About professional tour guides here in Australia…………

The Australian networking association for professional tour guides is keen for people to know about their role in our tourism industry. Most Tour Guides work on a free-lance basis, though there are some small tour guide businesses. Important attributes for tour guides are:

1.Maturity
2.Knowledge of, and ability to communicate the Australian culture and
environment inspiringly and entertainingly.

Tour guides work with inbound tour groups, visiting business executives, independent travellers and in all facets of the conference industry. Some organize local walking tours, or act as site guides, whilst others escort groups overseas. Tour guiding can be a very demanding job and tends to be a profession undervalued in the wider community, in the tourism industry and among our political leaders.

There is a networking association for professional tour guides – the Professional Tour Guides Association of Australia (PTGAA)- which is also a member of the World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations, and a founding member of Guiding Organisations of Australia(www.goa.org.au). PTGAA has a steadily growing membership of around 120 members in Victoria alone with distance members in other States and is currently working on an accreditation process for tour guides round Australia.

The type of work tour guides do is:
– airport meeting and greeting and departure assistance
– City Sights Tours by coach, limousine or on foot
– day and extended trips out of Melbourne
– Interstate Tours – hotel or camping
– Overseas Tours
– Conferences – general administration & tours
– Special Walking Tours
– Shopping & Relocation Tours
– Cruise Ship Shore Tours

The PTGAA recently hosted the 11th Convention of the World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations at the Carlton Crest Hotel in Melbourne. Tour guides from thirty-two countries joined with their Australian colleagues for the 5 day Convention. They considered:

1. The State of Tourist Guiding in the World Today;
2. Business matters such as the guide’s responsibilities regarding risk
management and insurance, understanding one’s rights when signing work
related contracts and strategic planning re:association management;
3. The challenges relating to training, quality assurance through accreditation
and the problems associated with unqualified guides;
4. Health matters in regard to both the guide and the tourist client.

For further info or to contact an experienced guide you can email professionaltourguides@ptgaa.org, ring 03 8601 1124 or write to:

Professional Tour Guides Association of Australia (PTGAA)
Level 8, 350 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000.