Travel and Tourism Services

Different guests want different things from the same place. Family groups, solo travellers, seniors and first-time visitors all need different pace, comfort and information. Knowing the guest shapes every later decision.

• Describe at least three guest types, such as a family with children, a senior group and a solo visitor, and list what each values most.
• Note the time and budget each type usually has, because these limit what you can offer.
• List access needs such as step-free routes, seating, shade and toilets for each type.
• Ask real people from each type two or three questions, and use their answers instead of assumptions.
• A common mistake is to design the tour for yourself instead of for the guest.

Activity. Write three guest profiles of about 80 words each with needs, time, budget and access points, based on at least one short conversation each.

Standard to meet. List at least three specific needs in each profile, and use them to make at least one concrete change in the itinerary.

A good experience has a story, a route and a comfortable pace. You choose a theme and place the stops so the time works. A rain plan makes the tour dependable.

• Pick a clear theme, such as local food or old buildings, and choose four or five stops that fit the theme.
• Time each stop and each walk and add a buffer of about 10 to 15 minutes for delays.
• Plan the pace around the slowest guest, not the fastest.
• Write a rain plan with a covered alternative for at least two stops.
• A common mistake is to pack in too many stops, leaving guests tired and rushed.

Activity. Draft a full itinerary with times, a route map, a rain plan and notes on access for your guest profiles.

Standard to meet. Add up the itinerary to the stated time with a buffer, and make it so that a peer can follow it from your map and notes.

Safety comes before fun. You list the risks, plan how to reduce them and know who to call. Some activities need permits or licensed partners, so you check the rules first.

• List the main risks for your route, such as heat, traffic, uneven ground and crowding, and rate each as low, medium or high.
• For each risk write a control, such as a water break every hour or a guide at the back of the group.
• Carry a first-aid kit, a charged phone and a card with emergency numbers and the nearest medical help.
• Keep to a guest-to-guide ratio of about 10 to 1 unless your local authority or licensed partner sets a different one, so 24 guests need 3 guides because 24 divided by 10 is 2.4 and you round up.
• Check with your local authority about permits and licensed partners before you run any paid or public activity.

Activity. Write a risk plan with at least eight risks, controls, an emergency contact card and a note of permits you confirmed with your local authority.

Standard to meet. Give every risk a control and an owner, complete the contact card, and have a mentor review the plan before the test tour.

A price should cover your costs and still feel fair to guests. You separate costs that stay the same from costs that change with each guest. Break-even tells you how many guests you need.

• List fixed costs, such as guide time and printing, and costs per guest, such as a drink or an entry ticket.
• Work out the contribution per guest, which is the price minus the cost per guest.
• Calculate break-even guests as fixed costs divided by contribution per guest, and round up.
• Add a margin and compare your price with similar local offers.
• A common mistake is to forget small costs, such as insurance share and printing, which add up.

Activity. Complete a price sheet with fixed costs, per-guest costs, break-even guests and a recommended price, and show the working.

Standard to meet. Calculate your break-even number correctly, record every cost, and show that the recommended price clearly covers costs at the expected group size.

Guests trust a guide who is accurate and respectful. Your script uses true facts, respects local culture and is easy to follow. Short stories work better than long lists.

• Check each fact with at least two reliable sources and note where it came from.
• Respect local customs by asking permission for photos and by describing communities in their own terms.
• Keep each stop to a story of about two minutes with one clear message.
• Use plain, accessible language and offer a written summary for guests who prefer to read.
• A common mistake is to repeat a popular claim without checking it.

Activity. Write a script for each stop with its sources, then rehearse it once with a peer who gives feedback.

Standard to meet. Note two sources for all facts in the final script, and ask the peer to confirm the script was clear and respectful.

The test tour is a real run with a small group. You record numbers, times and anything that goes wrong. Honest records show what to improve.

• Count guests at the start and at each stop so no one is lost.
• Record the actual start and finish times and compare them with the plan.
• Write down every incident, such as a missed step or a safety concern, with what you did.
• Brief guests at the start on safety rules, the route and the emergency plan.
• A common mistake is to keep going when the group is struggling instead of changing the route.

Activity. Run the test tour with at least 6 guests and submit a record of headcounts, times and incidents with your actions.

Standard to meet. Record times for every stop, count the group at each stop, and show an action for each incident.

Feedback tells you how guests felt. Short, specific questions give better answers than a vague one. You compare the results with your goals.

• Ask guests to score value, safety and the guide from 1 to 5, and give space for one comment.
• Collect the forms straight after the tour while memories are fresh.
• Calculate the average for each score and note the lowest one.
• Read the comments and group them into themes, such as pace, information or comfort.
• A common mistake is to read only the praise and skip the comments about problems.

Activity. Collect feedback from at least 80% of your guests, calculate the average score for each question and write a summary of three themes.

Standard to meet. Calculate your averages correctly, reach at least 80% of guests, and back your themes with quotes or counts.

Improvement means choosing the fixes that matter most and testing them. You use costs and guest scores to decide. Small changes, tested one by one, work best.

• Choose the issue with the lowest score or most comments as the first fix.
• Check the cost of each fix and compare it with the expected benefit.
• Test a revised price to see whether guests still rate the value highly.
• Plan how to reach more guests in a way that is honest and safe.
• A common mistake is to raise the price without checking guest value scores first.

Activity. Present a plan for the next run with a fix, a cost, a price decision and a date.

Standard to meet. Link each decision in your plan to data from your cost sheet or feedback, and include a measure for the next run.