A tour guide or a tour coordinator is a professional person who gives help, guidance on historical, cultural and recreational heritage to visitors on personal services and organized tour. A tour guide has the responsibility of advising guests on routes to be taken, what to carry, how to behave while on tour and what not to do. They organize excursions, tours and travel around the destination and make arrangement for hotels, restaurants and rest points. They also plan a group tour and relay the information about that tour to the guests. Thus they are instrumental in making the guests of tour group to enjoy their stay.
A professional tour guide is knowledgeable and understands the culture, geography and history of the destination and takes care of all the arrangements necessary to make guests comfortable. Usually, a group tour director or tour guide works as part of a larger tour management service agency. The larger tour management agencies are specialized in organizing customized tour packages for a number of destinations across the world.
Some agencies employ foreign guides, which mean they have experts in various aspects of the host country. These guides are well versed with the local language and customs and can speak confidently about tourism in that country. They know the places of interest and the most popular places of interest, and are aware of the best things to do and the places to go during vacation. Guides are needed for group tour like cruises, mountain biking trips, sightseeing tours, etc. For a tour company these guides are needed in greater numbers than for individuals. However, it is advisable that a single individual accompanies them, as single tourists are not able to cope with the pressure of a large group.