Tour Guide, as a Public Speaker

As a public speaker in the tourism sector, I, as a tour guide, must provide information relating to tourist attractions clearly but in a good manner. Because there are many domestic and foreign tourists with racial, ethnic, cultural, and religious diversity, I have to position myself so as not to be too biased towards one of either race, ethnicity, culture or religion. I give interesting and informative information about tourist attractions so that tourists get a lot of knowledge from the information I gave. Before starting, I, as a tour guide, have to know the background of the tourists I am going to guide because usually every country has different interests, so I can determine what topics I will give to those tourists. I have to prepare whatever material I have to convey later to the tourists. Mind mapping must also be done so that I know what I have to prepare and do first so that the activities can run smoothly and without problems. I also often talk to tourists and do some interesting activities so that the activities carried out become communicative.

I prefer to use a cue card that contains points about what I will convey to tourists rather than having to write all the information in such a detailed script. In giving information, I have to be polite but in a friendly way so that tourists don't hesitate to make me someone they can trust. In explaining the material, sometimes I bring visual aids to support my activities to guide tourists and sometimes tourists are entertained by the visual aids that I use. The visual aids really helped me in explaining, especially for foreign tourists who did not know the things of what I explained if I did not bring the visual aids. In carrying out my work, I have to check everything and work with the tour leader to prevent mistakes and problems. But, there must be problems that occur in the field. Therefore, I and the tour leaders work together and help each other in overcoming the problem, we also ask for cooperation from all parties concern on the tour. In facing the problem, as a tour guide, I am expected not to try to find a solution by myself, everything has to be considered together. Feeling nervousness might always be there when first time guides a tour, but the nervousness will eventually disappear because I'm trying to find my own point of comfort. I’m trying not to show my nervousness to the tourists, because it will definitely cause a bad feeling between us, so as much as possible I have to come in contact with all the tourists. In my job, sometimes I have to hold myself to any situation because as a tour guide, I have to show a good impression to tourists. I also have to control myself if in a situation there are tourists or anyone who treats me poorly, I must always be wise. Because this is my job, I have to handle everything.