Completing a tour guide's manual

A tour guide's manual is a document that determines how to conduct this tour, how to organize the presentation of monuments, what techniques should be used to make

the tour effective. Completing a tour guide‘s manual sets out the requirements of the tour methodology, taking into account the features of the attractions and the content of the material presented. The manual helps the guide carry out a tour and must meet the following requirements:

- tell the guide how to open the topic;

- equip him with the most effective methodical tools of presentation and narration;

- contain clear recommendations on the tour organization taking into account the interests of a certain group of tourists;

- combine the presentation and the narration techniques into a single whole.

A tour guide's manual is made on every topic of the tour, reflecting the age, professional and other interests of tourists.

The volume of the manual is 6-12 pages of typewritten text. The volume of the document depends on the number of tourist attractions, the number of sub-topics, and the tour duration.

The structure of the manual includes the following sections: description of the route, calculation of the time at the stops and the progress from one attraction to another, the list of attractions and subtopics that make up the tour, organizational and methodological instructions.

The ―Tour itinerary‖ column states the starting point of the tour and the end of the first sub-theme.

The column ―stops‖ covers the points of the route, where the tourists get off the coach; or observe the attraction from the coach windows without getting off or provides a stop on a walking tour.

The column ―Attraction presentation‖ lists main and additional attractions that are shown to the group at the stop, or during moving of the group to the next stop. In the countryside guided tour a city, a village, or an urban-type settlement can serve as a

tourist attraction, as well as some buildings, towers, bell towers, etc.). In the city tours, streets and squares can serve as attractions.

The  column  ―Tour Duration‖  indicates  the  time  spent on  the  presentation of the attraction, guidespeak and the movement of tourists along the route to the next stop. Here it is also necessary to take into account the time spent on driving round the attractions.

The column ―Sub-themes‖ contains brief entries of sub-topic and a list of the main issues of each of them.

The  column  ―Organizational  instructions‘  enlist  some  recommendations  on  the movement of the group, ensuring the safety of excursionists on the route and the implementation of sanitary and hygienic requirements, the rules of tour participants‘ behaviopur in memorial places. Here, the requirements for excursionists on nature protection and fire safety rules are set out. This column includes all the questions that are  included  in  the  concept  of  ―tour  guiding  techniques‖.  Here  is  an  example  of  a record: ―The  group  is  located  in such a  way that all tourists see the entrance to the building.‖ ―At this stop, tourists get time to take pictures.‖ In out-of-town excursions, this column includes instructions on sanitary stops, environmental protection recommendations, rules for the movement of tourists at stops, especially near motorways, in order to ensure their safety (safety rules).

Questions

1. What is a tour guide‘s manual? What recommendations should it contain?

2. What should be written in the column ―Tour Route‖?

3. W hat information is included in the column ― Stops ‖

4. W hat information s hould the column ― A ttractions ‖ contain?

5. What does the column ―Tour duration‖ indicate?

6. W hat information is included in the column ― Sup-topics ‖?

7. What recommendations are given in the column ―Organizational Issues‖?

8. What does the column ―Delivery Methods‖ contain?

13. A guided tour‘s script preparation

The basis of the guide's story is the individual text (a guided tour's script), which helps the guide to logically build his narration. Each guide makes this text independently. The basis for the individual script is the control script.

The main difference between an individual script and a control one is that it reflects the structure of the tour and is built in accordance with the guided tour manual. The material is placed in the order in which the attractions are displayed, and has a clear division into parts. Each of them is dedicated to one of the sub-themes. The individual script contains a full account of what should be told on the tour.

The guide should remember the difference between the speech of the lecturer and the guide when composing an individual script. The guide to speak briefly, clearly characterize the monuments in front of the group, briefly talk about the events connected with them.

The length of the narration should not exceed the time of tourists‘ attention to the attraction. Usually it varies from five to seven minutes. The guide can use his individual text during the tour. For convenience of use, it is recommended to write the contents of the story on special cards giving the brief information about the attraction, together with the main issues about it.

Using the cards, the guide does not read their contents during the tour, but by having a look at them, recalls the content of the narration. The cards are numbered and folded before the tour, taking into account the sequence of sub-topics that are disclosed. The fact that the cards are at hand and can be used at the right time, gives the guide confidence in their knowledge.

The presence of an individual text does not mean that it must be memorized by heart. The task of tour designers is to link the content of all the sub-topics into a single whole. It is solved by means of logical bridges, which should be considered as an important part of the tour. Well-designed logical bridges make the perception of the

tour as a whole unit and help to keep the tourists‘ attention. The duration of a logical bridge is usually equal to the time the group moves from one attraction to the other.

Questions

1. What documents should a guide use when writing a guide‘s script?

2. In what way is the guide‘s script arranged?

3. What is the difference between a guide‘s speech and a lecturer‘s speech?

4. How long should the presentation of one attraction last?

5. What information is recommended to write on tour cards?

6. What should different sub-topics be connected by?

A guided tour presentation

When the control text of the tour and the manual is completed together with a guide‘s portfolio and a route map, the date of acceptance (delivery) of the new tour is assigned. All those involved in the process of tour design are present at the tour acceptance. Acceptance (delivery) of the tour is in the form of discussion, exchange of opinions, identification of shortcomings.

A guided tour approval

With a positive assessment of the control text and the manual, a decree is issued to approve a new guided tour theme and a list of guides licensed to conduct it. Only those tour guides who took part in the tour design and its presentation on the route are allowed to carry it out.

Questions

1. What does a guided tour‘s approval imply?

2. What type of tour are all guides supposed to give after the tour approval?