The tour leader’s services and characteristics

A TOUR LEADER is just one of the three tourism professions existing in Italy, NOT TO BE CONFUSED with a TOURIST GUIDE, nor with the Italian profession of “GUIDA AMBIENTALE-ESCURSIONISTICA” (=Nature and Walking Guide)

The main characteristics of a good tour leader are:

• The authority of a real leader, knowing how to convince others. In order to keep to a programme and for the safety of all concerned it is often essential to follow the tour leader’s instructions;
• Being a mine of practical information: how to telephone in the country visited, how to exchange money, what to eat, what is worth buying, what to do and what to avoid, and so on;
• Quick reactions, able to make decisions and be adaptable, with a marked organizational spirit, able to respond autonomously in face of the most diverse circumstances that can arise in a group during a journey (hotel rooms not available, coaches not arriving on time and transport delays in general, programmed visits cancelled due to bad weather, local guides that do not speak Italian, people feeling unwell, travellers that cannot live without their own national food, etc.);
• Clear and precise communication of directions to the group, able to capture the interest of the group;
• Looking after public relations in the different contexts that arise (knowing how to negotiate with coach drivers, local contacts, traffic wardens, police, local guides, check-in staff at airports, flight assistants, hotel managers, cloakroom staff, hotel porters, museum custodians, etc);
• Diligently keep informed and up to date regarding the programmed destinations, to avoid as far as possible all errors and time wasting;
• Able to tune into your wavelength to share your likes and interests.