SITTGDE005/Prepare and present tour commentaries or activities

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SITTGDE005 Prepare and present tour commentaries or activities

In this study unit you will learn to;

  1. Prepare commentaries or activities for presentation to customers
  2. Present commentaries or activities to customers
  3. Interact with customers

Introduction

In study unit SITTGDE006 Develop and maintain the general regional knowledge required by guides, we looked at researching and obtaining information for use in tourist activities.  In this study unit we will take this a step further and look at actually presenting information to a group of tourists. You will learn to prepare and present commentaries or activities to different groups of customers; commentaries that (depending on customer needs) may relate to subject areas such as:

  • arts
  • built environments
  • history and heritage
  • industrial operations
  • natural environment: flora, fauna, landscape
  • social environment
  • sport or recreation

To begin with, however, it is important to ensure that you have an understanding of, and comply with, any legislative requirements laid down in your state or territory.

For example;

  • It is compulsory for all tour guides working in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park to have successfully completed the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Knowledge for Tour Guides program. This course provides an entry level knowledge of all the things a tour guide should know including key areas of visitor safety, understanding the park’s natural and cultural values and history, legal compliance and minimizing environmental impact on the area.
  • When working in Queensland, all guides, regardless of their place of residence, are subject to the Queensland Tourism Services Act 2003. The main purpose of this Act is to provide for fair trading in the tourism services industry by;
  • establishing a registration system for inbound tour operators; and
  • providing for codes of conduct for inbound tour operators and tour guides including the setting of minimum standards for
    • carrying on the business of an inbound tour operator; or
    • tour guides; and
  • prohibiting unconscionable conduct by inbound tour operators and tour guides; and
  • promoting sound business practices by inbound tour operators and tour guides.
  • Austrade has set out specific requirements for working with Chinese tourists under the China Approved Destination Status scheme, so any tour guides working with this market must fulfill certain requirements.

These are only some of the instances in which you will need to comply with state or territory requirements. You should check with your own state’s tourism bodies if specific regulations apply.

Prepare commentaries or activities for presentation to customers

Taking out a tour, or leading an activity, places an immense responsibility on a tour guide; you must provide information – teaching your audience about your destination or site – but you must also entertain and engage them.

You can only do this, effectively, if you provide a commentary; telling the visitors what they are seeing and giving them accurate and interesting background information on those sites.

Select and evaluate information

Information about a destination or site will, generally, not vary. A fact will always remain a fact; the Sydney Opera House is located on Bennelong Point on Sydney harbour, it was designed by Danish architect Jorn Utzon, opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1973 and, no matter from which angle you look at it, these facts will never change.

What will change, and will make your commentary relevant to specific audience groups however, will be the context in which you present information, and the type of information you have selected to present. Continuing to use the Sydney Opera House as an example, this attraction will have a great many aspects and areas of interest.

For example;

  • Arts based performances; music, dance and theatre. These, in themselves, could be split into specific areas of interest; some visitors might be interested in what Operas have been (or will be) performed, while others might only be interested in what plays have been put on there.
  • Architecture; this is one of the most famous and recognizable buildings in Australia (if not the world) so visitors, who are specifically interested in architecture, may want to know about the history and construction of the building and be less interested in the arts.

… continued in learner guide ….

For purchase information go back to tourism unit list

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