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Tour Guide - How to get into this job

Kaiārahi Rōpū Haere

Entry Requirements

In most cases, there are no specific requirements to become a tour guide, as skills are gained on the job.

Some employers, particularly those that provide bus tours, prefer to hire people who are at least 23 years old. This is because these tour guides have a higher level of responsibility for their clients' safety.

Tour guides who drive passengers need special licences

Tour guides who drive passenger vehicles need to have held a Class 2 or a Class 4 driver's licence (depending on the size of the bus) for at least six months.

You also need to have a 'P' (Passenger) endorsement on your licence, which shows you can carry passengers.

Tour guides for Chinese groups need specific training

Guides who want to escort tour groups from China need to meet certain requirements set by Tourism New Zealand.

 

Secondary Education

Useful subjects include maths, Asian or European languages, Māori, physical education, and tourism.

 

Karen Thompson.

"Having languages up your sleeve is a big plus. I only speak English but I really strongly recommend people learn different languages – say German or Japanese."

Karen Thompson - Tour Manager

 
Get help with choosing school subjects

Tertiary Education

There are no specific tertiary requirements for tour guides.
 
Some employers may prefer to hire people who have a tourism qualification, whereas others prefer to employ someone and then offer them workplace training.

 

Tony Kuepfer

"It's a very portable skill – obtaining the [tour guiding] qualification shows you have the abilities and skills to provide added value to the people on the tour. If you want to go overseas and work, it's something you can have under your belt to obtain seasonal work."

Tony Kuepfer - Tour Host and Trainer

 

Relevant courses

Training on the job

Skills such as first aid, basic team rescue, fire-fighting and cultural etiquette may be learned on the job.

Some employers support their staff to undertake formal training through the Aviation, Tourism and Travel Training Organisation (ATTTO) towards a:
  • National Certificate in Tourism (Guiding) Level 3
  • National Certificate in Tourism (Tour Leadership) Level 4.

 

Tony Kuepfer

"Our training for museum tour hosts is pretty intense. It comes down to having to be able to speak with knowledge and authority and accurately about what our visitors are looking at within the museum. It’s not just being able to reiterate a few facts to people."

Tony Kuepfer - Tour Host and Trainer

 

Useful Experience

Useful experience for tour guides includes:
  • work in the tourism and hospitality industries
  • voluntary hosting experience at museums and other attractions
  • work involving contact with the public and people from other cultures
  • public speaking
  • travel experience.

 

Claudia Duffy.

"A good preparation is to have a few other jobs beforehand, and to have life experience, as you’ve got to be a sort of mother for the group. For a three or four-week tour, you definitely need a mature person that can deal with any circumstance that could arise."

Claudia Duffy - Tour Guide

 
Previous page - Personal requirements
Next page - Working conditions
Updated September 2009
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