Whether you are working in a national park, a museum or historic spot, they are all the same. The environment might vary, but your experiences with people will not. Tourism is a wonderful field to be a part of because it is filled with plenty of fun and unique experiences. And you never know who you will run into, but if you are thinking about working in tourism, keep these five tips in mind.

Expect Dumb Questions

In school, they teach us that there are no stupid questions, but when working in tourism you realize how false that statement is. There will be those questions that everyone asks and those who ask about the small details, and then there are those who ask questions about things that you just explained or things that are clearly marked. And then there are those few who ask questions they clearly did not think through. Expect all types of questions.

Patience Is Key

This is perhaps the golden rule of tourism and working with the public. While it might be hard to smile while answering those dumb questions or hard to keep your cool with that group that just isn’t interested, patience is key in tourism. Despite how obnoxious, disrespectful, etc. guests can sometimes be, it is still important to keep your composure and not say what is running through your mind. It is your actions and behavior that will be judged, not the guests because you represent the place, not them.

Be Humorous

Whether you have people laughing with you, or laughing at something ridiculous you said, humor goes a long way with uniting people and making their experience worthwhile. Starting off with a joke can help really loosen up an audience and allow you to connect with your audience for the rest of the tour.

Be Prepared for Anything

I mean anything. You never know what will happen on your tour. Hot days tend to be a good chance of guests getting sick or light headed. Uneven surfaces are a recipe for disaster for those who do not watch their step. Whether illness, injury or other incident, anything is possible to happen on your tour, be prepared on how to best address the issue and get the help you need.

Slow Down

You will have guests of all ages on your tour, it is better to play it safe and walk slow to assure you do not lose any older guests or wanderers. It is also good to remember to talk slowly. Not only will talking slower help those who are hard of hearing understand you, but it will also allow people to comprehend more of what you are telling them.