issued an edict which allowed some people  to assist the pilgrims who came to Rome. In the second half of  19th centutry, a special law came to regulate the professional qualifications of the accompaniment, or Courier, thus emphasizing the importance of a figure that had to be a real guarantee for the clients. This guarantee was essrential from the mid-twentieth century, when the proposal of the first all included travel by the major operators in Northern Europe inaugurated the so-called mass tourism, offering a powerful tool for knowledge and cultural to a higher number of people. A real revolution in the way of travel, which gave further impetus to the figure of the Tour guide. An impulse which, even today, continues to make a major figure in the industry.

Competences

The tour guide must have a well-established basic training, which includes an extensive knowledge of the tourism industry and all the mechanisms of the system. He/she must know at least one foreign language, learn to perfection the procedures and international regulations, besides being endowed with a strong practical sense to promptly resolve any situation. He/she has also a remarkable predisposition for interpersonal relationships, a great capacity for mediation and, of course, an inexhaustible passion for travel.

Professional qualifications

As the technical director of travel agency, even to work  as a tour guide you must enter  the list of the Province of residence. Membership is subject to a qualifying examination, which establishes the competence of candidates for the organization, geography and tourism law, regulations on communications and transport, and of course the language. In addition to training at the highest level, Up Level has all the information and technical and bureaucratic for the test of competency.

Job opportunities

The tour guide has excellent job opportunities. Much depends, in addition to the seriousness of basic training, from his personal ambitions and the value of experience that will make the field. The theoretical and practical skills that will aquire first with the Up Level Master, then with the evolution of his business, and different career opportunities even if one day you would stop travelling full time and you’d prefer to work  in operational roles as an 'internal travel agents and tour operators.