SITTGDE003A
Coordinate and operate a tour

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to conduct a tour including multiple products, services and sites. It requires the ability to manage the tour logistics of a prearranged tour itinerary. The coordination of the delivery of the tour requires significant planning and organisational skills as well as the ability to liaise with suppliers and industry colleagues to maximise tour efficiency and customer service quality. No licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of endorsement.The additional skills required to cohesively operate an extended tour covering multiple destinations and overnight stays are covered in SITTGDE005A Manage extended touring programs.SITTGDE004A Lead tour groups, focuses on the communication, leadership and conflict resolution skills required by guides and on the ability to coordinate the movement of groups.

Application

This unit describes a key tour guiding function. It applies to guides working in a range of locations and in multiple tourism industry sectors, but has particular application to guides engaged by tour operators, inbound tour operators and tour wholesalers. It may also be undertaken by driver guides and coach captains.

Tours can be provided at any international or domestic destination and can be for groups or individual customers. The complexity of the touring itinerary and its component parts will vary, but typically tours would be half-day or full-day and travelling within a city or region.

This unit has particular application to local guides and would not apply to a guide who works solely within one site. The unit also applies to tour managers who accompany tour groups on extended touring programs to manage the logistics of all group movements and touring arrangements at each destination throughout their tour.

Coordinating and operating a tour requires significant organisational, decision making and communication skills. Tour guides, tour managers and other tourism operational staff performing this function operate with a considerable level of autonomy or under limited supervision and guidance from others. They apply discretion and judgement within predefined organisational procedures and when on tour take the lead role without supervision.

It is critical that training and assessment is contextualised to meet the requirements of local tourism industry operations. Funding and hours allocated to pre-vocational training must allow for coverage of a broad scope of locations and destinations within the city or region in which the guide is training to work. This critical requirement will ensure that city or region-based local guides have the skills and knowledge required to operate tours to the range of different locations expected by local tourism industry operators.


Prerequisites

Nil


Elements and Performance Criteria

ELEMENT

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

1

Plan the logistics of tour delivery.

1.1

Plan the delivery of the tour according to briefing information or documentation from the tourism operator.

1.2

Identify hazards for customers and delivery personnel for all touring components, conduct a risk assessment and incorporate controls into management of tour logistics.

1.3

Make tour preparations and consider specific issues to ensure customer needs are met.

1.4

Prioritise and action tasks required for tour preparation and conduct, in advance of tour commencement.

2

Brief and assist customers.

2.1

Welcome customers to the tour and provide an accurate briefing on tour practicalities and procedures.

2.2

Provide additional information and assistance to customers to enhance enjoyment of the tour.

3

Liaise with industry colleagues.

3.1

Liaise with industry colleagues to achieve smooth operation of the tour.

3.2

Action requests from industry colleagues promptly and willingly wherever possible.

3.3

Request assistance politely when required.

3.4

Make agreements about individual and joint responsibilities during the tour.

3.5

Make forward reconfirmations and bookings with suppliers in an accurate and timely manner.

3.6

Interpret documentation from other organisations correctly and apply appropriately.

4

Manage the itinerary.

4.1

Conduct the tour to schedule and include all features as set down in the itinerary.

4.2

Advise customers courteously and sensitively about unavoidable changes to itinerary.

4.3

Re-plan the itinerary promptly when necessary to ensure all purchased inclusions or their equivalents are delivered and disruption to customers is minimised.

4.4

Advise industry colleagues and suppliers affected by changes promptly and according to company procedures.

4.5

Maintain contact with those fixing the problem when itinerary delays occur and employ negotiation techniques to minimise time delay and negative impact on customers.

4.6

Keep customers accurately informed of reasons for delays and actions being taken to manage delays.

5

Deal with unexpected events.

5.1

Implement contingency plans without delay when unexpected events occur.

5.2

Assess the situation and select appropriate action promptly.

5.3

Follow company procedures strictly in the case of accidents or where safety of customers or colleagues may be threatened.

5.4

Identify and access sources of assistance promptly.

5.5

Amend tour to minimise impact on customer enjoyment.

6

Debrief tour.

6.1

Provide accurate and complete tour reports according to organisation guidelines.

6.2

Provide accurate customer and personal feedback and other information to the company to assist with future improvements.

Required Skills

This section describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level, required for this unit.

The following skills must be assessed as part of this unit:

ability to conduct a safety-based risk assessment and implement appropriate hazard controls

interpretation of the specific needs of customers and any specific services previously promoted or confirmed to them

interpretation of tourism industry jargon, especially product codes

use of the 24-hour clock for itinerary timings

high-level communication skills to communicate with customers, industry colleagues and suppliers about touring logistics and sometimes complex issues such as itinerary changes

literacy skills to read and interpret customer and operational information, such as travel vouchers, customer and technical itineraries, and briefing instructions provided by tourism operators

writing skills to complete documents such as hazard identifications, risk assessments, tour reports and written reconfirmations of touring arrangements accurately and legibly

numeracy skills to calculate tour component times and translate from the 24-hour to 12-hour clock for customer use.

The following knowledge must be assessed as part of this unit:

in-depth product knowledge appropriate to the specific touring itinerary and its component products and services

the key features of culturally or environmentally sensitive areas to be visited and use of fundamental minimal impact practices to protect and sustain these

tourism industry, supplier networks and interrelationships that impact on the conduct of a multi-product and multi-site touring itinerary

industry reconfirmation and booking procedures for tour components

legal and liability issues affecting guides specifically in relation to domestic and relevant overseas consumer law regarding provision of services as advertised

in-depth knowledge of planning procedures relating to the delivery logistics of a multifaceted touring itinerary and the management processes to be undertaken before, during and on completion of a tour

tour management problems, and strategies to address these.

Evidence Required

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, the range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

Evidence of the following is essential:

ability to plan for and operate the tour logistics of prearranged tour itineraries, comprising multiple products, services and sites in a safe and environmentally protective manner

knowledge of the tourism industry, supplier networks and interrelationships that impact on the conduct of a multi-product, multi-site touring itinerary

procedures for reconfirmation of touring components and mechanisms for solving situations and problems on tour

coordinating and operating multiple tours to ensure consistency of performance

delivery of multifaceted tours of a duration that reflect local industry product and practice, such as half-day tour and full-day tour

coordinating and operating multifaceted tours to a number of locations and destinations within the city or region in which the guide works or is training to work, including coverage of a range of full and half-day tours popular and available in that location e.g. half-day city tours or tours to regional destinations.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment must ensure:

planning for and operating multifaceted tours within commercially realistic touring environments, including all operational elements of a commercial tour

access to equipment and resources required for the delivery of tours, e.g. transport and venue access

interaction with and involvement of a tourism operator for whom the tours are being conducted

interaction with customer groups of a size and nature that reflect the commercial environment in which the guide operates

use of industry-current customer and operational documentation to support the delivery of a multifaceted touring itinerary.

Methods of assessment

A range of assessment methods should be used to assess the practical skills and knowledge required to coordinate and operate a tour. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:

direct observation of organisational and tour management skills by participating in a tour conducted by the candidate

review of tour preparation notes or tour reports prepared by the candidate

problem-solving case studies to assess ability to apply contingency and risk management skills to a range of different touring situations and problems

written and oral questioning or interview to test knowledge of industry networks, tour management procedures and legal issues affecting tour management

review of portfolios of evidence and third-party workplace reports of on-the-job performance by the candidate.

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example:

SITTGDE004A Lead tour groups

SITTGDE005A Manage extended touring programs

SITTGDE006A Prepare and present tour commentaries or activities.

Assessing employability skills

Employability skills are integral to effective performance in the workplace and are broadly consistent across industry sectors. How these skills are applied varies between occupations and qualifications due to the different work functions and contexts.

Employability skills embedded in this unit should be assessed holistically with other relevant units that make up the skill set or qualification and in the context of the job role.


Range Statement

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording in the performance criteria is detailed below.

The tour may be a:

half or full-day tour

extended tour

city or rural tour

cultural tour

ecotour

adventure tour

special interest tour.

Briefing information or documentation from the tourism operator may include:

customer information

itinerary information

supplier information

special request notes

tickets, vouchers or other travel documentation for guide and group

supplier contact details

optional tour information

financial documents

promotional materials.

Risk assessment may involve assessment of:

customers' abilities to fully engage in all activities (e.g. customer health issues)

blocked, inaccessible tour routes

health or safety hazards associated with weather and exposure, e.g. insufficient shade or protection from rain

health or safety hazards associated with insufficient distance or protection from local wildlife

crowd-related issues

health or safety hazards associated with activities to be undertaken

the cultural or environmental sensitivity of areas to be visited and use of minimal impact practices to protect and sustain these

potential service delivery difficulties

tight timing or scheduling.

Consideration of specific issues to ensure customer needs are met must include:

type of customers

customer special needs

size of tour group

length of tour

specific itinerary requirements

special requests

style of commentary required

location of tour

climate

equipment and resources required

environmental and cultural considerations

language considerations.

Tour practicalities and procedures to be communicated must include:

tour itinerary or program, including route, schedule and highlights

availability of free time

health and safety procedures

local culture, customs and security

local regulations, including:

customs

immigration

luggage

specific site procedures

procedures at tour stops

any group rules, regulations and codes of behaviour

the cultural or environmental sensitivity of areas to be visited and use of minimal impact practices to protect and sustain these.

Additional information and assistance that may be provided to customers may include:

local events and activities

options for free time activities

optional tours and costs

general directions

local facilities.

Industry colleagues may include:

host communities

coach drivers

tour managers

local guides

airlines

tour operators

product suppliers, including hotels, restaurants, attractions and retail locations

land managers and other statutory authorities

tour company office.

Reconfirmations and bookings may be for any touring product or service component and may include:

accommodation venue

restaurant

catering provider

ground transport

airline

charter airline

scenic flight

train

retail outlet

attraction

guided tour within attractions and sites

cruise

local tour guide

optional tour.


Sectors

Sector

Tourism


Competency Field

Guiding


Employability Skills

The required outcomes described in this unit of competency contain applicable facets of employability skills. The Employability Skills Summary of the qualification in which this unit is packaged will assist in identifying employability skills requirements.


Licensing Information

Not applicable.