Amazing and refreshing read on being a tour guide

I come across a Chinese book accidentally titled as "教我如何不宰你", I translated it as "How not to slaughter you alive".

The book was published in 2006 on traveling but focused on tour guide. Not how to be one but the dark and ugly side of being a tour guide as a profession. The author is from China and he has been a tour guide for more than 10 years.

The author shared much detailed happenings from his vast experience on the dilemma, challenges, unfairness, and difficulties in managing travelers in a tour group, bus driver, services providers and travel agency. Pretty amazing and refreshing read. Based on his sharing, it is definitely very pressuring and unpleasant to be a tour guide, in particularly, in China and leading a China tour group.

The main source of all these rooted to the fact of charging too low or no fees at all of joining a tour group. At the macro level, the governance system is not good enough to facilitate a healthy development of the industry. The result of it is that the tour guide has to coax or "force" travelers to buy more and to visit more factory outlets to meet the expected "quota" to cover the cost of the trip and even to make money for the agency. At the same time, the tour arrangement may have to reduce or cut cost on food, accommodation, itinerary etc. The whole travel experience is affected with complains, unhappiness and at times, violence. Tour guide does not has a basic salary and for those few that have it, they are expected to help out in the agency when there is no assignment. If anything happens, tour guide has to bear the consequences fully.

It's sad to read about it. Traveling is suppose to be fun, enjoyable, safe and happy. But it may not be case if joining a tour group. Though I would prefer planning my own trip and I do most of my overseas holiday, I have also joined tour group on a few occasions.

The best was the one that I went to Tokyo. The tour guide was a lady and she was experienced enough to conduct a meaningful and pleasant trip throughout the journey. At least I din feel that I was "forced" to accept or visiting nonsense places or the need to buy stuff. :-) The other few, something did happen along the way though we all managed to complete it satisfactorily. The general rule seems to be avoiding budget tour package especially to China as visitors are "expected" to buy, to be surprised with changes and properly a mismatch of delivery of services and products.

If you are interest, click "教我如何不宰你" to read and to learn more about life as a China tour guide.