A Practical Guide on How To Become An International Tour Guide

If you believe you are up to the challenge and want to charge ahead to achieve this great opportunity, one of the best ways to get started is to become a Certified International Tour Guide.  It requires some upfront effort and perseverance on your part before you can expect to reap its rewards, like many independent contractor opportunities.  As an international guide, or even a local guide within your own city, you get to enjoy all or most of the tour events for free!  In addition, you will receive a percentage of the optional tours you sell to the passengers and will receive tips from them at the end of the tour; the amount above the standard tip tour companies recommend to the tourists goes up if you did well.

How to get certified:  Many international and local travel companies either require or strongly prefer a tour guide be certified.  Research the Internet for International Tour Certification programs which are conducted in various U.S. cities and run anywhere from 2 intensive weeks up to 6 weeks or more.  Certification is achieved through classroom study, hands-on practice and successful passing of tests, video and/or on-site demonstration skills.  The programs include how to manage and coordinate the day-to-day travel and accommodation obligations and event opportunities for tour passengers, dealing with international tour agencies and destination representatives, selling optional tours and events, collecting and disseminating tour venue funds, handling all kinds of emergencies, and giving tour talks or presentations while on the road.  However, as an international guide, you will most likely not be the person presenting to the group in a foreign country; expert local guides will be recruited for whichever country you are in.  You will be there to be sure everyone is comfortable and accounted for, to ensure everything and everyone is on time and that the tour follows as advertised as much as possible.  If you do well, the instructor may forward your name to several international tour companies located in the U.S.  This recommendation is gold.  You may even be lucky enough to be contacted by the company when it needs an alternate or last minute director, as happened to me.

If you plan to sign up with international tour companies, first check with your state business registration office on what is required to become established as an Independent Contractor; this is what your status will be.  In most cases, your employment with a company will be on a part-time or casual basis. Your home base will not likely change unless you move to become a fulltime employee of a specific company, so you will be obligated to the state for taxation and business requirements  You will need to request a taxpayer ID# from the state, will be subject to income tax, and required to file a business tax form annually or quarterly. If you bill yourself as an Independent Tour Operator where you guide groups by yourself with no affiliation to any professional registered company, you should apply for ASTA membership – this is the American Society of Travel Agents, a leading advocate for travel professionals which offers a great deal of benefits for its members.

Prepare your cover letter and resume, focusing on your experience as it relates to leading, managing or teaching groups in any capacity, professional or personal travel experience, experience making travel arrangements, especially for others, experience living and/or working in foreign countries, any foreign language ability and anything else that you feel would promote your international tour capabilities.  If you have worked as a local tour guide in your own city, this is important experience to add to your resume.  If a company has a required application, apply and attach your resume and cover letter and be sure to fill out the application completely even though it may repeat what is stated on your resume.  The application will be the main document reviewed by the company.  Do not be lazy about this.

After you have applied to a number of companies (I would recommend at least 10), follow up with the companies after about 2-4 weeks.  Inquire if there are openings, the status of your application and ask if there is a possibility of an interview or how the company selects its tour guides.  Ask them if they can send you any information on their policies and procedures or how they generally like to manage their tours; having this information is very important if you are eventually selected to guide a tour to avoid any missteps on your first assignment.  Don’t be too concerned if they are reluctant to release this information.  Press on regardless.  Try not to get frustrated; this takes patience and perseverance.  Most companies will have a stack of applications and will select prospects when they need a tour guide in a pinch so luck has a lot to do with it.  Keep in contact with them about once a month or every other month to keep your name “afloat”.  Contacting them more frequently than monthly might have a negative effect.

While you are waiting for that special opportunity to strike, continue to add to your experience and occasionally send an updated resume to companies that you are interested in.  If your city has a local guide service, consider joining their network to gain group guiding experience and to build a good reputation among guides and visitors (a good guide will often be requested by returning visitors and/or destination companies and these recommendations are good to add to your international application).   The company may pair you with a seasoned guide and pay you at a lesser rate for work performed assisting the main guide or they may request you volunteer first to gain experience. Many of the local opportunities include short trips such as a city tour or day trips to sites outside of the city, airport meet-and-greet events where you greet incoming tourists belonging to a particular group (e.g., convention attendees, traveling school groups or bus tour tourists), and groups signed up for planned restaurant, local destination, entertainment or shopping events.

On a smaller scale, organize a group outing for your own work colleagues; coordinate the venue date, space and activities and take care of collecting the required fees and payments.   It is small step but even the smallest level of experience can lead to something bigger.  Consider paying for, and joining some local bus or destination tours and observe how the tour guide manages the tour.  Converse with the guide in spare moments; most guides will be happy to share some ideas and information about guiding if they know you are interested in joining the industry.  Build on your experience and be patient; take it step by step.  There is no overnight success!