Quick answer: How do I become a London guide?

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To become a registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide working in London, you will need to take a course and gain accreditation from the Institute of Tourist Guiding. The Course: The course typically lasts about 18 months and involves lectures in London and practical site visits, along with periods of self study.

Considering this, can anyone be a tour guide in London? Anyone else may or may not have the necessary knowledge and insurance to ´deliver the goods´. Blue Badge Guides are the only ones “allowed” to guide in certain sites such as Westminster Abbey and The Tower of London although strangely not St Paul’s Cathedral.

Also know, what qualifications do I need to be a tour guide?

  1. customer service skills.
  2. excellent verbal communication skills.
  3. patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations.
  4. to be flexible and open to change.
  5. sensitivity and understanding.
  6. an interest and knowledge of history.
  7. a good memory.
  8. knowledge of English language.

People ask also, how do you become a Blue Badge guide? All Blue Badge guides must pass the Institute’s exams or the STGA’s exams. They study for up to two years at university level, taking a comprehensive series of written and practical exams which qualify them to become Blue Badge Tourist Guides. The institute also sets standard for guides to work in foreign languages.

Additionally, how much does a guide earn? The average wage for a tour guide in the United States is around $11.32 per hour.How much does a Tour guide make in United Kingdom? The average tour guide salary in the United Kingdom is £21,000 per year or £10.77 per hour. Entry level positions start at £18,525 per year while most experienced workers make up to £26,202 per year.

How do I become a personal tour guide?

Generally speaking, you can usually become a private tour guide by obtaining a license, after which you can either join a local tour company or work independently. Some tour guides take visitors on specialized walking tours that explore different aspects of a travel destination.

How do you train to be a tour guide?

  1. Tip 1: Find the Right Fit Through an Accurate Job Description.
  2. Tip 2: Use a Protocol.
  3. Tip 3: Encourage Independent Learning.
  4. Tip 4: Inspire and Coach Actively.
  5. Tip 5: Value Your Team’s Feedback.

Is tour guide a good career?

A tour guide gets the opportunity to see the world. It is a job with no time limit. You have to work for a long 12 hours in a day and may be that on the next day you will be free. It is a good career industry but very competitive.

What is the difference between blue and green badge guide?

A Green Badge Guide may hold a badge for more than one city, and a Blue Badge Guide may hold a badge for more than one region. … In addition to the badges, guides can train to receive an endorsement, which is for a particular building or place.

What is a green badge guide?

Green Badge For those interested in working full or part-time guiding visitors at sites of interest and on walking tours in an area such as a town or city centre or specified countryside area.

How many tour guides are there in the UK?

With a second summer season hanging in the balance, Britain’s 4,000 active accredited tour guides face a worrying summer.

What are the disadvantages of being a tour guide?

  1. Tour guides often have to work on weekends.
  2. Your schedule can change without prior notice.
  3. You don’t make much money as a tour guide.
  4. Many tour guides need a second job to survive.
  5. Short-term contracts are pretty common.
  6. Seasonality plays a big role in the life of tour guides.

Do you need a degree to be a tour guide?

There are no formal education requirements for tour guides, though most have at least a high school diploma. … These training programs are typically run by current tour guides and cover such subjects as industry knowledge and tour itinerary design. Tour guides must also be knowledgeable in the area they will be covering.

How do tour guides get paid?

Generally speaking, tour guides can earn between $50 and $150 per day taking a lot of factors into consideration such as experience, locations, training, type of tour, and others. Aside from this, many tour companies encourage their passengers to tip the tour guides, so this can bump up your salary dramatically.

How do I become a tourist guide UK?

To become a registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide working in London, you will need to take a course and gain accreditation from the Institute of Tourist Guiding. The Course: The course typically lasts about 18 months and involves lectures in London and practical site visits, along with periods of self study.

How do I become a travel guide abroad?

In most cases, there are no formal qualifications to become a tour guide. Most training is done on the job under the supervision of an experienced guide, though there are opportunities for voluntary certification related to a specific country, culture, site, or tourism zone.

Why I want to be a tour guide?

  1. Enjoy a happy workplace. It means you can mix to the max – your work colleagues will be like-minded people who just love to talk travel.
  2. Earn while you learn.
  3. Get a ticket for the world.
  4. Get the inside story.
  5. Have the best contacts book.
  6. Enjoy lessons for life.

How much does tour guide training cost?

This means you can take both the Tour Director course, and the Tour Guide course, for only $2495. Both courses are independent of each other and lead to separate career paths.

What is a White Badge guide?

Blue, Green and White Broadly speaking they are as follows: a White Badge for guiding around a specific tourist site; a Green Badge for guiding walking tours and museum/gallery tours in a specific town/city, plus the Blue Badge that covers all of the above in a larger geographical area.

How do I start a private tour guide business UK?

  1. Find your passion. The first step to starting your own tour company is to know what you’re passionate about.
  2. Evaluate your city.
  3. Identify your target market.
  4. Research your competitors.
  5. Name your tour business.
  6. Register your business.
  7. Get your business license and permits.
  8. Register as a tour guide.

What do you call a tour guide in Europe?

A tour guide (U.S.) or a tourist guide (European) is a person who provides assistance, information on cultural, historical and contemporary heritage to people on organized sightseeing and individual clients at educational establishments, religious and historical sites such as; museums, and at various venues of tourist …

Can you use Blue Badge in City of London?

The Blue Badge scheme does not fully apply in the City of London but we do provide allocated parking in the Square Mile for people with disabilities and the City of London Corporation runs its own Red Badge parking concession scheme, valid only in the City of London, for people with disabilities who are permanent …

Can I use my Blue Badge in someone else’s car?

Your responsibilities as a Blue Badge holder You must use the Blue Badge properly. The badge and its concessions are for your use only. It is a criminal offence for you or anyone else to misuse the badge. … You must never give the badge to friends or family to allow them to have the benefit of the parking concessions.

Where can I use my Blue Badge in London?

Blue Badge London parking The Blue Badge permit is only valid when the holder is driving the vehicle or travelling as a passenger, and cannot be used if the owner is not present. Your permit and parking clock must be displayed in the front windscreen at all times to avoid a penalty fine.

What is a Blue Badge guide in London?

Blue Badge Tourist Guides have detailed, in-depth knowledge of London’s highlights; Westminster Abbey, the British Museum, the Tower of London etc. as well as places off the beaten path; Borough Market, Notting Hill, Harry Potter film locations, or small art galleries such as the Wallace Collection.

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