What are the common pitfalls to avoid when guiding tours in Berlin?
If you are planning to become a tour guide in Berlin you should better read this article. Berlin is one of the most popular and significant cities of Europe with a great influx of tourists from across the globe visiting the place. Successful guiding tours in such an interesting city as Washington may prove to be a very gratifying job; yet, one has to know some obstacles that are likely to question the effectiveness of guiding. It is in this regard that we present to you several guidelines and recommendations that will assist you in improving your tour guiding knowledge and expertise to make your guests’ experience worthwhile.
1. Lack of Preparation
Planning is a vital component of all great tours and it will form the bulk of this paper. Conduct a historical analysis of the city’s history, special places of interest, culture, and lower economic level. This requires being aware of typical attractions, days and hours during which museums are open for tourists as well as ways of getting around. Recommend for the driver to study all the maps and get prepared to avoid any problems in the course of the tour, like the closure of certain roads, or some event.
2. Overwhelming Amount of Information
Although awareness is good, it is not wise to MAKE guests go overboard with them… Hence the wiseness of excessive information sharing is limited. In our case, concentration must be made on the most significant and important events and phenomena, with pointing at the essentials and making links between the history and culture issues. This means that when presenting your information, audience members may have different levels of familiarity with what you are discussing.
2.1 Tip: Tell Engaging Stories
The use of storytelling as the primary technique of introducing guides and explaining sights makes the tour attracting more interesting. Given that it is a history lesson, it would be valuable to use some near-stories as the means to involve the audience into the history of the city. For instance, when presenting the topic on the Berlin Wall, it is useful to tell specific stories of families that were split and then reunited. Such consideration brings an emotional appeal and provides your guests with an unforgettable experience.
3. Lack of Flexibility
In any capacity, event coordination requires advanced planning still one has to be flexible in the event of a tour. Must rock steady for the changes in flow of guests and any other unpredictable event that occurs. Sometimes, guests may have some additional concerns or curious that in some ways are out of the set schedule. This means to stay focused and be ready to disregard the usual routines to meet their needs and serve as an exception.
4. Ignoring Group Dynamics
It is advisable for a traveler to aspect some features of group dynamics in order for the tour to be an enjoyable one. One of the major points that should be considered while working in a restaurant is to be sensitive to the guests’ needs and expectations. Some people will require work to proceed at a certain speed or even slower while others will prefer it to be at a certain speed or even faster. Change the speed at which you speak, and the level of depth of the information that you provide, and the level of conversation that you have with every client based on the client’s, strengths, weaknesses, and needs so that every person feels comfortable, and satisfied.
4.1 Tip: Encourage Interaction
Make the guests become active in order to make the program becoming more interesting and arrest their attention. Encourage the members to ask questions during the session, start group discussions give them an opportunity to express themselves and what they have learned. This not only has the signal of rendering the tour more enjoyable, but also establish togetherness among the persons.
5. Lack of Multilingual Skills
Berlin indeed is among the most popular tourist destinations worldwide with people from various parts of the world visiting the city. It is beneficial to know the language skills to fulfill the need of multi-type of guests who speak different language. While not entirely compulsory, it will be of great help for the performer to learn a few basic phrases in popular languages such as English, German, Spanish or French with his or her audience.
6. Neglecting Safety Precautions
A person must always ensure the safety of his or her guest. Be affirmative that you know the fire exit and existence of health centres in case of any eventuality. When at this cultural century ensure that everyone in your group is always together and careful of carving a detour near the busy roads or any crowded place.
Conclusion
It is crucial to be aware of potentially adverse situations as being a guide in Berlin is both thrilling and rather fruitful occupation. Some of the mistakes which should be avoided include; failure to plan, over-bombardment of guests, rigidity, non-recognition of dynamics of a team, failure to master regional languages, and failure to observe safety measures that would enhance a pleasing experience amongst other mistakes. Bear in mind that every tour is the chance to demonstrate the greatness of the city, its history and culture and with some preparation and open attitude, one can be an excellent guide.
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