Im interested in becoming a tour guide in the UK but want to practice first (also in more general tourism related work) Im prepared to do it for free as long as its not exploited in the wrong way. I speak some Spanish. Perhaps I could volunteer somewhere. Id need to do it cheaply (about $25 a day budget). Considering South America and Borneo but open to suggestions.
Any suggestions please?
Edited by: forumuzer
Visas will be your biggest problem. Most places now require registered licenced guides within the tourism industry and those who are native to the area. Sometimes they allow tour hosts to travel with a group. Why not have a look at your local educational institute and see what formal training is required.
yep. I wont be getting work visas. The only type of work Id do would be voluntary and at the most in exchange for room/camping space and perhaps food, help with my Spanish or free tours.
You need to tell us what you mean by becoming a 'tour guide in the UK' and you need to tell us your nationality for starters.
The term 'tour guide' covers a multitude of jobs and really tells us nothing of what it is you want to do. You mention $ and if that indicates you are an American the only way you would probably be able to be a tour guide in the UK is if you were taking groups from the US to the UK.
Without giving us sufficient background info to understand who you are and what you want to do, you cannot expect to get relevant responses forumuzer. Garbage in, garbage out.
Giving guided history sightseeing tours in London. I good way to do this would be to do something tourism related in the Amazon.
should have mentioned Im from the UK. I would use the trip to get experience and improve my Spanish that I can also use for tourism work. Has anyone done tour guiding at an ecolodge or with a conservation ngo or anything like this?
How do you see getting work as a tour guide in the Amazon as being of use to you when applying for work guiding history tours in London? That to me is patently ridiculous.
If you want to get work as a tour guide in London, ask them what background/skills they are looking for. It sounds to me like you want to go of on a trip to S. America and somehow are trying to tie it in as some kind of justification for a possible future job in London. Nonsense.
Here: http://www.walks.com/London_Walks_Home/Contact_London_Walks/default.aspx Send them an e-mail and ask if doing something tourism related in the Amazon would be a good way to prepare for working with them.
ROTFLMAO
No suggestions - because most of the experienced travellers that use this forum are well aware of the rules and regulations that govern the tourist industry in nearly every country of the world. Tourism is always a vital component of income for any country, and there are usually strong rules around illegal guiding. There is a huge difference in the skills and responsibilities of a 'host or tour representative" and a guide. One actually guides and is licenced by their respective countries, the other is usually a personable and knowledgable individual who either works in tourism running their company and gather up a group of like minded people, or is someone specialised in their field - ie history, gardening etc who goes along with the group (hires a guide) and gives them additional perspective on their particular speciality. The other role is a translator on a tour bus, but again they are usually licenced.
Look at it from the other side. If you were spending good money to go to a country - would you be happy to get landed with a guide who doesn't know the area, cannot answer any more questions than a good guide book can, and is not a local? I would.
Time to stop dreaming (or trolling) and get an education that would allow you to be successful in this as a career - not as a an impractical idea. Nothing comes easily in life or falls into ones lap without a heap of effort.