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All About Tour Guides and Escorts

Tour Guide or Escort Definition Escort individuals or groups on sightseeing tours or through places of interest, such as industrial establishments, public buildings, and art galleries.

Life As a Tour Guide or Escort: What Do They Do?

Perform clerical duties, such as filing, typing, operating switchboards, or routing mail and messages.
Escort individuals or groups on cruises, sightseeing tours, or through places of interest such as industrial establishments, public buildings, or art galleries.
Monitor visitors’ activities to ensure compliance with establishment or tour regulations and safety practices.
Provide for physical safety of groups, performing such activities as providing first aid or directing emergency evacuations.
Provide directions and other pertinent information to visitors.
Solicit tour patronage and sell souvenirs.

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What a Tour Guide or Escort Should Know

These are the skills Tour Guides and Escorts say are the most useful in their careers:

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.

Types of Tour Guide or Escort Jobs

Hunting and Fishing Guide
Plant Guide
Park Guide
Alpine Guide
Whitewater River Guide

Job Demand for Tour Guides and Escorts

There were about 45,800 jobs for Tour Guide or Escort in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 10.5% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 4,800 new jobs for Tour Guide or Escort by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 8,700 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Tour Guide or Escort are Utah, Florida, and Washington. Watch out if you plan on working in West Virginia, North Dakota, or Maine. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

What Tools & Technology do Tour Guides and Escorts Use?

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Tour Guides and Escorts:

Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Office
Microsoft PowerPoint
Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft Access
Email software
Word processing software
Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
Facebook
Microsoft Internet Explorer
SmugMug Flickr
Global positioning system GPS software

How do I Become a Tour Guide or Escort?

Education needed to be a Tour Guide or Escort:

How many years of work experience do I need?

Those thinking about becoming a Tour Guide or Escort might also be interested in the following careers:

Telephone Operators

References:

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More about our data sources and methodologies.

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