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www.scta.gov.sa

Z Company 4770033

Project Base William Angliss Institute of TAFE 555 La Trobe Street Melbourne 3000 Victoria Telephone: (03) 9606 2111 Facsimile: (03) 9670 1330

Acknowledgements:

Project Manager: Dennis Tonkin

Writer & Instructional Designer: Geoff Arnott

DTP/Production: Rochelle Edmonds

© Supreme Commission for Tourism - Saudi Arabia 2006

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, repackaged, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means whatsoever without the prior permission of the copyright owner.

This booklet was produced by William Angliss Institute of TAFE to be used as resource material.

Disclaimer:

Every effort has been made to ensure that this booklet is free from error or omissions. However, you should conduct your own enquiries and seek professional advice before relying on any fact, statement or matter contained in this book. William Angliss Institute of TAFE is not responsible for any injury, loss or damage as a result of material included or omitted from this course. Information in these training materials is current at the time of publication.

The time of publication is indicated in the date stamp at the bottom of each page.

Supreme Commission for Tourism - Saudi Arabia Travel and Tourism Training Project

The purpose of this project is to design and develop detailed curriculum and instructional design materials for ten tourism occupations. The project is funded by the Human Resource Development Fund, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The curriculum and materials will be used to provide training to develop human resource capabilities in the identified occupations within the tourism industry as part of the countries 'Saudisation' economic policy.

Welcome

Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 747-400 (HZ-AIV) on short final

http://www.pbase.com/bmcmorrow/image/79290811

Welcome to the training program: Plan for the Tour. This trainee guide provides you with learning materials and activities to prepare you for assessment against the following key competency tasks:

• Collect information about the area

• Visit tourist locations of the area

• Coordinate with officer in charge of the programs

• Cooperate with security authorities

• Cooperate with management of museums and antiquities

• Conform availability of introductory and entertainment bulletins

• Ensure availability of required First Aid equipment

• Provide introductory signboards

• Coordinate with traffic for preparing means of transportation

• Post identification posters on luggage

The key competency tasks describe exactly what skills, knowledge and application you need to demonstrate competency.

The curriculum for T-TT-TG-01: Plan for the Tour including the key competency tasks and steps/performance criteria are available at the back of this training manual.

The training manual

• Details each step of the learning and assessment process.

• Gives you opportunities to monitor your own progression or performance in the training program.


Introduction

This unit deals with the attitudes, skills and knowledge with regard to developing tourism industry knowledge by a Tour Guide.

The tasks relate to specialist competencies for the tourism industry to:

Plan for the tour

Specialist Duties Training Hours

On-Job-Training Hours

Collecting information about the area, visiting tourist locations and co-ordinating with the officer in charge of the program

60

Applying all documentation requirements 40

Designing the tour 60

110

Total:

160

110

T-TT-TG-01 Plan for the Tour © Human Resources Development Fund/Supreme Commission for Tourism (2007)

“We have a constantly improving infrastructure, our people are warm and hospitable, and we have a rich and colorful heritage with amazing historic sites and antiquities.”

Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz.

Tourism in Saudi Arabia

Riyadh

Riyadh is now a high-tech oasis of glass, steel and concrete, home to huge hotels, even larger hospitals and one of the biggest airports in the world. The centre of Riyadh is called Al-Bathaa and is the oldest part of the city.

Ministry of Interior

The Riyadh Museum, to the west of Al-Bathaa, has all the usual exhibits covering the history and archaeology of the Kingdom from the Stone Age to early Islam. There's an interesting display on Islamic architecture and a separate Ethnographic Hall, with clothes, musical instruments, weapons and jewellry. Signs are in English and Arabic.

Once the citadel in the heart of Old Riyadh, the Masmak Fortress was built around 1865 and extensively renovated in the 1980s.

Masmak Fortress

Al-Thumairi Gate

The Al-Thumairi Gate, in the centre of town, is an impressive restoration of one of the 9 gates which used to lead into the city before the wall was torn down in 1950.


Riyadh's most interesting attraction, the ruins of Dir'aiyah, lie 30km (20mi) north of the city centre. This was the kingdom's first capital and is now the country's most popular archaeological site.

Dir'aiyah

Abha

Abha, the home of the headquarters of the regional Governorate, is located in the Asir region in the south-west of the Kingdom.

Abha's position, some 7,200 feet (2,200 meters) above sea-level, gives it a relatively moderate climate. Temperatures remain within a narrower band than is the case in many other parts of the Kingdom. The Abha region also enjoys the highest level of rainfall of any part of Saudi Arabia.

Rain Lake, Abha

The natural beauty of the region and its fertility have encouraged the Saudi Arabian Government to establish a number of national parks, enabling Saudi citizens to holiday in a location of outstanding scenery and natural interest to rival anywhere abroad.1

1 http://www.faltravel.com.sa/abha.htm cited 10/9/07


http://www.faltravel.com.sa/abha.htm

Collecting Information about the area, visiting tourist locations and coordinating with the officer in charge of the programs

Saudi Arabian Airlines at the Arabian Travel Mart 2007 http://www.pbase.com/bmcmorrow/image/78116903

In this section of the training program you will learn how to review the tour brief which includes:

Collecting information about the area

• Identifying and obtaining knowledge about the local area from bulletins and books

• Thoroughly reading and reviewing books and bulletins

• Identifying and consulting with key contacts in the local area about customs and traditions

• Conducting an internet search about tourism locations in the local area

• Producing a summary from all information sources

Visiting tourist locations of the area

• Consulting with the officer in charge of the program to enable a visit to the location

• Planning tour by visiting antiquarian, historical & Tour places in the area

• Using GPS to determine the area's remote places intended for visits

• Planning tours by taking photos of items of interest in visited area

Coordinating with the officer in charge of the tourism programs

• Contacting and consulting with the officer in-charge of the program and obtaining tour program.

• Listening to the instructions of the officer in-charge of the program and if necessary Consulting other views

• Taking note of all issues raised including legal and liability matters and safety

• Reviewing the tour program on basis of all the information provided


“Prince Sultan said the SCT was reclassifying hotels and furnished apartments, establishing commercial tourist societies and activating conference-and exhibition-based tourism.”

Arab News, 20th August 2006.

The operation of a tour should be planned using the documentation given by the officer in charge of the tour program. This documentation is usually in the form of a tour brief. A tour brief contains important information which you need to conduct a successful tour. The tour brief will contain information about the area which you will need to pass on to the tour party.

The information on local areas will be collected from a number of sources including tourism bulletins and books, key contacts in the local area about customs and traditions, internet search. Often this information is compiled into a summary for tour guides. If this initial work has not been completed as a part of the tour brief you should thoroughly read all information sources about the local area and produce a summary of important points that you wish to cover during the tour.

Using information contained in tour briefs, you can organize a tour to suit the customers you will be dealing with. A tour brief can be written or verbal. A tour brief is usually given to you by your officer in charge of the tourism programs.

A tour brief may also be accompanied by other documentation relating to it, such as itineraries, passenger lists and details, supplier contact details and vouchers.

Without this documentation from a tour operator it would be impossible for a tour to go ahead.

Tour briefs

Tour briefs are generally provided over the phone or in a written form such as faxes and electronic copies. The

T-TT-CMN-03 – Develop Tourism Industry Knowledge 7/60 © Human Resources Development Fund/Supreme Commission for Tourism (2007)

main purpose of a tour brief is to provide you with the relevant information to plan and deliver your tour. This information can include:

• The itineraries, procedures and the operational logistics of your tour, which might include information on attractions to visit, optional tours, accommodation, necessary and relevant documents, and modes of transport

• Photos of items of interest in the visited areas

• Background and characteristics of the tour group including number of people, origin of travel, whether they are traveling as part of a group, their socioeconomic and cultural background, language and interests, and whether there are any special needs and expectations

• Any special requirements for that particular tour

• Details of other people who might be involved in the tour

• Legal and liability matters and contact details for emergencies and procedures for dealing with health and safety issues

Co-ordinating with the officer in charge of the program

You should contact and consult with the officer in-charge of the program and obtain the tour brief which includes the tour program. You should carefully listen to the instructions from the officer in-charge. Sometimes the tour brief can be provided in a face-to-face meeting. There are advantages in having a face-to-face pre-briefing session as this will able you to ask questions and to get all the information that you think is necessary for your planning. However, if you need other information consult with other sources including other tour guides.


If you attend a pre-tour briefing, the procedures of the tour operator will also be outlined including:

• How bills are to be paid enroute – this includes establishing whether or not everything has been prepaid and whether or not you have been given enough money or vouchers to meet the tour needs

• How you are to handle emergencies, the death or severe illness or injury of a customer

• A contingency plan outlining the logistics of handling emergencies and other unforeseen circumstances

• The extent to which you are able to make changes to the published itinerary as the tour goes along

• How you should deal with the problem of lost or damaged luggage

• Whether or not you are authorized to pay additional air fares and ground expenses in the case of an emergency that causes the group to be re-routed.

You will also be able to review the itinerary for the tour and find out about the tour group members. During the session you will be told when to report to the airport, bus or train terminal or to the cruise ship to meet the tour group. You are also given all the materials and documentation you need to conduct the tour.

However, some tour operators will provide you with tour briefs that are very brief and only give you the basic facts such as arrival details and the numbers in the tour group. However if the tour brief you are presented with is limited in its content it is the responsibility of the guide to ensure they have further developed the brief so that it


will contain all the information they may require during the period of tour. It should contain:

Itinerary details including times and locations of sites

Details and contacts of transport operators being used on tour, airlines, coach companies, transfer operators

Names and contact details of attractions and sites

Name and contact details and addresses of accommodation venues and number and type of rooms booked.

Additional charges required where entries are not prepaid

List and record of vouchers to be used

Emergency contacts for the areas being visited

Lists and contacts of suppliers and service providers

Tour Operators contacts and contact person and details relating to reporting procedures during tour


As the tour guide, you must always take a tour brief with you on your tour. Place it in your tour folder. Don’t lose it and always have it somewhere which is easy to find and refer to. During the tour there may be problems and you can produce the tour brief as proof to show what services you are owed and who confirmed the details.

The purpose of a tour brief

The purpose of a tour brief is to provide you with the necessary details of a tour prior to seeing your customers, so that you can familiarise yourself with this information and be totally prepared and organized when your customers arrive.

The tour brief should provide you with vital information to assist you in planning the tour.

This includes:

• Background of the tour group: age, age range, culture and special interests

• Type of Tour

• Special interest groups

• Educational background

• Cultural background

• Size and structure of tour group

• Special needs/requirements of customers

• Location and duration of tour


• Tour inclusions and specific itinerary requirements

• Style of commentary required

• Equipment and resources required

Background of the tour group

The tour brief should contain information on the background of the customers going on the tour.

The tour brief may indicate that all customers are over the age of 50. It may indicate that the tour group is made up of six families with ten children under eight.

This type of information helps you to coordinate your itinerary. This information is important in terms of identifying the most relevant points of interest that need to be stressed to the group. You should use this information to review the tour program on the basis of the information provided.

If you have young children on a tour you will need to change your itinerary, because children have a shorter concentration span than adults. It is important to provide a lot of activity sheets to keep the children interested. If you have young children in your tour group, it would also mean that you may need to keep them amused by playing games, telling stories, singing songs and so on.

If the group is over 50 is mainly elderly you will need to change your itinerary as older people usually take more time to do things. Comfort stops (toilet) are usually more frequent and embarking and disembarking for these stops and at attractions tends to take longer. You may need to assist them with moving around and getting on and off the bus. Therefore, you need to allow more time at sites for older customers. If you have an older group, you will need to include more toilet stops, more rest stops and so on.


Type of tour

The tour brief will tell you the type of tour you will be conducting. It may be a one and a half hour walking tour around the main streets of a town or a special interest tour on the local flora and fauna.

Tour itineraries are usually planned by the tour operator and as such have been pre-purchased by the customers. The tour brief explains the logistics of the tour and how to lead and manage the tour. Using the information contained in the tour brief it is up to you to ensure you deliver what the customers are expecting.

If necessary you may decide to visit tourist locations where you are unfamiliar with certain aspects of the tour. Consult with the officer in charge of the program to enable a visit to the location and plan your tour by visiting sites especially antiquarian, historical and tour places where there is likely to be considerable interest in an area. If you are visiting remote locations use your GPS to determine the area's remote places intended for a visit especially where you are unfamiliar with an area. Use your visit to the area to take photos and to gather brochure material to assist you with your preparation for the tour.

Remember there will be occasions where as a guide you may be given a brief that asks you to work out a tour itinerary which suits your customers’ needs. These needs will be provided for you by the operator engaging you and usually relate to special interest tours or independent travellers and family groups. In developing a brief which is aimed as suiting customer needs a visit to tourist locations as a part of your planning will be invaluable.

Special interest groups

Your tour brief may indicate that your tour group is a special interest group. Special interests can relate to just about anything. The important thing is that you do your homework or research involving collecting information about the local area and visits to tourist locations in order to adapt your itinerary to meet their special interest.

Special Interest Groups may include:


School Groups

Cultural Groups

Common Interest Groups such as those interested in the arts

Historical and anthropological Groups

Professional Groups such as Doctors, Educators, Florists, Farmers or similar visiting as part of a study tour

Sporting Groups

Educational background

You are not always supplied with information about the educational level of your customers in your tour brief. Tour briefs may mention that you have a group of professors. Therefore, you know that they are from a higher education background and you can adapt your tour and your commentary to suit their interests and their level of knowledge. However, for groups that are not defined as professional groups, or schools is not always possible to pre determine the educational level, and therefore you must be well prepared in your commentary to enable you to be flexible and adjust your commentary to suit all the participants in the group.

Cultural Background

You will usually be supplied with information relating to the cultural background of your customers. This information is very important because people from different nationalities and different cultures quite often have special needs relating to diet, prayers, animals and so on. You must adapt your tour to meet these special needs.

They may also require the services of an interpreter if they don’t speak English.


Size and structure of the customer group

If you have a small tour group, you will be able to include more activities and sites in your tour itinerary. It takes longer for a large group of people to do things than a smaller group.

Special needs/ requirements of customers

A tour brief will also give you information about the special needs or requirements of your tour group. If you have a customer in a wheelchair you may need to change your itinerary to make sure the attractions have wheelchair access.

If your customer is a vegetarian you will need to pre-arrange with the restaurant that they serve a vegetarian meal.

The tour brief may also tell you that you have customers who need to be picked up on the way. The tour brief will detail any necessary information.

It is important that you take note of the special requirements listed in your tour brief because you are responsible for meeting the needs of your customers. If you have this information you can adapt any tour to ensure that you are meeting the special needs of customers, and that everything is arranged before your customers arrive.

Location and Duration of tour

From where does the tour commence and end. Details such as these will be included in the tour brief.

How long is the tour?

A tour brief will tell you that it leaves the hotel at 9:00 am and arrives back at the hotel at 4:30 pm. The duration of this tour is seven and a half hours. The tour guide should present themselves at the departure point 15-30 minutes prior to check details and requirements


with tour leader and coach captains and if appropriate with service providers.

Tour inclusions and specific itinerary requirements

Do the customers wish to see a certain place? This information is usually included in the tour brief if there is a group interest. You may be able to arrange this if you have enough notice and the tour operator permits. Alterations are not generally encouraged unless prior arrangements have been made or special circumstances permit.

Style of commentary required

The style of commentary would not usually be included in a tour brief, but a description of the type of customers on the tour should give you an idea of the type of commentary that is most appropriate.

You cannot give the same sort of information to every type of customer. Therefore, you need to be flexible when choosing information to suit different customer groups. You need to arrange your tour commentary in a way that meets different customers’ needs. It would be unrealistic to expect one tour commentary to suit all customers.

The information you present in your tour commentary needs to meet the needs of specific customer groups taking into account their:

• Age

• Cultural and geographic background

• Level of education

• Special interests

• Requested coverage.


Equipment and resources required

Your tour brief may include equipment or resources you will need to carry on the tour such as:

• microphones

• overhead projectors

• audio visual equipment

• CD

• Ipod or similar

• props

• videos.

You may also decide from the information in the tour brief that certain resources will be required, such as a microphone.

If you decide that you will require any of the above resources you should check in advance to check if they are available or order them from the appropriate source. You should also check what type of microphone and other types of equipment are available on the coach or other forms of transport.


Collecting information about the area, visiting tourist locations and coordinating with the officer in charge of the programs

Summary

As a tour guide it is important that you are familiar with all aspects of the tour brief in order to meet the needs of your tour party.

The tour brief should include information about the tour itself as well as background information on your customers in the tour party.

It is important as a part of your planning that you examine the tour brief in some detail to gain a good insight into the local area to be visited. If necessary you should consult all available sources for information including bulletins, books and the internet. You may also be required to visit the visit tourist locations to refine your planning.

The tour brief also requires that you should coordinate with the officer in charge of the tourism in order to receive all instructions, to take note of all issues raised and to review the tour program on the basis of the information provided.


Assessment Activity – 1 Day tour in Jeddah

Jeddah

Hyperbolically known as the Paris of Arabia, Jeddah is one of the few cities in the region to have built around, rather than over, its history. Although Jeddah is definitely a modern metropolis,

Jeddah has some great museums, including the Municipality Museum. Located in a 200-year-old restored traditional house built from Red Sea coral, the museum has interesting photos of the development of Jeddah, along with rooms done up in traditional style.

Jeddah has one of the best souks (markets) in the kingdom, the spectacular Souk Al-Alawi, which winds its way through the old city.2

Jeddah Centre

2 www.faltravel.com.sa/jeddah.htm cited 10.9.07


http://www.faltravel.com.sa/jeddah.htm

Bin Zaid travel was established in 1980 as a major travel Agency in Saudi Arabia. It has a Head office in Riyadh and branches in the main cities in the kingdom. It has now become the General Sales Agent of Saudia Airlines (SV)

The following is a part of a seven day tour to be organized by a tour guide for one of their seven day tours:-

"The Best of Saudi Arabia"

(7days/6 Nights)

Day 2

‘After breakfast at the hotel, start your morning sight seeing by driving through the city of Jeddah also known as the Bride of the Red sea: Your first stop will be at the Fish Market the biggest in the kingdom. From there proceed to the Old City for a walk between its narrow streets and observe its ancient mosques and Hijazi architecture as seen in many of the houses. In the Nasif House learn about the history of this very old city and one backwalking in the old market don’t miss the chance to bargain with the sellers of the frankincense and the Arabian jewelry. After that, come back to the hotel restaurant. After lunch, have a rest then start your afternoon sight seeing with: a visit to Abdraouf Khalil Museum where thousands of artifacts of the area displayed. We will drive from there along the Cornish to see the Open Museum and to catch the sun set. Back to the hotel, Dinner and overnight.3

The tour brief includes the following details:

• 40 seniors

• One day tour of the sites as listed – 9.00am to 4.30pm

• Pick up – Holiday Inn Hotel

• Want to experience local culture

• Morning tea/ lunch to be included

3 www.binzaidtravel.com.sa cited 10.9.07


http://www.binzaidtravel.com.sa/

1. Explain how you will go about obtaining information on the sites as listed

2. Outline how you would go about a visit to the area to obtain relevant information on the day tour

3. Discuss the information you would seek from the office in charge of the program in order to conduct this tour

4. What information does this brief provide you in relation to the

following?

• Type of customers

• Size and structure of tour

• Location of the tour

• Duration of the tour

• Special needs/ requirements

• Tour inclusions/ specific itinerary requirements

• Style of commentary required and




Assessment: Plan a tour in Jeddah

Competency Unit T-TT-TG-01 Plan for the Tour

Competency Task Plan a tour in Jeddah

Occupation Tour guide Occupation No

Duty Plan for the tour Duty No

Task Plan a tour in Jeddah Task No

Performance Objective

To take action in relation to a tour brief

Performance Standard

All information has been collected on the tour in order to meet customer requirements

Steps Competent/ Not Competent

Criteria for Judging Performance Performance Criteria

Comments

1 Explain how you will go about

obtaining information on the sites as

listed

1.1

1.2

1.3

1.4

1.5

Identify and obtain knowledge about the local area from bulletins and books Thoroughly read and review books and bulletins Identify and consult with key contacts in the local area about customs and traditions Conduct an internet search about tourism locations in the local area Produce a summary from all information sources

2.1 Consult with the officer in charge of the program to enable a visit to the location

2.2 Plan tour by visiting antiquarian, historical & Tour places in the area

2.4 Plan tours by taking photos of items of interest in visited area

2 Outline how you would go about a

visit to the area to obtain relevant

information on the day tour

3 Discuss the information you would

seek from the office in charge of the

program in order to conduct this tour

3.1

3.2

Contact and consult with the officer in-charge of the program and obtain tour program. Listen to the instructions of the officer in-charge of the program and if necessary consult other views Take note of all issues raised including


3.3

3.4

legal and liability matters and safety Review the tour program on basis of all the information provided

4 What information does this brief provide you in relation to the following?

• Type of customers

• Size and structure of tour

• Location of the tour

• Duration of the tour

• Special needs/ requirements

• Tour inclusions/ specific itinerary requirements


Relates to competency tasks (and steps as outlined above)

Collect information about the area Visit tourist locations of the area Coordinate with the officer in-charge of the programs

Knowledge Comments

General knowledge of the country/region/city/tourist attractions

Knowledge and application of a range of tour briefs

Planning for tours as it relates to roles and responsibilities for a diverse range of tour guiding in Saudi Arabia

Equipment and Tools Comments

Photos of locations and places

Entertainment and introductory Bulletins

Stationery

Tour name list

Safety Comments

Adhere to all safety features as outlined in tour brief


Applying all documentation requirements

“Quad bikes and dune buggies are available to hire across Saudi Arabia. For the most challenging displays of mechanical ability, it's necessary to go to the desert or beach for Tat'aees”

http://www.sauditourism.com.sa

Cooperating with management of museums and antiquities

• Arrange to receive all required permits from the officer in-charge of the programs and antiquities in order to facilitate entry to museums and antiquities

• Ensure that the required permits are accurate including name of the officer in-charge of program being present in the received copy

• Provide department of museums & antiquities with copy of the permits

Confirming availability of introductory and entertainment bulletins

• Liaise with the officer in-charge of the program in order to provide the appropriate

• quantity of introductory and entertainment bulletins and their availability

• Maintain bulletins until time of touring • Establish distribution arrangements of

bulletins to tourists during tour

• Provide security authorities with information required on tour party in order to ensure their safety

Cooperating with security authorities

• Liaise with the officer in charge of the tourist program to obtain the names of all tourists and their passport numbers

• Check all documentation for accuracy including the identification of the officer in charge of the program

• Maintain all relevant records of tour party and ensure ease of access for security authorities

In this section of the training program you will learn how to apply all documentation which involves:

http://www.sauditourism.com.sa/

http://www.sauditourism.com.sa/

“Tourism can be fun, energetic and adventurous,” HRH Prince Sultan bin Salman Al Saud

You should receive considerable documentation as a part of a tour brief. The documentation needs to be accurate particularly for all security authorities which will check documentation on several occasions on the tour as well as the managers of museums and antiquities who will issue all permits to visit tourism sites.


All tourism sites, including major hotels, museums and antiquities are subject to heavy security in order to ensure the safety of all tourists. Security authorities need to be supplied with the names of all tourists and their passport numbers as required at various stages of the tour As a tour guide you should check all documentation for accuracy before the tour gets underway. Accurate records of the tour party should be maintained to enable ease of access for security authorities including your own identification as the officer in charge of the tour party. As tour leader you should readily provide security authorities with information required on the tour party. Particular requirements for security based documentation should be included in your tour brief. If necessary contact the officer in charge of the programs if extra information is required.

Different tour operators have different procedures and so the documentation that they will provide will vary. The following documents should be included with tour briefs:

• A detailed itinerary including introductory and

entertainment bulletins

T-TT-TG-01 – Plan for the Tour /60 © Human Resources Development Fund/Supreme Commission for Tourism (2007)

28

• Passenger lists and rooming lists

• Supplier contact details

• Tour operator contact details

• Optional tour information

• Vouchers/cheques

• Required permits to enter museums and antiquities

• First aid equipment documentation

• Report and evaluation forms

A detailed itinerary (Including introductory and entertainment bulletins

A detailed itinerary is a detailed plan of what customers will see during the tour. The tour itinerary is well planned prior to the tour and lists each of the day’s activities in detail.

The detailed itinerary clearly indicates the times you are to follow, when you are to arrive and depart, what attractions the customers will be visiting, hotel dates and addresses and so on. The tour itinerary outlines what the customers expect to see and do.

The itinerary should be complemented by entertainment bulletins which should be handed out to the tour party at the outset and during various stages of the tour. You should liaise with the officer in-charge of the program in order to provide the appropriate quantity of bulletins for the tour. Make sure that they are distributed during various stages of the tour.


29

Passenger lists and rooming lists

A passenger list clearly identifies the names of passengers joining the tour. It may also list important information about each customer such as any disabilities or any special needs. The passenger list is very useful for you in leading the tour. You simply have to look at the list to know who is present and who is not.

The rooming list is a list of your customers’ room numbers for each of the accommodation venues. A rooming list shows you which customers are in which rooms.

Supplier contact details

You are nearly always given supplier contact details. The most common suppliers include:

• Hotels

• Airlines

• Coach companies

• Restaurants

• Attractions.

You will be provided with the telephone number, a contact name and a contact address of each supplier. Having these details will allow you to telephone the supplier should anything change while enroute.


30

Tour operator contact details

If you have a name and telephone number for the tour operator you can contact them should there be any problems. However, you are not always supplied with this information.

Optional tour information

You are sometimes supplied with optional tour information which is information about other tours which are available to your customers. Many tour operators offer extra tours to customers at an additional cost. At the beginning of each tour you must announce the details of the optional tours to give your customers time to consider joining the additional tour. You must explain the optional tour, and then if people are interested they can ask you questions. You may also like to hand out a sheet listing the details so that your customers have time to look at each tour carefully. You may also be required to make the bookings on behalf of the clients.

The information about optional tours would include:

• The time of departure

• Where the tour departs from

• The cost of the tour

• The duration of the tour its content and any inclusions such as meals or similar

• Any specific requirements, such as suitable footwear clothing, equipment etc

• The name and telephone number contact details of the person or organisation who is conducting the tour.


31

Optional tours always carry an additional charge. However, they are optional. This means that your customers are not obligated to go on them. By announcing the optional tour and explaining the information you can promote the optional tour and hopefully increase your customers overall satisfaction.

Vouchers/ cheques

Vouchers are commonly used for:

• Arrival and departure

• transfers

• Tours

• Accommodation

• City tours

• Meals

• Admissions.

Often tour operators will include these services as part of the package and give the customers a voucher for each service to prove that they have paid. They pass their vouchers onto you so that you can deal with the hotel or the restaurant. If you have the vouchers from all of your customers it helps you in your tasks when leading the tour. For example, it means you can do a bulk registration into the hotel and similarly entry to attractions is much quicker than if each customer handles the entry on their own.


32

As a tour guide you must be able to interpret many different types of vouchers and this means every time you receive a voucher you must check it very carefully.

If lost, vouchers can always be replaced.

Required permits to enter museums and antiquities

To ensure control over the number of visitors to museums and antiquities a permit system often applies to all tourists. This requirement also relates to security requirements. As the tour guide you should cooperate with the management of these tourism places by liaising with the officer in-charge in order to enable ease of entry for all members of the tour party. Correct documentation requires accuracy including the name of the officer in-charge of the tour program being correctly listed on the received copy. The department of museums and antiquities should be supplied with a copy of the permits

First aid equipment documentation

First Aid documentation includes:

• Emergency phone numbers such as the Red Crescent and Security

• First Aid Procedures in case of an emergency and

• A listing of First aid equipment carried on tour.

Report and evaluation forms


33

At the end of the tour you are required to prepare a report for the tour operator. The number and types of reports will depend on the procedures of the operator.

All tour operators will require you to complete a General Tour Report. It will ask you to report on:

• Restaurants and accommodation used

• The professionalism of other staff involved in the tour

• The cleanliness of facilities

• Punctuality of suppliers

• Any delays

• Problems incurred and incidents experienced

• Unusual events

• Any other comments including general operational aspects of the tour including timings, routes and times allocated to sites and exhibits.

Reporting and the type of report will be determined by the requirements of the company and maybe required daily, weekly or at the end of a tour. The form is provided to you at the commencement of the tour so that you are aware of what to look for during the tour particularly in providing an evaluation of the hotels, restaurants and attractions. It is important to fill in this report once the tour is over. It assists the tour operator in their future planning.

If there are any illness, breakdowns, delays, itinerary changes etc, on the tour the details of these incidents must be recorded in an Accident Report or Incident


34

Report. These forms are also provided to you at the commencement of the tour.

Evaluation forms are often used by tour companies. If they are supplied make sure they are handed out and correctly administered at the end of the tour.


35

T-TT-TG-01 – Plan for the Tour /60

Summary

Make sure that you are aware of the purpose of all documentation when planning your tour.

Correct documentation is required by your company in order to ensure that the tour runs efficiently and provides for the safety of all members of the tour party.

Particular requirements in terms of the documentation range from the need to cooperate with security authorities throughout the tour, cooperating with the management of museums and antiquities on the required number of permits to gain entry and to provide the required number of introductory and entertainment bulletins for the tour party.

Applying all documentation requirements

© Human Resources Development Fund/Supreme Commission for Tourism (2007)

36

Assessment Activity – 2

Documentation requirements

Bin Zaid travel was established in 1980 as a major travel Agency in Saudi Arabia: Head office in Riyadh and branches in the main cities in the kingdom. Bin Zaid travel has become the General Sales Agent of Saudia Airlines (SV)

The following is a part of a seven day tour to be organized by a tour guide for one of their seven day tours:-

"The Best of Saudi Arabia"

(7days/6 Nights)

Day (3): JEDDAH- ALULA via MADINAH.

We start our day with an early breakfast, check out and transfer to the airport to fly to Al-Madinah. Our journey from Al-Madinah to AlUla(320km) will be full with sight seeing along the historical Hijaz Railway: the first stop will be Hafira Railway fort, then Bowair Railway Fort with its old locomotive. We will visit also the pilgrims Fort dating back the early Islamic period. On arrival to AlUla, the Capital of History and Antiquities we will check in Madain Saleh Hotel. After lunch and a short rest in the hotel, we head out towards the Elephant Rock, Mushroom Rock and the Bowling Pin for taking wonderful pictures before sunset. Then we return to the Hotel, dinner and overnight.

Day (4): ALULA

After breakfast start your morning sight seeing with a visit to AlUla Museum to learn about the different civilizations occupied these

magnificent Oases. Then from there we will drive to Jabal Abu Aud Canyon where we can walk through the unique sand stone Mountains to see the 8000 years old Neolithic Rock Carvings. Our morning sight seeing will end at AlUla Railway station. Then back to the hotel for lunch and a short rest. In the afternoon tour, we will visit Khuraiba, (from outside) known as the lions Tombs 900BC, we will see also Umddaraj: Lihyanites Stairs dated back to 250BC. After Jaba Rzaigaya Rock carving, which is dated back to 5000BC, and the Old Mud Brick Village 550AD, back to the hotel, dinner and overnight?4

Research and prepare an oral report where you outline documentation requirements for the two days of the tour in relation to:-

1. Cooperating with security authorities

2. Cooperating with management of museums and antiquities

3. Other documentation required by the tour group

4 www.binzaidtravel.com.sa cited 10.9.07

http://www.binzaidtravel.com.sa/

Assessment: Documentation requirements for a tour in Jedah and Alula


Competency Task Documentation requirements for a tour in Jedah and Alula

Occupation Tour Guide Occupation No

Duty Plan for the tour Duty No

Task Documentation requirements for a tour in Jedah and Alula Task No


Research to obtain knowledge of all documentation requirements for a two day tour in Jedah and Alula

Performance Standard Collected information has been ordered.



Comments

4.1

4.2

Liaise with the officer in charge of the tourist program to obtain the names of all tourists and their passport numbers Check all documentation for accuracy including the identification of the officer in charge of the program

1 Research and prepare an oral report where you outline documentation requirements for the two days of the tour in relation to:-


4.3

4.4

Maintain all relevant records of tour party and ensure ease of access for security Authorities Provide security authorities with information required on tour party in order to ensure their safety

5.1 Arrange to receive all required permits from the officer in-charge of the programs and antiquities in order to facilitate entry to museums and antiquities


Cooperating with management of museums and antiquities 5.2

5.3

Ensure that the required permits are accurate including name of the officer in-charge of program being present in the received copy Provide department of museums & antiquities with copy of the permits


Other documentation required by the tour group

6.1

6.2

Liaise with the officer in-charge of the program in order to provide the appropriate quantity of introductory and entertainment bulletins and their availability Maintain bulletins until time of touring

6.3 Establish distribution arrangements of

bulletins to tourists during tours

4

Knowledge Comments

Legal and liability issues that specifically affect guiding operations

Planning for tours as it relates to roles and responsibilities for a diverse range of tour guiding in Saudi Arabia


Museum and Antiquity visit permits

Tour name list

Entertainment and introductory Bulletins

Safety Comments

Safety issues that specifically affect guiding operations in particular contexts

Design the tour

In this section of the training program you will learn how to design the tour which includes:

Ensuring availability of required First Aid equipment

• Arrange that First Aid bag is provided in the means of transportation

Providing introductory signboards

• Request the introductory sign board for the group from the program coordinator and ensure that it is provided

• Ensure that the tourists’ names have been written in English or Arabic as required for the first language needs of the tour group

• Check that First Aid Bag is in the means of transportation

• Inform the officer in-charge of the program if First Aid Bag is unavailable or short of requirements

• Follow-up requests until the required items are provided

• Arrange for the board to be kept where it can be easily accessed until arrival of the Group

Coordinating with traffic for preparing means of transportation

• Call officer in-charge of traffic • Determine the required means of

transportation • Confirm to the officer in-charge of

traffic departure date and time •

Post identification posters on Tour luggage

• Obtain identification posters from the authorities

• Write down the visitor’s name on the identification posters

• Verify the visitor’s name according to the ID or passport

• Post the identification posters on the visitor bags

“Saudis are by nature heavy spenders and they prefer to spend a luxury holiday …..”

Pascal, director of Maison de la France government-owned French Tourist Office in Dubai

Arab News, Saturday, 14 July, 2007

Prepare the tour itinerary

Now that you have gone over the tour brief and organised all of the documentation requirements it is time to review and fine tune the tour itinerary which is the ‘blueprint’ of the tour. Itineraries provide the logistical and operational framework for your tour and include details such as timing, dates, routes, stops and length of stops, and information on the types of attractions and accommodation establishments. Ensure that all these details are correct, practical and relevant to your tour.

The types of activities which you include in your itinerary should support your theme and tour objectives, and work in with your timings.

Ask yourself:

• What activities have you planned? Where will the stops take place? Can you mix up your transport options by including public transport with walking, or arranging for coaches to pick up at different destinations?

• What are some of the points of interest and highlights of the tour?

• What resources and/or equipment and/or props and/or reference material can you bring along on the tour?

• Are the timings strict or do you have some flexibility to take advantage of spontaneous moments?

• Do you provide for moments of tension and release?


• Do you provide active periods as well as passive periods?

• Do you provide variations in the style of activities?

Preparing and checking logistical elements

If you receive a tour brief then you should check that you understand all the information provided. You should also check that the information in the brief corresponds with that provided in any promotional materials and that it is accurate and relevant to your tour.

You might also need to do the following:

• Reconfirm details of your tour

• Finalise some aspects of the tour

• Familiarise yourself with any optional tours

• Ensure you have relevant contact details and sources of assistance in case of emergencies

• Prepare contingency plans for the unexpected and spontaneous, and allow enough flexibility in your approach to incorporate such moments

• Check any equipment and props – not just that they are working but that you know how to use them. Props can include spotlights for evening walks, reference books, old/new photos, anecdotes, poems/stories, magnifying glasses and artifacts.


• Check the weather map, or make provision for checking it before the tour starts.

• Read through your commentary to reassure yourself and check details that you are not sure of

Liaise with other industry colleagues

Find out who else will be involved in the tour and undertake the proper liaison.

You may need to liaise with the following industry colleagues:

• Officer in charge of the tourism programs

• Security authorities

• Managers of Museums and antiquities

• Coach captains

• Retail store owners

• Tour operators

• Attraction staff

• Accommodation venues

• Tour suppliers and service providers such as restaurants and


• Other Tour Guides.

Check equipment including First Aid equipment

As your tour brief may include equipment or resources you will need to carry on the tour you should check in advance to ensure that they are available or order them from the appropriate source. You should also check what type of microphone and other types of equipment are available on the coach or other forms of transport as well as the required First Aid equipment.

With first Aid equipment you should check the following:

• Arrange that First Aid bag is provided on the coach or other forms of transport

• Inform the officer in-charge of the program if

First Aid Bag is unavailable or short of requirements

• Follow-up requests until the required items are

provided

Other equipment which may be needed includes

• Microphones

• Overhead projectors

• Audio visual equipment

• CD

• Ipod or similar

• Props


• Videos.

Tours are extremely varied in their structure, purpose, customer group and the locality in which they take place. The outcome of this diversity is that there is no standard way for delivering a tour. However, the following stages are required in preparing your tour:

Stages Requirements

1. Research your customers

Information about your customer might arrive through a briefing sheet or booking sheet, or it might involve quite extensive research. Whatever the degree of effort, you have to make sure that you find out as much as possible about the needs, expectations, motivations and interests of the people who are your customers.

Your customers will be an extremely varied group of people, and the more time you spend finding out about them, the more chance you have of building a tour which will be relevant and enjoyable to each individual.

2. Develop your tour objectives

Determine why the tour operator is running the tour?

Consult the tour brief to establish tour objectives

Ask what is the purpose of the tour?

3. Conduct research on the places to visit

Research the needs of the customers who will make up your tour and liaise with operators and relevant people to gather information about the planned tour

4. Build the commentary for your tour

A commentary works in closely with your tour objectives and itinerary, and incorporates the variety of activities which you plan for your customer. Considerations when developing your commentary include the following:

• Have you developed a theme for your tour – a single statement that encapsulates what the tour is about? Have you prepared a skeleton for your commentary which builds on this theme and which includes your key ideas and messages? Key points and messages should


exceed 5 otherwise the message becomes confused and unclear. Have you fleshed out these main points? Have you broken the information into digestible chunks?

• Why are you saying what you are saying? Is it to make a point? Is it just to fill in time? Is it connected to the other parts of your commentary and tour? Will it be of benefit to your customer and to the environment?

• Do you need to conduct further research in any of the particular areas to improve your knowledge? Even if you answer ‘no’ to this question, always seek to improve your knowledge. Spend time researching and learning new facts and figures. Search out relevant journals, organizations, councils and other government organizations, the Internet and libraries. Develop a database of fascinating trivia, points and anecdotes

• Will you be interspersing facts and statistics with stories, anecdotes and activities?

• What resources and/or equipment and/or props and/or reference material can you bring along on the tour?

• What sites will you be visiting?

• What guiding techniques will you employ?

• How will you be involving the group and encouraging interaction and participation?

5. Recheck the itinerary

Research and check the route and activity-sequence options

Develop and assess your tour itinerary.

Decide on relevant activities for the tour.

What resources might you require?

(see previous section on checking equipment including First Aid Equipment)

6. Prepare logistical

Coordinate with traffic for preparing means of transportation


elements Call officer in-charge of traffic Determine the required means of transportation Confirm to the officer in-charge of traffic departure date and time Provide introductory signboards Request the introductory sign board for the group from the program coordinator and ensure that it is provided Ensure that the tourists’ names have been written in English or Arabic as required for the first language needs of the tour group Arrange for the board to be kept where it can be easily accessed until arrival of the Group



7. Research and check the activity route

It is the time that you spend finding out about the area you will be touring in, and exploring it from a variety of perspectives and aspects. This might involve liaising with relevant organizations responsible for managing the area(s) relevant to your tour route.

Some of the questions you can ask include:

• What is the route for this tour?

• What sites, attractions or features of interest will be passed enroute to the site?

• What are some of the significant features and characteristics of the site?

• Is there anything of interest? What are some of the other highlights of the route?

• What sites will you be visiting and are they interesting, adequate and relevant?

• Is it suitable for the characteristics of your customer - their needs, expectations, interests, and for the number of people?

• What is the accessibility like How accessible is the site?

• Is there provision for people with special needs?

• What comforts are there – plenty of shade if a summer activity, and plenty of rest stops if leading a group of seniors or people with physical disabilities?

• What services are there? Especially if the tour will go for quite a while it may be best to meet where there are services. A longer tour segment requires


identification of the rest spots, food and beverage facilities and toilet facilities

• What safety concerns are there? Have you conducted a risk audit weather conditions, physical features such as narrow paths, step and numerous steps, busy roads and crowded walkways and areas of interest such as markets? For example, if you are conducting a desert walk and there have recently been extremely strong winds, there might be potential for sand storms. What arrangements have you made in case of emergencies?

• Can you use any special features and characteristics of the site to captivate your customer?

8. Consult with industry colleagues as required

Includes check with security and managers of museums and antiquities as previously discussed

9. Post identification posters on Tour luggage

Obtain identification posters from the authorities Write down the visitor’s name on the identification posters Verify the visitor’s name according to the ID or passport Post the identification posters on the visitor bags

10. Now greet your tour group

Summary

The design of the tour itinerary involves a staged process which commences from receipt of the tour brief until the initial meeting of the tour group.

While section 4 considered logistical requirements including:

• Ensuring the availability of the required First aid equipment

• Providing introductory sign boards

• Coordinating with traffic and the posting of the identification posters on tour luggage

These logistical requirements were considered in the context of an orderly staged process in terms of designing a tour which aims to meet the aims of the customers from the tour group

Design the tour

Assessment Activity – 3

Tour objectives and Design Read the following article on tour objectives and answer the questions which follow: Tours are conducted for a variety of reasons, and knowing what these reasons are provides essential information when designing the tour. To focus your design efforts answer the following questions:

• Why are you running this tour?

• Who are your customers?

• What are their expectations?

• What is the aim of this tour?

• What do you want to achieve?

• How would you like your customers to be thinking, feeling and behaving?

• What would you like your customers to take away from the tour?

The responses to these questions help establish your objectives. The benefits of working with objectives are:

• Objectives provide a focus and direction for your tour design and delivery efforts, on what it is you want to say, and on what you expect your customers to gain from the tour

• They provide a benchmark for evaluating the tour

• They ensure you are developing the most effective theme and tour activities for the needs of your tour

• They help you establish what level and depth of detail is required

• They provide a focus for the practical, logistical and operational perspectives of your tour.

Objectives can be broken down into the following categories:

• Knowledge objectives

These objectives relate to what knowledge you would like your customer to learn from your tour. In thinking about knowledge objectives you could ask yourself:

− What knowledge do you want to share with your customer?

− What anecdotal information can you provide for your customer?

− What would be important orientation information to assist their visit?

− What ideas do you want your customer to consider about the event and/or place you are visiting?

• Behavioural objectives

These objectives relate to how you want your customer to behave, both during your tour and after your tour, and what skills you want your customer to gain. In thinking about behavioural objectives you could ask yourself:

− How are you going to get your customer involved?

− How will you facilitate their learning of skills; for example, how will they be able to recognize architectural styles or appreciate a particular work of art?

− What respectful behaviour will you expect from your customer?

− What behavioural ground rules will you put in place?

Design a tour of the Riyadh museum for a group of professionals with an interest in art.

As outlined in the introduction to this trainee manual the Riyadh Museum, to the west of Al-Bathaa, has all the usual exhibits covering the history and archaeology of the Kingdom from the Stone Age to early Islam. There's an interesting display on Islamic architecture and a separate Ethnographic Hall, with clothes, musical instruments, weapons and jewellry. Signs are in English and Arabic.

Prepare a summary of your tour design in accord with the following format:

1. Tour objectives

2. The main parts of your commentary

3. liaison required with industry colleagues

4. Logistical elements to be considered

Assessment: Design a tour to the Riyadh museum for a group of professionals with an interest in art.


Competency Task Design a tour to the Riyadh museum for a group of professional with an interest in art

Occupation Tour Guide Occupation No

Duty Plan for a tour Duty No

Task Design a tour to the Riyadh museum for a group of professional with an interest in art

Task No


Satisfactorily design a specialist tour involving four important stages involved in tour design

Performance Standard

Satisfactorily designed specialist tour involving four important stages involved in tour design



Comments

Relates to overall tasks and steps involving Duty: Plan for the tour

1 Tour objectives

2 The main parts of your commentary

Relates to overall tasks and steps involving Duty: Plan for the tour

3 liaison required with industry colleagues

Relates to following tasks:

Coordinate with the officer in-charge of the programs Cooperate with security authorities Cooperate with management of museums and antiquities

4 Logistical elements to be considered

7.1

7.2

7.3

7.4

8.1

Arrange that First Aid bag is provided in the means of transportation Check that First Aid Bag is in the means of transportation Inform the officer in-charge of the program if First Aid Bag is unavailable or short of requirements Follow-up requests until the required items are provided Request the introductory sign board for the group from the program coordinator and ensure that it is provided Ensure that the tourists’ names have been written in English or Arabic as

8.2

8.3

9.1

9.2

9.3

required for the first language needs of the tour group Arrange for the board to be kept where it can be easily accessed until arrival of the Group Call officer in-charge of traffic Determine the required means of transportation Confirm to the officer in-charge of traffic departure date and time

5.

Knowledge Comments

Knowledge and application of a range of tour briefs Planning for tours as it relates to roles and responsibilities for a diverse range of tour guiding in Saudi Arabia

Knowledge of the structure for tours


First Aid Bag

Means of transportation

Museum and Antiquity visit permits

Safety Comments

Knowledge of requirements involving a First Ad Kit

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