Tour and Travel Guides
Job description
These Guides accompany individuals and groups on trips and visits. They describe points of interest and provide relevant information about them. They may be self-employed or work for:
- Tourist service agencies and companies (excursion companies, integrated travel companies, and tour operators)
- The public service
- Resorts
Environment
- Controlled ambient temperature
- Climatic conditions
- Vehicle or passenger compartment
Main tasks
Tour Guides
- Transport or accompany individuals or groups on sightseeing tours.
- Describe points of interest, answer questions, and provide information.
- Provide historical and cultural information about the places visited.
- Collect entrance fees as required.
- Structure the tour and find out about tourist attractions to visit.
- Research the historical, geographical, and cultural particularities of the places visited.
- Develop comments on tourist attractions on the circuit.
- Manage difficult situations such as dealing with complaints and embarrassing or undesirable behaviour and responding to emergencies.
Travel Guides
- Accompany individuals and groups on pleasure or business trips.
- Confirm reservations for accommodation and travel.
- Ensure the respect of itineraries.
- Visit and describe points of interest.
- Plan and facilitate entertainment.
- Solve itinerary, reception, and accommodation problems.
- Structure the tour and find out about the tourist attractions to visit.
- Research the historical, geographical, and cultural particularities of the places visited.
- Develop comments on the tourist attractions on the circuit.
Hourly wage
Not available.Job prospects for 2024-2028
Job prospects for 2024-2028
Job prospects
All of Québec
All of Québec
Total jobs for 2023
All of Québec
All of Québec
Gender distribution
All of Québec
- 56.3% Female
- 43.7% Male
- 56.3% Female
- 43.7% Male
Job types
All of Québec
- Full time
- Part time
- Full time
- Part time
Yearly wage on 2020
All of Québec
All of Québec
Other characteristics
All of Québec
- None
All of Québec
- None
Sectors of activity
All of Québec
-
NAICS 7132% of jobs
-
NAICS 55, 5616% of jobs
-
NAICS 7214% of jobs
-
NAICS 2212% of jobs
-
NAICS 617% of jobs
-
Others19% of jobs
All of Québec
-
NAICS 7132% of jobs
-
NAICS 55, 5616% of jobs
-
NAICS 7214% of jobs
-
NAICS 2212% of jobs
-
NAICS 617% of jobs
-
Others19% of jobs
Training and requirements
Formation
Most training programs are offered in French only.
College
DCS in tourism (Development and Promotion of Travel Products)
Placement rate: 54.3%
31.4% of graduates pursue further studies
DCS in tourism (Tourist Product Development)
Placement rate: 73.3%
26.7% of graduates pursue further studies
Also required
Licence to practise in the cities of Montreal and Quebec.
Sometimes required
- Knowledge of a language other than English or French may be required.
- Experience in teaching or group facilitation may be required.
Main skills and characteristics
Skills
- Oral expression
- Data collection
- Active listening
- Social perception
- Service oriented
- Reading comprehension
- Coordination
Abilities
- Speech clarity
- Verbal skills
- Oral comprehension
- Speech recognition
- Awareness of issues
- Written comprehension
- Deductive reasoning
- Inductive reasoning
- Distance vision
- Near vision
Knowledge and attributes
- Autonomy
- Sense of responsibility
- Spoken and written bilingualism (French and English)
- Knowledge of customer and personalized services
- Tolerance to stress
- Vitality
- Friendliness
- Assiduity and punctuality
- Knowledge of history and archeology
- Capacity to facilitate a group
Interests
- Direct, organize, and manage
- Work in sales or client service
- Work in the arts, culture, music, or leisure
- Work in hotels, restaurants, and tourism
- Self-employment
- Work outdoors
- Teach or educate
Personality profiles (RIASEC)
- Enterprising
- People with this profile prefer having responsibilities, influencing others and responding to challenges.
- Social
- People with this profile prefer to be in contact with others, in particular to entertain, help or teach them.
- Artistic
- People with this profile prefer to express their emotions and thoughts through various art forms. They like to use their imagination.
Official name of the NOC 64320
Tour and travel guides
Job titles
- Sightseeing guide
- Travel escort
- Tour escort
- Calèche driver
- Tour director
- Calèche operator
- Establishment guide
- Boat tour guide
- Factory tour guide
- Bus tour guide
- Mine guide
- Bicycle tour guide
- Ski resort host/hostess
- Horse-drawn vehicle sightseeing tour guide
- Walking tour guide
- Travel guide
- Local tour guide
- Industrial site interpreter
- Adventure travel site interpreter
Skill type
Sales and service
Last update: January 29, 2026