Chapter Four

Basic Tour Managing Procedures

4.1. Meeting up on arrival/ information provision
The tour manager’s work begins long before s/he meets clients and s/he is required to understand
their special needs, interests and motivations that push them to depart from their home and visit
the destination sites. Up on the guests’ arrival, by any modes of transportation, a tour manager is
responsible to meet and welcome them (either in the airport, railway station, and bus station and
sea port) in hospitable manner. As much as possible, the tour manager is required to arrive well
in advance in the transportation terminal to avoid the possible ups and downs of your clients
before they met you. As the tour company’s representative, introduce yourself and welcome
them compassionately. Offer the required information about your tour company to the guests
either verbally or with the help of a piece of promotional material. Let them to get in to the
arranged vehicle by the tour company for transfer service and take them to the pre-arranged
accommodation center to take rest and relax.
4.2. Hotel procedure:
In the course of a normal tour, you will stay at several different hotels. Depending up on the tour
some will be big, inner city types, some will be resort hotels, and some may be motels. Motels
are roadside hotels with parking site near their rooms. Regardless of the type or location of the
hotel, the basic operation of the tour guide as far as the hotel procedure is concerned is similar.
Your main concern with the hotels management will be:

♦ While checking in the tour or the clients

♦ When the tour checks out
♦ When the clients use different service of the hotel
♦ When handling the incidental charges

1) Check-in (when the bus arrive at the hotel)

 Leave the group aboard.

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  Go to the receptionist alone
 As you enter the lobby having list of names and types of room (voucher), ask the
captain (bellboy) and give him the luggage count. You may ask him the luggage unload
while you are registering or filling the form
 Inform the bellboy about the time when he should collect the luggage for departure in
the next morning
 collect the individual keys and arrange for the wake up calls for the next morning i.e.,
tell the receptionist to make up an hour before the departure time
 when you came back to the bus where tourists are, you:

 tell them about the time of meals and wakeup

 tell them about the luggage ready time
 announce the departure time
 give the dinning time and rooms
 Briefly review the itinerary for the next day including the approximate lunch time
so that they will have light food at hand. Better to tell them about the general
condition of the road and total feature of the area.
 Tell them about any special needs (things) necessary for the coming day e.g.
binocular
 Call the names and pass keys by using your list
 Tell your clients that you will stay around the lobby (where the receptionist is) for half
an hour if there re problems
 Express your wish to spend a nice evening
 When they drop off, stay standing around the door of the bus to give help especially for
elders
 When all dropped off, check for any left object left in the bus Evening announcement:

Approximately 45 minutes before arrival at the hotel where you spend the night, you should
begin your final announcement of the day. The announcement should include the following:
 A summary of the day’s tour (e.g. about the positive and negative side of the tour and to
improve the weak sides during the coming days.)

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  About the next day’s itinerary briefly adding information that might influence the tour.
(Dressing style, shoes, where to have lunch, picture stop and rest stop.) E.g. tomorrow we
will be having long journeys before lunch. This helps clients to make themselves ready in
advance by having cookies with them.
 Brief the clients about the main recreational place in the hotel where you spend the next
night.
 As you make the announcement, make an informed visit in the bus to solve
misunderstanding and identify how the clients enjoyed the day’s tour
 As you get closer to the hotel, point out places your clients may enjoy visiting after diner.
2) Check-out
It is a procedure in which a tour guide clears (the payment) with the hotel. To do so:
 You should start some 30 min before or earlier than the rest of the group
 Ask the cashier to prepare the tour bill for you
 Following breakfast, complete the checkout procedure with the cashier and present the
voucher. Every bill collected from e.g. laundry, coffee etc will be given to the
receptionist so pay everything
 Great every member of the tour as they arrive in the lobby
 Count and check the bags with the bellboy and have then looked. You can lead the bags
till your clients eat breakfast
 At departure time help the clients get onto the bus take or have a head count in warily to
check if or not someone is missing
 Make sure all keys are returned before the bus starts its journey

3) Incidental charge
This refers to charges of phone call laundry etc. these are non-tour costs that guests should be
charged. Incidental charges:

 Are registered on a separate account and presented to the tour manager along with the
master tour bill
 Should be done after seeing the cashier. It is good to talk to the cashier when tourists
desire to get service that incurs extra charge

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  Take a written document from the cashier stating that all incidental charges are cleared.
Attach a copy of it to the master bill.
4.3. Aboard the tour bus
Advantage of the tour bus:
 The bus becomes the group’s private world.
 It is in the bus that the tour leader or tour guide develops the feeling of group avoiding
individualism.
 In the bus communication can be delivered without attracting the attention of outsiders.
 The bus members become well acquainted with each other through-seat rotation,
conversation, singing group
 Buses allow you to have flexible schedules. Hence use the bus to import information and
to make you daily announcement
What are we supposed to do to make the tour bus enjoyable?
o Check the air condition of the bus
o Check the public address system (the microphone)
o Cleanliness of windows and under seats
o If not everything is not up to standard, report it to the driver to correct it
o Ask your clients if or not they need the tape to be on
o Try to apply fair way of doing seat rotation because everyone wants to have the front seat

Fair way of doing seat rotation

 On the first day let everybody choose his/ her own seat
 On the first ride, announce that seat rotation is the company’s regulation
 Inform the group that seat rotation will take place twice a day ( in the morning and
afternoon)
 While rotating more people from back of the driver the other side and vice versa. And
the front to the back and vice versa.
Advantage of seat rotation
 To give clients additional opportunity to meet and chat with everyone on the tour
 To give everyone a view from both side of the bus
 To exchange ideas and views

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  To share any side effect of the bus such as sitting on a wheel, sun side and dust if any
• The driver and the tour manager:
One of the most important relations on the bus is the relationship between the guide and the
driver. The driver is responsible for the safe and smooth operation of the vehicle. The guide and
the driver are working partners. As a guide, go over the itinerary with the driver before you meet
(pick up) your clients. If there is a difference in opinion between you, try to solve through
discussions and share experience. If there is a major difference, discuss with your office
manager. Your assistance to the driver includes:
 Be thoroughly familiar with the general safety rules and regulations.
 Be familiar with the location and use of aid kit on each bus.
 In case of road failure, placing flags or road signs by you will be great contribution to the
driver.
 Going for assistance at all costs is god while the driver tries to protect the vehicle and the
passenger from danger.
 Assisting the driver and changing types/removing parts, which are not properly
functioning and other minor repairs, do have great contribution for the smooth finish of
the tour.
 Place parcels (client’s packing and handle luggage property in luggage rags should be
your responsibility.
 Ensure if or not windshields (curtails of windows)are clean including the glass widows of
the bus so that clients get nice view.
 Dismount from the bus when the vehicle approaches difficult place to cross and lead
your drive on how best he could cross.
 Try to keep your driver away from unnecessary conversation especially a conversation
which may lead him to annoyance.
 In general, be alert at all time, look out for general safety of the passengers throughout
the whole course of the tour.
4.4. Meeting group and individual needs
As clients do possess diversified interest, it is common to face group and individual needs. But
what is important here is which one out weights. As much as possible, it is good to try to fulfill
both group and individual needs. Otherwise it is fair to be abided by the group’s needs. There is a

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principle “the majority suppresses the minority” we do not have to suppress the needs and
interests of a group for the sake of a single person. With regard to the individual, we can
approach him/her politely and convince him/her with excuse.

4.5. Provide information en route and onsite

You need to deliver the required commentary about the site, culture of the society or any special
feature as per your itinerary. As much as possible supplement your commentary with anecdotes
and incorporate many activities so as to make the tour enjoyable.

The personal side of the guide hygiene and health

This has got some connection or relation with the guide’s personality. A guide is supposed to
look as neat as possible. S/he has to keep her/his hygiene because s/he is the figure head of the
tour. S/he should have eye catching and appealing hygiene.
In addition s/he has to get dressed according to situations. In Addis, it is better to get dresses in
suits, but if in areas where the climate is hot, s/he should wear light cloths, in cold places with
heavy cloths. His hygiene should also be followed up because s/he will be facing many ups and
downs including heavy and tiresome activities like preparing (stretching) tents around parks.

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