Build up your own client base

When you work as a private tour guide for travelers, you have the opportunity to know more about your clients. In many cases, a happy client and the tour guide can turn out friends after a trip. Therefore, build up a client base is important for guides to continue the friendship.



Why is it important to have a client base? You can not keep everything about your clients in mind. Popular tour guides especially need written records as they may meet different travelers on daily basis. You do not want the mess, trying to find out one client contact through thousands of mails. Records of client preference will help to grow your future business.



How can you build up your own base? It can be as easy as a collect of emails. You may save them by date or by country origin. A better way will be setting up a spreadsheet to centralize information. So you can easily sort out client info from various fields. If you have a mature business and want to have a more efficient client base, you can check out customer service software. There are many choices on the market. You just need to compare and pick up the one that fits your needs.



What to record in your client base? Basic contacts including name and email are critical for you to keep in touch. Personal backgrounds of your travel clients are useful to design a customized tour for their return trip. Some travelers do pay a return trip to the destination they like. If the tour guide has noted their preference, e.g. culture, adventure, foods, entertainments…, your client will acknowledge your personal service and become a loyal customer. Places visited during the sightseeing tour. It is similar with each tour, but not exactly the same. On one hand, you can avoid repetition of route for a return client. On the other, noting down the route helps the guide to remember tour details with different clients. It is also helpful to track client’s country of origin or source of the client booking. Country of origin helps to settle a targeted market, while the guide can decide promotional channels with data on booking sources.



Have you already had an existing database of clients? What other fields do you think are important for a better service? We would like to hear from you.

Visiting Australia's Gardens

If you are an Australian travel visa holder, then you are in luck, since you have lots of places to explore int the country. And there are definitely something for ever kind of tourists here. So you will definitely be able to find the ones that will suit your tastes.

Thus, if you are the type who are into flowers, gardens, and anything else that has something to do with plants, then you will definitely feel at home at Australia's botanical gardens. In fact, there are actually dozens of botanical gardens that are located in the country, housing a wide variety of native Australian plants, as well those coming from around the world. And so, here are some of the gardens that you might want to drop by.

Royal Botanical Garden, Melbourne

This is one of the premiere botanical gardens in Australia. The Royal Botanical Garden in Melbourne hosts a wide variety of different flowering plants and trees native to the area, as well as those coming from the other states. The garden is nicely located in the Cranbourne suburb of Melbourne and can be reach by bus, car, or even a bicycle ride from the city.

The Royal Botanical Garden has several sections showcasing different kinds of of plants. Also, since much of the garden is actually open air, you will get the chance to encounter some of the resident animals of the garden. In fact, the gardens administrators recommend this one as an activity for the entire family. There are also several function halls where special events are usually held.

Adelaide Botanical Garden

Another great place for you to visit if you are a plant lover. The Adelaide Botanical Garden is conveniently located at the northeastern section of the city. It is also adjacent to the Adelaide Zoo, so you can head there afterward to see the fauna.

Two of the biggest attractions of the Garden are the Palm House and the Rose Garden. The Palm House is a large greenhouse that has been in the garden since the 1870's. On the other hand, flower lovers and those who simply want to take their love ones to something romantic would definitely love the Rose Garden. The Rose Garden is also quite special as it is actually a research center where new varieties of roses suitable to the Australian environment are grown.

Sydney Botanic Garden

The Sydney Botanic Garden can be considered as the classic city park where city dwellers can head to and spend some time to relaxed. However, the garden is still a great sight to behold at the center of Sydney. It is located at a site overlooking Farm Cove.

The garden gives a spectacular view of the Sydney Harbour, as well as some of the most popular sights of the city, such as the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Client segmentation - Family Travelers with Kids

Have you ever guided family travelers with kids? The kids deserve special attention as they have different interest from adults.



If the family is traveling with infant, tour guides shall pay attention to physical matters. Find easy paths for baby carriage. During the trip, take more breaks if the family needs to take care of the baby. On the vehicle for transportation, make sure the baby is safely seated.



For kids who can take the trip as adults, a tour guide needs to mind his/her interest. Some children enjoy culture and history, but many will get bored after a while. Try to make the sightseeing tour more interesting with a mixture of facts and anecdotes. Explain things easier for the kids to understand. If there are special toys or games local children play, why not play with the kids?



Remind the kids of what they can do and what not. For example, in the museums, are they allowed to touch exhibits? In most cases, no. Boys can be naughty and make noises some times. Extra attention may be required if visiting religious places like temples or churches.



Consider the child price when designing a sightseeing tour. Many scenic spots offer discounts or free entry for kids. Similarly, if meals are calculated in the package, kids may enjoy a separate price.



Do you have any particular tips dealing with kids? Share with more tour guides around the world.

Abbott Says Immigration Not The Solution To Worker Shortage

Over the years, many Australian skilled visa holders have arrived into the country to work. Indeed, Australia has long been considered as one of the best places to work in the world. And the land down under is itself very welcoming of the arrival of these foreign workers.

You see, Australia is, in fact, very much in demand of immigrant labor to fuel its economic growth. This is mainly because its relatively small population (some 22 million as of the last census) is not able to sustain the current level of economic development in the country. And experts said that this rate is likely to grow even more in the years to come.

That is why the country needs to get more and more foreign workers moving in. They are the ones that will be able to sustain the country's economic development, as well as further increase it. However, some groups are arguing that the current dependence on immigrants workers for economic development might not be that good for the country. In the long run.

One of the people urging policy makers to rethink their priorities with regards to immigrant labor is Tony Abbott. In fact, Abbott made this one a central point of discussion when he went head to head with current Prime Minister Julia Gillard and the Labor Party in the elections held last month. And though Abbott lost, he said that he and the Liberal Party will still be pushing for this issue.

According to Abbott, the country can't forever depend on foreign labor to sustain it. He added that with the current jobs shortages that the country is experiencing, it is unlikely that the current influx of immigrants will be able to solve it. He emphasizes that, in order to better handle the situation, it is necessary that training the local population is far more important in order for them to fill up the shortages.

But, Abbott pointed out that he is not against immigration altogether. He said that immigration will still be needed in the near future in order to maintain the stability of the of the country's economy. However, he said that there is still a great need to significantly cut down one the number of immigration intakes in order to open up more opportunities for local labor.

Abbott has said that, despite losing to Labor, his party will still continue to push for these changes. He is also optimistic that the government will be willing to take this into account.

Why Go On An Australian Bike Tour

Australian travel visa holders are definitely always on the look out for ways to enjoy their travel in the country more. Lucky for them, there are countless ways to do that. And one of the ways that you can make the most out of your Australian trip is going out on two wheels.

Indeed, bike tours have become so popular with so many people in the country today. In fact, foreigners have actually traveled halfway across from the other part of the globe just to go on a bike tour on the continent. And even the locals are now getting into these bike tours.

So what makes Australia such an attractive place for a bike tour? Well, one thing that many enthusiasts point out is that the continent has enough challenges to throw at the rider. In fact, with the country's vastly varying terrain, a bike tourist will certainly make the most out of his skills here. And there are actually a lot of trails that bike enthusiasts can try out. Some would even take you from one side of the country to the other, such as the famed Munda Biddi trail.

Another major reason that attract a lot of people into a biking tour is the relative ease of preparing everything that you need. Unlike other tours, where you have to go through a lot of preparations, all you need here is, of course, a bike and some supplies. There are plenty of bike shops scattered across the major cities, like Sydney, where you can either buy or rent a good quality by for your trip. And there are several hotels that are especially made for bikers like you.

Furthermore, if you are not that keen in preparing, but still interested in such a tour, there are a wide variety of companies that provide such tours. They will often be the ones that will provide you with all the gear that you will need, including a good bike. Plus, they will also be able to get you a challenging itinerary. And this are also quite reasonably priced.

Lastly, the best reason that you might want to get on a bike tour is that it will give you a pretty good experience. Now only will you be able to stay in good shape for the entire trip, but you will also be able to interact more with the people you meet along the way, as well as your fellow riders. This is certainly something that will set bike touring apart from other ways of traveling Australia.

Tour Guide Survey with Patrick Lovell in Tokyo

1. What is the best thing you like about being a tour guide?

There are many aspects of guiding that appeal to me, not least of which is the ability to travel. I very much enjoy introducing Japan - the focus of my life since my high school days - and opening up the history and culture of the country to visitors. It is a constant pleasure to be a part of visitor’s discovery of Japan and help them get the most out of their travels and go home with a deeper appreciation of the people and their fascinating culture. I also enjoy creating great memories for visitors. It is a pleasure working with people from every corner of the world.

2. What is your most memorable moment in guiding so far?

Watching visitors on tour responding to new places that they are seeing for the first time.

3. What is most challenging for you in this career? Have you coped with it?

I always aim to please my client visitors and to accommodate their every wish. By treating each and every person as the unique individuals that they are, I have been able to meet most requests. I also want to be able to help them with any topic in any period of history for any area, so it is a great challenge to keep up with my studies.

4. What is your favourite place/thing that you want to show your travel clients?

I enjoy showing visitors places, and introducing historical facts that are important to understanding the history, culture, and Japanese people but are perhaps overlooked by many seasoned travellers and passed over by other tour companies.

As Lawrence Durrell says: “Travel can be one of the most rewarding forms of introspection.”

5. What if you were not a tour guide? What do you imagine yourself to be?

I imagine that I would be very unhappy!

Client segmentation for OurExplorer tour guide – senior travelers

We have mentioned senior travelers when talking about cruise passenger. Many senior travelers prefer a relaxed sightseeing tour. For a tour guide, you’d better not rush or push during the tour.

What other areas need tour guides pay attention to when showing senior travelers around?

Be prepared with the variety of topics. As senior travelers gain more life experience, they may be interested in many aspects of local life. How to cook local foods, how people live, how long do people work normally …

Listen to senior travelers and discuss the aspects they are mostly interested. Senior travelers would love to share their own experiences and knowledge. So listen to them. This is also the fun part being a tour guide. You meet various people, hear their stories and learn from their life wisdom. If you find any particular topic they are interested in, why not expand the discussion along the way? You will ensure senior travelers a great personal sightseeing tour.

Pay attention to your client’s physical strength. While senior travelers can be very active and energetic, as a tour guide, you shall pay attention to their physical strength. Consider more small breaks during the sightseeing tour. Mind if they have problems with stairs or climbing, and if elevators suit better. If your clients have mentioned illness or inaccessible activities in advance, do put it into consideration when designing the tour itinerary.

Pre-booking issues. More and more senior travelers now plan their tours online. They are getting used to online bookings. However, you shall not presume every one is internet savvy, senior and young. If your service requires pre-booking online, provide clear instructions on how to complete the booking. It also benefits a tour guide to reduce client cancellation because of technique issue.

Do you have any experiences or tips to share on guiding senior travelers?

Traveling Australia On A Shoestring

If you are an Australian travel visa holder, then you would definitely love going around the country. However, though this one is indeed a great way to spend your vacation. There is a slight catch. As you might have already known, touring the Land Down Under is not going to be cheap.

But of course, that does not mean that you can't cut down on your expenses when on vacation. In fact, this one will be an enjoyable part of the whole trip, as you will be challenged to come up with new ways of saving up. And so, here are some useful tips and tricks that you can do on your nest trip.

Ditch the car rental

This might sound ridiculous, but you can actually save a big amount of money of you forgo renting a car during your stay. You see, car rentals can often run over a hundred dollars a day. And imagine how much you will have to spend on this one for a few days.

If you are worried on how to get around, you can always take the train or the bus. You see, Australia has a well developed public transportation system that will take you anywhere in the continent. And if you want to save more, you can always get yourself a multi-pass to avoid having to get several tickets when you go around. In case you prefer flying, there are also a bunch of low cost airlines available.

Food is all over you

If you are hungry, then you need not worry about having to look out for a fine dining restaurant. There are actually plenty of great eating places scattered around the cities. And these are reasonably priced too. You have a wide variety of options to choose from here, from fast food to fine cuisine that will suit your tastes.

If you are looking for some great tasting seafood dishes, the docks are a good place to visit. One good example is Port Jackson in Sydney. The place is actually teeming with a wide variety of seafood sold at  market prices, since they are quite close to where these are harvested. Here, you will definitely get to enjoy fishes and crabs without the huge bills.

Get rid of all the extra services

If you really want to cut your hotel expenses, then you will have to let go of the room service. And this will not only cut down your costs, but it will also encourage you to go out and explore Australia more. But of course, that doesn't mean that you have to cut them off entirely. Request for something every now and then to treat yourself.

Be Prepared For Tourist Scams

Getting an Australian tourist visa is definitely a great way to spend your vacation. The country has many sights and activities to offer, and you will definitely have a great time. However, you might want to be a bit careful, as there is always something sinister lurking around the corner.

As it is, Australia is not immune to the attacks of unscrupulous people. In fact, each year, many tourists have had their vacations ruined after falling prey to con men. Thus, it is important that you familiarize yourself with some of the most common scams, so that you can be prepared in case you encounter them.

You might not know, but a taxi is one of the most popular tools used by scammers. Since they would assume that you know very little about the country that you are heading to. Here, one of the most common tricks that they would employ is to use a much longer route in taking you to your destination, hence being able to collect a larger fair. Also, there are cons who equip their taxis with rigged meters.

The best way to deal with this one is to always get a legitimate taxi services. Many taxi companies in Australia offer online booking, so you can immediately be picked up by them the moment you arrive in the airport. In case you instead would want to only get a cab when you arrive, be sure that the driver looks honest. Also, get the details of the taxi before boarding to be sure. Carrying a road map with you will also be useful in ensuring that you are taking the right route.

Another common strategy used by a lot of scammers is that of a distraction. The con artist can use anything, from a handkerchief to gold rings, to catch your attention. He will then sweet talk you into a conversation and into a deal that would likely cost you your belongings. Sometimes, while you are still conversing with him, an accomplice of his will quickly steal your valuables without you knowing it.

The best way to deal with this one is to simply ignore the distraction. This might look snobbish on your part, but keep in mind that you are on a foreign land, so you need to be careful. In case you have no choice, then be sure that you are fully aware of your surroundings.

Lastly, always seek the help of the authorities in case you get scammed. Do this one immediately, so you will still get the chance to retrieve your items.