What does it mean to personalise your tour?
Have you ever noticed that some tours are very informative, but lack a personal touch, whereas other tours reflect the personality, experiences and opinions of the tour guide who gave it? There are a number of things that you can do to make your tours feel more personal:
- Show enthusiasm for the content of the tour
- Express opinions, impressions, or preferences
- Share experiences relating to your tour.
We will talk about each of these in more detail later and look at examples in English with phrases that you can use yourself.
Why should you personalise your tour?
Your tour is not about you, so why is it a good idea to personalise your tour? Well, here are a few good reasons for you to think about.
Personalising your tour helps your group to:
- get to know you as a person, which encourages them to ask questions and actively participate in the tour.
- express their own opinions, impressions and preferences, and where necessary, to make comparisons with similar sites that they know
- see the site as a part of the city instead of as a tourist attraction that is detached from the lives of the locals.
How can you personalise your tour in English?
Many tour guides find it difficult to personalise their tours in another language. This can lead to tours that are informative, but also forgettable. So, how can we personalise our tours in English? Here are some ideas and examples for you.
Showing enthusiasm
If you choose to talk about things that you find interesting, then there is no reason why you shouldn’t be enthusiastic about your tour. Many of the ways in which we show enthusiasm are non-verbal, such as our body language and the emotion in our voice. However, we can also show enthusiasm verbally.
Strong positive language
- One of the most amazing things about…(the Cathedral in Milan is that it took 6 whole centuries to build.)
- It may look like an ordinary square, but it has an absolutely fascinating history behind it.
Encouraging the group to use their imagination
- Just imagine what it would have been like to (live here during that period of history).
Expressing opinions, impressions and preferences
- I’d like to tell you about one of my favourite historical figures.
- For me, it’s one of the most interesting periods of British history.
- I always enjoy coming back here, not only because I find it a relaxing place to stroll, but also because it gives you a fascinating insight into what the city was like in the 19th Century.
Sharing experiences
This helps you to connect your own experience of a location to the way it is usually used by people in the city, making it more personal for your group. This can be especially useful for public areas like streets, squares, markets, and parks.
- These days, it’s a popular place to socialise. I often come here to have lunch with friends at the weekend.
- It was developed in the 18th Century as green space for people to relax in, and a popular park today. I used to come here a lot when I was a student just to get some peace and quiet. It hasn’t changed a great deal since then.
Useful Language
Have you noticed the useful phrases in blue in this article? Do you know what they mean? Click below to find out.
Click here!
A personal touch: Adding a personal touch to something means to make to add some details that make it personal to you.
Get to know someone: To become more familiar with someone, especially if you have met them recently. Example: We only met a few weeks ago, but I’ve got to know him quite well.
A stroll: A leisurely walk. Example: I went for a stroll around the park to stretch my legs.
Get some peace and quiet: This a phrase to talk about finding some peace and relaxation. Example: I went home and read a book to get some peace and quiet.
A great deal: A lot. Example: This square has changed a great deal over the last century.
Try it!
Try personalising your tour in English. What would you say about the locations or works of art on your tour to
- Show enthusiasm?
- Express opinions, impressions, or preferences?
- Share your experiences relating to your tour?
Let me know. I’d love to hear about it.
If you’d like to have a chat with me about the English that you use on your tour, then send me an email at nji.swerdlow@gmail.com, or click below to choose a time to talk that’s good for you.
If you’d like to make your English tour more engaging, then let me tell you about Guide better tours in English, an English course especially for busy tour guides.
How I can help you
Many tour guides that I’ve met find it difficult to get their tour groups engaged and interested on their guided tours in English. As a teacher, I understand the importance of knowing that your group have had an interesting experience and have learnt something new.
Guide better tours in English is an English course that helps you to give interesting tours in English that your tour groups feel involved in.
Busy?
I know you’re busy, so Guide better tours in English fits into your working week by combining supported learning in your own time with 1-to-1 sessions with me to prepare your English tours and learn from them afterwards.
Where can I find out more?
You can find out more on my website or book a time to have a chat with me. It would be great to speak with you.
Start learning for free!
The best way to know if a course is right for you is to try it, so here is a free lesson from Guide better tours in English so that you can see for yourself.
Nick Swerdlow 