Summary of the Occupation
In an effort to promote economic diversification, the tourism industry in Trinidad and Tobago has been listed as one of the areas earmarked for expansion and as such, much emphasis has been placed on the promotion of both domestic and foreign tourism. There are several elements which constitute a “fulfilling” tourist experience; the tour guide industry is a critical component in this experience.
In its official incarnation, the tour guide industry, through the Tour Guide Association, is legislatively partnered with the Ministry of Tourism. 
Formed in May 2005, the Tourism Company Limited (TDC) is the implementation arm of the Ministry of Tourism, dedicated to realizing the vision for tourism in Trinidad and Tobago. This vision is guided by several long-term goals and the intention is for tourism to contribute to Trinidad and Tobago’s attainment of developed national status by the year 2020.
The demand for tour guides is seasonal. Consequently, tour-guiding is not considered a daily occupation; 95% of the persons who engage in tour-guiding, have full time jobs.
There are two main job descriptions in this industry:
- General Tour Guide
- Speciality Tour Guide
The General Tour Guide is expected to manage the visiting group (both locals and foreigners) and deliver the tour itinerary in a professional and welcoming manner, ensuring the sustainability and preservation of the activity or spaces visited.
Furthermore, the tour guide provides reliable information and ensures the safety of the tour party. The tour guide should be first-aid certified, and, having working knowledge of a foreign language is also considered an asset in the industry. The tour guide should also have an engaging personality.
The function of the tour guide is not limited to its title description; tour guides also provide critical services, particularly to foreign visitors, in terms of organizing and managing tourist trips and visits, for example, arranging transportation and creating an itinerary.
There are, however, several types of tours which require specialist tour guides, for example, Heritage Tours which are engaged by specialist tour guides attached to the National Trust of Trinidad and Tobago.
Main categories of Speciality Tour Guides are:
- Boat operator-Tour Guide
- Tour Guide, Sightseeing
- Dive Guide/Dive Master
- Tour Guide, Turtle Watching
- Visitor Guide
BOAT OPERATOR – TOUR GUIDE
Organised and conducts tours to reefs and swamps to observe wildlife and vegetation:
- Communicates with individuals and agencies to plan tours
- Organises bird watching and wildlife observation tours to suit customers’ interests
- Gives brief talks on tours to be undertaken
- Drives a boat to a reef or through a swamp stopping frequently to allow visitors to observe plant and animal life
- Attends to customers at sea, rendering first-aid when necessary
TOUR GUIDE, SIGHTSEEING
Accompanies visitors to desired destinations and provides related information:
- Meets and awaits visitors and escorts them to their desired destination
- Accompanies clients on trips to and from places of interest, entertainment venues and shopping engagements
- Identifies different points of interest during tours and provides background information
DIVE GUIDE/DIVE MASTER
Plans and conducts recreational dives undertaking the responsibility for navigation, safety and emergency procedures and accident management:
- Plans dive tours based on expressed interests of the dive group
- Performs required checks on scuba equipment
- Briefs divers on dive site, planned activities, safety and emergency procedures and environmental concerns
- Conducts dive, making diving positions known by use of surface marker buoy
- Completes dive log on completion of trip
TOUR GUIDE, TURTLE WATCHING
Accompanies and provides information to groups visiting turtle-nesting sites and assists with tracking growth and movement of turtles:
- Escorts visitors to turtle nesting site, following stipulated routes
- Provides information on activities of turtles
- Records number of visitors on each tour and prepares a report on night’s proceedings
- Tags turtles to facilitate future recognition
- Implants microchip tracking devices into turtles for future electronic monitoring
- Measures turtles and records information in data book
VISITOR GUIDE
Meets visitors to the country and provides information on the capital and country:
- Greets visitors in streets of capital city or at national events
- Provides information regarding directions, methods of transport, points of interest in capital and country and local customs
- Supplies information brochures
- Assists visitors in cases of emergency by contacting home base
GENERAL TOUR GUIDE
The primary function of the general tour guide is to ensure that components for tours are in place and that tours proceed smoothly.
Duties of the General Tour Guide
- Pre-checks hotels to ensure that arrangements for visitor accommodation are in place
- Selects and hires contract staff to suit tours and briefs them on tour activities
- Verifies serviceability of tour vehicles or boats
- Contact staff at tour stops to confirm that visitors are expected
- Meets arriving visitors at ports, helps them through immigration and customs formalities, accompanies them to their hotel(s) and ensures they are settled
- Provides information on tour arrangements and collects tour/entrance fees
- Performs duties of Tour Guide or assigns Tour Guide or Diver-Guide to escort visitors
- Assists in resolving problems such as vehicles breaking down on tour or visitor getting sick
- Participates in local marketing of companies’ services and preparation of promotional material
Significant consequences if duties are not performed –
- Poor tourist attendance
- Loss in advertising and marketing opportunities for the industry
- Loss of income for the company
- Disappointed clients and manager
- Loss of time
General Tour Guides are expected to:
- work indoors and outdoors
- work daytime, nights
- work around people
- stand, walk, sit and climb
- work in dusty environment
- wear protective clothing
- work in noisy environment
- work in humid conditions
- be exposed to machinery with moving parts
To become a General Tour Guide persons must have:
- CXC/GCE 0-Level passes in English Language and Mathematics
- Knowledge of History, Geography and a foreign language are desirable
- Training in First Aid
- 2-3 years experience as a tour guide
Special expertise required for those duties:
- Excellent public speaking and narration skills
- Excellent problem solving skills
- Good language skills
- Good organizational and leadership skills
Personal traits:
- Changing from one task to another of a different nature without loss of efficiency or composure
- Dealing with people beyond giving and receiving instructions
- Evaluation of information using subjective or judgemental criteria
- Ability to work as part of a team/group
In Trinidad and Tobago, one out of every twelve persons is estimated to be employed in our visitor economy. In Tobago, the number is significantly higher with more than one out of every two employed persons working in the visitor economy and with more than 50% of Tobago’s workforce depending upon visitor spending for their employment.
The visitor economy overall generates approximately 14% of the country’s income, more than agriculture, more than manufacturing and more than construction. While there is great potential for the industry, there is also a need to improve the quality of local tourism product and to ensure long-term sustainability. To ensure the sustainability and preserve the relevance of the tour guide industry in Trinidad and Tobago, proper planning is necessary and greater domestic tourism needs to be encouraged.
Visitor exports are a key component of the direct contribution of Travel and Tourism. In 2011, Trinidad and Tobago generated TTD $4,350.9 million in visitor exports. In 2012, this was expected to grow by 3.1% and the country was expected to attract 424,000 international tourist arrivals. By 2022, international tourist arrivals are forecast to total 616,000 generating expenditure of TTD $6,710.7 million, an increase of 4.1% pa.
Pay
The General Tour guide earns $65.00 per hour.
*Minimum of $300.00 per day
Further, it was estimated that a General Tour guide may make a salary ranging from $5,500.00 – $6,000.00 per month
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Useful sources of information
- Greer Aran-Destination Cruise at TDC
- Travel and Tourism Economic Impact 2012. www.wttc.org
- Trinidad and Tobago Tour Guide Association
- Trinidad and Tobago incoming Tour Operators Association
- Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards- Tour Guides-Specification TTS 579:2009
SPECIALTY TOUR GUIDE
The primary function of the Specialty Tour guide is:
- To develop tours aimed at a particular niche market, such as cruises for singles, tours for seniors, economical trips.
Duties of the Specialty Tour Guide
- Create a brochure of specialty tour packages. Contact suppliers of specialized market for their brochures, or have your own brochures made.
- Advertise special travel tours in national and special-interest publications and on the internet.
- Develop a professional website specifically tailored to your target market. A website will need to be updated on a regular basis with new travel and tour destination articles and promotion.
Significant consequences if duties are not performed –
- Poor tourist attendance
- Loss in advertising and marketing opportunities for the industry
- Loss of income for the tourism company
- Disappointed clients and manager
- Loss of time
Specialty Tour Guides are expected to:
- work indoors and outdoors
- work daytime, nights
- work around people
- stand, walk, sit and climb
- work in dusty environment
- wear protective clothing
- work in noisy environment
- work in humid conditions
- be exposed to machinery with moving parts
- work with toxic or inflammable substances
- work in water or underwater
To become a Specialty Tour Guide persons must have:
- Five (5) CXC/GCE 0-Level passes including English Language and Mathematics
- Training and Certification in Tour Guiding
- Training in Customer Relations
- Training and certification in First Aid
- Competence in a foreign language
- 3-5 yrs experience as a tour guide
Special expertise required for those duties –
- Excellent public speaking and narration skills
- Excellent problem solving skills
- Good language skills
- Good organizational and leadership skills
- Good communication skills
- Good numerical skills
- Ability to perceive details in objects or pictorial material and in verbal/tabular material
- Ability to move body members with good coordination
- Good marketing and advertising skills
- Excellent computer skills
Personal traits:
- Direction, control and planning of an activity or project
- Dealing with people beyond giving and receiving instructions
- Evaluation of information using subjective or judgemental criteria
- Precise attainment of set limits, tolerances and standards
In Trinidad and Tobago, one out of every twelve persons is estimated to be employed in our visitor economy. In Tobago, the number is significantly higher with more than one out of every two employed persons working in the visitor economy and with more than 50% of Tobago’s workforce depending upon visitor spending for their employment.
The visitor economy overall generates approximately 14% of the country’s income, more than agriculture, more than manufacturing and more than construction. While there is great potential for the industry, there is also a need to improve the quality of local tourism product and to ensure long-term sustainability. To ensure the sustainability and preserve the relevance of the tour guide industry in Trinidad and Tobago, proper planning is necessary and greater domestic tourism needs to be encouraged.
Visitor exports are a key component of the direct contribution of Travel and Tourism. In 2011, Trinidad and Tobago generated TTD $4,350.9 million in visitor exports. In 2012, this was expected to grow by 3.1% and the country was expected to attract 424,000 international tourist arrivals. By 2022, international tourist arrivals are forecast to total 616,000 generating expenditure of TTD $6,710.7 million, an increase of 4.1% pa.
Pay
- Specialty Tour Guides work at an hourly rate
- 8 hours minimum per day
- 3 to 4 days a week
It was estimated that a Specialty Tour guide may earn a salary ranging from $8,000- $10,000.00 per month
Useful sources of information
- Greer Aran-Destination Cruise at TDC
- Travel and Tourism Economic Impact 2012. www.wttc.org
- Trinidad and Tobago Tour Guide Association
- Trinidad and Tobago incoming Tour Operators Association
- Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards- Tour Guides-Specification TTS 579:2009