Career Guides
Tour Guides
Tour and adventure guides accompany visitors and tourists on tours around or through natural attractions. These attractions could be waterfalls, mountains, or bushwalking tracks. Tour Guides are expected to understand the area that they lead touring groups through.
Where You Might Work
Tour guides have the ability to work in a multitude of different environments, depending on what they are interested in. These locations could be:
- Waterfalls
- Mountains
- Bushwalking tracks
- Beaches
- Caves
- National parks
- Significant natural environments
Key Responsibilities
Tour guides are expected to lead groups of people while also meeting the needs of every individual they are leading. This can lead to many different tasks throughout a regular day. These responsibilities may include:
- Meeting visitors and making introductions with them.
- Communicating with transport companies to organise correct times for pick-ups and drop-offs.
- Ensuring guests join the correct tour groups.
- Leading tour groups.
- Providing commentary on important sites while leading a tour group.
- Coordinating activities for tourists to do while on the tour or during their holiday.
- Undertaking small administrative tasks such as writing reports of a day, attending to booking errors, and finding lost luggage.
The Attributes and Skills You Will Need
- Good communication skills, both physically and verbally.
- You possess leadership qualities and have a desire to lead.
- An in-depth knowledge of the places you plan on working as a tour guide.
- Good public speaking skills, and the ability to stretch your voice over large crowds.
- Able to work flexible hours such as early mornings and late nights.
- Some jobs may require you to drive or have a bus licence.
Market Insights
Market Insights
Market Insights
Market Insights
Market Insights
Retrieved from: Labour Market Insights
Salary: the average salary of a tour guide ranges between $55,000 and $60,000, according to seek.com.au.
The education pathways listed encompass the most common entry-level courses that can be undergone to become a tour guide.
Course/s | Potential Career Outcomes | Further Qualifications | Duration/Number of Units |
Certificate III in Tourism (SIT30122) | Provides a pathway to work in many tourism industry services. | n/a | 15 units recognised by the Australian Qualification Framework |
Certificate III and IV in Guiding (SIT40222) | Provides a pathway to work as a guide at many levels, including for contracted tour operators and tourism/travel businesses. | n/a | 17 units for Cert IV Recognised by the Australian Qualification Framework. |
Bachelor of Tourism and Event Management OR Bachelor of Business (Tourism and Event Management) | This degree can provide students with careers beyond tour guiding, including events management and travel consultancy. | n/a | 3 years full-time |
