tour leader tips and tricks

What are the golden rules of tour guiding? 10 tips to help you shine

By Breanna Lawlor

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Most tour and activity providers find themselves embracing a career in the travel industry through an appreciation for certain cultures or destinations. But to be successful in this role, you need to know which tour guide rules to keep in mind.

As a tour guide, you have a profound impact on how a guest interacts with their surroundings. And you also have the power to offer guests a life-changing experience through your charm and wit.

Sure, you don’t have to become the expert on the komodo dragon or shark mating rituals, but does it hurt to have a few fun facts at the ready? 

Nope! 

Ultimately, a skilled tour guide will know when to turn up the charm and dial the facts back to match the bandwidth of their audience. And as a tour guideline, you should adjust your performance based on the feedback and social cues you receive from your audience.

TL; DR: To be a fantastic tour guide, you should be full of enthusiasm, knowledge and kindness.

What are the golden rules of tour guiding

For many, guiding tours is an ideal way to see the world while getting paid to travel.

However, the role of a tour guide can be highly impactful, if you focus on making it fun and entertaining. Not only do you have endless opportunities to meet fascinating people from all over the globe, but you’ll never stop learning. 

It makes sense that some of the best tour guides are hungry to connect with new people and enjoy reciting fun facts about what makes a place special. And whether you’re a pro or just starting out, it helps to know which tour guidelines to follow. 

1. Be present, punctual and full of personality

There are few things worse than a tour guide who isn’t engaging, especially when guests arrive with high expectations. Show a vested interest in your guests during the first meeting — especially if you have a few early bird arrivals.

And since this role is equal parts education and entertainment, people with big personalities tend to do well as tour guides. This is a credit to having the ability to add a little extra zest to an experience.

Personalize the experience

The reason why people still book live tours is that in-person delivery is better than reading a guidebook. Ultimately, you have the power to transform an ordinary encounter into something more memorable. To do this, you’ll want to become a storyteller.

Do you know what’s worse than being a tour guide without a funny bone? Being hard to hear! If guests are straining to follow what you’re saying, they’ll likely tune you out. 

And, even better if you can drum up fodder that travelers will not be able to find in a guidebook. Whether it’s because it’s new, insider knowledge or off-the-cuff — fun facts can send your guests into a fit of laughter and keep them engaged.

2. Know your stuff — as a tour guide rule

What do travelers often rave with tour guides? Approachability and good candour tend to show up in 5-star reviews, highlighting how a good attitude goes a long way.

You’ll need to stay up-to-date on the subject matter because guests are going to expect you to have all of the answers. With that said, you do not need to fib if you receive a curveball question. Instead, invite the audience to chime in if they have an answer or commit to finding out and responding at a later time.

Still, no matter how much you prepare, some travelers will throw some quizzical questions your way. Lean into your ability to charm and dazzle people with your local knowledge to escape these encounters unfazed.

Take time to prepare

Understandably, tour guides should have all of their ducks in a row once the tour starts. Dedicate time to doing a dry-run of your tours in advance to avoid potential hiccups that might pop up en route.

Typically, guides know where they are going, have a good sense of direction, anticipate when local restaurants and popular landmarks will be open and busy while also gauging optimal times for travel overall. 

3. Engage with guests while sharing tour guidelines

Get to know your guests by striking up a conversation. There’s something known as the “third thing”. I learned about it from a brilliant architect friend who shared that wherever two people can find an item or topic they are familiar with, it helps to strike up a conversation. 

In reviews, tour guides who are engaging and entertaining receive high praise. We know that becoming a 5-star tour guide takes work, but the added effort will pay off through reviews and word-of-mouth referrals.

Becoming a skilled communicator

Guests want a tour guide is confident and fun to be around. You’ll want to conduct the tour at a pace and tone that’s easy to follow. What does this sound like?

Use inclusive language to make guests feel welcome. The best way to brush up on your communication skills is to use them on a regular basis. Invite discussion and provide context for your guests to ask questions.

4. Offer helpful and timely insight

When leading a tour group, you’ll likely be commenting on things you’ve seen many times before. Imagine yourself in the shoes of a traveler. 

So while you may find yourself constantly searching for new ways to talk about the same thing, it’s the first time for many — if not all — of your guests. When you share stories or recite unconventional facts, small details like these kick the experience up a notch.

Try changing up your route or focusing on different sensory receptors to offer fresh and fun ways of re-visiting the same places.

You want to create an inclusive guided experience that welcomes all types of travelers — including kids, visitors with mobility challenges and slower-paced adventurers. 

5. Address guests and answer questions

Some travelers might initially be nervous to ask you questions because they will yet to have a rapport with you. 

Think about common questions guests have and aim to proactively address them with your guests. And determine which facts you believe will be most advantageous for guests to know, then share them — openly. 

To combat this, position yourself as a friendly and approachable guide who’s here to do just that — guide their experience. Reiterate how the tour is theirs alone, but your role is to facilitate the best experience possible.

Speak loud and proud

Annunciate. Broadcast. Project. This is not a time to use your library voice. I mean, there’s a balance, but aim to be vocal enough that passersby find themselves eavesdropping on what you’re sharing. 

An added benefit is if your tour heads somewhere quiet, guests will be tuned in to your voice and more likely to lean in if you’ve been using inflection to command their attention.

Aim to be full of charisma

While hard to define — charisma is a core element of becoming a successful tour guide. 

It can be summarized as one part charm, one part knowledge and one part wit with a dash of humour for good measure. 

6. Demonstrate good time-management and organizational skills

Leading by example is one of the most effective ways of gaining the trust of your audience. Sure, you’ll probably contend with a few latecomers on tours — but don’t let this derail the entire group.

For visitors arriving at a new location, they tend to have a lot of questions. On your tour, aim to proactively answer them and allow space to respond to your curious followers. 

To better frame the experience, give your tour a dry-run. Without the pressure of a tour group, you can see when certain dining spots, viewpoints or transportation routes will be busy, and adjust your plans to maximize the visitor experience.

7. Infuse storytelling as part of your tour guide rules

There are plenty of advantages to becoming a skilled storyteller. First, as travelers, we thrive on stories. They help to forge new neural pathways and turn ordinary encounters into something more relatable.

And second, while it can feel intimidating to share personal anecdotes and memories, storytelling elevates the tour for your guests. Plus, you can ad lib and you’ll have guests who are none the wiser.

Peter Syme shares something called the Peak Design Rule , where he suggests tour guides identify elements throughout your tour that is most helpful, entertaining and valuable, and design your tour around that. 

Travelers develop a greater capacity to recount their adventures in a favourable light with personalized tours.

8. Keep things moving

When you step into the role of tour guide, you assume the responsibility of educator and entertainer .

There will be times when you have a restless audience member or guests that tune you out. Don’t panic — instead, aim to keep a consistent pace throughout your tour.

Account for buffer time throughout your route, giving consideration to guests of all ages and mobilities. And once a tour begins — keep that trust going by letting visitors know what to expect next and offering reasons behind each stop you have planned along the route.

9. Offer breaks

If you’re leading a scenic tour, note a few stopping points en route where guests can expect to have a few minutes to snap photos and take in the view. Allow ample time for breaks while on tour. They allow guests to feel refreshed and ready for the next stop on the tour.

In addition, short pauses help guests rest up, so they have the capacity to mentally digest more information.

Bring some snacks along

Instead of waiting until the eleventh hour to lead your guests to a dining location, bring snacks and water as a safety mechanism. This is especially useful for guests traveling with young children. And while it’s not expected, it can absolutely save the day for a family who just needs a little extra support.

Food can act as a bridge between cultures. You’ve probably heard the term “hangry” or been on the receiving end of a guest who’s coping with low blood sugar.

Ultimately, you’ll have some guests who are keen to see the next vantage point and a handful of tour guests that are more inclined to take their time meandering along the route. 

10. Start and end tours on time

There will always be guests who misgauge timing or location and show up late to a tour. And while travelers might visit a location for the first time and find themselves running behind, this should not take away from your fellow guests who arrived on time. 

One thing you should have control over is whether your tour or activity ends on time. Instill a walking pace that accounts for little ones and more mature travelers, by building in some buffer into your schedule. 

This way you can feel good about pausing to talk more in depth throughout your tour. 

Research proves people tend to remember negative experiences more readily than positive encounters.  It could be that guests are hardwired to weigh bad encounters differently than positive ones, but it’s also a way of keeping them safe from repeating the same mistake in the future.   

Helpful tour guide rules to keep in mind

Ideally, you want to create opportunities for guests to feel included and listened to throughout your tour. If it works for your style, ask questions in advance and help them to feel involved in the experience.

But, one thing to keep in mind is that your job isn’t done when the tour ends — you’ll want to bookend the tour for guests with options for learning more along with prompts for a review.

• Guests don’t know what you know — overshare information to keep visitors in the loop
• Include a safety overview whether it’s related to gear, the location or the route
• Provide guidelines for what to expect and how they can expect to interact with you/others
• Let guests know where to find washrooms en route
• Build in buffer timing in case guests are late

As a general tour guide rule, the greater amount a guest pays, the more they will expect from the lead tour guide. You may find that tipping is activity and location-dependant.

But with guests visiting from all over the world, make sure you share how tips indicate that you’ve done a great job and while not required, are greatly appreciated.

Set a tone of curiosity, competency and confidence early on. This way, travelers arriving bright-eyed and bushy-tailed — will be ready to trust you to show them the world.

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10 Tips for Being a Good Tour Guide

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• By: Emily Potter

In the spring of 2013, when a hint of warmer weather got us ready to think about being outside, we put together a toolkit with ideas to help you organize a tour in your community . But don’t let the current chilly winter season stop you from giving―or going on―tours.

Instead, use these 10 tips, compiled by Johns Hopkins, Executive Director of Baltimore Heritage , to help you be the best tour guide you can be. (Not a tour guide? These tips can also give you insight into being a good tour goer.)

1. Face the crowd, not what you’re talking about. Tour guides often get so wrapped up in their subject they forget to face the people they are addressing. One secret to avoid this is to designate somebody in the crowd to interrupt you if they can’t hear you.

2. Be personal. No matter how much we love buildings, it’s a fact that people connect with people. So it’s good to have a few personal anecdotes ready, even if they’re just about past tours you've done. You’ll build a more personal connection to your group and create a memorable tour.

3. Tell a story (historical or contemporary). Make sure you have a few fun and compelling stories to tell about the buildings and sites you’re looking at. People are more likely to feel engaged when they are listening to a story, rather than a list of dates and names.

photo by: Marcin Wichary, Flickr

Tell a story, share your passion, get your tour group engaged in the places and sites you're excited about.

4. Get moving right away. Tours often get bogged down before they ever begin with tour guides doing the “big wind-up”―introductions, setting the theme, providing context, etc. Plan to scrap 90% of it.

Hint: If you have a script, the first line should tell you: “Move thirty feet up the street before you say anything.”

5. Don’t worry about being perfect. People don’t expect you to be perfect. Set the stage for human imperfection by acknowledging that people who may know more than you should speak up and share their knowledge with the group. The more interactive the tour is, the better!

6. Get help to get organized. Try to get a volunteer to check people in so you can chat with tour goers. People give tours for many reasons, but a big one is to meet new people, and the time before the tour is a great chance to get to know your group.

Hint: If you don’t have a volunteer beforehand, ask somebody on the spot. (They’ll love it!)

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7. End on time. (Or try very hard to.) Try like crazy to end on time. Nobody wants to feel like they are in tour jail. Tours on paper always seem too short and on the ground are always too long. Two hours is the absolute maximum. An hour to an hour and a half is better.

8. Limit your number of speakers. It’s hard to talk for just five minutes, so when you have multiple guides talking about different subject areas, it’s easy to lose track of time. Avoid it if you can, but, if you do have several different guides with you, designate one as the lead guide and the others as experts in a specific area.

9. Send a follow-up email. Follow up with an email―it can be as simple as a “thank you” note. If you can follow the tour with another contact, by email or otherwise, that’s another step towards creating a better link between the tour taker and your organization.

10. Avoid these traps:

• “12 (or 20…) people on the tour is the max.” Rather, let the space and tour guide set the scene.
• “You MUST plan everything out ahead of time.” In fact, a little spontaneity is good.
• “Don’t do outdoor tours in the winter.” People will still come, even in the snow.
• “Always have a backup plan in case it rains.” Don’t worry, people will come out in the rain, and it’s much easier than rescheduling.

A version of this story was published on 1/5/2016.

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Tour Guides Tell All: This Is How You Should (and Shouldn’t) Act on a Group Tour

Ashley Rossi

Ashley Rossi is always ready for her next trip. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram for travel tips, destination ideas, and off the beaten path spots.

After interning at SmarterTravel, Ashley joined the team full time in 2015. She's lived on three continents, but still never knows where her next adventure will take her. She's always searching for upcoming destination hotspots, secluded retreats, and hidden gems to share with the world.

Ashley's stories have been featured online on USA Today, Business Insider, TripAdvisor, Huffington Post, Jetsetter, and Yahoo! Travel, as well as other publications.

The Handy Item I Always Pack : "A reusable filtered water bottle—it saves you money, keeps you hydrated, and eliminates waste—win-win."

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Whether it’s your first group tour or you’re a seasoned pro, these 10 tips will help make your next group tour experience a smooth and drama-free one. I interviewed dozens of tour guides to find their pet peeves, horror stories, and tips on how not to end up on a tour leader’s blacklist.

How You Should (and Shouldn’t) Act on a Group Tour

The one thing that all group tour guides have in common, is that unpunctual travelers are one of the most annoying things to deal with on a group tour. One of the greatest benefits of group tours is that everything is pre-planned so you don’t have to put extra thought into things like transportation and what your next activity will be. Showing up late is not only disrespectful, but could ruin the day’s schedule—which you (and everyone else) paid for.

“Being late, even by 10 minutes, not only holds others up but can also mean you miss out on important moments,” says Gary Willment of Trafalgar . “The sunset that will bring you to tears over the city, or your front seats at a local show.”

Nelle Lees of G Adventures shared a tactic some tour guides use for chronically late travelers: “Some guides have been known to plot with the on-time travelers and pull the bus out of view, to give the procrastinators the brief feeling that they missed their ride,” Lees says. “It’s done in good fun, but it helps make a point when the procrastinator doesn’t listen.”

Ask Questions

As Johannes Reck from GetYourGuide says: “Tours aren’t lectures, they’re conversations.” That means you should be participating by listening and asking questions.

“Trained guides usually possess a wealth of knowledge that goes far beyond what they’ve planned to share on a given tour, so it’s up to you to engage them,” Reck says. “Odds are, if you’ve got a burning question, someone else is wondering the same thing.”

That being said, asking too many questions can get annoying to a tour leader, especially if you’re holding up the tour group or you question an expert guide’s knowledge. So, ask relevant questions when you have them, and trust your tour leader’s answers—it’s their job to be right.

Get to Know Your Fellow Travelers

Group tours tend to be longer than your typical vacation, so use the opportunity to build some life-long friendships. Trafalgar’s Willment has an easy suggestion for this: Don’t always sit with the same people.

Kristen Mack of Tauck agrees. “We’ve had many incredible friendships (and more than a few wonderful marriages) launched among guests who first met on tour,” she told me. “Seeing the world with a group or like-minded, curious people truly enhances the travel experience.”

Even if you don’t get along with everyone in the group, be respectful. When you’re traveling with people from other countries, keep in mind that customs and routines may differ. If you’re traveling with someone you know, don’t talk exclusively to them—make an effort to include everyone in the group.

Tour leaders also say that one of their biggest pet peeves is travelers who constantly only think of themselves first, whether they’re hogging the front seat of a van or insisting on having their photo taken first. Don’t be that person.

Show Appreciation

This is oftentimes forgotten on a group tour because there’s a stigma that you already paid for the trip and expect a certain type of experience, or level of service, in return. And while that may be true, you should still thank not only your tour guide every so often, but remember to show appreciation to locals, wait staff, hotel staff, and other guides you encounter.

This includes tipping. If you’re wondering how much or why, Cristina Lombardi, owner of Follow Me New York City Adventures says: “Guides expect to be tipped. The tip should be a reflection of the number of hours and days the guide spent with you and how pleasant, knowledgeable, etc. they were (or weren’t).”

Pick a Compatible Tour

As STA Travel points out: “There’s a group tour to fit nearly any traveler. Keep in mind while researching: the age group you’d like to travel with, your own activity level, and even the type of accommodation you’d prefer.”

If you do your research and know what you’re getting yourself into, you’ll have a much better experience and won’t be caught off guard. While it’s impossible to predict who’s on your group tour, Lindsey Epperly of Epperly Travel has some recommendations for choosing a tour.

“Look for companies that cater to travelers around your age group and offer to waive single supplement rates,” Epperly says. “For younger travelers, G Adventures and Intrepid Travel cater to clients in their 20s and 30s and you’ll often find other solo guests to spend time with. For older travelers who might enjoy relaxing a bit more than a coach [bus] tour would allot, many of the major cruise lines will waive single supplements for solo guests on select sailings.”

Be Open to Plan B

Be flexible. “You travel to experience new places, so be open to trying new foods, staying in hotels and hostels that aren’t always [up to] U.S.-standards, and soaking up local culture by chatting up your tour mates and locals,” says STA Travel. “Everyone has something they want to do that they will have to forgo,” says Lombardi. You’ll have a much better experience if you accept that from the get-go.

And when things don’t go as planned: “Try to turn calamity into comedy,” suggests Lees. “How people react to it can make or break the trip for them. Think about how to turn it into a funny story or Instagram blooper … so it can become a trip highlight instead of a catastrophe.”

Follow the Rules

While this one may seem obvious, it’s often a pet peeve for group tour leaders. Many tour companies have their own specific set of rules or guidelines—read them and be sure to respect them. If these means no smoking in rooms or in the van or bus, then you need to abide by that. If the trip is for solo travelers or singles only, don’t bring your spouse or friend. The same goes for following local laws and customs. Ultimately, you’ll be responsible for your own behavior—not the group tour company.

Be Prepared

Prepare for your group tour just as you would any other vacation. As Reck says: “Your guide is not your babysitter.” You’ll need to pack accordingly for your trip, especially if it’s to multiple destinations, or abroad.

Booking a group tour doesn’t mean you don’t need your passport, medications, emergency contact information, and proper attire. STA Travel recommends that all of their travelers have a phone charger or memory bank at all times, and to keep cash in a few separate places during the trip, to avoid theft and as an emergency backup.

Make Special Requests Ahead of Time

Whether it’s an allergy or an accessibility concern, Fred Ackerman of Black Sheep Adventures says you should speak up. “There’s nothing worse than finding out after a trip a guest was displeased with an aspect of the service that could have been solved on tour.”

More likely than not, a guide will be able to accommodate special requests on a group tour as long as there is advance notice. Communicate with your travel or booking agent directly, and follow up with your tour leader or primary contact prior to your departure.

Remember, You’re on Vacation

This one’s self-explanatory. On group tours travelers can get caught up in the logistics, and are more likely to let one bad moment ruin a trip. “You’ve likely spent months, maybe even years, planning for this trip. So when you arrive, don’t forget to live in the moment,” Willment says. “Laugh with the locals, eat the delicious food, and if in my home country of Wales, sing until your lungs give out. Try and say yes to every experience.”

More from SmarterTravel:

• I Hated Group Tours … Until I Tried One
• 14 Tips for Choosing the Right Group Tour
• 8 Essential Tips for Group Travel

Editor’s Note: Some direct quotes in this story have been condensed or edited for clarity.

We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.

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The complete guide to successful tour guide management

By Checkfront Marketing

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As a tour operator, each day is filled with a variety of responsibilities. From juggling the day-to-day operations to helping guests to tour guide management, the job description can be long. 

One of the most important resources you’ll dedicate time to will be to your tour guides. As the face of your business, the quality of experience your tour company provides is directly connected to the skills and traits your tour guides possess. 

Taking the time to educate, coach and engage your tour guides will create an incredible team that offers outstanding experiences.

Wondering how to best support your tour guides? We’ll walk you through some of our top tour guide management tips, including training resources, feedback tips, and more. 

How do I hire great tour guides

A strong team starts with a well-planned and intentional hiring process. To begin, reflect on what your goals are for the company. 

What kind of experience do you want to offer? How about the values you want to live by? And what qualities are important in your staff? 

Once you have a clear idea of what you are looking for in a tour guide, write a compelling job description outlining the tour guide job responsibilities and post it online. 

Then, when you hear back from potential candidates, an interview allows you to get a sense of who the applicants are and why they’d make an incredible tour guide.

At this point, it’s important to dig deeper into skills, values, goals, and personality. These are the things that will filter out those that know what makes a good tour guide from the ones who don’t. 

So, what are the qualities of a good tour guide? There are seven qualities that all great tour guides have in common:

• Communication
• Storytelling
• Flexibility
• Punctuality
• Sensitivity

These qualities can easily be seen when you interview a potential candidate. Be sure to ask questions that help determine their values and goals – these will tell you what the candidate finds important. 

Throughout the interview, you’ll see personality shine through as candidates answer questions. If you get a good first impression, it’s likely your guests will also.

What is a tour guide responsible for

When you break it down to the very basics, there are three core areas that tour guides are responsible for. When it comes to how you manage your tour guides, keep these responsibilities in mind.

1. Providing a great experience

Tour guides are a key part of your guests’ experience. From guiding a tour to sharing engaging stories to providing travel tips and local recommendations, a great tour guide offers immense value to your guests. And the work begins before welcoming guests, so it’s key for your team to know what a tour guide has to do before a tour.

2. Safety of guests

For guests, part of any great experience is knowing that they’re safe and have no need to worry. Inherently, they trust tour operators and tour guides to provide them with an outstanding experience, with safety as the number one priority.

3. Representing your company

As your tour guides are the ones connecting directly with guests, your tour guides represent your business and should demonstrate the values that your company operates on.

How to manage tour guides

Once you’ve determined your vision for your business and have hired a fantastic team, it’s time to manage your tour guides! This isn’t limited to training and scheduling – tour guide management is an ongoing process and should be a regular focus.

When it comes to managing tour guides, it can be challenging to provide a balanced approach. We recommend focusing on the four following categories to provide a well-rounded approach to tour guide management:

You may be wondering how to train a tour guide , so let’s start with the basics. After you’ve hired a tour guide, you’ll want to spend some time creating a solid onboarding plan. Here are some suggestions:

1. Show them around

Give your new team member a tour around the property, introduce them to the rest of the team, and share any basic bits of information that will be helpful for them to know. 

Consider sending them out on tour to get to know the flow and structure while experiencing it as a guest. These tips will make your new tour guide feel at ease, and provide a clear example of what you’re expecting from them as a tour guide.

2. Have them job shadow other guides

As mentioned earlier, it’s a great idea to give your new tour guide an opportunity to learn from other tour guides, as they may be wondering exactly what they’re supposed to do.

Your current tour guides know the route, script, and commonly-asked questions while being ready to troubleshoot, so it’s beneficial to have a new tour guide shadow them. That way, they’ll gain knowledge from their seasoned teammates and experience the tour first-hand as a guest.

3. Supervise their first few tours

While it can be anxiety-provoking to have someone observe their first few tours, it is essential for a new tour guide to get some feedback, both positive and constructive, as they get comfortable in their new role. 

Both new and seasoned tour guides can benefit from ongoing education. Tour guides juggle many responsibilities – managing groups, time management, navigation, entertainment – the list goes on! 

Encourage your tour guides to diversify their skill set by participating in courses related to tour guiding.

What does this look like? The sky is the limit! There are many different courses that can provide value to tour guides. A couple of ideas include:

Photography

Travellers appreciate having photos as souvenirs of their favourite experiences. Tour guides can take some great snapshots of guests while out exploring or immersed in the activity, that you can gift or they can purchase prints for taking home. Not only that, these images can be used for marketing purposes and branding.

Public speaking 

Tour guides spend most of their time speaking to guests, including following the script, providing additional facts, answering questions on the fly, and cracking jokes.

Any tour guide should consider fine-tuning their public speaking skills to make the tour less of a presentation and more of a conversation.

Perhaps the most important thing? Allow your tour guides to pursue courses and educational opportunities that speak to their personal interests. 

This will create a knowledgeable, well-rounded team who feel empowered to pursue and share their passions, which will always result in a better experience for your guests. And whether guests enjoy a tour guide or have a few comments to add, you’ll want to make a point to gather their feedback.

What do I do if a tour guide is consistently late? Or if a tour guide has been receiving negative reviews? 

Feedback is a critical, yet tricky, aspect of tour guide management. It can be uncomfortable to give feedback, but constructive conversations enable your tour guides to continuously grow in their role.

The best way to deliver feedback is to provide actionable steps while taking an empathetic approach. 

Before you have the conversation, first ask yourself if this particular piece of feedback needs to be shared. If it is important to share, there are four principles to follow when sharing feedback:

1. Approach with neutrality

While it can be challenging to keep cool, calm and collected, it is important to enter the conversation without strong emotion. 

Your goal should be to deliver the feedback without causing the tour guide to feeling defensive and creates a space for constructive dialogue.

2. Consider the guide’s perspective

Be understanding and empathetic. Your guides will naturally feel nervous during these conversations. 

To create a dialogue that is both respectful and constructive, avoid accusations, lead with a solution, share your learned experience, and provide general coaching tips.

3. Offer ongoing team training 

Try providing group skill-building sessions – this will benefit tour guides in need of specific coaching as well as seasoned tour guides who may need a refresher. 

Encourage your experienced guides to take a mentorship role with newer guides and let growth happen naturally. 

4. Prioritize regular communication

Make an effort to communicate regularly with all of your staff. That way, a feedback conversation will be one of many conversations you have. Share positive feedback with the entire team and remember to always lead with positivity and support.

We’ve all been there – following the same script every day can become routine and not-so-inspiring.

While interacting with a variety of guests helps break up the routine, a powerful motivator for your tour guides will be opportunities for engagement. This will look different for everyone, but some engaging activities can include:

1. Guide-to-guide education

Every guide will excel at one thing over the other guides. One may have a knack for conflict resolution while another excels at storytelling. 

Encourage your tour guides to share tips and tricks with their colleagues. This will foster a culture of communication and growth within your business, which will keep your tour guides enriched and engaged.

2. Guest speakers

Consider bringing in guest speakers to inspire your tour guides. This could be a local historian who knows all the interesting facts about your region or an inspiring leader in the tourism industry. 

Having someone share stories with your guides can provide new information to share on tours or a newfound passion for the industry.

3. Facetime with each traveller

Ignite curiosity in your tour guides with an inspiring traveller passionate about exploring new experiences. 

This could be someone who loves travel or even an actual guest. Host an ‘ask me anything ’ session where guides can ask a traveller in-depth questions about what it’s like being on a tour, including things like what they wish more tour guides would do or what their favourite tour experience was and why. 

These sessions allow your guides to find answers to any questions they may have about your guests’ experience and provides information that can be used to provide an even better experience for future guests.

4. Share personal stories

Personal stories make tours unique. Encourage your guides to share stories with each other, as they may enhance the route’s narrative. 

For example, if one guide has grown up in a neighbourhood where the tour passes through, other guides can share a story about their colleague to personalize it. 

Alternatively, guides can collaborate and share the stories they tell on their tours to create a collective of stories your guides can share.

5. Encourage professional development

Most people, regardless of the industry they work in, want to continuously grow and develop throughout their careers. 

Invest time in allowing your tour guides to build skills. Whether they’re interested in social media and content creation, evaluating tours, or creating company values, allowing your tour guides to explore a variety of skills will make them well-rounded and content employees. 

Final thoughts

When it comes to tour guide management, there are many things a tour operator needs to consider. At the end of the day, as long as you remember to live by your values, lead with compassion, empower your tour guides, and remain passionate, you’ll create a strong team that provides an outstanding experience for your guests.

Interested in more resources for tour guides? 

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How To Be A Better Tour Guide

As a tour guide, you are a part of the hospitality and customer service industry and we know it isn’t always easy.  We’ve all heard the horror stories; demanding clients, late arrivals, unsatisfied customers, and troublemakers.

We wanted to help you out, so we’ve come up with a useful guide that will help you deal with “eccentric” customers and, overall, be a successful tour guide.

Don’t Just Be a Good Tour Guide, Be a Great Tour Guide

There are thousands of good tour guides out there, but don’t just be ordinary, be extraordinary! Learn what the difference is between a good tour guide and great tour guide.

1. Introduction

A Good Tour Guide: Introduces themselves, welcomes you to the tour, and gives a brief breakdown of the schedule.

A Great Tour Guide: Gets to know their tour group.

Action Step:   Ask where your group is from, why they’re visiting, and what their interests are.

Get the group to get to know each other

Action Step: Play a game of Elimination Rock, Paper, Scissors, where you get everyone to pick someone to play against.  The loser stops playing while the winner continues to play with another winner until their are only two people left.  This is a great way to break the ice in a short time, without too much small talk.  Maybe even think of a small prize to award the winner.

2. Sight-Seeing

A Good Tour Guide: Shows his/her group all the sights on the tour.

A Great Tour Guide: Maximizes enjoyment on the tour

Action Step:  Do some research to map out when the best sights will be the least crowded.

Listens to what his/her group wants

Action Step: At the request of one of your group members, show any additional sights that they want to see.

Recommend the best places to eat, shop, and buy souvenirs

Action Step: Recommend the best places to eat shop and buy souvenirs.  Don’t base your recommendation off of a commission you may receive from a store.  Travellers have a good sense for when they are being pushed into a retail situation that benefits the guide.  Emphasize quality and experience.

3. Time Management

A Good Tour Guide: Will make sure that you stick to the schedule and see all the sights on time.

A Great Tour Guide: Is Flexible

Action Step: Be aware of the start and end time of the tour but if your customers are enjoying a particular sight, let them stay a while.

Doesn’t Rush

Action Step: Don’t rush your customers, remind yourself that you are on their time.

4.  Commentary

A Good Tour Guide: Gives a basic historical and cultural background of the sights.

A Great Tour Guide: Is a story teller

Action Step: Be passionate about your story telling – Use arm gestures, a high speaking volume, and facial expressions.

Watch this video on how to be a great story teller

Integrates personal anecdotes

Action Step: Tell your group your personal thoughts on the good, the bad, and the ugly of your city – trust me, they’ll laugh!

5.  Local Knowledge

A Good Tour Guide: Is familiar with the city and/or country of the tour.

A Great Tour Guide: Is a traveller

Action Step: Include stories from your own traveling adventures.

Really understands the city and/or country they are guiding

Action Step: Highlight the uniqueness of the city and/or country compared to other cities and countries.

6.Conclusion

A Good Tour Guide: Says his/her closing remarks and thanks you for coming.

A Great Tour Guide: Cares about the rest of his/her group’s trip

Action Step: Reccomend other sights, restaurants, etc. that you didn’t get to show them on the tour.

So there you have it- the difference between a good tour guide and a great tour guide.

Another factor of how to be a great tour guide is how you deal with difficult customers.

How to deal with customer complaints and late guests – two very common occurrences on tours.

How To Deal With Complaints

Working as a tour guide in the hospitality industry means that the customer is always right, even if they’re wrong.

Learn how to deal with customer complaints as democratically as possible with these tips and tricks.

Run a Great Tour

Instead of putting out fires, prevent them! Right from the start, be a professional, organized, and  fair tour guide.  Don’t give your customers anything to complain about!

Be Clear About Your Complaint Policy

During the introduction of your tour, be clear about your complaint policy.

• That you will do your best to make everyone on the tour happy.
• That you are willing to hear what everyone has to say.
• That you will respond as quickly and fairly as possible to the complaint.
• The procedure the guest has to follow to file a complaint.
• How you and your team will respond to the complaint.

Be Professional

Since it can be difficult to deal with angry guests, train your staff ahead of time so that they are familiar with the procedure on how to deal with complaints.

Here are a few good rules of thumb to follow:

• Respond quickly: The guest will want to feel like you heard them and that you care about their complaint.  Dealing with the complaint quickly also means the customer is less likely to post their complaint on a site like TripAdvisor.
• Show your guest that you are listening: Use your body language to show the guest that you are actively listening to their complaint – Nod your head, keep eye contact, and verbalize that you understand.
• Thank your guest: Thank your tour guests for raising their concerns.
• Be patient, calm and empathetic: The guest may be acting unreasonable, but that doesn’t mean that you should too – If you remain patient, calm and empathetic then they will likely mimic your approach.
• Verbalize how you will manage the complaint: Letting the guest know what your plan is to manage the complaint will make them feel satisfied. Breakdown what happens next and when.
• Involve your guest in the solution: Ask them if there is anything that they would like you to do to solve the problem.
• Update your guest on the status of their complaint: Let your guest know that you haven’t forgotten about them and where their complaint is in the filing process.

Send a follow-up email asking your guest how they are doing – If necessary, send a discount or promotional offer.

Remember that your reputation is on the line and unhappy customers will likely share their tour experience – So deal with complaints as best as you can!

Another difficult situation that can arise when running tours is late guests.

How To Deal With Late Guests

Organizing a large group of customers comes with a set of challenges – late guests being one of them.

Learn how to deal with late guests with these 5 tips and tricks!

Set Precedent

Set a time that the tour starts and make sure the tour actually starts at that time – As the tour guide you should be there about 15 minutes early to prepare anyways.

Being at the start location on time and starting on time shows your guests that you are taking your job and the tour seriously.

Set Reminders

Communicate as much as possible with your guests – Along with the tour’s itinerary, send text or email reminders 3-4 hours before the tour reminding your guests of the time and the location.

Be Strategic

Choose a strategic location for the start of the tour – Choosing a place that is difficult to find will increase the likelihood of late guests.

Send a map with a clearly marked route to the start location.

Be Prepared

Prepare a system for your late guests – Let them know where they can reach you or the tour office to find out your next location

Or send them the times and locations of all the spots on the tour so that they can meet you there.

If there is a crucial time and place that all the guests must be – for example, if the van leaves at 8:30 sharp, be clear and emphasize this point!

Remind them a few times that if they aren’t there on time, they will be left behind, but in the nicest way possible, of course.

Check out these 5 resources that can help you be an even better tour guide .

Written By | Rezgo

Rezgo helps experience providers grow their businesses with flexible online booking tools and personalized support. Focus on what you love and let us take care of the rest.

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5 Must-Have Tour Guide Skills to Look for When Hiring

In the bustling world of travel, have you ever wondered what turns a simple journey into a mesmerizing adventure? The answer lies in our tour guides. They're not just the backbone, but the soul of every tour, transforming ordinary getaways into moments that stay with you forever.

Whether you're a tour operator hunting for that diamond in the rough or a travel enthusiast curious about what makes tour leaders exceptional, this article has got you covered.

What you can expect from this blog:

• The Role of Tour Guides : Tour guides are the heartbeat of travel, turning ordinary trips into unforgettable experiences. Here's why.
• Key Skills : Exceptional guides have strong communication, genuine enthusiasm, adaptability, keen memory, multilingual capabilities, cultural sensitivity, and are tech-savvy. Know what to look for.
• Adaptability and Training : In the modern travel scene, adaptability and continuous learning are paramount. Investing in guide training enhances tour quality. Here's how to do so.

Understanding the Role of a Tour Guide

A tour guide is more than just a person who can recite facts about a various city or destination. They are the face of the tour company, responsible for engaging the tour group and enhancing the tour experience. Tour guides are the perfect tool for these tours, adding an extra layer of excitement and knowledge to any trip.

What makes a good tour guide?

Communicates well.

Strong communication skills are paramount in tour guiding. Tour guides must be articulate, engaging, and capable of answering multiple guest questions. Communication skills on tours often involve public speaking and active listening to ensure everyone in the group on tour feel open and heard. At times, they may even have to answer questions they answered multiple times already.

Unwavering enthusiasm and energy

Tour guides' enthusiasm can make or break the tour experience. High energy levels are essential for keeping guests interested and combating social awkwardness in a new group of travelers.

Balance is needed too. Tour guides who are too enthusiastic may appear inauthentic or even fake. Additionally, if a tour guide is too energetic, it can be difficult for guests to relax and enjoy the tour. Thus, for guests to feel comfortable and satisfied with a tour, tour guides need the right balance of enthusiasm and energy to sound genuine.

Flexibility and adaptability

A well-trained tour guide can adapt to various situations. Whether it be changing the itinerary due to unforeseen circumstances or tailoring their approach to meet the needs of different guests, improvisational skills are critical.

An expert guide may have to adjust the amount of information they provide for different locations or the pace of the tour. This is if a tour group consists of a variety of ages, for example. As a result, tour guides can be flexible and adaptable to different circumstances, enhancing the overall experience of the tour.

Impressive memory

A tour guide's ability to recall facts, stories, and personal anecdotes adds to the tour's engagement.

During a museum tour, for example, a museum guide may provide insight into the artist's life story and the history behind each piece of artwork. An explanation of the significance of certain plants in a botanical garden might be helpful for him if he tours a botanical garden. This ability to remember and transfer information is crucial for a tour guide to be able to provide a memorable experience to the group.

A good storyteller

Combining a good sense of humor and captivating storytelling skills makes for an entertaining tour. This skill is where the finest tour guides shine, turning historical facts into engaging narratives.

Multilingual abilities

In today's globalized world, multilingual tour guides are valuable assets. For example, multilingual tour guides can bring a more authentic experience to tourists unfamiliar with a foreign place's language and culture. It broadens the tour business potential guest pool and adds extra convenience for tourists.

Cultural sensitivity

Excellent tour guides understand cultural differences. For instance, a tour guide should be aware of and respect local customs, such as dressing appropriately in a religious site or being mindful of cultural taboos. This ensures that all guests feel respected and included regardless of their background.

With the rise of social media marketing in the tourism industry, tech-savvy tour guides have an edge. Tour guides who are able to use booking software, create attractive digital content, and post regularly on social media will have a competitive advantage.

They can help you attract more customers and build strong relationships online. These talents can help you increase your customer base and generate more revenue for your business. Giving you the benefit of both online and social media marketing and tour guides.

The best guides know how to adapt to changing circumstances

In the post-COVID era, the travel industry emphasizes safety and sustainability like never before. Tour guides have a vital role in this shift, and their ability to adapt is crucial.

The finest guides are not just storytellers but also guardians of responsible travel. They stay up-to-date with health guidelines to ensure peace of mind for travelers. Moreover, their commitment to eco-friendly practices enriches the travel experience, connecting tourists to destinations meaningfully.

In turn, it gives you tour operators better relationships between your tour business and your guests. As travel evolves, outstanding, tour operators and guides excel by seamlessly merging safety with sustainability. Their adaptability is key to offering not just a trip, but a responsible and enriching journey.

Training your guides to be better tour guides

• Invest in Regular Tour Guide Training : Encourage your guides to be lifelong learners. Offer workshops on storytelling techniques, history updates, and other relevant topics. An informed tour leader translates to a more engaging and enriching tour.
• Foster Community Connections : The magic of a memorable tour often lies in its authenticity. Set up interactions and partnerships with local communities. This allows your guides to weave in genuine stories and experiences, making each trip unique and resonant for travelers.
• Prioritize timely briefings: The world changes rapidly. Regular briefings on public health guidelines, local events, or even seasonal attractions ensure that your guides are always in the know. This not only ensures a seamless experience but also instills confidence in your travelers, knowing they're in well-informed hands.

Remember, a guide isn't just a person leading the way but the heart and soul of the tour experience. Investing in best tour guides and in their growth is an investment in the quality of your experiences.

In today's travel world, the distinction between an ordinary and unforgettable journey often hinges on your tour guides. These individuals are more than narrators; they're custodians of authentic, enriching travel experiences. Key skills to prioritize when hiring tour guides or training include:

• Effective communication.
• Genuine enthusiasm.
• Quick adaptability to changes.
• A sharp memory that enhances storytelling.
• Multilingual capabilities.
• Cultural sensitivity.
• Tech-savvy for the modern era.

With the emphasis on safety and sustainability in travel, adaptability has never been more crucial. Continuously upskill your guides to ensure they remain at the forefront of the industry. Investing in your guides directly amplifies the quality of your tours, creating lasting memories for everyone.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a tour guide.

A tour guide leads groups of travelers or tourists to specific locations. He provides information, stories personal anecdotes, tips, and insights about the place, its history, and its culture.

What are the ten qualities of a tour guide?

The top 10 qualities of a great tour guide would include:

• Strong communication skills.
• Passion for the tourism industry.
• In-depth knowledge of the tour destination.
• Organized approach.
• Enthusiasm and energy.
• Empathy for travelers.
• Problem-solving abilities.
• Flexibility and adaptability.
• A good sense of humor.
• Professionalism in all interactions.

What are the five roles of a tour guide?

The five primary roles of a tour guide are:

• Educator: Imparting own knowledge about the tour destination.
• Entertainer: Making the tour engaging and entertaining.
• Organizer: Ensuring the tour runs smoothly.
• Leader: Leading the tour group and ensuring their safety.
• Ambassador: Representing the tour company and promoting its business.

What does a tour guide do in a daily basis?  

Tour guides prepare for tours by reviewing their materials. He leads groups through designated locations, shares knowledge and anecdotes, answers questions, manages group dynamics, and ensures guests' safety and satisfaction.

Why are skills essential in tour guiding?  

Skills are crucial in tour guiding, ensuring guests have an engaging, informative, and memorable tour experience. A skilled tour guide can effectively communicate, manage group dynamics, and handle unexpected situations, enhancing the overall tour experience.

What makes you a good tour guide?  

A good tour guide possesses knowledge, passion, and strong communication skills. They are organized and enthusiastic and can connect with a diverse group of travelers, ensuring each guest feels valued and informed.

How can I improve my tour guide skills?  

To get new skills and improve tour guide skills, one can attend workshops, seek feedback from guests, stay updated with the latest information about the best tour and locations, practice public speaking, and engage in continuous learning through courses and certifications in the travel industry.

Is being a tour guide a hard job? 

Being a top tour operator or guide can be challenging as it requires managing various responsibilities, from ensuring guests' safety to providing an engaging tour experience. However, it can also be advantageous with passion and guiding job skills.

What are the qualities of a tour guide?  

The qualities of a good tour guide should include strong communication skills, in-depth knowledge, enthusiasm, adaptability, professionalism, and a genuine passion for sharing stories and experiences with guests.

What is the most essential trait a tour guide must possess and why?  

The most important quality a tour guide must have is effective communication. This ensures they can convey information, answer questions, and engage with guests, making the tour memorable and informative.

What are the most critical responsibilities of a tour guide?  

The primary duties of a tour guide include:

• Ensuring guests' safety.
• Providing accurate and engaging information.
• Managing the tour schedule.
• Addressing any concerns or questions from the group.

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How to Double Your Tips As a Tour Guide

This is a guest post from Kelsey Tonner from Be A Better Guide . Check out his website for excellent information on leading amazing tours. One of the largest gratuities I ever received while working as a tour guide took place on a cycling tour in Costa Rica. It was a wife and husband who were into birding in a big way, and were were pretty much in paradise with all the birds they were seeing. But part way through the group tour, I had an idea.I spoke with a local birding guide, and asked if he did early morning tours and how much it would cost. Later at dinner, I checked with my birding couple to see if they wanted to get up early for a private birding tour and told them how much it would cost. They were wildly excited, and had the time of their lives the next morning before our regularly scheduled activities.At the end of the tour I got a very generous tip from them (which essentially doubled my wages for the entire week) and they wrote a letter to my employer, stating that I was one of the best tour guides they've ever had. All of that for about 15- to 20-minutes worth of extra work on my part. And that's exactly what I'll talk about here: The techniques you can use to consistently earn large tips as a tour guide, and make it a regular part of your income.

1. Learn to be an Amazing Guide

The obvious must be stated: No matter how many "tipping systems" or "gratuity hacks" you know, nothing will compensate for being a mediocre tour guide. I spend a lot of time over at Be a Better Guide focusing on how to be extraordinary tour leaders—and this should be your primary focus.What are some areas you can work on? An amazing tour guide is patient, energetic, organized, funny, adaptable, empathetic, a problem solver, a powerful speaker, an incredible listener, and above all, a people person. It's a lot to tackle but remember: Exceptional service is in the details. The more you can hone these skills, the more you will make in tips—guaranteed.

2. Delivering and Over-Delivering

Expectations are everything in the service industry. Your clients are coming on your tours with a list of things they expect, including—but not limited to—how they'll be treated as a customer, what's included in the tour, what they'll see, how the tour will run, and more. You must work diligently to meet all of these expectations, and be crystal clear on what they are.This is where the majority of tour operators and guides fail. TripAdvisor is littered with terrible reviews from unhappy customers whose expectations were not met.

TripAdvisor is littered with terrible reviews from unhappy customers whose expectations were not met.

To get great gratuities, you must meet (and properly set) those client expectations. But to get fantastic tips, you must then go above and beyond those expectations, wowing and delighting your guests at every opportunity. On my tour in Costa Rica, for example, those guests were so impressed because I was not expected to give them that kind of personal service on a group tour. Had I been their private guide, hired for $10,000 to lead a completely custom tour—my actions would simply have been expected.But remember — Deliver first, then over-deliver.

3. Increase your Perceived Value as a Guide

Are you an expert in your field? Do you have unique or special connections to your subject matter? Are you a born and bred local? All of these attributes will raise the value you bring as a guide—and increase your potential tips.An example is my friend Dario who works as a private tour leader in Siena, Italy. He's a local, and therefore a member of one of the city's Contrada (or neighborhoods). Tourists to the city of Siena do not have access to these neighborhoods, but Dario has permission to bring guests inside as part of his tour. He receives incredible tips (beyond his high tour price) partly because guests feel it was because of Dario that they had this incredibly rare experience.Think of ways you can play up your perceived value, and build it into the design of your tour. Can you introduce your guests to some local colorful characters? Get them somewhere the public cannot access? How about using your special connections to meet the head chef, top brew master, or someone normally unavailable?Reinforce to your guests that the main reason your tour is so amazing is you.

4. Increase the Price of your Tour

There's a high correlation between the cost of your tour and what you earn in tips as the guide. Generally speaking, the longer your tour and higher the cost, the more you'll earn in gratuities.Consider the impact if you doubled the cost of your tour without changing much of the itinerary or content. While you'd need to focus your efforts on delivering a more premium experience, you'd also see a huge jump in tips.For example, National Geographic Expeditions is known for having scientists, researchers, and extremely knowledgeable naturalists lead their tours. By committing to this next level of expertise, they're able to charge premium prices for their tours, and their expedition leaders earn very generous tips.

5. The Principle of Reciprocity

Robert B Cialdini is the Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Marketing at Arizona State University and is best known for his book, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion . It's an incredible book, but his Principle of Reciprocity is especially relevant for us here.The principle states that we're all bound (and motivated) to repay debts of all kinds. If someone does something nice for you, you'll then feel obligated to repay that kindness. This principle is active in all of our social relationships, but it's especially important when trying to earn more tips.If you give first and freely, people will repay that kindness. Can you give away a small edible treat on your tour (e.g. a sweet or inexpensive local delicacy)? How about giving out a high-quality, homemade map with some of your favorite coffee shops or restaurants? Or perhaps a handout with instructions on how to have a truly authentic local experience? Remember, the more personalized and unexpected the gift/service, the more powerful the principle of reciprocity applies (i.e. the greater the reward you'll receive) .

6. Build a Social Connection

Michael Lynn, a professor in food and beverage management at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration, and someone who's been studying tips for many years, says the following:“If people in the service industry can establish a social connection with their customers, they'll get better tips. The simple fact is, we're more likely to want to help someone we're connected to, and we're more likely to care about someone's opinion if we have a social connection to them."

Because we generally only have a small window of time to build this connection, here are 5 ways to quickly connect with your clients:

• Get your first impression right. Acknowledge clients right away as they arrive, and if you're busy or with someone else, give them a nod and smile. Ideally, be free and ready 10 to 15 minutes before your tour to spend extra time with your guests
• Introduce yourself by name. Also be sure to repeat your name throughout the tour
• Wear something unusual/something that gives you some identity. This will tell your guests something unique or special about who you are.
• Learn your guests' names and use them when possible. (If you have a difficult time remembering names, repeat the customer's name when first introduced.)
• Smile. Research has confirmed the cultural wisdom of smiling and has found that smiling people are perceived as more attractive, sincere, sociable, and competent than unsmiling people.

7. Be Clear on Your Tipping Policy

Whatever your policy on gratuities, make sure that your guests know about it before the tour. If you include tips in your tour or are not allowed to receive tips, then that needs to be communicated. If you warmly welcome gratuities on your tour—or are completely dependent on them—than that should be made clear as well.For tips on how to best communicate this, here are three examples from well-established tour companies. Note how specific they get with how much gratuity is suggested per tour or per guide. G Adventures: Tipping F.A.Q. Is tipping included and if not, how much should I budget?Although not compulsory, tipping is expected and is an expression of satisfaction with the people who have assisted you throughout your tour. Although it may not be customary to you, it is of considerable significance to the people who will take care of you during your travels. At the end of your trip, if you felt that your G Adventures CEO (G Adventures guides are called Chief Experience Officers) did an outstanding job, tipping is appreciated. The amount is entirely a personal preference, however as a guideline 20-25 USD/EUR per person, per week can be used. Backroads Tours: Tipping F.A.Q. Gratuities for most services during your trip are covered in the overall cost. We are often asked, however, whether it is appropriate to tip the Backroads Trip Leaders and what a reasonable amount might be. While we have considered including such gratuities in the overall trip cost, we always come back to the belief that recognizing excellent service is a personal matter. If you feel your Trip Leaders have provided an exceptional trip experience, gratuities are encouraged—and welcomed—at the end of the trip. A typical gratuity on a 6- day Casual Inn Trip is $140 per guest (about $23 per day). The gratuity is then divided among your Trip Leaders and other Backroads support staff (van drivers, etc.). Vermont Bike Tours FAQ: Is tipping included? All gratuities are built into the included features of your vacation with the exception of those for your Trip Leaders and drivers. Tipping for your Trip Leaders and drivers is optional and not included in the price of your vacation. Tipping guidelines are included in your VBT Welcome Handbook.“It is customary to express a personal 'thank you' to your VBT Trip Leader at the end of your trip, especially if he or she has provided you with excellent service or individual assistance. We recommend the local currency equivalent of $10 - $12 per person for each day of your trip for each Trip Leader."

8. Give a Tip Speech

A "tip speech" is when the tour guide reinforces their tipping policy while on tour. We all know that many clients may not read the pre-trip information, or thoroughly read your website, so it's important to re-clarify how gratuities work on your tour.I would suggest including this in your opening introduction to the tour and then a one or two sentence reminder at the end. You do not want to repeatedly be bringing up your tips, nor do you want to make people feel guilty or uncomfortable in any way. Remember though: communication and clarity about tipping will reduce stress for your guests. We all know how awkward it can be wondering how much money to leave, if tipping is expected, and what currencies might be appropriate.If you would like to know some of the exact wording I used for my own tip speeches—literally phrases that you can copy and use on your own tour, sign up and I'll email you your access to Be a Better Guide's free course on tipping . (I also cover the six most common mistakes tour guides make when asking for tips and offer three guilt-free tipping systems from real tour operators around the world.)

As in life, we as tour guides should always be striving to be the best we can be. Seeking out ways to be more effective, inspiring, and extraordinary. I firmly believe that life is too short for boring—and our job as tour leaders is to create memories of a lifetime.And guess what? If we can do that, we'll get great tips too.See Also: The Best Tour Guides: What Do They Have In Common Want to grow your business with the industry's leading online booking system for tour operators? Sign up for a free demo! This is a guest post from Kelsey Tonner from Be A Better Guide . Check out his website for excellent information on leading amazing tours.

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Comprehensive Guide to Managing a Tour Business

By Rezdy — 14 Sep 2023

1. The importance of managing a tour business efficiently

2. target market, 3. value proposition, 4. marketing plan, 5. customer service, 6. staffing, 7. financial management, 8. risk management, 9. legal compliance, 10. reporting and analytics, 11. summary.

As you embark on the journey of starting a tour business , it’s crucial to understand the importance of managing it efficiently. That’s where the power of our tour business operations ultimate guide comes in.

By following our tips and tricks when managing tour operations, you can ensure that your travel business runs smoothly and successfully.

In our tour business operations definitive guide, we will delve into key areas that will help you make informed decisions and run your business effectively.

1. The importance of managing a tour business efficiently

Regardless of which tour operation type you choose, efficiently managing a tour or activity business is crucial for its success and sustainability. Effective management ensures smooth operations, timely customer service, and streamlined processes, ultimately leading to enhanced customer satisfaction. By optimizing resource utilization and minimizing operational inefficiencies, the business can achieve better profitability and allocate resources towards growth and expansion. Efficient management also allows for quick adaptation during unexpected situations or crises, maintaining the business’s reputation and customer trust.

Let’s take a closer look at the key areas that will be covered in this complete guide to successful tour guide management:

• Target Market: Identifying and understanding your target audience is the foundation of your business strategy.
• Value Proposition: What sets your tours apart from the competition? Your unique selling points will attract customers.
• Marketing Plan: Developing a well-rounded marketing strategy is essential for reaching and enticing potential customers.
• Customer Service: Exceptional customer service will lead to customer satisfaction and positive reviews.
• Reporting and Analytics: Analyzing data will provide valuable insights to improve your business.
• Risk Management: Identifying and addressing potential risks will safeguard your business.
• Financial Management: Sound financial practices will keep your business on track.
• Legal Compliance: Understanding and complying with relevant laws and regulations is crucial for smooth operations.
• Staffing: Building a competent and motivated team is essential for delivering outstanding experiences.

2. Target market

Understanding your target market is the foundational pillar for successful travel agency and tour operations management. The target market represents the specific group of people who are most likely to be interested in and benefit from the tours and experiences your business offers.

Defining your target market

The first step in understanding your target market is to clearly define the characteristics of your ideal customers. This involves considering various aspects of your potential clients, such as:

• Demographics
• Interests and Hobbies
• Preferences and Expectations
• Pain Points and Needs

Conducting market research

Market research is an essential tool to gain valuable insights into the industry, target market, and your competitors. It helps you make informed decisions and develop effective business strategies. Consider the following steps when conducting market research:

• Industry Analysis: Study the tour and travel industry, both at the local and global levels. Identify trends, opportunities, and challenges that could impact your business.
• Target Market Analysis: Use surveys, focus groups, or online research to gather data about your potential customers. Analyze the collected data to gain a deeper understanding of their preferences and behaviors.
• Competitor Analysis: Identify your main competitors and analyze their strengths, weaknesses, pricing strategies, marketing efforts, and customer reviews. This analysis will help you position your business effectively in the market.
• Demand Analysis: Assess the demand for tours and experiences in your chosen location(s). Understanding the demand patterns and seasonal variations will help you plan and optimize your offerings throughout the year.

Communicating to your target market

Crafting effective marketing messages is crucial for reaching and engaging your target audience. Consider the following tips when communicating with your potential customers:

• Tailor your Message: Use the insights from your target market analysis to customize your marketing messages. Address their specific interests and pain points, showcasing how your tours can fulfill their needs and desires.
• Use the Right Channels: Identify the most effective marketing channels to reach your target market. This might include social media, email newsletters, travel websites, or collaboration with local businesses.
• Highlight Unique Selling Points: Emphasize what sets your tours apart from others in the market. Whether it’s exclusive experiences, expert guides, or sustainable practices, highlight the unique selling points that will resonate with your target audience.
• Build Trust: Establish trust with your potential customers through transparent communication and genuine customer reviews. Trust is crucial in the tour business, where people entrust you with their travel experiences and memories.

3. Value proposition

Your value proposition is the essence of your tour business—it is the unique combination of benefits and experiences that sets you apart from competitors and persuades customers to choose your tours over others. Developing a compelling value proposition is crucial for managing tour operations, capturing the attention and interest of potential customers, ultimately driving bookings and building brand loyalty.

What makes your tours unique?

To create an impactful value proposition that aligns with your travel and tour operations management, it’s essential to identify and highlight the key features and experiences that make your tours truly stand out. Consider the following aspects:

• Exclusive Experiences: Showcase any exclusive or hard-to-access experiences that your tours offer. Whether it’s access to private locations, behind-the-scenes tours, or unique encounters with local cultures and wildlife, emphasize the extraordinary moments your customers can enjoy.
• Expert Guides: If your tours are led by knowledgeable and passionate guides, highlight their expertise and how they enhance the overall experience. Having guides who can share fascinating insights and create a personalized journey for each customer adds significant value to your tours.
• Tailored Itineraries: Emphasize the flexibility and customization options available in your tours. Whether you cater to specific interests, age groups, or travel preferences, communicating that your tours are designed to suit individual needs will resonate with potential customers.
• Sustainable Practices: If your tours prioritize sustainability and eco-friendly practices, make sure to highlight this aspect. Many travelers today seek responsible and environmentally conscious tour options, so showcasing your commitment to sustainability can be a powerful selling point.

Communicating your value proposition

Effectively communicating your value proposition is essential to attract and engage potential customers. Use clear and concise language that highlights the unique aspects of your tours. Consider the following communication strategies:

• Compelling Website Content: Ensure that your website clearly communicates your value proposition on the homepage and throughout key pages. Use engaging visuals and captivating copy to illustrate what makes your tours special.
• Engaging Social Media Presence: Leverage social media platforms to showcase the unique experiences your tours offer. Use images, videos, and customer testimonials to create an emotional connection with your audience.
• Captivating Marketing Collaterals: Design marketing materials, such as brochures and flyers, that effectively convey your value proposition. Include the most compelling features and experiences to entice potential customers.
• Personalized Email Campaigns: Segment your email lists and send personalized messages to different customer groups, highlighting the aspects of your tours that align with their interests and preferences.

Highlighting the benefits of your tours

Apart from showcasing the unique features, it’s equally important to highlight the benefits that customers will gain from choosing your tours. Benefits appeal to customers’ desires and needs, making them more likely to take action and book with your business. Some benefits to emphasize include:

• Unforgettable Memories
• Stress-Free Planning
• Cultural Immersion
• Time Optimization
• Group Bonding

4. Marketing plan

A well-defined marketing strategy is essential for promoting your tour business effectively and reaching your target market.

Setting marketing goals

Before implementing any marketing initiatives, it’s crucial to set clear and specific marketing goals. These goals will serve as the foundation for your entire marketing strategy and will help you measure the success of your efforts. When setting marketing goals, consider the SMART criteria: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound.

Marketing channels

Selecting the right marketing channels is critical for effectively reaching and engaging your target audience. Different channels cater to different customer segments and offer unique ways to showcase your tours. Consider the following marketing channels:

• Website and SEO
• Social Media
• Email Marketing
• Content Marketing
• Paid Advertising
• Partnerships and Affiliates

Pro tip: Your website is your primary marketing channel. To boost user experience, consider incorporating live booking availability .

Marketing budget and ROI

Allocating a budget for marketing is essential to ensure that your strategies can be executed effectively. Consider your marketing goals, target audience, and the channels you plan to use when setting your marketing budget. It’s essential to regularly monitor and analyze the performance of your marketing efforts to calculate the return on investment (ROI).

Evaluate the success of each marketing campaign and channel by tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) like conversion rates, cost per acquisition, and revenue generated. Analyzing ROI allows you to identify which marketing strategies are most effective and make data-driven decisions for future marketing allocations.

5. Customer service

Exceptional customer service is the cornerstone of a successful tour business.

Providing excellent customer service

Delivering excellent customer service starts with understanding and anticipating the needs and expectations of your customers. Train your staff to be friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable about your tours and destinations.

You can also use AI in tour management to further enhance your customer experience.

Responding to customers

Prompt and effective responsiveness to customer inquiries, feedback, and concerns is crucial for building trust and loyalty. Establish clear guidelines for responding to customer communications across different channels:

• Phone Calls
• Post-Tour Follow-Up

Pro tip: To save time and ensure a consistent customer experience, you may want to start automating communications .

Collecting feedback

Customer feedback is invaluable for improving your tour business and understanding how to better meet the needs of your customers. Implement a feedback collection system that allows customers to share their thoughts and experiences with your tours. This may take the form of online surveys, encouraging customers to leave reviews and testimonials, or monitoring social media channels for mentions of your tour business.

6. Staffing

The success of your tour business heavily relies on the competence, enthusiasm, and professionalism of your staff.

Recruiting staff

Recruiting the right staff members is the first step toward building a dedicated and capable team. When hiring and training tour guides , customer service representatives, drivers, and other roles, consider the following tips:

• Job Descriptions: Create clear and comprehensive job descriptions that outline the responsibilities and qualifications required for each role. Specify any necessary certifications, language skills, or experience needed for tour guides.
• Cultural Fit: Look for candidates who align with your company’s values and customer-centric approach. Cultural fit ensures that employees share your passion for providing exceptional service and representing your business positively.
• Industry Experience: Prioritize candidates with relevant industry experience, especially for tour guides who should possess in-depth knowledge of the destinations and activities you offer.
• Customer Service Skills: Emphasize the importance of strong customer service skills during the interview process. Your staff should be friendly, approachable, and adept at handling customer inquiries and concerns.

Training staff

Comprehensive training is essential to equip your staff with the knowledge and skills they need to excel in their roles. Provide a thorough orientation that introduces new hires to your company’s mission, values, and policies. Familiarize them with your tour offerings and the destinations they will be guiding.

For tour guides, conduct in-depth training on the itineraries, historical facts, safety protocols, and any unique aspects of each tour.

Managing staff

Effective management plays a crucial role in maintaining staff motivation, engagement, and performance. Consider the following management strategies:

• Maintain open and transparent communication with your staff.
• Conduct regular performance evaluations to provide constructive feedback, set goals, and identify areas for improvement.
• Implement a system of incentives and recognition for outstanding performance, such as utilizing Awards.com for custom trophies and awards to acknowledge and celebrate achievements.
• Organize team-building activities to foster camaraderie and collaboration among your staff.
• When issues arise, address them promptly and professionally. Provide support and resources to help your staff overcome challenges.
• Promote a healthy work-life balance.

7. Financial management

Effective financial management is crucial for the long-term sustainability and success of your tour business.

Creating a comprehensive budget is the foundation of sound financial management. A well-structured budget allows you to plan and allocate resources wisely. Consider the following steps when developing your budget:

• Revenue Projections
• Fixed and Variable Costs
• Contingency Funds
• Marketing Budget
• Investment and Expansion
• Regular Reviews

Tracking expenses

Accurate expense tracking is essential to understand where your money is going and identify areas where you can optimize costs. Prioritize record-keeping so you can maintain organized and detailed records of all financial transactions, including receipts, invoices and payroll documentation. Categorize expenses into different groups (e.g., marketing, payroll, maintenance) to easily analyze and identify spending patterns. To further streamline your financial processes, consider implementing the practice of creating a pay stub for efficient payroll management, enhancing overall record-keeping efficiency.

Staying profitable

Maintaining profitability is vital for the sustainability of your tour business. Here are some strategies to enhance profitability:

• Pricing Strategy: Review your pricing regularly to ensure it covers all costs while remaining competitive in the market.
• Upselling and Cross-Selling: Offer additional services or upgrades to customers during the booking process or on tour to increase revenue per customer.
• Cost Optimization: Continuously look for ways to optimize costs without compromising the quality of your tours.
• Repeat Business and Referrals: Focus on providing exceptional customer experiences to encourage repeat bookings and word-of-mouth referrals, which are more cost-effective than acquiring new customers.
• Analyze Profit Margins: Regularly review your profit margins for different tours and destinations.
• Financial Performance Metrics: Track key financial metrics such as gross profit, net profit, and profit margins to assess the overall health of your business.

8. Risk management

Strong risk management is critical for safeguarding your tour business from potential threats and uncertainties.

Identifying and assessing risk

The first step in risk management is to identify potential risks that could affect your tour business. Risks can arise from various sources, including external factors such as weather conditions, natural disasters, political instability, and economic fluctuations. Internal risks may involve operational issues, employee-related challenges, and financial uncertainties.

Risk mitigation

Once risks are identified and assessed, it’s essential to develop strategies to mitigate their potential impact. Risk mitigation involves taking proactive measures to reduce the likelihood of risk occurrence and minimize its consequences.

Contingency plans

Despite meticulous planning and risk mitigation, unforeseen events can still occur. Having contingency plans in place ensures that you are prepared to respond swiftly and effectively to unexpected situations.

9. Legal compliance

Adhering to laws and regulations is vital for operating a tour business ethically, responsibly, and without legal complications.

Understanding laws and regulations around tours

The tour and travel industry is subject to various laws and regulations at local, regional, and national levels. As a tour operator, you must be well-informed about these regulations to ensure compliance. Some key areas to consider include:

• Licensing and Permits
• Safety Standards and Guidelines
• Environmental Regulations
• Employment Laws
• Data Protection and Privacy
• Accessibility
• Insurance Requirements

Should you consider a legal team?

Navigating the complexities of legal compliance in the tour industry can be challenging, especially for small businesses. Hiring or consulting with a legal team or a qualified attorney specializing in the tour and travel sector can be beneficial.

If budget constraints are a concern, consider seeking legal advice through legal clinics, industry associations, or networking with other tour operators who may share insights and experiences related to legal compliance.

10. Reporting and analytics

Reporting and analytics play a crucial role in the success of your tour business.

Tracking tour performance

Tracking tour performance involves monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics that provide an understanding of how your tours are performing. Some essential KPIs to track include:

• Booking and Sales Metrics
• Customer Satisfaction
• Capacity Utilization
• Customer Demographics
• Customer Retention

Pro tip: With Rezdy, you can use your tour booking software to analyze the above data with reporting and analytics .

Analyzing marketing data

Effective marketing data analysis helps you assess the performance of your marketing efforts and identify which strategies are driving the most success. Key marketing data to analyze includes:

• Use tools like Google Analytics to track website traffic, user behavior, and conversion rates
• Monitor engagement metrics on social media platforms, such as likes, comments, shares, and click-through rates.
• Analyze email open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates to evaluate the effectiveness of your email marketing campaigns.
• Calculate the ROI for your marketing campaigns to determine which initiatives are delivering the highest return and adjust your marketing budget accordingly.
• Conduct A/B testing to compare different marketing strategies or messaging and identify which variations are most effective.

Acting on insights

Collecting and analyzing data is only valuable if you act on the insights gained. Use the information gathered from tour performance and marketing data analysis to make informed business decisions.

11. Summary

Remember, running a tour or activity business is not only about delivering memorable experiences but also about maintaining a strong foundation of effective management and strategies. With the right combination of passion, dedication, and sound business practices, tour operators can thrive in this exciting and rewarding industry.

At Rezdy, we understand the challenges and opportunities that tour operators face in the dynamic and competitive travel industry. Our robust tour management platform is designed to streamline your operations, optimize bookings, and enhance customer experiences. With Rezdy, you can effortlessly manage your inventory, automate bookings, and gain valuable insights from our comprehensive reporting and analytics tools.

Ready to take your tour business to new heights? Sign up for a free 21-day trial today and discover how Rezdy can transform your business.

Start your FREE trial today!

No obligations, no commitment, no credit card required.

Just 21 days of full account access to check we are a good fit for your business.

How to become a tour guide

Is Becoming a Tour Guide Right for You?

• Do you love adventures?
• Have you ever thought about traveling while making money out of it?
• Are you a good speaker and an overall outgoing person?
• Have you ever considered becoming a tour leader or a tour guide?
• Are you wondering what exactly they do?

If your answer is “yes” To any of those questions, this article can help you. Even if you are not interested in applying for these jobs, but you won’t like to know them better for any reason, you came to the right place. We will reveal everything essential you want to know about tour leaders and tour guides and how to start your career as one.

Tour Guide vs. Tour Leader: What’s the Difference?

You probably often hear the term “tour guide” alongside the tour leader, and you may wonder if both of them do the same thing or not. Well, their jobs are a little bit different, and this difference lies in the fact that tour guides do not necessarily “lead” a group to a place. They often assist a group or an individual client and share several kinds of information about several tourist attractions like historical, cultural, or religious places.

Another variation between these two jobs is that tour guides primarily work on short, local trips or visits and leave the group after the tour. They may only work in a specific museum, church, temple, business guide, or nature guide. The main point is that their workplace is, on the whole, more limited than tour leaders in most cases. There is a thin, blurry line between These careers, and they can combine easily. A tour leader has to more or less play the part of a tour guide on the trip, and a tour guide may become an outstanding tour leader with a bit of practice and training.

The Role  of a Tour Leader: Responsibilities and Skills

A tour leader is someone with an energetic and explorer spirit. Tour leaders voyage with a group of tourists, mostly overseas, and stay with them until the end of the tour. If the tour leader is a complete foreigner like the rest of the tourists, they have to be great researchers and have in-depth knowledge about that place. The leader generally plans where the group should go and then when to go there. They should also answer the questions: why are they leading the tour there, and what is there to do? As you see, it’s evident that a tour leader should be good at scheduling. On top of designing the tour, they accompany them on the trip too.

Being a tour leader may be hard sometimes, but on the other hand, extremely fun. Based on the statistics, this job will probably be highly demanded in the future, as more and more people can afford tours. People are also more interested in exploring different cultures and nations due to the closeness that social media brings us.

Tour leaders should have effective communication and management skills. Meaning that they should have self-control, have a professional manner throughout the trip, and seem approachable. It should be effortless for the clients to speak with them. They need to know how to respond and talk to different types of people, use their body language, and lead and manage some more roles while facing the possible problems of the trip and solving them.

Essential Skills for a Successful Tour Guide

If you aspire to be a tour guide, you need to ensure you have a lot of energy while looking smart and confident enough for the tour to trust in you. You have to be fluent in both English and the destination’s language. Having a basic knowledge of some other well-known languages and good general education, and a tour-related degree is advantageous.

You can Contact a tourism training institution to take a course in tour leading or tour guide for a start. If you are willing to work with a particular agency, you may have to do interviews and attend specific training programs. We will talk about the tour guiding career later in more detail.

Before you start, clearly explain your abilities and talk about what they can expect from you. If you are a veteran tour leader or have any related experiences, clarify how your working way is. Then, in exchange, fully understand what the company proposes and what they lack, then discover what they represent and what they need you to do precisely. As a leader, it is evident that you cannot be misleading in any way. They should be outspoken, frank, and gentle on top of everything. Tour leaders must have a good understanding of the tour as a whole and avoid ignoring their possible individual needs. Good physical status and research skills are also a must. We will continue to explain why these requirements are needed, in detail and with examples.

Basic Requirements for Becoming a Tour Guide

Before the trip, tour leaders reserve and affirm all tour facets, like accommodations and meals. They must detail their plan for each day and should be good at managing time to catch up on all of them. Depending on the tour type, they may help with meal preparation or buy some supplies. They make sure the whole group is gathered and give needed explanations. Tour leaders patiently answer questions related to the trip and enjoy people’s company.

A tour guide can manage the budget; this means they may have to pay all tour bills and taxes. They need to spend money frugally to have money available for expenses. When the trip is going on right, they should keep it entertaining by providing engaging, updated information and commentaries on the places and sights visited. They can also organize fun activities and occasionally invite clients to make subgroups with each other to keep the tour’s vibe friendly, warm, and interactive.

In the hard times of the trip, tour leaders are obligated to encounter all sorts of situations. They need to be aware of the group’s safety and educate them about it. They should be adaptable and fully considerate the whole trip. For example, if the group contains older people, they must suggest activities that are not hard and dangerous for them to do. If a group member feels anxious and unsure about doing a particular thing or going to a certain somewhere due to personal reasons, tour leaders must be understanding, respectful, and comforting. They should not force them into something but come up with new ideas and suggestions. The priority is for everyone to have a pleasant and safe voyage.

In case of an emergency, a tour leader has to deal with sudden problems and know how to succor efficiently when needed. They need to know where they can get medical, legal, or any other type of assistance. Having former disaster management training can also be sorely helpful. In the end, After the tour, they complete an orderly, receipted, equivalent set of accounts. They prepare it for their company and report the critical issues to them too.

Conditions and Payment

aside from the skills and passion for this exciting job, they need the passport of the area or country they are applying for and a credible working visa. Tour leaders are in charge of the whole trip, which can last for days or weeks. It’s crucial for them to love their job; otherwise, it can get so frustrating. They should be comfortable being in different conditions, like hot or cold weather, populated places, quiet nature, luxurious hotels, or tents. They may even have to wear unique uniforms, all depending on the various tours.

If they wish to work as a driver tour leader, a driving license is needed. In that case, having a PVC license and former experience as a driver is desirable, and they should be over 25 years old for insurance objectives. Some tour leaders or managers are self-employed, but most are full or part-time and generally earn from $50 – $150 per day. Receiving tips from guests is common, too; tips are usually 5 to 20 percent of the tour’s cost. A tour leader’s monthly income can vary between 1000 to 10000 USD, depending on their work.

To Become a Good Tour Leader

Knowledge is the base.

Just like the tour leaders, the best tour guides are the ones who are completely respectful and understanding of different cultures. They can further their knowledge about Sociology, history, art, architecture, etc. over time, and slowly become total experts. As a tour guide, you always have to keep studying and keep your information updated. This job can be a real personal growth opportunity.

Compete to Survive

This job is usually very competitive because of how flexible and non-monotonous it is. You can start working at less-known places first and then compete with other professional guides. And if it’s possible, get to know your competitors better and see how you can continuously improve yourself.

Tour guides usually work from 8 to 12 hours a day and get 2 or 3 days off in between tours. It is necessary to be healthy and fit to work with high efficiency for long day trips. Another thing is dressing; Casual dressing is proper for them, not too formal and not too loose. Also, the climate and the weather must be considered.

Be a Local One

A tour leader may be local and guide a group of foreign tourists for days or even weeks in his/her hometown. In that case, the tour leader gathers them as they arrive and go along with them mostly until the end of the tour which may last days or weeks. Then he/she escorts the group to their flight, train, or whatever they’re using to get back home.

Qualify Yourself

Just like what I said for tour leaders, a related degree in subjects such as tourism or languages and a driver’s license can be quite beneficial in this competitive career.

Keep in Touch

As the tour leader, your research and contact where you want to work. Tour operators and tourism companies differ based on their country or city. You can even directly contact the hotels, museums, parks, etc. then, of course, you get examined or interviewed to see if you are fit for the job.

Find the Niche

There are so many websites to find a local tour guide. If you want private clients, you can register with them to find and contact you. The cost of a private tour guide is around 70 USD per hour. In return, they can set the tour’s pace, ask as many questions as they want without worrying about others’ interests, and have overall easier communication with the guide without interruptions.

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Should you tip your tour leader? Here’s what we think.

Tipping is one of those topics than tends to split travellers into tribes: the Pro Tippers and the I’ve-Already-Paid-For-This-Service-Thank-You Anti-Tippers.

Usually the divide is simple: travellers who come from countries that tip versus travellers who didn’t grow up with a tipping culture. But it can be a thorny question. What are the rules? How much should you tip (if at all)? What are the consequences if you get it wrong?

We’ve already written a bit about tipping in America and Vietnam (and Smarter Travel has some good general advice) but today we’re talking about small group travel. In particular: whether or not to tip your tour leader.

Our position

We work closely with local unions and abide by regional laws on wages to make sure every local leader and porter gets a fair and decent wage. But tipping is still a big part of leaders’ overall income. Particularly in cultures where tipping is entrenched in the tourism industry, like America and South East Asia.

RELATED: HOW TO BUDGET LIKE A BOSS, SPEND LIKE A LOCAL ON YOUR NEXT BIG ADVENTURE

Why tipping matters

But beyond good manners, tipping injects cash into the local economy, which is really the big benefit of small group tourism. By tipping in local currency, you’re making sure money is going to those who deserve it most. Tips don’t pass through any third party (not even Intrepid). They either go straight to the leader, or get divided up among your porters and local guides.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR LOCAL LEADERS HERE

Do I have to tip?

All we ask is that you research the effects of tipping before making up your mind. And if you still don’t want to tip, find some other way to show your gratitude. Your local leader will really appreciate it.

RELATED: 12 COMMON (AND EXPENSIVE) TRAVEL MISTAKES – AND HOW TO AVOID THEM

How much should I tip?

If you haven’t been on an Intrepid trip before, and the idea of tipping is giving you mild anxiety, this is generally what happens: on the last day, over lunch or dinner, the group covertly gets together (like an office organising a colleague’s surprise party). Some discuss how much they’re thinking of tipping (talking about money can be awkward, so some travellers just put in what they feel), and there’s a quick whip-around in an envelope, which gets presented to the leader at the completion of the tour. It’s also fine to give your own tip separately from the rest of the group. The amount each traveller tips is usually anonymous.

How much you put in is up to you. Chat it over with your group. See what you think is fair. Whatever amount you decide on, we can almost guarantee it will make a substantial difference to your leader.

If I don’t feel like tipping, what should I do?

If you’d like some more info on tipping, or anything else to do with Intrepid leaders, check out our FAQ page. There’s some good general advice there.

Interesting in exploring the world on an Intrepid small group adventure? Search our range of tours now . 

All images C/O Intrepid Travel. 

Feeling inspired?

Intrepid Travel

Intrepid has been leading small group adventures for over 30 years. We’re a certified B Corp, which means we want to be the best travel company not just in the world, but for the world. To create positive change through the joy of travel. You can read our latest adventures right here.

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How Much Should You Tip on a Guided Tour? All Your Gratuity Questions Answered

Everything you need to know about tipping on a guided tour..

The Scoop: What to Know About Trafalgar Tours

When you book a guided tour , it may seem like you’re covering most of your vacation costs before you even depart. Most tours include accommodations, trip leaders, local guides, transportation during the trip, admission fees, and many meals all in the upfront cost. But the addd cost of tour leader tips and other customary gratuities can sneak up on you unless you’ve factored them in at the beginning.

Inspired by my own frustration about the vague information available about how much to tip on guided tours, I’ve compared tipping guidelines and recommendations from a dozen different tour companies to create this tipping guide for tours. You can use it to get a sense of tour operator tipping norms and then plan accordingly.

BEST OF THE BEST: 15 Best Group Travel Companies for Guided Tours

Which Gratuities Are Covered in Most Tours?

Many tour companies build tips for support staff into the tour price. That could include hotel staff, waiters, and sometimes (but not always) bus drivers. If your guided tour has a dedicated motor coach driver for the entire trip, for example, you may be expected to tip the driver in addition to your guides.

And almost none of the tour operators I spoke with include the priciest of all tips—tour leader gratuities—into the cost of a tour. The exception is Road Scholar , which includes group leader gratuities in the up-front tour cost. 

Which Gratuities Are Not Covered in Most Tours?

Beyond the above-mentioned exceptions, most tour companies do not include tips for guides and hotel housekeeping. Often, these people rely on tips as a vital part of their income, so it’s important to set your own budget accordingly to make sure you’re tipping at an appropriate level for their service.

• Tour Leader/Director: I’ll go into more detail below about tipping tour leaders, but in terms of the biggest gratuity expense to budget for on a tour, this is it, since the customary amount may well be in the hundreds of dollars.
• Local Tour Guides: Some tour companies will include local tour guides into the gratuities covered in the cost of the tour, while others say you should tip local tour guides individually. If you’re expected to tip local guides on your own, the daily amount usually falls somewhere in the $2 to $10 range. Local tour guides tend to be used for day tours, so you’ll want to tip them at the end of the day, as you may not see them again.
• Hotel Housekeeping: In-room tips for the cleaning staff aren’t generally paid by tour companies. TourScoop’s sister site FamilyVacationist has an explainer about hotel housekeeping tipping etiquette , but generally speaking the customary range is $3 to $10 per day depending on the hotel class. 
• Independent Meals: Learn tipping customs for your destinations before you go, since you’ll likely have some meals on your own and will want to be able to tip or not tip as the culture dictates. 

Why You Should Always Tip Your Tour Leaders

Ask a tour company why you should tip your tour leader and you’ll likely get some version of, “Well, it’s the customary way to thank them for all their hard work” or “It’s how you show appreciation and gratitude.” 

Intrepid Travel goes a bit deeper on its explanation, noting that “tipping is still a big part of leaders’ overall income” and that tipping locals for their guiding services is actually a powerful way to inject cash into the local economy. Since tip money doesn’t pass through a third party, the money “either go[es] straight to the leader, or get[s] divided up among your porters and local guides.”

A great tour leader turns a good experience into a great one, and it’s natural to want to make sure they feel appreciated, even if you have some resistance to the structures that require guests to heavily subsidize these hard-working wonders.

How Much to Tip Your Tour Leaders

The less helpful but most accurate answer to the question of how much to tip your tour leader is that information about tipping is generally found in the final documents you receive before your trip, so be sure to read those pages carefully when you get them (usually somewhere between a month and two weeks before the start of a tour). To give you a ballpark estimate, though, the daily per person tip for a tour leader tip should be somewhere in the range of $7 to $12, with $10 per person per day being the most widely recommended amount. 

GO IT ALONE: 10 Best Travel Companies for Solo Travel Tours

That amount can add up quickly, especially if you have more than one tour leader and/or are traveling with a family group . For instance, Adventures by Disney (which is refreshingly up-front about its tipping recommendations) pencils out gratuities for a 10-day tour with a family of four at $720 to $880, since its family travel adventures always include two tour leaders. That can be sticker-shock territory, which is why I suspect so many tour companies are so cagey about how much to tip tour leaders. 

How and When to Tip on a Guided Tour

Some companies—including Trafalgar , Globus , and Collette —may give you the option to pre-pay tour leader tips with your credit card at the time of booking. On the one hand, that’s great, since it means you don’t need to carry around cash to give at the very end of the trip. On the other hand, it pokes holes in the industry-wide story that the tip is tied to the service you’ve received.

Most tour companies still recommend tipping your tour leader at the end of the tour. Plan to tip in either the local currency or U.S. dollars if it’s a widely accepted currency in the destination country. Some tour leaders also accept Venmo or PayPal.

More from TourScoop:

• 8 Best Senior Travel Tour Companies
• Plane Essentials: The 10 Carry-On Items I Always Pack
• How to Choose the Best Walking Shoes for Tours

New Vacation Trend: European River Cruise Companies Are Now Targeting Family Travelers

New Year Tour Sales: They’re Big and They’re Limited Time

Why Older Women Are Increasingly Choosing to Travel Solo

What’s tourscoop.

Tour Scoop’s team of travel experts brings you in-depth tour company overviews, tour itinerary reviews, the latest tour news, and travel tips and advice written just for guided tour travelers like you.

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Tours That Are Surprisingly Great for Teens and Their Families

Guided tours hit the sweet spot when it comes to traveling with teens.

The Scoop: What to Know About Collette

For more than a century, Collette has been leading award-winning tours.

The Scoop: What to Know About G Adventures

Award-winning small-group adventure-travel tours are the G Adventures specialty.

The Scoop: What to Know About Intrepid Travel

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Tour Leader vs Tour Guide

We often have travel agents from overseas asking to include a Tour Leader for tasks that require a Tour Guide. More often than not, there is a confusion between the two terms , quite understandably so, since these two roles sometimes overlap.

So, at TravelWay Europe today we’ve decided to clear any confusion and understand the differences between the two.

What’s the difference between a Tour Leader and a Tour Guide?

Tour Leader

A Tour Leader is the person assigned to be together with the group from the beginning to the end of the tour. He/she will be together with the group 24/7, giving general guidance and practical support throughout the tour whether it is a conventional tour or a group bus tour .

This highly experienced, multilingual professional, will organise everything while on tour and will ensure a smooth operation; will arrange meeting points with the driver and any external activity provider; will coordinate dinners and smooth check-in at hotels.

A Tour Leader gives general commentary about the visited destinations, but is not required or expected to have specialized knowledge of history, art etc. or hold a degree in any such science.

Overall he/she is responsible for a successful tour operation.

A Tour Guide is specialized in history, art and archaeology and is the only one eligible to conduct guided tours at archaeological sites and museums.

In certain places of Europe, an officially licensed guide is required to perform tour commentary even in outside places.

Tour Guides are University graduates often holding Masters or even PHDs and often are professional historians or archaeologists i.e. generally experts in their field.

They are officially licensed by the state to conduct tours.

Tour Operators employ Tour Guides to either provide their services at specific sites or even accompany the group throughout the tour acting as Tour leaders as well, when required.

It is obvious from the above that roles are distinct, but also overlap as well.

In general, a Tour Guide can act as a Tour Leader, but a Tour Leader cannot act as a Tour Guide.

• Do you need someone to make sure the group is happy and everything runs smoothly? Both a Tour Leader and a Tour Guide can do that.
• Do you need someone to provide more in depth information and perform tours at archaeological sites and museums? In this case you need a Tour Guide.
• Do you need someone to be with the group 24/7 for the whole duration of the tour and at the same time be able to provide commentary at archaeological sites? Again, you need a Tour Guide.

Hopefully, this clears the confusion and now you know what kind of professional you need for your specific needs.

Andreas Theodorou

10 Beginner Tips For Tour de France 2022

Players looking to cycle their way to greatness in Tour de France 2022 should follow these tips for beginners to get off on the right foot!

Tour de France 2022 is a racing simulation that lets players compete in the most prestigious races from around the world. The realistic sports game allows people to create their own cyclists and pedal through difficult race tracks and race against opponents online to earn a position on the leaderboard.

RELATED: Most Realistic Racing Games Ever

It features several exciting game modes such as Race of the Moment, Pro Team, and Pro Leader. Be a part of official racing teams from Tour de France 2022 , including Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team and Uno-X Pro Cycling Team, and become a legend among international cyclists. Take a look at a few tips and tricks that can help beginners beat the competition in Tour de France 2022 .

10 Go Through The Training

The racing game has a comprehensive Training mode that can guide newcomers to control their riders. The training involves learning basic controls to move the cyclist in any direction, changing the camera angles, and putting the effort into pedaling to the lead position in a race . It will also take people through the energy system of Tour de France 2022, the foundation for winning races.

RELATED: Riders Republic: What is Zen Mode

People can progress quickly in the Training mode to unlock guides for advanced controls and time-trial races . It will only take a few hours to finish the training and will prove to be resourceful as players put their pedal to the metal in the game.

9 Start Slow

The massive amount of riders positioned at the start of a race can intimidate beginners . With multiple teams participating in the race, it can take a while to push through the competition and get ahead of the group. Players must make sure they start slowly to prevent any unnecessary falls in the first few minutes of the game.

It can take up to 5 minutes or more to move past the horde of cyclists that are assembled at the starting line. People can set the majority of their team members to Follow mode in order to pedal together safely.

8 Alternate Between Attacking And Braking

The most basic controls of the game are pedaling and braking. Players can use the attack button to sprint along flat surfaces and uphill regions to pedal past their opponents. Be careful when to attack during races as there is limited energy that can be utilized for sprinting. Avoid sprinting in downhill sections of the track to conserve energy.

RELATED: Best Racing VR Games For The Oculus Quest 2

Players can’t hope to win races by only attacking. Braking is also equally important to sustain momentum during long races . Watch out for steep curves along the tracks, as braking needs to be gradual during races. The arrow in front of the rider will turn red when cyclists have to apply brakes.

7 Tweak Game Settings

Players new to the game can change the game settings for an easier learning curve. Under the game settings menu of Tour de France 2022 , players can configure the difficulty, database, the number of players, falls, preparations, and race incidents .

Depending on player experience , people can set the difficulty to amateur, professional, champion, or legend. Gamers can also change the occurrence of race incidents to frequent, normal, or rare. Additionally, players can also determine if the falls during races will cause the cyclists any injuries or have them withdraw from the race.

6 Play Pro Leader Mode Early

Among the modes available in Tour de France 2022 , the Pro Leader mode offers a rich skill-based progression system that can motivate people to play the game every day. The Pro Leader mode lets people create and customize their own cyclists and complete amazing missions to earn rewards.

RELATED: Best Futuristic Racing Games, Ranked

Early objectives of the Pro Leader mode include attacking for 10 km in a race, cycling 25 km in solo breakaways, being the first to pedal over the top of a mountain pass, and finishing a flat stage.

5 Look At Rider Ratings

Before starting a new race, players can have a closer look at the rider ratings to boost their chances of winning. It might be challenging at first to choose from the dozens of cyclists available in Tour de France 2022 . The rider ratings will give people crucial information such as the nation they represent, their core abilities, and their skills.

Devenynt is a cyclist who has a balanced skill set for most race tracks in the game. He is particularly good at cycling through hills, mountains, and flat surfaces. Cavagny is a cyclist who excels at time-trial races and has a fast recovery rate.

4 Sip Gels To Regain Stamina

Players can race on more than 90 international tracks in the game. Some tracks such as Roskilde, Nyborg, and Binche, Longwy, are over 150 km in length. These tracks can be grueling to conquer with basic skills and needs a mastery of the energy system to be able to advance.

Many people have a tendency to overuse their energy while pedaling back to max speeds after taking sharp turns. In such cases, people can take a sip from their Red gel and Blue gel to regain energy.

3 View Replays To Improve Gameplay

Player performances can be tough to gauge during races. Cycling through different locations involves developing a strategy to succeed and improve the lap time in every race. Tour de France 2022 has a robust replay mode that can be activated after completing a race. People can view replays to pinpoint moments of excessive energy usage and negligible cycling that can cost players their victory.

People can conveniently rewind and fast-forward their gameplay with the touch of a button. Gamers can also zoom in on their surroundings in replay mode to predict weather patterns in the game.

2 Team Comm Can Smoothen The Ride

Managing a team can be a critical trait to climb up the leaderboard in Tour de France 2022 . Effective team communication can be the determining factor between a team that thrives and a team that loses. Players should use the Team Comm controls to handle the team while navigating through the race tracks.

With the help of Team Comm controls, players can give instructions to protect certain cyclists in specific areas of the game. It can also be used to accelerate for intermediate sprinting to save energy in uphill regions.

1 Assume Aerodynamic Position During Downhills

Tour de France 2022 has a ton of cool features to help riders reach high speed on race tracks. Whenever players approach a downhill or a slope region, they can quickly take their feet off the pedal and assume the aerodynamic position.

The Aerodynamic position is especially useful to zip through opponents when there is less friction from the surrounding air. Players can recover their energy without losing any of their speed in the process. Riders can easily reach speeds of 80 km per hour with the aerodynamic position.

Tour de France 2022 is currently available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One.

MORE: Niche Sports That Really Need Video Games

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The most helpful 26 tips for first time travelers

Learn 26 tips for first time travelers, from how to plan, what to pack, safety tips, and more. With these tricks you'll be so ready to leave home with confidence!

Jan 13, 2024

Preparing for your first trip can be overwhelming, right? While each first time traveler's preferences and each trip are unique, I’ve made a list of 24 handy tricks that I think will be useful for every beginner in the travel world.

There are many important thing to consider before leaving home, so to make it easier I’ve broken them into three categories: 

First time travelers tips for planning

First time travelers tips for packing time, first time travelers tips for the actual trip.

Hopefully you’ll find something useful here, no matter where you are in your travel journey.

1. Invest in good equipment

If you are going to multiple places, a good backpack that fits you well and a good, comfortable pair of shoes will be your two most important investments before you leave home. If you’re going to splurge somewhere, splurge on these two essentials.

2. Purchase travel insurance

Look, no one wants to spend money on travel insurance for international travel . But do it anyway. Trust me on this one.

3. Plan your budget carefully

I highly recommend checking out my article on planning your travel budget , where I go into much greater detail, but a good rule of thumb is to plan your backpacking expenses as carefully as you can, then bring twice as much money as you’ll think you need.

4. Brush up on safety tips

No, you shouldn’t be afraid of exploring the world. But you should be smart about it while you’re traveling. Research safety tips for backpacking and traveling, and then stay aware of your surroundings and keep them front of mind during your trip.

You can start exploring The safest places to travel right now and, as you feel more confindent, keep moving to other destinations.

5. Talk to your bank

Your bank will flag your account if you start spending money in a foreign country with no warning, and trust me, you don’t want to find yourself in a foreign country with no access to your bank account. You also need to talk to your bank and credit card companies about foreign transaction fees. If they’re really high, consider opening an account at a bank such as Charles Schwab, where they charge no foreign transaction fees and reimburse all ATM fees monthly.

6. Consider camping, if possible, to save money

Depending on where you’re going, tent camping may be an option and a huge money saver. Of course, then you’ll have to pack a tent, but it may be worth the savings for you.

7. Do a work exchange program to stay longer

Doing a work exchange might be the cheaper and cooler way to immerse in a trip and it gives you the chance to stay longer at the place and have a unique cultural experience, working and living with locals.  Worldpackers is a great platform to start volunteering as it offers a lot of different types of projects worldwide . Besides, they have a trained team to help you and your host to have a fun and safe experience.

8. Consider traveling during off-season

The best question to ask when considering off-season travel is what makes this time of year the off-season? There’s a reason peak times are popular, I assure you. The savings may be worth dealing with less than favorable weather or missing out on seasonal events, or not. It’s worth considering, though.

9. Familiarize yourself with your destination

I can’t stress this first time travelers tip enough. Read up on your destination before you go. Is haggling acceptable? Is tipping expected? What’s considered appropriate attire in various situations? What will the weather be like while you’re visiting? Are there any popular local scams to be on the watch for? All of these are important questions to have answered before you go.

Another great tip is to read the guide for adventure planning .

10. Pack light

One of the main tips I'd give to first time travelers , especially if they want to backpack is “pack light”. Familiarize yourself with the amount of weight you plan to carry by giving it a test run. Spend a day or two wearing your fully-packed backpack as you go about your daily life. Chances are, you’ll be more willing to cut unnecessary weight before you leave once you’ve done this.

11. Pack medicine

For a stress-free trip , you should never cut the essentials, and a first-aid kit is essential. Bring various kinds of medicine, especially if you are traveling to a country where you’re unfamiliar with the language, as well as bandages, antibiotic ointment and antibiotics, etc. Make sure you have a sufficient supply of any daily medications you may take as well.

12. Bring a journal

If you are someone who likes to journal regularly, this may already be on your list. If not, it’s something you should consider. Trip journals make wonderful souvenirs, but even if journaling isn’t something you’re interested in, at some point, you will wish you had a piece of paper and pen.

13. Have copies of your important documents

Don’t forget to make copies of all your important documents such as passport and visas in case your originals are lost or stolen. Having both hard copies and digital copies is your surest bet.

14. Remember these random, but useful things

• Microfiber towel
• Toilet paper (not a whole roll, but definitely keep some handy)
• Water filter (depending on your destination)
• Comfort item for a little bit of home to combat homesickness on longer trips (it could be a small stuffed animal, a loved one’s t-shirt, or even your favorite coffee or tea from home)

15. When packing clothes, think synthetic materials and layers

Synthetic clothing is lighter and dries more quickly than cotton, making it perfect for trips. Layers are an excellent way to transition between warmer and cooler climates without having to pack two entirely separate wardrobes.

16. Waterproof your backpack

Your backpack will likely come with a rain cover, but in my experience those things can’t be fully trusted. Instead, try lining your backpack with a large, fully waterproof bag so that everything inside stays protected.

17. Bring a battery pack

Once while in a new city, my phone died, I had no cash for the bus or streetcar, and I obviously couldn’t call an Uber. I wasn’t 100% sure how to get back to my hostel without GPS, either. Eventually, I made it back, but it would’ve been much less stressful if I’d had an extra battery to charge my phone.

18. Write down the address of the place you are staying at 

Every time you make it to a new city, write down the address of your hostel, hotel or host and keep it with you. That way, even if you don’t have access to GPS or WiFi, you can still ask someone for directions.

19. Wear your bulky clothing while traveling

This will save room in your backpack on days when everything has to fit.

20. Hide your money in multiple spots

Seriously, a money belt is a good idea. Never store all of your money in one place in case your bag, coat, etc. is lost or stolen. Try to keep some money on your person, some in your bag, and some stored safely at your hotel or hostel.

21. Stay in hostels with free breakfast or cook for yourself

You can save so much money over time by taking advantage of free meals and cooking when it’s a possibility. Many hostels offer free breakfast or, at the very least, have a kitchen you can use to prepare meals. If you choose to volunteer you may have this chance in practically any kind of project as well, such as farms, ecovillages ,  communities and NGOs .

22. Talk to the locals

Locals are your greatest sources of information. They can tell you which parts of the city are safe, share hidden gems for you to explore, and give you a much better sense of the local culture than you’d get by only talking to fellow travelers. Start with the person at the front desk of your hostel or hotel. If you are volunteering, your host will be perfect for it!  

23. take care of yourself.

Although it feels like it sometimes, life doesn’t stop when we’re on vacation. There’s nothing worse than getting sick while backpacking. I’m not saying you should never indulge in that one extra drink or sample all the delicious local foods, but don’t forget to take care of yourself. 

Try to eat at least one healthy meal per day, remember to drink water, and allow time for your body to rest and recover. Keep snacks available on travel days because traveling with a backpack will burn more calories than you’re used to, and you’ll need them for energy.

Read more about it on:  10 tips to eat healthy while traveling on a budget

24. Be flexible

Speaking of giving yourself time to rest, be flexible with your planning. Make a list of bucket list things for each stop on your trip, but also leave some days open in case you need extra rest, the weather is unfavorable one day, or you meet some cool new people and want to do something spontaneous together.

25. Be aware of free WiFi spots

Research and remember which places locally have free WiFi (think McDonald’s, Starbucks, etc.) Download city maps onto your phone when you first reach a new city. Then you can use them, even if you aren’t connected to WiFi.

26. Check in with family and friends

Give your itinerary to a few different family members or close friends before you leave. Then make a habit of checking in with them at set intervals. It could be as simple as sending an email before bed each night, but having someone who is aware of your location and expecting you to check in each day can make a huge difference if something goes wrong during your backpacking trip.

I hope these 26 first time travelers tips and tricks have been helpful. Backpacking is definitely a learning experience, but it gets easier as you go, and you're sure to discover your own tips and tricks along the way. 

Keep reading about travel tips for beginners :

7 Essential things people always forget to pack for a trip

• How to get the most out of your travel experiences
• 10 common travel problems and how to deal with them

Exploring Spain Solo: a guide to safe and enjoyable travel

Also, feel free to join Worldpackers community for free, explore some of the WP Academy courses for travellers and save your preferred work exchange positions for later.

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Kimberli Brown

I recently quit my day job to chase my dream of traveling full-time.

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Apr 16, 2023

Traveling for the first time can be an exciting yet daunting experience. To ensure a smooth and enjoyable trip, there are several helpful tips to keep in mind. Firstly, it is important to do your research and plan ahead to make the most of your time in your chosen destination. If you are interested in visiting the Oriental Pearl Tower Shanghai, be sure to check out the Oriental Pearl Tower observation deck, which offers breathtaking views of the city skyline. To learn more about the Oriental Pearl Tower facts and Oriental Pearl Tower attractions, you can visit the website https://www.discoverybit.com/directory-travel/listing/oriental-pearl-tower/. Other helpful tips for first-time travelers include packing light, staying organized, and being open to new experiences. With these tips in mind, you are sure to have an unforgettable trip.

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Travelling Without a Passport

Travel Hacks, Tips and Advice: The Definitive Guide

We’ve scoured the internet and compiled the complete list of travel hacks, tips and advice that a traveller could ever desire.

Last Updated: 2 January 2017

We’ve scoured the internet and the travellers of the office to compile the complete list of travel hacks, tips and advice that a traveller could ever desire. Prepare to transform yourself into the expert you’ve always dreamed you’d be.

While we have compiled this comprehensive list for now, we hope to keep growing it over time and to inspire new hacks, tips and advice to share – if you have one we have not included, please let us know  in the comments beneath!

Booking Travel Hacks

1. Once you’re ready to book part of your trip, always get travel insurance first, in case you need to cancel.

2. If you already had a travel insurance, shop around before renewing it: Compare what you’re paying with competitors’ rates, and ask your provider for a discount if they’re overcharging you.

3. Check terms and conditions to see what happens if you do cancel (or something gets cancelled on you).

4. Book the part of your trip that has the least spots available first; generally, it will be tickets to a festival or seats on a tour, then book your flights after.

5. Know which dates you want to go as early as possible; it will increase the likelihood of getting time off work, as well as being eligible for early bird specials.

6. When looking at flights, try on private/incognito browsing mode as airlines can track website visits, and if you have friends in the destination country, you can ask them to check locally as sometimes prices will vary from country to country.

7. Once you know what type of plane you’ll be on, use seatguru.com to get a layout of the plane and know which seat will suit you best. It even has information on equipment boxes under seats, seats susceptible to heat/cold, and seats with lots of bathroom traffic.

8. When selecting airline seats for two people, choose the window and aisle seats – someone likely won’t sit in between you and then you get to keep the row all to yourselves! If they do, you just ask to swap with them.

9. Alternatively you can sometimes select seats last minute from the airlines app, even once you’ve checked in.

10. A simple Google search before booking can yield some pretty impressive discounts. Start by searching “[airline name] + promo code” or checking an airline/hotels Facebook page can often reveal a 5% or 10% discount simply for liking their page or signing up for a newsletter.

11. Always check aggregation or comparison sites as well as booking directly with companies. While sometimes booking directly might cost the same as booking through the aggregation site, often the site will have discounts or rewards programs which will save you money the next time you book.

Packing Travel Hacks

12. Put clothes into packing cubes to make it easier to organise, as well as underwear and socks in shoes to save space.

13. If you do have clothes that need to be folded, use tissue paper to reduce wrinkling or roll them rather than fold.

14. Get a pill container and roll of tape from a dollar store – pill container is perfect to store jewellery, and tape always comes in handy for many, many things while traveling.

15. Ditch the blush, brightener, and lipstick and instead use an all-in-one makeup product. Will save you space and headaches, and allow more room for souvenirs!

16. Wear your heaviest clothes and shoes on the plane to save weight. Big jackets and coats can double as a pillow and a pair of flip flops can be worn once on the plane.

17. Lots of pockets means more things you can carry – you’d be surprised at how much you can fit in cargo pants and vests!

18. Always wrap your liquids in cling wrap or snap lock bags. This will protect your other belongings from any leaks

19. Use a shower cap as a small lightweight barrier for footwear, to save your clothes and bags from smelling like your shoes.

20. Glasses cases from the dollar store are perfect for carrying charger cables for electronics.

21. Pack a pillowcase. Not only can you use the spare pillowcase when you’re feeling iffy about the one in your hostel but it can also be used to separate dirty clothes from clean ones.

22. Pack some dryer sheets in your checked-luggage to keep your belongings smelling fresh.

Travel Hacks While In Transit

23. Wear something that has a big pocket, so you have easy access to your passport, plane tickets, phone and wallet.

24. Sick of being stung by airport liquid procedures? Bring a reusable water bottle and refill it after passing security instead.

25. If your flight gets cancelled or delayed and you think you’re likely to miss your connecting flight, wait in line at the customer service counter and call the airline at the same time. This way you will be looked after as soon as possible by whoever you reach first.

26. If you do use travel containers, refill them each time so you don’t have to keep buying them.

27. Wait to use an ATM to withdraw or convert money as they always dispense local currency. Currency exchanges desks in the airport generally have bad conversion rates, as well as extra fees.

28. On long flights wear a night moisturizer – it will keep you hydrated on the dry plane.

29. If you have trouble sleeping on planes, try taking your own relaxing drink; make up a thermos with a slice of lemon, honey and your own tea bag, and ask the attendant to fill it with hot water.

30. Large scarves have multiple uses while on the road. They can be a blanket if you’re cold, rolled up as a pillow, or used to block light out if you’re trying to rest.

31. An oversized hoodie will keep you warm and act as an eye mask for when you’re trying to sleep.

32. Leggings are great for traveling. They’ll keep you warm and can be worn under dresses and skirts.

33. Always pack a spare pair of underwear in your carry-on in case your luggage gets lost.

34. If you need the bathroom when you land, go to the second one as it will be far less busy.

35. If you have a stopover on a long haul flight, see if there is an executive lounge with a shower you can visit. You will never regret asking.

36. You can access executive lounges through frequent flyer programs,  certain credit cards, or even just by paying a once off access fee

Travel Hacks While Traveling

37. Arrive at the hotel and realize you’ve forgotten your charger? Ask at receptionist, they almost always will have a box full that have been left by other travellers.

38. To prevent damage and frustration, wrap headphones around a binder clip.

39. Tic Tacs will help keep your breath fresh, and the empty container is the perfect size for hair clips.

40. Stop lint and cotton getting caught in your shaver head with a binder clip.

41. Buy in bulk: Make a list of those things you need on a constant basis: toilet paper, your preferred deodorant, staples for your home office.

42. Be a relentless bargain-shopper: Try to buy at high-sale times whenever possible. Think bathing suits in December and skis in July.

43. If traveling for business, use belts to line collars to keep them looking sharp.

44. Travel can be tough on electronics – use a spring from a pen to prevent them from bending and breaking.

45. To stop post holidays confusion of where different photos are from, you can use Instagram’s location settings to geotag each of your photos. If you’re artistic, you can also take a couple of sticks of chalk with you, and make your own handwritten sign on the ground whenever you enter a new destination.

46. If it’s very hot and you are in a major city with no beach around, the hotels and hostels will often have pools. Simply taking your swimwear in a bag, getting changed in the bathroom and ordering a drink poolside, will often get you access without a question or blink from the staff.

47. City tourist cards can be a great way to save money in cities with lots of attractions (like Paris). It can often save money and time from buying entrance to each attraction individually and typically include access to public transit.

48. The emergency phone number from mobile phones is 112  in many countries, and is a free call.

49. If you often forget the name of your hotel, grab a business card on the way out the front door. It’s free and will have the name and address on it to show taxi drivers or locals if directions are needed.

50. Don’t get too caught up with trying to visit all the recommended places in a guidebook- try asking your tour guide or maybe the hotel reception for some hidden gems (or read this article ).

Travel Technology Hacks

51. Save your Google Maps for offline access by viewing the area you want to save, then typing “OK maps” into the search bar.

52. Free WiFi passwords can usually be found by checking comments on FourSquare.

53. Scan your passport, identification card, and itinerary and email them to yourself. This will give you an easily accessible second copy in case of loss or theft.

54. Take a cheap unlocked GSM phone with you as your “travel phone” – you can buy SIM cards and use it to make local calls when needed. Learn more about saving money without sacrificing your data by reading this .

55. Free internet can usually be found at the following: food outlets (McDonalds, KFC, restaurants, cafes, etc – check receipts for the code), any electronics or department stores (Apple stores etc), Executive/First Class/Business Class lounges at airports (even without access, you can sit nearby and access it easily)

56. Take a small 3 or 4 port power board, and just one travel adapter. This way you will have access to many power points to charge your tech goodies on.

57. For those times when there is a ‘power emergency,’  power banks will often provide enough to charge your phone at least once.

58. Charge your phone or camera anywhere that there is a USB port. This can include the electronics or department stores (the same place you are using the free internet), TVs in hotel rooms, even TVs in McDonalds and other fast food places. Make sure to put your phone on airplane mode for quicker charging.

59. The MetrO App is a free download on the iTunes store which allows your to find your way through the maze of public transportation systems in more than 400 cities worldwide.

60. You’re not a real traveller until you have slept in an airport. The people at http://www.sleepinginairports.net/ rate airports around the globe for sleep comfort as well as the services and amenities on offer.

Travel Hacks for Saving Money Before You Leave

61. Set yourself a challenge for saving money – only spending $4 per day on food, not catching taxis or ubers, etc

62. Make a grocery list, and stick to it: Before heading out to the store, spend 5 minutes making a shopping list, and try not to let anything jump into your trolley if it’s not on that list!

63. Every time you go to buy a beer/takeaway meal/glass of wine, think to yourself “would I rather have it here, or in Rome?”

64. Set up a separate bank account specifically saving for your travels. Read more about how to do that here .

65. Attack your credit card debt with a vengeance: Stop paying absurdly high amounts of money toward credit card interest.

66. Start a piggy bank to put all your loose change in at the end of the week.

67. Sell anything you don’t need on ebay/Craigslist/gumtree – a big clean out might be unexpectedly profitable!

68. If traveling for an extended period of time, use a dedicated foreign exchange service to get better rates than your bank. ( Check out our case study on this here )

69. For USA citizens, TSA Pre-check for domestic flights or the GOES (Global Overseas Entry System) might be costly, but both get you through the Security lines much quicker and could save you money in the long run.

Have you got a great travel hack, tip or advice to add? Let us know in the comments!

Sebastian P.

From his hometown of Sydney, Australia, Sebastian has turned travel into a profession. Starting out as a tour guide in Sydney, he then moved to Europe to lead tours across the continent, before returning home where he continues inspiring others to find their own adventures.

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Power Rankings: Who can contend at Augusta National?

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Despite Monday’s total solar eclipse that was experienced by tens of millions of people across North America, a rare celestial event isn’t required to see stars in the daytime at Augusta National Golf Club. That’s because it’s time for the Masters.

A field of 89 has assembled for the 88th edition of the first major of the year. What it faces, what it’s chasing and an early peek at the weather are detailed below.

Unlike the Masters that is contested annually, the next total eclipse in North America won’t occur until August of 2044, and it’ll be viewed best primarily in Canada. To put some perspective on how long you’ll have to wait for that, five-time Masters champion Tiger Woods will be 68 years of age when it happens.

A 48-year-old Woods is committed to the Masters this week. He’s in his 26th appearance. If he could apportion even one week’s worth of that experience to any of the 20 debutants alongside, there wouldn’t be a rejection among the lot. Each knows that Fuzzy Zoeller is the most recent first-timer to win the green jacket, and that was when Woods was 3 in 1979. The only other two who have done it are Horton Smith and Gene Sarazen in the first two editions in 1934 and 1935, respectively.

Course history aside, the entire field will be playing the latest iteration of the par-5 second hole for the first time. With an increase of 10 yards, the dogleg left now tips at 585 yards, thus pushing the overall course length to 7,555 yards. It’s the longest Augusta National ever has read on the scorecard.

The major modification in advance of last year’s tournament was a new tee on the par-5 13th hole that extended it by 35 yards. It’s only one spin of a sample size, but the hole transitioned from the second-hardest par 5 to the hardest, yet its scoring average of 4.736 was lower than it was in in 2022. That’s due in part to the fact that the course was a stroke easier last year overall. The field averaged 72.960.

Score has relevance in the history books and in real-time analysis, but all that matters ultimately is the trophy.

As always on this track, course management in the context of the position on approach is at a premium, and that includes at the cost of distance off the tee. Although Augusta National can play open for the longest hitters, it’s a second-shot track that demands a, well, master's degree in geometry. It’s all about the angles.

A unique cut of low 50 and ties will occur at the conclusion of 36 holes. All who survive will play to the finish line. Among the boatload of benefits, the champion will received a lifetime exemption into the tournament, exemptions into all of the other majors through 2028, a PGA TOUR membership exemption through 2029 and 750 FedExCup points.

When he slips on the newest addition to his wardrobe on Sunday, the winner is promised to have enjoyed a wonderful walk thanks to fantastic weather conditions with a daytime high eclipsing 80 degrees. However, the tournament won’t start out that way as Thursday’s forecast is dicey. Rain, the probability of storms and gusty winds all are lined up. Precipitation will have ceased by Friday, but breezes will stick around. Saturday’s third round will be serene by comparison and probably the best of the bunch as the temperature will climb only into the mid-70s.

NOTE: ShotLink is not utilized for this tournament.

ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE

MONDAY: Power Rankings TUESDAY*: Sleepers WEDNESDAY: Golfbet Insider FRIDAY: Medical Extensions SUNDAY: Points and Payouts; Qualifiers; Reshuffle

*Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, which also publishes on Tuesday.

Rob Bolton is a Golfbet columnist for the PGA TOUR. The Chicagoland native has been playing fantasy golf since 1994, so he was just waiting for the Internet to catch up with him. Follow Rob Bolton on Twitter .

PGA Tour 2K23: Beginner Tips Guide

Ready to play some golf?

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You don't need to be an expert to golf, learn the clubs, customize your clubs in the locker, grind xp and coins, allocate skill points to the essential clubs, tweak the settings, experiment with the archetypes.

Tiger Woods has once again revived the world of virtual golf with PGA Tour 2K23 , the latest installment to the universally acclaimed sports saga. Like before, players are invited to swing for stardom as an up-and-coming pro golfer over a series of dynamic courses, tournaments, and global events in its ever-evolving MyCareer mode.

PGA Tour 2K23: The 10 Best Golfers

Luckily, PGA Tour 2K23 has a litter of in-depth tutorials and starter challenges to help you take your first steps out on the green. Learning to master the sport, though, is another story, and one that involves a fair amount of trial and error backhand swings, putts, and tee-offs. But where do you begin in a world like PGA, and how exactly do you build up a certain repertoire that puts you on par with the poster children of the sport?

Updated November 21, 2023, by Sean Murray: These PGA 2K23 Tips are sure to get your golfing career off to a great start. We've tweaked this guide's formatting slightly and also given it more links to other helpful PGA 2K23 topics.

PGA Tour 2K23 does a remarkable job at accommodating both newcomers to the series and seasoned veterans who've followed it since its 1990 debut. Because of this, it's fair to say that you don't need to be an expert with all the answers to hit the grass running.

Of course, previous experience is a major plus in a series like PGA Tour, especially if you're looking to challenge others in its online multiplayer mode. That said, you can learn all there is to learn without having an existing wealth of knowledge already stowed away under your belt.

If this is your very first rodeo with PGA Tour, then rest assured that 2K doesn't expect you to be an elite golfer to make a mark on the green.

It's no secret that a lot of newcomers to the series fail to make their shots because of the clubs they choose to bring to the course. Make no mistake that missing a shot can boil down to a number of factors, but selecting the wrong club is a definite no-no in PGA Tour , and can consequently cause you to struggle to make par.

Therefore, before you hit the green, be sure to experiment with each of the varied clubs until you've grasped the basics.

PGA Tour 2K23 offers a generous selection of clubs, all of which come loaded with their own purpose. The good news here is that your caddie will determine which club you need whenever you're about to tee off.

That said, just because the caddie hands you a club doesn't mean you should always follow up with it . The more you learn about the clubs and their capabilities, the more you can test your caddie's knowledge out on the green by switching up the defaults.

You can change your club by pressing up or down on the D-Pad .

PGA Tour 2K23: All MyPLAYER Archetypes, Ranked

Your default clubs will only take you so far in a game like PGA Tour 2K23, which is precisely why you should build up enough coins to shop for upgrades . These upgrades come in the form of Fittings , which can be applied to any of your clubs in the Locker section.

You can only apply up to three Fittings for each club , and each one is scaled by rarity .

It goes without saying that adding just one of these Fittings to a club can boost your game when out on the green. Each Fitting has a number of attributes, including shot power , timing , swing path , and shaping .

Applying only the rarest will definitely give you the upper hand when fending off opponents in any of the game modes.

To make it anywhere in MyCareer , you're going to need a lot of top-shelf cosmetics . Unfortunately, cosmetics come at a price, and unless you've stashed away a whole treasury of coins, you won't be able to equip them to help triple your A game.

Therefore, you're going to want to grind XP and coins , which can be done by competing in global events and challenges .

Of course, taking part in any round will help you gain a foothold on the ladder, but to truly make an impact, you're going to want to win events and challenges . Like in PGA Tour 2K22, the higher the difficulty setting, the more XP you will acquire on completion .

Claiming consecutive wins will rack up your XP Multiplier , which will, in turn, fast-track your character to superstardom.

As you shovel your way through MyCareer, you will earn XP from beating events, which can be used to unlock a variety of perks for each of your acquired clubs . However, if you dump XP into skill trees for clubs that aren't used all that much, then you're only shooting yourself in the foot.

It's always best to prioritize allocating points to the essential clubs .

When it comes to building up your skill trees, you will want to focus on the driver , irons , wedge , and putter . As these are the clubs you'll be using the majority of the time, it's best to cram as much XP into developing their attributes and leveling up the tiers.

There is a total of 126 skills to choose from in PGA Tour 2K23, only 50 of which can be collected by leveling up your character. When it comes to picking skill trees to evolve, try and aim for the clubs you favor the most on the green .

PGA Tour 2K23: The 10 Best Courses

It may seem obvious at this point, but changing your settings to suit your personal preferences can definitely help you out in the long run. Although it is recommended that you play on a higher difficulty to maximize your chances of netting more XP, it doesn't mean you should never settle for something a little less threatening as and when needed.

If you navigate to the MyCareer Presets , you will find three adjustable sliders: Opponent Difficulty , Conditions Difficulty , and Rounds Per Event . If you're still learning the basics and aren't quite ready to dive into the deep end, then you can change the top two sliders to Very Easy , which will give you more leeway when playing rounds.

You still acquire XP for completing global events and challenges on the easier difficulties .

PGA Tour 2K23 lets you choose from five different archetypes , all of which come preloaded with their own abilities and perks. You can alter your character to accommodate any of these archetypes for free in MyCareer, and doing so can help you get a feel for each respective skill tree.

For example, the Powerhouse archetype is better suited for players wanting to drive the ball with speed and power, whereas the Greensman archetype favors putting over drive .

Before diving into any global event, you should aim to experiment with each of the five available archetypes, which are Powerhouse, Greensman, Rhythm, Sculptor, and Woodsman .

You can change your archetype between events by going to the MyPlayer menu and selecting Golfer . From here, scroll over to the Archetypes tab and pick the one that you would like to equip.

Next: Best Golf Games On PS4 And PS5

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2024 Masters picks, odds: Expert predictions, favorites to win from Augusta National betting field

Who will win the 88th masters our experts dive into all the twists and turns of the year's greatest major.

With the 88th Masters fast approaching, the key question everyone's asking is the same across the golf world: Who are you picking to win this year at Augusta National? With an extraordinary field featuring the best professionals and many of the top amateurs in the world, the first major championship of 2024 should be an epic ride from Thursday's first round through the awarding of the green jacket early Sunday evening.

While the Masters field is stacked, the last two champions -- Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm -- are riding momentum into the tournament. Rahm is seeking to become the first golfer to win consecutive green jackets since Tiger Woods, while Scheffler's blistering play has him standing as the clear favorite to win twice at Augusta National in a three-year span. Unlike two years ago when there were no single-digit favorites entering the Masters, Scheffler holds that distinction at 9/2.

Rahm and Rory McIlroy follow at 11-1 with the latter still seeking his first green jacket. Should he achieve it, the long-desired career grand slam would finally be complete for McIlroy.

There are plenty of golfers behind them who will surely be in contention, including Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth and Viktor Hovland, all of whom are among the top players on the odds board. Check out the full slate of Round 1 tee times and groupings scheduled for the Masters on Thursday, and plan your day with our Masters TV schedule and coverage guide .

Round 1 has seen a delayed start due to inclement weather, but you can follow live updates in our 2024 Masters leaderboard and coverage center.

And then there's the duo of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, the former making the cut the last two years only for his body to fail him entering the weekend. Tiger stands at 140-0 entering the Masters, while Mickelson (despite playing more frequently) is 200-1. 

So, what is going to happen at Augusta National this week? Let's take a look at a full set of predictions and picks from our CBS Sports experts as we attempt to project who will win -- and what will happen -- at the most prestigious golf tournament in the world. 

Watch all four rounds of the 2024 Masters starting Thursday with  Masters Live  as we follow the best golfers in the world through Augusta National with  Featured Groups , check in at the famed  Amen Corner  and see leaders round the turn on  holes 15 & 16 . Watch live on  CBSSports.com , the  CBS Sports app  and  Paramount+ .

2024 Masters expert picks, predictions

Kyle Porter, senior golf writer

Winner -- Scottie Scheffler (4-1): I tried as hard as I could to pick somebody other than Scheffler, but after listening to Viktor Hovland talk about how disciplined a player needs to be with his irons and where he misses -- and then combining that with the outrageous level at which Scheffler is playing (again, he's at 3.2 strokes gained tee to green per round this year while only one other golfer is over 2.0) -- it sure does seem like Scheffler will get a second green jacket.

Sleeper -- Cameron Young (50-1): There are a lot of golfers in the 45-1 to 60-1 range that I love, including Sahith Theegala, Russell Henley, Si Woo Kim and Shane Lowry. But I love Young the most. Why? He's playing good golf (he narrowly lost the Valspar Championship and is fifth in the world in ball striking this year) and has been awesome at major championships, including a top 10 at Augusta last year.

Top 10 lock -- Hideki Matsuyama: Matsuyama's history at Augusta National is underrated. He has not missed a cut since 2014, has four consecutive top 20s and is playing as well as anyone in the world this year not named "Scheffler." He's flying in under the radar and is the best top 10 value in the field. 

Star who definitely won't win -- Jon Rahm: It's difficult to go back to back at any major, much less a Masters, where there are extraordinary responsibilities for a defending champion. Rahm's vibe on Tuesday was not exactly jubilant, either; he had to field questions about the Official World Golf Rankings, his move to LIV Golf and whether he thought that move was going to bring LIV and the PGA Tour back together. There was something a bit ... off with him, and I don't think that's going to translate very well in his title defense. That said ... I put him in this space last year, and he proved me wrong.

Scottie Scheffler vs. Jon Rahm: Scheffler by a mile. He has lost to one golfer in his last three events, and for all the reasons outlined above, Rahm's disposition is a bit of a concern for me right now. 

Tiger Woods vs. Phil Mickelson: Mickelson, but it's close. This one is difficult. Tiger is apparently hitting the golf ball well, but I can't trust that he's going to finish the tournament given he's only completed one major since the 2020 PGA Championship.

Surprise prediction -- Par is good: In recent years, despite course changes, scoring has been probably easier than many of us would prefer. For the first time in tournament history, double digits under par has won this event six years in a row. The golf course is apparently firmer this year -- Xander Schauffele talked about balls "tomahawking" over greens earlier in the week -- which means that if you shoot four 72s, you should actually be in a decent spot.  

Lowest round: 66 (-6) Winning score: 280 (-8) Winner's Sunday score: 70 (-2)

Patrick McDonald, golf writer

Winner -- Xander Schauffele (16-1): I've done the mental gymnastics and concluded that losing Tthe Players Championship was the best thing to happen to Schauffele's Masters chances. His new swing was put under the microscope at TPC Sawgrass, and we identified what his misses were when under the gun. That experience should pay dividends this week as he has statistically been the second-best player in the world this season and has plenty of history around Augusta National with a couple of close calls. 

Sleeper -- Chris Kirk (200-1): We have seen a number of Masters winners find success at Kapalua (just look at Rahm last year), and Kirk could follow suit. The Georgia Bulldog's numbers since his win in the season opener don't jump off the page, but they remain sound. He's driving the ball as well as ever and his short game is vastly underrated. He will need his iron play to return to peak levels, but it's not out of the realm of possibilities for the man who finished T23 in last year's Masters.

Top 10 lock -- Scottie Scheffler: There's no need to overthink this. Scheffler is the best player in the world by a wide margin and should have a realistic chance come Sunday to slip on his second green jacket. He got absolutely nothing out of his putter at Augusta National last year and still finished in a share for 10th. That same tee-to-green prowess should show up, and if a slightly cooperative putter makes the trip, then Scheffler may be the one in Butler Cabin at week's end.

Star who definitely won't win -- Viktor Hovland: The full swing isn't there and the short game isn't there. I'm no rocket scientist, but that doesn't sound like a great combination. Hovland has yet to crack the top 10 this season and ranks 183rd in strokes gained around the green out of 183 PGA Tour players. His streak of five straight major top 20s will be in jeopardy.

Scottie Scheffler vs. Jon Rahm: Give me Scheffler. The world No. 1 won't have to deal with hosting the Champions Dinner like Rahm and will roll into Thursday's action refreshed and ready to go. These two players are among the highest in strokes gained total at Augusta National, but it seems like Scheffler's floor is a hair higher than Rahm's at the moment. 

Tiger Woods vs. Phil Mickelson: Tiger goes for a record 24th straight made cut at the Masters, while Mickelson will aim to recapture the magic of 2023 when he finished runner up to Rahm. We have only seen Woods play 25 holes this year, so it's tough to have any sense of confidence about his form and makes me believe Mickelson will have the upper hand this year. Both players will use their extensive experience to their advantage to make their way into the weekend, but neither will seriously be a factor.

Surprise prediction -- Rory McIlroy is in the mix on the second nine on Sunday: Despite a bevy of nice finishes at Augusta, McIlroy has only had one great opportunity to complete the career grand slam. That came in 2018. I love that he didn't arrive at Augusta National until later in the week, and his quality took another step in the right direction at the Texas Open. There are still questions about the quick left miss off the tee and his approach play, but I bet they get ironed out and McIlroy gives himself a real chance at joining golf's most exclusive club.

Lowest round: 65 (-7) Winning score: 277 (-11) Winner's Sunday score: 70 (-2)

The First Cut crew alongside Joe Musso gives you one final preview ahead of the 88th Masters Tournament. Follow & listen to The First Cut on  Apple Podcasts  and  Spotify .

Adam Silverstein, director of editorial

Winner -- Jordan Spieth (25-1): Is Scheffler more likely to win this Masters than anyone else in the field? Yes, of course. The odds tell that story. But as Kyle wrote this week , there are few courses or tournaments in the nation as sticky this one -- and Spieth is one of the best playing here. Spieth's strokes gained at Augusta National (2.81) is second only to Rahm (2.84) among golfers who have played at least four Masters over the last 10 years. That's 0.01 ahead of Scheffler (2.80). He was just a couple strokes shy of winning three straight Masters (2014-16) and has three top-four finishes in the seven he's played since with a T4 last year. He also has momentum coming in with a T10 finish at the Texas Open, though to be fair, he did miss the cut in consecutive events prior. Still, his likelihood of winning is nearly as strong as either Scheffler or Rahm, and his odds are six times as great as the former.

Sleeper -- Justin Rose (130-1):  Speaking of quality golfers on this course, Rose is quite an option. He only has two modes at Augusta National: contention or the weekend back home. The 43-year-old has not won on the PGA Tour in a year, but he knows this course like the back of his hand. with six top 10s and two runner-ups, though those came nearly a decade ago. He has not won a major since 2013 yet frequently seems to be in contention with four top 10s in the last 13 he's played. Is he going to win the Masters? Probably not. But experience at Augusta matters, and throwing some beer money on Rose is a play that's ... better than most.

Top 10 lock -- Scottie Scheffler: The benefit of not picking Scheffler to win is that he can slide in right here with the utmost confidence. Scheffler has not finished outside the top 10 at a tournament since Jan. 21; he's placed among the top of the leaderboard in six straight events and enters the Masters going Win, Win, T2 in March. He ran into the top 10 last year after winning in 2022, and get this, has placed inside the top 10 across nine of his last 13 majors (69%). There's no way anyone in the field has a better percentage than that.

Star who definitely won't win -- Justin Thomas: Hopefully this is a reverse jinx situation for J.T., because it truly feels as if he should have won a Masters already given his skill and mastery of this course. The problem may be that he just wants it so much. Thomas missed the cut last year playing alongside idol Tiger Woods; luckily, that won't be the case this year, so he should be able to relax a bit. He is debuting a new bag man after splitting with Jim "Bones" Mackay. 

Scottie Scheffler vs. Jon Rahm: There's a general belief around Augusta National that Rahm is feeling the pressure given his controversial move to LIV Golf, serving as the reigning champion, hosting the Champions Dinner, etc. Maybe true; maybe not. What I do know is that there may be no golfer who enters an event feeling less pressure these days than Scheffler, and given the aforementioned streak he's running, it would almost be foolish to take Rahm in this head-to-head. 

Tiger Woods vs. Phil Mickelson: Speaking of general beliefs around Augusta, there is a lack of it in Woods. You know, the guy with five green jackets. The guy who who has made 19 straight cuts at Augusta National (never missing one) as a professional. The guy who won this event just five years ago. OK, Tiger's body is falling apart; he said this week that he " hurt[s] every day ." What doesn't hurt, apparently, is his surgically repaired ankle. Nor does his mind, which understands the hills and valleys, the cut of the greens and how to transverse this course better than anyone in the world. Not only do I have Tiger over Phil, I have him over another rival, Sergio Garcia, too.

Surprise prediction -- Rory McIlroy backdoors his way to a top-five finish:  The 2024 season has not been overly kind to McIlroy, nor has Augusta National over the years, as he's alternated between top-five finishes and missed cuts over the last four Masters. He has seven top 10s here since 2014 and seven top 10s in his last eight majors. It's unlikely that Rory wins at Augusta until he figures out a way to stop wanting it so badly. That sounds asinine, but we've seen that want be his undoing at countless events. Where he thrives at the Masters is when he plays from behind and has nothing to lose. 

Lowest round:  65 (-7) Winning score:  278 (-12) Winner's Sunday score:  69 (-3)

Who will win the 2024 Masters, and which longshots will stun the golfing world?  Visit SportsLine now to see the projected leaderboard, all from the model that's nailed 10 golf majors, including last year's Masters and Open Championship .

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Viking Cruises began more than 20 years ago (1997) as a river cruise line. Today, you know it as one of the fastest-growing and most-diverse cruise companies in the world, offering river cruises and ocean voyages all over the globe. Plus, Viking will soon be launching (in 2022) its first vessels – Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris — in a planned fleet of expedition ships.

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Viking Cruises has been successful in creating a consistently excellent cruise value, with an emphasis on comfortable and elegant ships, outstanding service and fun and interesting itineraries that highlight a region’s culture and history.

To help you pick your Viking Cruises trip, we offer this guide filled with our insider tips and info to help you enjoy a fabulous cruise with Viking no matter what type of sailing you choose.

Viking River Cruises

Viking made its name as a leader in river cruising . The cruise features ships with a sleek Scandinavian design, and these vessels carry curious travelers along the great rivers in Russia, Ukraine, Europe, Egypt and Asia.

Viking Mississippi, a 386-passenger ship, also is scheduled to launch on the Mighty Mississippi River in August 2022.

But it has been the Viking 190-passenger Viking Longships that sail on the Danube and Rhine Rivers in Europe which have helped propel river cruising into the spotlight as a spectacular way to see the world.

The Itineraries

Viking cruises on nearly all the major rivers throughout the world, from the great inland waterways of Europe to the exotic and beautiful rivers in Asia, as well as the majestic Nile on its Egypt voyages.

In Europe, Viking’s popular Rhine and Danube River cruises range in duration from eight to 23 days , visiting up to eight different countries on the award-winning Viking Longships.

The grand voyages along these rivers take you the full length of the Rhine and Danube and also include the Main River (the longest tributary of the Rhine). These are the busiest rivers for cruising, with hundreds of ships moving up and down them weekly during the season, which typically runs from April to December, closing out with the highly popular Christmas Markets voyages.

Viking also sails with ships specifically designed for the Elbe River (between Berlin and Prague), the Nile River in Egypt, the Douro River in Portugal, the Seine in France, the Dnieper in Ukraine, the Volga in Russia and the Mekong in Vietnam and Cambodia. And, as mentioned, Viking Mississippi is coming soon to the United States.

All of Viking’s voyages focus on a theme to highlight the best of a region. This means there are so many kinds of cruises in their portfolio that might appeal to you. In France for example, you could choose the “Paris and the Heart of Normandy” roundtrip sailing from Paris that lasts eight days and explores the gardens and settings that inspired Monet, as well as the battlefields at Normandy and the art, wines, food, culture and other culturally significant points of interest along the Seine.

On the line’s “European Sojourn,” you’ll cruise in the canals of Amsterdam and alongside the stunning castles of the Rhine River as you visit Germany, Vienna, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania. That’s eight countries and countless memories on a 23-day epic voyage.

These are just two examples of the dozens of Viking river cruise programs you can choose from.

Viking Longships are easily recognizable in the Danube and Rhine Rivers, easing through the waterways or alongside the banks in some of the most charming and historic villages and cities throughout Europe, delivering avid travelers exciting new experiences each day.

The longships carry up to 190 passengers in 95 fairly spacious staterooms, a majority featuring balconies (either full verandas or French balconies). The ships also offer a pair of two-room, 445-square-foot Explorers Suites at the aft of the ships and six 275-square-foot, two-room Veranda Suites.

Cabins also include 40-inch flat screen TVs with a range of mon-demand movies and a selection of cable news and entertainment channels.

The ships offer a lot of outdoor space so that travelers can enjoy the views while sailing . These ships have four passenger decks, with cabins and public spaces on three interior decks. The top Sun Deck offers panoramic views, sun loungers, a walking track, putting green, herb garden and the ship’s wheelhouse, where the captain operates the vessel.

Deck 3 includes a main atrium area with the lobby and guest services desk and a small library area with a selection of books, puzzles and games. Also, this is the level for the Observation Lounge – which serves as the ship’s bar and entertainment area — and the innovative Aquavit Buffet and Aquavit Terrace dining spot, which sits outside at the bow after you pass through the lounge and is an ideal place for alfresco breakfast, lunch, dinner or cocktails.

The main dining room offers open seating and three meals a day, including buffet stations for breakfast and lunch.

Viking’s river ships don’t have fitness centers, spas or carry bikes onboard. (They do offer biking excursions, and will help you find bike rentals if you want to pedal around on your own.)

Viking’s specialized ships that sail in other regions such as Asia and Egypt offer mostly the same features but perhaps in a scaled-down space depending on the location.

What’s Included

Passengers enjoy a broad range of cultural programming and fun entertainment. Daily activities onboard and ashore include an included shore excursion in every port. This might be a tour of a fascinating city such as Vienna or Budapest or a look around the charming village of windmills, Kinderdijk, in the Netherlands.

Viking also offers a variety of optional excursions that come with a fee. The excursion included in your cruise fare is typically an overview-type tour of the city, town or village that you are visiting for the day. The optional for-fee excursions might be a trip to a popular museum or palace or an evening concert in Vienna, for examples.

You can also expect to enjoy onboard cultural or history talks or music performances in the ship’s Observation Lounge during your voyage. The cruise manager will also design a program of entertainment like dance parties or trivia contests to that you can interact and have fun with your new friends during your cruise.

All meals are included on the ship, and you can enjoy selected beer and wines, as well as sodas, with your lunch and dinner. You will pay for specialty drinks and cocktails as well as drinks ordered outside of those meal times.

Why It’s Special

The special touches you get on a Viking river cruise make it unique and memorable. The staff goes out of the way to offer friendly and attentive service. Viking makes every effort to accommodate special requests, whether it comes to food or activities. We made a casual reference to being excited to try the beers of Germany on our Rhine River cruise with Viking, and the cruise manager quickly arranged a special night-time group tour of Kolsch brewhouses in Cologne for anyone interested in joining.

He led our small group around for a festive night sampling the beer that made Cologne famous.

Viking is the world leader in river cruising , setting the standard for modern river cruising. It has the largest fleet, so you can find a special cruise almost anywhere on Viking. Imagine your delight in seeing ancient castles and lush vineyards along the banks of the rivers as you sail through Europe.

The ships also feature large and comfortable cabins and a diverse and engaging program of enrichment and entertainment.

Nightly, the Observation Lounge is filled with passengers engaged in lively conversation or hitting the dance floor.

Viking Ocean Cruises

Viking made its mark with river cruising, but the company’s expansion into ocean cruising has been a revelation for travelers who enjoy an affordable, immersive and inclusive sailing experience with a bit of luxury. Viking Ocean Cruises’ growing fleet of nearly-identical attractive and spacious 930-passenger ships offer a fantastic space to call home while joining fellow explorers on journeys to a range of fascinating cities and towns around the world.

Viking offers voyages to every part of the world on its ocean ships that are a delight to sail because of the excellent staff service and warm and embracing Scandinavian style.

You can choose cruises in the Caribbean , Mediterranean, Scandinavia and Northern Europe, Asia, Australia and even an epic sailing on a longer “Grand Voyage” or Viking’s “World Cruise.”

As mentioned, each Viking Ocean cruise ship carries up to 930 passengers and have only slight differences in the design of the indoor spaces. Viking Sea, Viking Sky, Viking Star, Viking Sun, Viking Orion, Viking Jupiter have all been launched since 2015 for the fast-growing Viking Ocean brand.

Viking Venus (2021) and Viking Mars (2022) are also on the way.

Comfort and smart design are the hallmarks of the ships, which offer passengers plenty of space to move around. No crowds onboard these vessels that feature more than 50 cubic feet of space per passenger. Compare that with a number around 30 on the mega cruise ships .

These ships offer a wide variety of staterooms, and they all have balconies. You can choose a Veranda Stateroom (from 270 square feet to 338 square feet), or get a range of extra perks and amenities in the larger Explorer Suites (from 757 square feet to 1,163 square feet). The Penthouse Junior Suite (405 square feet) and massive Owner’s Suite (1,448 square feet) also are options.

Public spaces include the line’s signature Living Room, which a wonderfully inviting gathering area in the center of the ship for live music, trivia, dancing, cocktails or just relaxing to read a book. The smartly designed ship features power outlets in these spaces.

The ships also offer a large fitness center and the LivNordic Spa (a complimentary amenity with thalassotherapy pool hot tub, steam rooms, snow grotto and sauna.) The ships also feature a salon for treatments and shops selling luxury clothes, jewelry and mementos from your cruise.

Deck 7 features a main pool in a serene area that is an oasis in any weather because of a retractable roof. You’ll also find the pool grill and bar here, and the adjacent Winter Garden and lanai areas are additional delightfully designed spaces for relaxing and watching the world go by as you sail. The Winter Garden is also home of the daily afternoon tea sessions accompanied by live music performances.

At the back of the ships on Deck 7 is the blissful Infinity Pool and hot tub, complete with loungers and calming views of the ship’s wake. The Explorers Lounge at the bow of the ship is a gathering spot for afternoon peace and quiet or evening convivial entertainment and cocktails. This lounge spans Decks 7 and 8, the spaces are filled with bookshelves holding reading materials and art pieces highlighting the heritage of adventurous travel. You’ll find it hard to leave once you plop down into one of the comfy couches or chairs adorned with soft blankets and pillows.

The ship, of course, features a range of bars and restaurants .

The World Café is the buffet area on the ships, and it always offers a variety of fresh seafood, pastas, pizza, sushi and desserts, breads and regional cuisine. The Pool Grill is a fast-casual option, and the burger menu is loaded with all sorts of creative options.

Mamsen’s serves Norwegian comfort foods. The eatery is located in the Explorers’ Lounge and named for the mother of Viking Cruise Line founder Torstein Hagen. You’ll find it hard to stay away. Drop by for a snack of open-faced sandwiches, specialty cakes and pastries or a late-night snack of cured meats and pea soup. The signature favorites include the delicious heart-shaped waffles topped with jam or brown goat cheese.

Manfredi’s is the Italian restaurant, and the Chef’s Table venue offers a rotating multi-course menu highlighting special cuisine from around the globe — such as Mexican, Asian, French and others — and paired with the recommended wines.

The Restaurant is Viking’s traditional open-seating main dining room. You can get breakfast, lunch and dinner in this venue. All of these dining experiences are included in your cruise fare.

Live music and events such as Armanac and chocolate tastings happen in Torshavn, a night club with a dimly lit setting and ultra-hip vibe. The Theater offers enrichment talks, nightly shows and movie nights.

Viking Ocean cruise fares include all meals, and beer and wine with your lunches and dinners.

You get unlimited use of the LivNordic Spa, and Viking offers one included shore excursion in each port (typically a bus tour or walking tour of the destination.)

WiFi is also complimentary.

Tip: Get the Viking Silver Spirits drink package if you like to enjoy a drink or three each day of your cruise. It’s just $19.95 per person per day, an extremely affordable price when compared to other packages in the cruise industry.

Viking Ocean cruises offer creative itineraries to lesser-visited ports and destinations. The 930-passenger ships are welcomed into numerous interesting ports in places like Norway, Estonia and Sweden as well as charming islands of the Caribbean, such as Antigua, Tortola, or on adventurous journeys to the Falkland Islands and the fjords of Chile.

All staterooms have balconies, service is also top-notch, and the space-per-passenger ratio allows you to roam the ship without ever encountering a crowd. It’s a truly blissful and enriching cruising experience.

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Politics latest: RAF 'flew into the face of danger to protect civilians', says PM as pilots 'shot down' Iranian drones

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned Iran's "reckless attack" on Israel "in the strongest terms". Watch political reaction in Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips from 8.30am.

Sunday 14 April 2024 15:55, UK

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• 'Number of drones' shot down by RAF - Sunak
• PM condemns Iran's 'reckless attack' on Israel in 'strongest terms'
• Minister confirms RAF jets flew to Middle East overnight  | What did they do?
• Dominic Waghorn: UN and G7 will try to choreograph a united call for calm and restraint in Middle East
• 'Perfectly reasonable' for Starmer not to see Rayner's legal advice
• Live reporting by Faith Ridler

But before you go, here are the headlines:

• Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has confirmed that a "number of drones" sent by Iran were shot down by the Royal Air Force in the Middle East overnight;
• He said: "What we now need is for calm heads to prevail";
• Members of the G7 partook in a video call today to discuss the developments, which saw Iran launch 300 missiles and drones towards Israel;
• Health Secretary Victoria Atkins was unable to say whether an airline has been found to send asylum seekers to Rwanda - despite suggesting the scheme will be running "within weeks";
• Angela Rayner has said she will "do the right thing and step down" if she is found to have committed a crime in the police investigation into her former living arrangements.

We'll be back from 6am with all the latest.

Angela Rayner is set to become the UK's deputy prime minister if Labour wins the next general election. 

Here's what you need to know about the party's deputy leader - from her early life and career in politics to the abuse and controversy she has faced...

Also on the agenda today, we will likely get continued reaction to deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner's admission that she will "step down" if she is found to have committed a crime.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) confirmed on Friday it was re-examining allegations the deputy Labour leader may have broken electoral law over information she gave about her living situation a decade ago.

GMP made the decision after Tory MP James Daly informed the force of claims made by neighbours that allegedly contradicted Ms Rayner's statement that her property on Vicarage Road, Stockport, was her main residence and not her husband's - as some have claimed.

According to electoral law, it is an offence to knowingly provide false information in a voter registration application form.

Ms Rayner has repeatedly said her house on Vicarage Road was her main address and not Lowndes Lane, the home owned by her then-husband Mark Rayner that is situated about a mile away.

You can read more from Sky News below:

Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf has called on the international community to "demand" players in the region abide by UN Security Council resolutions.

Mr Yousaf said he "condemns" Iran's attempted attack on Israel as he has "all and every regional escalation".

"There is not going to be a military solution to the conflict we see in the Middle East, there is only going to be a political and diplomatic solution," he said.

"We know that violence begets violence and therefore it's imperative now that the international community demand - not request, but demand - that all parties abide by UN security resolutions, such as a call for an immediate ceasefire (in Gaza)."

The first minister added: "We can't afford to see any more loss of life, because innocent civilians have already had to pay far too high a price for the actions of a number of countries and therefore we need to see de-escalation as opposed to further escalation in the region."

The Sky News live poll tracker - collated and updated by our Data and Forensics team - aggregates various surveys to indicate how voters feel about the different political parties.

As the local election campaign gets under way, Labour is still sitting comfortably on a roughly 20-point lead, averaging at 43.3% in the polls, with the Tories on 23.6%.

In third is Reform UK on 12.5%, followed by the Lib Dems on 9.4%.

The Green Party stands at 6.3%, and the SNP on 3.0%.

See the latest update below - and you can read more about the methodology behind the tracker  here .

As the fallout from the Westminster honeytrap scandal continues to unravel, Beth Rigby, Jess Phillips and Ruth Davidson explain why contacts are so valuable in Parliament and ask what William Wragg's resignation tells us about Rishi Sunak's leadership.

And, with Labour riding high after two major polls predicted landslide victories at the upcoming election, should Keir Starmer be worried about voter complacency?

Plus, Beth, Ruth and Jess talk about the impact of Dr Hilary Cass’ review into gender identity services for under-18s in England.

👉 Listen above then tap here to follow Electoral Dysfunction wherever you get your podcasts 👈

Email Beth, Jess, and Ruth at [email protected] , post on X to @BethRigby, or send a WhatsApp voice note on 07934 200 444.      

Warning: some strong language. 

By Adam Boulton , Sky News commentator 

Soul searching about the UK's role in the world has broken out again following the publication of a pamphlet by senior diplomats including Mark Sedwill, a former Cabinet Secretary and National Security Adviser.

The World in 2040: Renewing The UK's Approach To International Affairs is being denounced for suggesting the Foreign Office should change its name and tone down its grand headquarters built in 1868 at the height of Great Britain's imperial pomp.

The authors believe a lower profile would befit the reality of our station in the world.

"The UK finds itself today in a changed role as a medium-sized 'off shore' power", the report asserts without explicitly mentioning Brexit.

"Our future has more in common with G20 nations like Japan and in Europe like Norway and Switzerland whose economies are closely linked to major economic neighbours."

Over a year ago, Rishi Sunak made five pledges for voters to judge him on.

The prime minister met his promise to halve inflation by the end of 2023.

But with the general election approaching, how is Mr Sunak doing on delivering his other promises?

You can see the progress for yourself below:

Israel's air defence system is one of the most effective in the world.

The Iron Dome began operating in 2011, largely in response to the 2006 war that ended with Hamas taking control of Gaza the following year.

It uses radars to detect and intercept short-range rockets, missiles and drones.

The Iron Dome was developed by Israel's state-owned Rafael Advanced Defence Systems with US support.

The system consists of a series of truck-towed mobile units placed strategically throughout the country.

By Faye Brown , political reporter

A cabinet minister was unable to say whether an airline has been found to send asylum seekers to Rwanda - despite suggesting the scheme will be running "within weeks".

Health Secretary Victoria Atkins told Sky News's Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: "We want them (flights) to take off as quickly as possible... We very much plan to have it within weeks."

Asked whether the government has a carrier yet, Ms Atkins said: "The Home Office is working on this, and so believe you me, the Home Office is ready to go."

"They haven't got one, have they?" Phillips asked.

Ms Atkins said: "We have seen some real progress in the last year with the reduction in small boat crossings by a third... but this is one part of our overall plan to cut illegal migration."

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