Tour Guiding & Interpretation Ranjeet Kumar Raman Assistant Professor Department of Tourism & Travel Management Central University of Jammu

Marks: 100 Course Summary Course Summary Programme: MBA(TTM) Semester: Second No of credit: 04 Marks: 100 Level of Test: MST & EST

Interpretation exercises Pedagogical Approach : Lecturing Assignment Case study Group Discussion Group activity Extempore Quizzing Interpretation exercises Assessments

Knowledge Comprehension Synthesis Application Learning Outcome(s) Knowledge Comprehension Synthesis Application

Course Objectives : Introduce to students the concept and practice of Tour Guiding and Interpretation. Develop students’ competence in Tour Guiding and Interpretation and delivery of guiding and interpretation skills training and job-oriented knowledge. Nurture students’ competencies of innovative problem solving, communication skills, variety of interpretive talks using narratives, visual and symbolic representations to enhance understanding. Apply the knowledge/concepts of Tour Guiding and Interpretation to real world situations in individual and team-based work and display creative and analytical skills in managing tour guiding assignments.

The tourism system and the tour guides Key focus of the presentation: The tourism system and the tour guides

The Tour Guide ? A person who guides visitors in the language of their choice and interprets the cultural and natural heritage of an area. Person normally possesses and area specific qualification usually issued/and or recognised by the appropriate authority. The tour guide qualification is specific to each and every country. In all cases it is embedded into the educational and training ethic of that country. (Source: World Federation of Tourist Guide Association)

Components of Tourism Natural resources and the environment The Built environment Operating Sectors Planning, development, promotion and catalyst organizations

The Tourism System and the Tour Guides System is a group of inter-related parts that function together. Complex whole formed from related parts: a combination of related part organized into a complex whole Set of principles: a scheme of ideas or principles by which something is organized As a system, there are many interrelated parts to the phenomenon of tourism and in particular the travel network. As a result, it is important that the tour guide has a knowledge of the system within the career exist.

The Tourism System and the Tour Guide Travel Geography and Generating Markets – Travel Geography Divisions of Geography Generating Countries/Markets Destination Factors that influence travel decisions

The Tourism System and the Tour Guide Travel network Travel trade Continent Map Route Scheduled/Routed air carriers Charters/ Chartered flights Itinerary The Tourism System – India as a case study

Tourism System and the Tour Guide

Three components interact at the same point in The Tourism System and the Tour Guides A safe and quality experience offered by a guided tour involves: Guides Tourists Environment Three components interact at the same point in space and time.

THE GUIDED TOUR EXPERIENCE Source: Branislav Rabotić(2010)

The Tourism System and Tour Guides As a tour guide much of your time will be spent on understanding and being immersed in the system of tourism. The success of your interactions will depend a lot on how you understand the culture and motivation for travel. This topic is meant to empower you with the necessary knowledge and skills that will help you be a satisfied ‘Human Capital’ in this vital and evolving creative industry. The concept of a system is the interactivity of one component on another. This is the idea behind the tourism product.

Tourist Guides in contemporary Tourism The role of guides in the tourism system distinguishes itself by its: Potential to manage and orchestrate tourist experiences Enhance destination image and Implement the goals of responsible tourism

TOURIST GUIDES IN CONTEMPORARY TOURISM Tourist guiding is one of the important factors of successful presentation of destinations in contemporary tourism, affecting the resulting economic and social benefits.

The Tourism System and Tourist Guides The role of the tourist guide is complex and diverse: Information provider Social facilitator Cultural host Motivator of conservation values Interpreter of the natural and cultural environment Mentor Ambassador for one's country Public relations representative or company representative Entertainer Problem solver Safety officer counsellor. Source: Black (in: Pastorelli, 2003)

Role of guides Social mediation Cultural brokerage Tourism System and Tourist Guides Role of guides Social mediation Cultural brokerage Source: Cohen (1985)

Intercultural mediation: Tourism System and Tourist Guides Mediator : Direct contact both with tourists and the local community. Comprehending different cultures is in question. Intercultural mediation: “translation” of foreign and unknown elements of the host culture into a cultural “idiom” which is close to the guest. “translation“ is necessary, since the majority of tourists spend only a short time at a destination, hardly possess any local knowledge and view their temporary surrounding from a leisure perspective of tourist activity. Therefore, most of them cannot comprehend the local values, beliefs, tradition and everyday life of inbound tourist regions .

References Branislav Rabotić(2010). TOURIST GUIDES IN CONTEMPORARY TOURISM, (International conference on tourism and environment Sarajevo, March, 4 - 5, 2010). Cohen, E(1985).The Tourist Guide: the Origins, Structure and Dynamics of a Role; Annals of Tourism Research; Vol. 12; pp. 5-29 Jafari, J (ed.); Encyclopaedia of Tourism, Routledge Taylor and Francis Group; 2000 Tour Guiding, Commonwealth of Learning (COL), Virtual University for the Small States of the Commonwealth