Tourist Guides and Information Officers
Provide information to tourists and direct and guide visitors in galleries and museums, and on sightseeing, educational and other tours and experiences.
A summer day guiding at Port Wallace
You are a tour guide and visitor information officer in a coastal town, leading walks, answering questions and helping travellers plan their stay. It is 9:30am. A group of fourteen is gathering at the visitor centre for the morning heritage walk. The sun is already hot, and one person is still trying to find the meeting point.
Choose what you would do. Then see what happens. There are often good reasons for each choice.
I'm sorry, dear, I'm a bit slower than the others. My knees aren't what they were. Please don't wait for me. I'll catch up. You go ahead with everyone else.
Thank her and carry on with the group, trusting that she'll catch up on her own at her own pace
Mrs Whitfield falls behind and loses the group at the lookout. She sits down on a bench, upset. A guide is responsible for every person who starts the walk, not only the quickest.
Tell the group you'll slow the pace, and plan shorter stops with places to sit
The pace slows and Mrs Whitfield keeps up. Some of the faster walkers get restless, though. Setting the pace is a balance, and it helps to explain why.
Ask what would help, adjust the route, and pair her with a friendly group member
You cut one stair-heavy section and point out a shaded seat on the way. Mrs Whitfield enjoys the day, and tells the group she hasn't felt this included in years.
We booked a boat trip through some website last night but the operator says there's no booking under our name. We only have two days here. Can you just tell us who to blame?
Tell him it's the website's fault and he should demand a refund
Lars storms off to confront the operator without checking details. The real problem was a misspelt name, and everyone is more upset than they needed to be.
Look at his confirmation, ring the operator, and sort it out before talking about blame
A single letter in his name was wrong. The operator finds the booking and Lars is on the 11am boat. Fixing the problem first made the blame question disappear.
Give him the phone numbers of the operator and the website, and wish him luck with getting it sorted
Lars makes the calls himself, and loses an hour. You were helpful, but a quick call from you could have solved it in five minutes.
Is it true the old jail has a ghost? My cousin said a guide told him the whole story. Can you tell it to us? It'd be awesome. Please, can you make it scary?
Tell the dramatic version, since it's what the kids want and the story might even be true somewhere
The story is exciting, but a teacher later says the details were invented, and one younger child has trouble sleeping. Entertaining people is fine, but telling invented things as fact is not.
Say there's no evidence of a ghost, and move straight to the next stop
The kids are a bit deflated and the energy drops. Honesty matters, and so does making the real story as interesting as the legend.
Say it's a local legend, tell what's known about the jail, and have fun with the spooky bit
The kids enjoy the true story, and love the part where you say it's only a legend. Their teacher thanks you afterwards. Good guides keep the fun and the facts apart.
How it went
The last group leaves the visitor centre happy, and you have a pile of brochures to tidy. Being a guide means knowing your place, welcoming strangers and staying honest. Would you enjoy being the person who helps visitors fall in love with a place?
This is a simplified, fictional situation to help you explore. It is not professional instruction or a test of your ability.
Case study: The question the guide could not answer
A fictional case set in a fictional coastal heritage town with a small museum, walking tours and a visitor centre.
The situation
Marnie was guiding a walking tour of the old harbour in the fictional town of Port Wallace. A man in the group asked her about the history of a rock platform at the edge of the headland, and why the local Aboriginal community had asked the council to keep a section closed. She did not know the answer. Several visitors were already looking at their phones, and there was a temptation to make something up to keep the tour flowing.
What they did
Marnie told the group honestly that she did not know the full story and did not want to guess about something that belonged to local people. She said she would find out who could tell it properly. After the tour she rang the visitor centre, who connected her with a Traditional Owner who ran cultural walks. Marnie then added a line to every tour inviting guests to book a walk with them.
How it turned out
The Traditional Owner thanked Marnie for sending people her way and invited her to a talk so she could learn more. The man from the group wrote a review saying that the guide's honesty was the best part of the tour. Marnie says she still does not know everything, and that is fine.
What would you do?
- Why did Marnie choose not to guess at the answer?
- How can a guide share a place's stories respectfully?
- What would you do if you were asked something you could not answer on a tour?