QUESTIONS
What is the value of guides?
Do guides ask travelers if they have any suggestions for making
the tour better?
BACKGROUND
In a 2007 survey Carol Patterson conducted with wildlife watchers,
she was surprised to find that guides were ranked the lowest
as a criteria in selecting a travel destination. The survey
is available as a PDF.
Says Carol: "While my study was very small, this information
causes me some concern. Guides are very important in explaining
what is acceptable behavior for travelers so that wildlife and
habitats are not harmed. With all the information available
to travelers and the steady diet of travel shows with average
people seemingly doing amazing things, perhaps people think
they can dispense with a guide and strike out on their own."
CHOOSING GUIDES
I would be the first to rank the 'value' of guides as one of
the lowest criteria I have in choosing a place to visit. I want
to visit a place first and foremost. That said, once a place
is chosen selecting a guide or guides is top of the list in
making the most of the journey.
During my visit to Australia earlier this year, Ronda
Green and her son Darren were superb guides. They knew where
to find the wildlife, they knew how to make the approach. They
provided caveats ('don't swing on the vines, there may be snakes
above') before possible injury.
Speaking of good guides, I'd also give high marks to Tom
Walter who joined me on a trek along New Zealand's ridiculously
beautiful West Coast.
What makes a good guide in my book? Someone who knows the ground,
the people, the wildlife and a good place for a pint or coffee.
Sometimes these are paid professionals. At other times they're
good friends. In this category I'd include Marcus
Endicott who knew me well enough to escort me to the Channon
Market.
Ultimately a good guide is someone who has invested time in
a particular place and is willing to impart this information.
The challenge of good guiding is educating without boring or
overwhelming the visitor.
One of the biggest mistakes I have seen in the field are the
training sessions led by NGOs that tell locals that every visitor
wants to know the name of every plant. No doubt there are some
botanists who are interested in such knowledge, but good tours
know how to explain without lecturing.
RATING GUIDES
What are the ways we have to select good guides? To rate trips?
Most wildlife and ecotourism associations have indices (the
same with Planeta.com's World Travel Directory) without a rating
system that allows clients to chime in on what they liked and
did not like about specific tours.
Questions - where should we post testimonials or criticisms?
In this age of Web
2.0, there should be a number of options.
REFERENCES
Introducing
Interpretation
PLANETA FORUM
Tourism
and Wildlife Conservation
GUIDELINES
FLICKR
Guides
What
is the value of attention?
Bicicletas
Pedro Martinez
Bookabee
Tours
Brazil
Adventure International
Marlene
Ehrenberg
Desire
Paths
ONLINE
FLICKR
WIKI
Planeta
Wikispace
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