The problems and challenges of

the tourist guide profession and

how to avoid them.

najd fayeaz
id:442013543
Asma Muhammad
al-Qurashi
id:442016967
Supervised by:
Dr.hatem radwan
 Introduction
Tourist guidance is a modern term that means leading, organizing and managing
tourist trips, implementing tourism programmes, accompanying and caring for
them from their arrival until their departure, organizing, arranging and facilitating
their transportation and stay, helping them practice the tourist patterns and
activities specified in their programmes, and providing the necessary explanatory
information to tourists. From tourist guidance, the name of the tourist guide is
derived who carries out the work of tourist guidance. Tourist guidance is an ancient
historical phenomenon whose existence has been linked to travel and
transportation. For thousands of years, people have been keen on their trips and
movements to accompany a travel guide capable of getting them to their
destination safely and soundly.
A successful tour guide plays an important role in direct advertising and
promotion of the civilizational and cultural heritage in his country. He achieves
this through the information he provides tourists with about his country, his
ability to demonstrate the importance, beauty and diversity of tourism products
in his country, and by gaining the trust of tourists and dealing with them in a
way that satisfies them. The tour guide is considered the guide in the
recreational and cultural tourist trip, and he is responsible for making the
tourist trip a success and presenting a positive image of his country to the
tourists. As we mentioned, he is the source that provides tourists with the
information they need about the areas and tourist attractions they see and
conveys to them a good picture of positive customs, traditions, and social life.
lived by local residents. An individual has no right to be a tour guide unless he
holds a license to practice the profession of tour guide, and this license is
granted by the official tourism authority authorized to do so in his country or in
the country in which he works.
 There are a group of political, economic, social, legal, and
technological challenges facing tour guides in Egypt, such as:
terrorism, crises, disasters, cancellation of the license to practice the
profession, and others. The research also reached a set of
recommendations to improve the working conditions of tour guides
and raise the level of their professional performance.

The most prominent obstacles facing the tour guide:

-Lack of job opportunities and participation in tourist trips
-Some people do not master the English language, which is
important in communicating with tourists
-Family and work attachment
-Delaying the holding of tests prepared for counselors
-Weak professional development for tour guides
-Passing rate in Qiyas test is 80%
The historical development of the tourism guiding profession. The concept
of guidance, guidance, and the image of the guide and the guide have
developed, just as most of the human characteristics and human activities
have developed through the stages of the historical-social development of
man, from the beginning of settling in the mountains and caves until he
reached... Cities and large human settlements through a complex and long
series of episodes, stations, and evolutionary stages: 1- It may be that
ancient man, after leaving the mountains and their caves, because of his
need for water and pasture, needed a guide and guide. He guided him on a
journey because he was moving in a land he did not know about, so he
needed a skilled tracker to guide him to fishing areas rich in animals and
beaches abundant with fish.
 . -2 And in later stages of development Humans, and when the first
civilizations appeared as a result of human settlement, a new need
appeared for a guide or follower to guide the marching armies and groups
migrating from one city to another, and when these countries developed
and the first human empires appeared, whose kings loved hunting in every
way. One type, the most prominent of which is lions, was the guide or guide
not only to point the way and ensure security and safety, but also to mark
abundant areas for hunting. -3 When trade caravans moved in ancient
times, crossing long distances of deserts. And the mountains and plains,
and they face difficulties and obstacles and are exposed to theft and bandits
- when it was the duty of the guide or guide to precede the caravan to
explore the road (which he knows well) and explore the dangerous place on
it. And guidance to avoid and avoid dangers and arrive at an appropriate
time. -4 With the expansion of the Arab Empire and Arab sea voyages
reaching as far as China, the need for guides and maritime guides
appeared.
The skills that must be available in a tour guide are skills that can be
developed, and most of them can be acquired by practicing the
profession, training courses, or academic study, including: 1-
Communication skills -Linguistic skills Because the tour guide deals
with tourists from different countries, he must be proficient in at
least one foreign language, able to use it fluently, and able to
understand different questions and answer them, and it does not
matter here whether he has an accent or not as long as it is
understood by me. It does not represent an obstacle in dealing with
tourists. - Speaking skills: There are two ways of talking: 1- Talking
to tourists formally, using titles and setting limits in dealing. Talking
to tourists in a friendly manner as if they were friends. A good
conversation requires the following: - Eye contact - Confidence -
Using an appropriate tone of voice - Using a personal name in
conversation - Encouraging tourists to ask questions - Speak clearly -
Control your nerves and disagree politely - Speech should be clear
and the expressions should be pronounced correctly
 During the tourist trip, the tour guide is exposed to some problems, including major
ones, such as the breakdown of the tourist bus or bad weather conditions, and the
cancellation of some visits due to the illness of one of the tourists, or some complaints
from tourists about the cold air conditioner. He must be able to solve this. Problems and
understanding the anger or dissatisfaction of tourists. 4- Leadership skill: Although a
good guide is a natural leader, it is possible to develop this quality as a skill through
training and practice. 5 - Good health and maintaining it, which is maintaining the level
of energy, activity and vitality of the tour guide. It is known that the more the guide
works regularly, the more he trains physically and mentally and the more he is able to
maintain the level of health. Public Health - 6 A renewable source of information,
meaning that the guide must be qualified in terms of knowledge of historical, cultural
and recreational events, shopping places, the best restaurants and hotels, museum
entry times, etc. Familiar with everything new, such as recent discoveries, new
procedures by the state, road closures, or changing visiting dates. -7 Training memory
The work of a tour guide requires familiarity with multiple topics that are not limited
only to Specialization includes archaeology or history, but also information about daily
life, education, politics, agriculture, and other things, which makes it necessary to train
the memory to absorb new things.
 Challenges and obstacles to the tourism guide profession: Practicing the tourist
guide profession is not an easy task, and as much pleasure as this profession
provides to the tour guide, it often makes him face great difficulties, obstacles,
and troubles. A group of challenges and problems, perhaps the most important of
which are: 1 - Feeling financially insecure. The tourism guiding profession is a
free profession in which the guide is not subject to employment with a fixed
monthly salary, but is paid by the tourism company based on On temporary work
(carrying out a program for a day or more), and if the program is canceled for any
reason, no compensation will be paid to the mentor.
 The mentor does not have paid vacations or health care like other permanent
employees. Tourism also has certain boom seasons, which makes the guide
unemployed at times. -2 State procedures and routines: There is often no
coordination between decision makers and guides, such as closing places to visit
without... Prior announcement, transferring artifacts from museums or changing
their locations, raising ticket prices, preventing the use of cameras, changing
entry or exit places from tourist sites, etc. 3- Tourists’ requirements and
expectations Despite the many responsibilities of the guide on the tourist trip, in
addition to the main responsibility of explaining the tourist places, such as
accommodating the tourists in hotels, receiving them at the airport and ports, and
all their transportation, etc., the tourists and the guide sometimes bear
responsibilities that are not He has nothing to do with it, such as the level of
service in
 The constant challenge of new information and discoveries,
despite the scientific study that the guide receives before
graduating and obtaining a license to practice the
profession, which prepares him well to explain and answer
tourists’ questions, but the challenge of knowing everything
new in the specialized field remains. Also in matters of
public life due to the information revolution and the
knowledge of the tourists themselves about everything that
is new, but they need a detailed explanation from the guide
or knowledge of his personal opinion. -5 The challenge of the
guide’s responsibility for securing tourists. Among the
guide's responsibilities during the tourist trip is to protect
tourists against all external dangers from vendors and
passers-by and against theft and expected accidents, and
this represents a challenge in open spaces or large bazaars.
. 6 Tourists’ lack of confidence in the service based on foreign media.
Foreign media in many countries play a major role in the lack of
confidence of the tourist who visits Egypt in everything, which
requires a great effort on the part of the guide to gain the trust of
this tourist and change the image. The misconceptions he makes
about Egypt. 7- The lack of tourism awareness on the part of locals.
This appears clearly in the treatment of tourists in tourist places by
sellers, pressuring them to buy and trying to exploit them, as
appears in Not respecting personal space and harassing them by
photographing, touching, etc. 8 - Problems of congestion and traffic
and the lack of tourist facilities. Although these problems are not the
responsibility of the guide, they negatively affect the tourist.
Whether it is the extreme crowding in tourist places and the lack of
good organization and management, to the lack of many facilities for
children or people with disabilities.

Special needs or general cleanliness, especially in bathrooms and public restrooms

 The challenge of using modern technology in museums and archaeological sites. Modern
technology in museums and tourist sites is a double-edged sword, providing a unique
experience for tourists, such as headphones that record information about artifacts in
different languages ​and a three-dimensional experience, applications. Which are
downloaded on smartphones in museums to explain artifacts and other things. These
methods sometimes represent a challenge in dispensing with the guide in explaining. -11
The challenge of achieving sales for the tourism company. Sales represent an important
element. For the tourism company’s profit, whether it is selling optional trips to tourists or
recommending places to eat or places to buy gifts, the tourism company depends on the
guide as an intermediary to sell these trips and places, which puts pressure on the guide to
evaluate the company based on sales.
 Expected 11 - A leadership challenge between the leader of the foreign
group and the guide sometimes comes with a group of tourists from
abroad. A leader of the group is responsible for the tourists and solving
their problems, leaving the responsibility of leading the explanation to
the guide, but in Sometimes a challenge occurs between the two leaders
to influence the group, which makes the general atmosphere tense. -12
The challenge of foreign guides in rare languages. There are some rare
languages ​in which Egyptian guides are not available and the Egyptian
guide is forced to He explains to the foreign guide in English and the
foreign guide translates the group into their language, which weakens
communication between the Egyptian guide and the group due to the
language barrier and makes the foreign guide take control and translate
whatever information he wants.
 The number of tourist guides is increasing annually and there is high competition. Thousands of guides
graduate from tourism and hotel colleges across the Republic and tourism and hotel institutes and applicants
for the tourism guide diploma annually, despite the decline in tourism demand in recent years. Due to the
political and security conditions, competition for work increases, which leads to a high percentage of
unemployed guides. -14 - Dealing with different types of tourists with different nationalities and
personalities, the tour guide is forced to He deals with different types of tourists, perhaps the most important
of which are: the friendly tourist, who is characterized by being cheerful and easy to befriend, but it is
sometimes possible for him to raise criticism and cross the limits. The skeptical tourist is the one who is the
most common. The characteristic of doubt and suspicion, perhaps for reasons of false media or the nature of
his personality. The narcissistic tourist has a feeling that he is better than others, perhaps because of his
nationality, knowledge, money, or appearance. The hesitant tourist is the one who is often confused and
hesitant about... Making any decision: A nervous tourist is characterized by being impatient and prone to
repeating conversations

-15 The challenge of dealing with disasters. Tour guides differ among themselves according to their
psychological nature and mental abilities to act properly in some of the critical matters that occur to them
during the implementation of the tourism program. Here experience plays an important role in Overcoming
these situations, as with the passage of time, gaining experience, and dealing frequently with such cases
makes the tour guide reassured.
 The number of tourist guides is increasing annually and there is high competition. Thousands of guides
graduate from tourism and hotel colleges across the Republic and tourism and hotel institutes and
applicants for the tourism guide diploma annually, despite the decline in tourism demand in recent years.
Due to the political and security conditions, competition for work increases, which leads to a high
percentage of unemployed guides. -14 - Dealing with different types of tourists with different nationalities
and personalities, the tour guide is forced to He deals with different types of tourists, perhaps the most
important of which are: the friendly tourist, who is characterized by being cheerful and easy to befriend,
but it is sometimes possible for him to raise criticism and cross the limits. The skeptical tourist is the one
who is the most common. The characteristic of doubt and suspicion, perhaps for reasons of false media or
the nature of his personality. The narcissistic tourist has a feeling that he is better than others, perhaps
because of his nationality, knowledge, money, or appearance. The hesitant tourist is the one who is often
confused and hesitant about... Making any decision: A nervous tourist is characterized by being impatient
and prone to repeating conversations

-15 The challenge of dealing with disasters. Tour guides differ among themselves according to their
psychological nature and mental abilities to act properly in some of the critical matters that occur to them
during the implementation of the tourism program. Here experience plays an important role in
Overcoming these situations, as with the passage of time, gaining experience, and dealing frequently with
such cases makes the tour guide reassured.
 Suggestions to improve the tourism guiding profession. In order for the
tourism guiding profession to take its rightful position, it will be necessary
to have a number of ways and formulas available to solve and overcome
problems and challenges, the most important of which are: 1 - The
necessity of developing what exists. From study programs for tourist
guidance to include everything new and the expectations of questions from
tourists. -2 Arranging training programs by old guides to expand the
horizon of their knowledge and increase their capabilities before putting
them into the work field and before... Their encounter with incoming
foreign tourists. 3- Motivating and encouraging the guide in personal
development and self-development. 4- Including the subject of tourism
awareness in school curricula so that the citizen learns how to deal with
With tourists since childhood. 5- It is necessary to focus on the role that
museums play in the guiding process and train the guide in museum
guiding while using modern technological means.
 Training the guide on how to deal with tourist objections during the trip.
There is more than one method, perhaps the most important of which is: -
The method of direct denial is appropriate when the objection is not based
on a valid basis, and in this case the direct answer is B: “No, it is not true”
is the correct method of responding, such as objecting to not leaving the
hotel due to lack of safety in a completely safe area. -The method of
indirect denial is appropriate when the objection is actual. It has a basis in
truth, and in this case the answer is in the form of “Yes...........but.” The
guide gives the tourist the right to object, but gives solutions to the
objection. If The tourist objects to the length of a trip, for example, the
guide gives him the solution of stopping on the road more than once for a
rest because the trip is worth the effort. -The method of compensation is
that the guide compensates the tourist in the matter of his objection. For
example, if the tourist objects to the high price of the hotel, the guide will
compensate him with a special room, a free meal, etc. - The conversion
method is for the guide to turn the tourist’s objection into an advantage.
For example, if he objects The tourist wants to move at night, and the
guide responds that it is basically an advantage and not a disadvantage, so
that he can see the sunrise on the way.
 Qualifying the guide to deal with times of disasters and critical times.
Therefore, in critical situations, the tour guide must do the following:

- He must have a great degree of control over his nerves - Be patient when
responding to inquiries in this case - Focus on people whose psychological
state is weaker - Restrain anyone who tries to act on His own method - the
ability to control the tourist group in all psychological and mental ways - 8
coordination between the government and tourism companies (which will
coordinate with the guide) and notifying them if any tourist place is closed
or prices are raised Or any new procedure. 9- Establishing controls for the
work of the foreign group leader and the necessity of coordination between
him and the tour guide. 11- Providing job opportunities for tour guides
during times of stagnation in translation work. Representation and tourism
propaganda for the town