Having a great tour guide could make a difference in your travel, especially in exploring a particular place that you like. A good tour guide could also give you a personal context on what's the history of the country to understand the culture of the place you are visiting.
Paul Christie, who is the CEO of Walk Japan (specializes in high-end walking tours), said a tour guide needs to have more personal skills and the best one should be good as a friend, companion, diplomat, logistician, as well as a leader. Additionally, a tour guide must have a clear mind in times of crisis and should be courteous, organized, dependable, and resourceful.
Although some may have learned the country's history or culture, it would be different if it comes from a tour guide who has more personal perspective and insight in the place. What's also important is that a good tour guide always considers potential mishaps, said Takuya Ugaijin - a guide for Walk Japan.
For instance, he explained, a tour guide should always check or double-check train times, should know whether the customer is vegan or not, and should check the opening hours of each location for visits. But then, they should also be prepared for the possible detours from a set itinerary, as per the South China Morning Post.
"All clients seek an element of serendipity in their travels," says Guy Rubin, managing partner of Beijing-based Imperial Tours, "And a guide's flexibility allows for this."
Rubin cited an example wherein one of the tour guides of Imperial Tours in a rural location helped a family to arrange a visit to play a soccer match with local Chinese villagers and the family's children. Then, that same tour guide helped another guest who decided to change plans during the last minute, where he chose to stay at a hotel on Huangshan mountain so he can watch the sunrise.
And of course, capturing the moment when you travel is also important, so a tour guide should have an eye for good photos. A tour guide must know that travelers love to share their experiences with their social media, said Anita Ngai the chief revenue officer of Hong Kong-based travel platform Klook, so they need to know where the hidden gems of places and best spots to take great pictures.
Janvi Chow, who is an independent tour guide in Guangzhou, advised travelers not to rely on reviews they TripAdvisor, but instead, they should compare these reviews on other blogs and websites.
"People will share their stories on their blogs," Chow said. "It's more believable than the reviews on TripAdvisor."
