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Exploring Trades and Occupations

Tour and Travel Guides

On this page

  • Job description
  • Hourly wage
  • Job prospects for 2022-2026
  • Sectors of activity
  • Training and requirements
  • Main skills and characteristics
  • Personality profiles (RIASEC)
  • Additional information

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 2022-2026

sr.comparaison-region.titre

Les 2 champs de sélection ci-dessous vous permettent de comparer 2 régions. Les données des régions seront automatiquement mises à jour à la sélection. Par défaut, la province de Québec est sélectionnée pour la première région.

Job prospects for 2022-2026

Job prospects

All of Québec

Non available
Limited
Good
Very good
Good

All of Québec

Non available
Limited
Good
Very good
Non available

Total jobs for 2021

All of Québec

900

All of Québec

na

Gender distribution

All of Québec

Not available.
47.2% Female
52.8% Male

Not available.
  • 47.2% Female
  • 52.8% Male

Job types

All of Québec

Not available.
Full time
Part time

Not available.
  • Full time
  • Part time

Yearly wage

All of Québec

Not available.

All of Québec

Other characteristics

All of Québec

  • None

All of Québec

  • None

Sectors of activity

All of Québec

Not available.
  1. Arts, Entertainment and Recreation
    NAICS 71
    42% of jobs
  2. Business, building and other support services
    NAICS 55, 56
    22% of jobs
  3. Transportation and Warehousing
    NAICS 48, 49
    7% of jobs
  4. Utilities
    NAICS 22
    6% of jobs
  5. Accommodation and Food Services
    NAICS 72
    5% of jobs
  6. Others
    18% of jobs

All of Québec

Not available.
  1. Arts, Entertainment and Recreation
    NAICS 71
    42% of jobs
  2. Business, building and other support services
    NAICS 55, 56
    22% of jobs
  3. Transportation and Warehousing
    NAICS 48, 49
    7% of jobs
  4. Utilities
    NAICS 22
    6% of jobs
  5. Accommodation and Food Services
    NAICS 72
    5% of jobs
  6. Others
    18% of jobs

Training and requirements

Formation

Most training programs are offered in French only.

Secondary

Secondary school diploma

College

DCS in tourism This hyperlink will open in a new window.
Code : 414A0
DCS in tourism (Hospitality and Tour-Guiding) This hyperlink will open in a new window.
Code : 414AA
DCS in tourism (Development and Promotion of Travel Products) This hyperlink will open in a new window.
Code : 414AC

Placement rate: 80.5%

14.6% of graduates pursue further studies

More on graduates’ employment situation
DCS in tourism (Tourist Product Development) This hyperlink will open in a new window.
Code : 414AB

Placement rate: 78.2%

14.5% of graduates pursue further studies

More on graduates’ employment situation

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
More Less skills

Abilities

  • Speech clarity
  • Verbal skills
  • Oral comprehension
  • Speech recognition
  • Awareness of issues
  • Written comprehension
  • Deductive reasoning
  • Inductive reasoning
  • Distance vision
  • Near vision
More Less abilities

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.
Additional information

Note about CNP

Occupational information is provided based on the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2016. The 5-digit code of the NOC 2021 is shown in parentheses for information purposes only for occupations that correspond to those of NOC 2016.

Official name of the NOC 6531 (64320)

Tour and travel guides

Job titles

  • Travel escort
  • Tourist guide
  • Tour escort
  • Calèche driver
  • Tour director
  • Calèche operator
  • Bus tour guide
  • Mine guide
  • Bicycle tour guide
  • Ski resort hostess
  • Horse-drawn vehicle sightseeing tour guide
  • Walking tour guide
  • Travel guide
  • Establishment guide
  • Boat tour guide
  • Plant tour guide
  • Local tour guide
  • Industrial site interpreter
  • Adventure travel site interpreter
More Less job titles

Skill type

Sales and service

Related occupations

  • Managers in customer and personal services, n.e.c.
  • Outdoor sport and recreational guides
  • Technical occupations related to museums and art galleries

See also

  • Glossary (PDF 229 Kb)
  • Québec emploi This hyperlink will open in a new window.

Last update: March 27, 2023

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