Become tour guide is one of the top aspirations for many enthusiasts of art history and local and national culture in general; his task, in fact, is to accompany and 'act as a cicerone' for individuals or groups of tourists in guided tour at museums, cities of art, archaeological digs and all those artistic and monumental attractions offered by the territory. Let us see what characteristics are required to excel in this profession, as well as the steps to follow to becoming a tour guide.
Skills to be acquired to become a tour guide
In a country as rich in history, culture, museums and archaeological sites as Italy, the role of the tour guide in each region is essential in order to make tourists aware of the beauty of each city.
- At the basis of this profession there must be a strong passion for everything to do with the territory, from art to archaeology, from traditions to history.
- This passion must be combined with a basic general culturewhich can be learnt as early as the high school years, and a specific knowledge of the local area, from the galleries present to the art museums: this is the only way to be able to perfectly guide tourists in their visit.
- One of the most beautiful aspects of this profession is certainly the opportunity to be in contact with people of different customs and traditions. For this reason, one of the most important prerogatives for the guide is to have aexcellent knowledge of at least two foreign languages.
A large share of tourism in Italy is represented by foreign tourists, especially from China, Japan, Germany and the USA. One must therefore be able to speak several languages fluently and be prepared to answer all their curiosities. One of the risks a tour guide can run into is that of boring his or her listeners, a very common danger since tourists are easily distracted by everything around them and do not pay much attention to explanations.
To overcome this problem, the interpersonal skills are fundamental: the tour guide must be confident and convincing, have a charismatic personality and a fluent and captivating loquacity, all skills that are acquired with years and experience.
Licensing as a tour guide
After listing the characteristics needed to be a good tour guideLet us now see what legal requirements are necessary to carry out this profession.
For becoming a tour guide the title must be obtained by passing the relevant qualifying examination. This consists of three tests:
- a written test with general culture questions and others more specific to the area in which you want to qualify
- an oral test to test the candidate's language skills
- a technical-practical test, i.e. a guided tour simulation
These trials are organised through notices issued by the individual regions or provinces, so it is essential to access the regional and provincial websites to keep up-to-date on the subject, as the methods of registration and conduct may vary from territory to territory.
As stated in the decree of 11 December 2015 signed by the Minister Dario FranceschiniIn order to be able to take the licence exam and become a tour guide, you must meet the following requirements:
- age of majority;
- Italian citizenship or citizenship of a European Union member state (non-EU citizens complying with current immigration and labour regulations may also participate);
- possession of the professional qualification of tourist guide obtained in a European Union Member State;
- bachelor's degree.
Once you have passed all the examinations, you are entered in thenational list of tourist guidesmanaged by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and TourismThe badge obtained is valid throughout the country.
In order to be best prepared for the licence examination, it is always recommended to attend preparatory and training courses, such as the course for tourist guide by European Tourism Institutewhich allows you to delve deeper into the disciplines being examined and obtain the best preparation.
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