The most important plus and at the same time the main disadvantage of any ready-made tourist program is the fact that it is painted by the hour. This is convenient for not very organized minds, for neophytes. The tourist will be led to museums, taken to eat and given advice on what you can look at in your free time.
On the other hand, it all depends very much on what kind of guides are recruited, and the degree of their payment. We have talked with experts and are in a hurry to share with you the secrets and secrets of this kitchen.
How does the tour appear?
First of all, there is an idea. Inspiration is usually existing routes developed by competitors from abroad. Recently, it is also implied to work with personal data and big data, as well as the analysis of public statistics and databases where users book hotels and tickets. So the company learns everything about its client - or almost everything.
A good measure of success is the "Inst* coefficient": it is necessary to understand how many beautiful places there will be during the course of the play, whether it is necessary to include a professional photographer in the group, and so on.
Then there's a kind of brainstorming session. Having chosen one thing, specialists take up the refinement and determine whether the route is tied to a specific location or will relate to the entire city or even the region.
Tour operators strive for versatility: the product must satisfy both old and young, which is designed to facilitate family trips.
When the concept is approved, methodologists work with lists of basic and auxiliary objects of attraction - either already having cult status, or until now unknown. Firms take into account the availability of hotels and restaurants, and guess so that a group passes by them or passes during meals. No less important are stops for sanitary purposes and in order to unload travelers for a souvenir. You should also take into account traffic jams and guess possible bypass routes with their consideration.
When all this is done, the era of management comes: all service providers, whether hotels, restaurants or museums, must be provided with appropriate contracts, and the necessary description is posted on the site.
Most of the work is carried out by graduates of specialized universities and colleges - they, as a rule, already know everything about the mechanisms of the market and the sphere of tourist services, the organization of leisure and the preparation of routes, the sale of air and tourist products.
What are the tours in general?
Strictly speaking, much depends on the type of tour. It can be recreational or excursion, have goals in the field of sports, religion (we are talking about pilgrimages), as well as ecology (tracks along eco-trails are a very popular event today), even industrial (thanks to this format of instructions, you can learn about how cars, food or even airplanes are made).
Gastronomic tourism is becoming increasingly popular. People seek to get a unique experience from interacting with an unfamiliar or unfamiliar culture, and their own, not imposed. It is logical that it is impossible to fake the sensations of eating, and a master class with a famous chef will be a unique event that will be remembered for the rest of your life.
Gastrotourism is devoid of age restrictions, it is loved by both very young and very solid and aged clients, although the specifics of working with them, of course, are different. The first will be interesting to look at a famous food blogger or take part in a gastronomic quest. And for those who remember the USSR, it may seem amusing to visit department stores left over from the Soviet era, and walk with local historians along the main city highways and points of attraction.
The business must constantly monitor the specified ones in order to identify atypical solutions and control demand. Analysis of armor statistics allows the operator to pay attention to non-obvious factors. For example, it became known that family tours are interesting not only for parents with young children, but also for young people - the idea of riding on attractions, looking into the planetarium or taking a swim with a clever dolphin (certainly more intellectual than any tiktoker) seems to be funny.
Who is taken as a guide and how to check
Usually, large travel companies have their own databases of specialists with accreditation, which include people with specialized diplomas or certificates of completion of courses, certainly licensed.
Some will be lucky enough to become full-time employees, the rest work more freely, being involved as needed. If the company operates in the capital region, one accompanying person usually goes to other cities and towns, and the entire service part is searched on the spot with the help of partner organizations. It is logical: who better know their land, if not local?
Candidates usually start with interviews, after which trial tours are conducted, and only if everything goes well, the person will be trusted with the group. It doesn't end there – professional controllers regularly appear as part of the groups, collecting feedback. Do not write off customer reviews: a few lines left on the operator's website or in the feedback form can say a lot about the professionalism of the guide.
What is the guide responsible for during the tour?
In general, guides with their versatility – here philological skills, psychological, and organizational – serve as a ceremonial portrait of the company, its face. These people are supposed to monitor the time, contact contractors, communicate with counterparties and just agents.
When a person praises a tour, he rarely even remotely imagines how many problems the guide has to solve as the trip goes or during the excursion. For example, if someone does not have QR codes, and the museum suddenly needed to the point of horror, the guide has to quickly look for something similar in theme and level - and moreover does not require codes. The task is not trivial.
Very often difficulties arise due to traffic on the roads. Overlaps, restrictions, traffic jams - this is just a very approximate list of problems that can spoil any excursion. Saving it is the goal and task of a professional guide.
