In the tourism industry, tour guides play an important role. They are responsible for using language to introduce, present and explain the meaning of the sights, monuments, cultural heritages and places that tourists visit, and at the same time answer tourists’ questions. Therefore, tour guides must have all the elements of knowledge on culture, history and geography, along with foreign language proficiency, communication and behavioural skills, and sometimes be even an MC when the group of tourists wants Gala dinners or Team Building activities.

Tour guides pick up guests right at the port or a shuttle bus takes them to the city centre to begin their sightseeing and shopping journey in the city. Photo: THU HA

Tour guides plan and implement scheduled activities for guests at an establishment or on a tour. They curate a standard itinerary, making minor adjustments based on the group's demographic and preferences. Tour guides inform tourists about a location's common practices, history, and prohibited acts.

In reality, the quality of each tour depends a lot on the work performance of tour guides, because they play an important and key role in the itinerary. First of all, of course, tour guides in charge of outbound tours must at least be fluent in English and knowledgeable about the history, culture, and customs of the destination.

In this regard, we can refer to the way Chinese tourism works. A tour guide with many years of experience in a travel agency said that when Vietnamese outbound tourists travel to China, most of the time, Chinese tour guides themselves make introductions about the history and culture of their region and country as a whole.  Their guides are very good and impress tourists. Doing so will not lose the jobs of local people who have a deep insight into the geographical history of their land and can publicise its special features.

The writer once participated in a tour organised by a large Vietnamese travel company to Cambodia at the end of 2023. The tour guides of the group included tour guides who were Vietnamese of Khmer origin. Because they understand the customs, cultural history of both Viet Nam and Cambodia, their presentations are very accurate and attractive.

Furthermore, these tour guides well understand the psychology and preferences of the travelers. Despite being different in ages, and genders, each traveller in the group feels comfortable and pleasant due to the harmony, closeness, and attentive care of the tour guides, thereby making the trip meaningful even though the travel distance is long. Another interesting thing is that the tour guides took their guests to enjoy dishes that are very suitable for Vietnamese taste, although there are some purely Cambodian dishes.

When it comes to the role of tour guides for domestic trips. In each registered tour, the tour guide is the one who accompanies and takes care of tourists throughout the entire trip as well as planning the travel, doing check-in procedures at the hotel, and buying entrance tickets for their guests at tourist attractions. With that function, the liveliness, sincerity, broad knowledge and especially the ability to inspire of the tour guide plays a very important role.

There are many tour guides, most of whom are young, dynamic and knowledgeable about the history, culture, and customs of each region and locality. It can be said that they are also ‘cheerleaders’, and can even act as MCs if the tours organize Gala dinners or Team Building activities.

Humor and wit are also an advantage of tour guides when they help tourists feel comfortable and relaxed through stories told along the way. The legends, stories of history at each place passed or visited are all introduced in detail, engaging through a soulful, heartfelt way of communicating, not speaking like a pre-programmed machine but leading tourists from one interesting thing to another, avoiding boredom throughout the journey, although sometimes the car passes through steep mountain passes and long roads, and there are elderly tourists in the group.

Currently, there are some colleges and intermediate schools that train tour guides. In addition, some universities have majors in travel, which also includes tour guide training. In the field of tourism, and travel in particular, the issue of customer care, in which the role of tour guides is an issue that needs to be concerned from the training to the coaching stages with teaching methods combined with practice, thereby helping students and trainees grasp skills and practical knowledge to be able to proactively respond to real situations that may be encountered during the process of working as tour guides.

In addition, the ability to communicate effectively in tourism and travel activities in both Vietnamese and English, the ability to give presentations, connect tourists together, and especially the skills to manage groups and handle common situations are also very necessary factors for a tour guide. Finally, as a person who travels a lot and talks a lot, a tour guide must be in good health, resilient, and flexible to accompany tourists on every journey of near and far trips.

It can be said that the role of tour guides in travel service companies and travel agencies is very important. This personnel position significantly determines the operation of the business and the impression of the business in the eyes of customers. With extensive knowledge of locations, history, culture and tourism information, tour guides help tourists have interesting and memorable experiences on each trip. They not only take on the role of providing information but also create connections between tourists and destinations, helping visitors have unforgettable memories after their trips.

Reporting by DAN HUNG, MY LINH - Translating by A.THU