How to Become a Tour Guide: Career Guide, Courses, Jobs, Scope, Salary

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Ahana Bhaduri

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Tourism is becoming progressively competitive and having unprecedented growth. A Tour Guide is a person who is entitled to ease the travel planning activities. They assist in all those sectors that make the tour more comfortable and economically feasible.

Graduates from MBA in Hospitality and Tourism Management and others having PG Diploma/Diploma in Tourism Studies or Travel Management are hired by Indian and International Tourism Agencies or Departments.

A Tour Guide also coordinates in fixing a comfortable schedule as per the need of the client. His assistance on travel planning includes transportation, comfortable schedules, hotel accommodation and other various sorts of travelling arrangements that are very crucial to be decided before leaving for the destination.

He also decides the location, time and dates according to the availability with the help of directors and managers to add a value of time and money for the tourist.

How to become a Tour Guide: Quick Facts

Industry Tourism
Eligibility 10+2 or Above (Depending upon the recruiting agency)
Average Starting Salary INR 2,00,000 to 3,50,000
Job Opportunity MakeMyTrip, Yatra, Tours and Travels, Travix Leisure and Travels Pvt. Ltd. Etc.

What does a Tour Guide do?

Some of the major responsibilities and duties a Tour Guide bears are:

  • Planning travel calendar as per the need of the client.
  • Communicating with various hotels, booking agents, transport departments and maintaining the expenses within the budget.
  • Arrangements of pre-tour items like refreshment, audio-visual, speakers and other equipment if necessary.
  • Making desired travel arrangements like a rented car, air tickets, hotels, resorts etc.
  • Troubleshoot issues related to staff and logistics.
  • Searching for economically feasible tour packages on both domestic and international tours.

Types of Tour Guides

Check out the various types of Tour Guides below.

Inbound Tour Guides

  • Inbound Tour Guides or Inbound tour operators, work on bringing tourists to a specific country, either as a group or through individual tour packages.
  • They are responsible for regulating the plans in the host country.
  • The types of tours conducted by the Inbound tour operators are particularly for the non-residents, who come to a tour in that country.

Outbound Tour Guide

  • Outbound Tour Guides also handle the work of taking tourists to other countries.
  • They are a specific kind of tour operator who market their international destination tours. It can either be leisure travel, or related to business.

Domestic Tour Guide

  • Domestic Tour Guides or operators supply tour and travel packages: that is in a tourist’s native country.
  • The tours that domestic tour operators coordinate, primarily includes the residents of a particular country, who will travel within their country.

Receptive Tour Guide 

  • Receptive tour operators or RTOs, supply tourism products in other markets.
  • These tourism products are either sold to a tour package, or alone, or they can also be sold to travel agents as well as to the normal tour operators.

Ground Tour Guide 

  • Ground Tour Guides or operators are basically local companies, providing the travel services necessary for a specific destination.
  • They own employee guides, vehicles, hotels with negotiable rates, and some other elements to provide a full-service experience to the travellers.

Steps for How to Become a Tour Guide

The following steps state a generalized guide to become a Tour Guide.

Decision Making 

Before selecting a Career as a Tour Guide proper research should be done regarding the pros and cons of this Career Profile. The job prospect along with the annual salary packages should be noted too before one selects the career.

Subject Choice 

There is no requirement of selecting a particular stream or subject for this career at the 10+2 level. However, coursework relevant to Travel and Tourism must be done for getting the job of a Tour Guide. Candidates with a higher degree are more preferred.

Entrance Exam Preparation

Scores in a particular Entrance exam preferred by the institute are necessary for taking admission in the Travel and Tourism course. For an MBA degree, the qualifying scores in CAT, MAT, XAT or GMAT are required. For a Doctorate, a NET score is necessary.

Selecting Correct College/ Institute

Aspirants must do proper research regarding ranking, placement, faculty, internship etc. before joining the institute. After qualifying the entrance exam, candidates must select the college and follow the admission guidelines in that institute.

How to become a Tour Guide in India?

Indian Students are allowed to pursue different courses in Tourism ranging from Certificate Courses to PhD courses. Students can take admission to courses in specializations like Travel and Tourism Studies, Hospitalities and Tourism Management and many more. A student who wishes to pursue this career must train their mind and start preparing after their schooling. A short description of how to be a Tour- Coordinator is as follows-

School level Preparation

Students having 50% score in 10+2 level can pursue certificate, diploma and various degree courses in Travel and Tourism studies and many more after completing 10+2 degree from a recognized board. A student who wishes to go for higher studies should start preparing for the entrance exams like CAT, GRE, GMAT etc from his UG stage.

Graduation level preparation

For PG courses, a bachelor degree with 55% aggregate marks in the same branch is very essential to earn an MBA degree with a specialization in Hospitality and Tourism Management. Entrance exams like CAT, MAT etc. are needed for admission to the MBA course. Students who wish to pursue PG from abroad should try to prepare themselves for the exams like GRE, TOEFL, GMAT etc so that it becomes easy to crack those exams without a year gap.

Post Graduate Level Preparation 

After completion of the postgraduate degree, a student matching the eligibility criteria can enrol for PhD Courses after qualifying for the relevant entrance test. An Aspirant must start his preparation for PhD entrances from their PG stage so that it becomes easy to qualify it in time.

Courses to become a Tour Guide

A Tour Guide manages the requirements of staff and professionals from different parts of the world involved in a tour. Degrees in business, eco-tourism, accounting, communications are preliminary criteria for a Tour-Coordinator. Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Business, Hotel Management are essential eligibility. Moreover, additional education and certificate courses in a foreign language can enhance the strength of the resume.

PGD in Travel and Tourism

Post Graduate Diploma in Travel and Tourism is a 1-2-year program. The course admits students on a merit basis.

Duration 1-2 years
Course Level PG Diploma
Course Fees INR 50,000 to 1,00,000
Eligibility Bachelor degree with 50% marks

BBA in Travel and Tourism Management

BBA in Tourism and Travel Management is a 3 years undergraduate degree course that is conducted in semester mode. The basic eligibility is that a student must have completed their 10+2 with a minimum of 60% marks.

Duration 3 years
Course Level Undergraduate (Bachelors)
Course Fee INR 20,000 - 3 LPA
Eligibility 10+2 in any stream with 60% marks.

MBA IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT 

MBA in Tourism is a two-year postgraduate program that helps the student to pursue a career as a Tour Guide. Students must be graduated with 50% aggregate marks in any stream from a recognized university

Duration 2 years
Course Level Postgraduate
Course Fees INR 3- 13 LPA
Eligibility Undergraduate degree with CAT/MAT/XAT

How to Become a Tour Guide Abroad

The following section enlists the various courses and colleges in the UK and Australia to become a Tour Guide abroad.

Tour Guide in UK

  • Universities in the UK are probably the most exceptionally respected in the world..
  • The duration for UG Course is 3 years and the PG course is 2 years.
  • The average course fees range from INR 16 to 38 lakhs.
  • Candidates must necessarily submit an English Proficiency Test

Top Colleges to Pursue Tour Guide Courses in UK

Best Global University Ranking University Average Fees
5 University of Oxford INR 28,00,000
9 University of Cambridge INR 21,00,000
19 University College London INR 32,00,000
20 Imperial College INR 13,00,000
30 University of Edinburgh INR 27,00,000

Tour Guide in Australia 

Australia has several courses related to Tourism at UG and PG level. Candidates can choose any course out of B.A. in International Hospitality and Tourism, MBA in Tourism, BBA in Tourism etc.

  • The average course fees range from INR 20 to 39.8 lakhs.
  • Course duration can be from 3 to 2 years.
  • Candidates must submit an English Proficiency Test.

Top Colleges to Pursue Tour Guide Courses in Australia 

Best Global University Ranking University Average Fees
25 University of Melbourne INR 20,00,000
27 University of Sydney INR 15,00,000
36 University of Queensland INR 17,00,000
48 Monash University INR 32,00,000
51 University of New South Wales INR 22,00,000

Tour Guide in the USA 

There are several courses for tourism in the United States. A master degree in tourism is especially famous in many of those colleges, and also at an affordable cost.

  • The average course fee for tourism in the colleges of the USA are 25 lakhs.
  • Course duration is generally 2 years here.
  • It is necessary for all the candidates to submit an English proficiency test score.
Best Global University Ranking University Average Fees
112 Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) INR 3,400,000
114 Purdue University INR 2,400,000
246 University of Massachusetts INR 2,700,000
247 Virginia Tech Institute and State University INR 1,800,000
298 University of New Orleans INR 2,200,000

How to Become a Tour Guide: Top Recruiters

Aspirants pursuing Tourism courses are selected in different companies. Some are as follows:

Yatra Goibibo Expedia Thomas Cook
MakeMyTrip Travelite Club Mahindra Holidays Cox And Kings
The Ritz- Carlton Holiday Inn, Lufthansa Hyatt

Benefits of Career as a Tour Guide

Tour Guide is a career that gives immense pleasure along with the struggle for survival. However, numerous benefits can be enjoyed through this field. Some of such benefits are as follows.

  • Salary: The pay is equally attractive and increases with experience. The average pays for the Tour Guide ranges between INR 2 to 10 LPA. The highest salary is dependent on the amount of skill and experience.
  • Job Security: Tour Guides with years of work experience and a good portfolio are in much demand. Candidates having more than 15 years of experience can earn 12 LPA
  • Positive Impact of the Career: Tour Guide is a field that requires a lot of negotiations and communication skills. The travel coordinator handles trip-related tasks. As one handles more projects their credibility increases.
  • Higher Studies: For candidates who are working, there are short term diploma and certificate courses. Full-time degrees include Management courses in Hospitality and Tourism. However, a person can also earn a doctorate.
  • Unique Experience: Tour Guide is a unique career and full of responsibility. Tour Guides get to travel to various places and get to meet attractive clients.

Skills Required to Become a Tour Guide

Tour Guides must have certain skills to stand out in the job market and attract more customers. The table gives a glimpse of the skills that a Tour Guide must possess.

Polite Adjusting Extrovert
Problem Solver Adaptable Tactful
Logical Patient Managerial Skills

Salary of a Tour Guide 

Besides being hired by travelling agencies a Tour Guide is also hired by some MNCs, specialist firms and international business travel management companies. A Tour Guide with 2 to 4 years of experience can expect a salary of 3-5 lakhs. The job opportunities for a Tour Guide can be understood from the graph below-

Average Annual Salary in India 

Name of Organization Starting Salary
Government INR 5-7 LPA
Private INR 3-4.5 LPA


Experience wise Salary

Experience Starting Salary
Fresher INR 2-5 LPA
Experienced INR 6-7 LPA

How to become a Tour Guide: FAQs 

Ques. What is the average course fees for a Tourism Management Course?

Ans: The average course fee for all courses in Tourism Management ranges from 10,000 to 6 lakhs in India.

Ques. What is the minimum eligibility criteria for admission to Tourism Management?

Ans: The minimum eligibility criteria is having a 10+2 pass certificate from a recognized board.

Ques. What is the entrance examination to study a master’s course in Tourism Management?

Ans: For a master’s course a candidate needs to qualify CAT, XAT, MAT, GMAT etc.

Ques. What are the skills needed to become a Tour Guide?

Ans: Successful Tour Guide should have good negotiation and communication skills.

Ques. What is the English proficiency test accepted internationally?

Ans: In international universities, language proficiency tests that are accepted are: GRE, TOEFL, PTE, GMAT, IELTS etc.

Ques. Is financial aid available for International Tourism Management course admission?

Ans: Yes, depending on university there are many scholarship schemes available

Ques. Are personal interviews held for a Tourism Management Course?

Ans: Depending on the institute the admission process includes entrance test, group discussion and personal interview rounds.

Ques. What is the expected salary for a Tour Guide?

Ans: Depending upon the recruiter and work experience a Tour Guide can earn 2-12 LPA.

Ques. What are the recruiting agencies that hire Tour Guide?

Ans: The Recruiting agencies include: FMCG, Travel agencies, Hospitality industry, Go ibibo, Hyatt, Lufthansa, MakeMyTrip, etc.

Ques. What are the benefits of a Tour Guide?

Ans: Exploring different people and places, can learn different languages as a Tour Guide is subjected to mix with different peoples and many more.

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